Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many recommendations by the Service Complaints Ombudsman were included in its annual report in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 12 June 2019 to Question 261162.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many recommendations by the Service Complaints Ombudsman are under current consideration by her Department.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 12 June 2019 to Question 261162.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to issue a waiver for the tax due on redundancy payments to be received by Ford Bridgend workers.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government confirmed in Finance (No. 2) Act 2017 that the first £30,000 of all termination payments remain exempt from income tax. The UK has one of the most generous tax exemptions for termination payments in the OECD, and around 80% of the termination awards made each year will remain completely free from income tax.
HM Revenue and Customs does not have the data available to make an estimate on the cost of reducing tax from redundancy payments for Ford, Bridgend.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will hold discussions with representatives of Ford UK on that company meeting 50 per cent of the tax deductions from redundancy payments to workers at Ford Bridgend; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The terms of the separation packages for Ford Bridgend Engine plant workers have only recently been communicated by the company.
Ford has indicated that they will seek to avoid compulsory redundancies. They have also stated that they will be offering generous voluntary redundancy packages and options for redeployment.
United Kingdom Government and Welsh Government are working together to support Ford workers and the local community.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the value of reducing tax deductions from redundancy payments to workers at Ford Bridgend; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government confirmed in Finance (No. 2) Act 2017 that the first £30,000 of all termination payments remain exempt from income tax. The UK has one of the most generous tax exemptions for termination payments in the OECD, and around 80% of the termination awards made each year will remain completely free from income tax.
HM Revenue and Customs does not have the data available to make an estimate on the cost of reducing tax from redundancy payments for Ford, Bridgend.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where the planned centre of excellence for human security will be based, on what date it will start; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Centre of Excellence is currently the subject of a feasibility study which will provide Ministers with options on timings, scope and costs. At this stage, no decision has been made on when the Centre of Excellence will begin operation.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funding her Department plans to allocate to the centre of excellence for human security; what the (a) priorities and (b) objectives of that centre will be; how many staff will be employed in that centre; and of those staff how many will be gender advisers; what training her Department plans to provide; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Centre of Excellence will work to help the UK military and its international partners better integrate UN Security Council Resolutions linked to human security into military planning and conduct of operations. The Centre is currently the subject of a feasibility study which will provide Ministers with options on timings, scope and costs. At this stage, no decision has been made on when the Centre of Excellence will begin operation.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate she has made of the number of recommendations in the (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018 Service Complaints Ombudsman's annual report have been complied with; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
In her annual reports for 2016 and 2017 the Service Complaints Ombudsman made a total of 22 recommendations. Of these recommendations, we consider that 15 have either been completed or were not accepted, and that seven remain in progress. In her annual report for 2018 which was published in April this year, the Ombudsman made nine new recommendations. We are currently in the process of considering these recommendations with the single Services and will respond formally to the Ombudsman once this work is complete.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel in the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) the RAF have been (i) investigated by and (ii) discharged from the services as a result of (A) membership of national action (B) membership of a far right organisation, (C) anti-Semitic organisations and (D) Islamophobic organisations; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Since April 2007 (when offences started to be recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration system), no members of the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force have been investigated or discharged from Service as a result of membership of the named organisations.
During that time, less than five (this figure is rounded to avoid identification) members of the Army were investigated and discharged due to membership of National Action.
Extremist ideologies are completely at odds with the values and standards of the military. We have robust measures in place, including during the recruitment process, to ensure those exhibiting extremist views are neither tolerated nor permitted to serve.
We are working with the Home Office to implement the Prevent programme across the Armed Forces, including training personnel to ensure they are aware of what to do if they believe an individual is showing signs of radicalisation.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will undertake a review of the requirement for EU citizens to fill in a UC1 or EC6 form in order to participate in the 2019 European elections.
Answered by Kevin Foster
It is the Government's intention to respect the 2016 referendum result and leave the European Union with a deal as soon as possible, meaning we will not participate in future European Parliamentary elections.
The Electoral Commission will produce a review at the recent European Elections and the Government will consider its conclusions.