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Written Question
Army Reserve
Monday 28th March 2022

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to reduce the number of reservists in the armed forces.

Answered by James Heappey

There are no plans to reduce the number of reservists in the Armed Forces.

We are continuing to recruit reservists through active and targeted campaigns. Our plan is that over the next decade, our reservists will be given new, more clearly defined roles to make the best use of our resources and to harness the talents of wider UK society.


Written Question
A400M Aircraft and Hercules Aircraft
Thursday 4th March 2021

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 157035, what estimate he has made of the cost of upgrading the A400M to undertake the roles and duties of C-130J fleet.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 March 2021 in response to Question 157035.


Written Question
A400M Aircraft and Hercules Aircraft
Monday 1st March 2021

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) time frame (b) estimated cost is of upgrading the A400M to undertake the roles and duties of C-130J fleet.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

Any decision on when the Ministry of Defence may take the C130J fleet out of service and possible implications for the A400M fleet, is under consideration as part of the ongoing Integrated Security and Defence Review.


Written Question
Hercules Aircraft
Monday 1st March 2021

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on capability of the early retirement of the C-130J; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

Any decision on the out of service date for the C130J Fleet is subject to the Integrated Review (IR). The intention of the IR is to modernise our Armed Forces to ensure they have the capabilities they need to counter both current threats and those of the future. Any decision on future capabilities will be driven by those principles.


Written Question
A400M Aircraft and Hercules Aircraft
Monday 1st March 2021

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what roles the C130J performs that the A400M would not be able to perform following its proposed upgrade.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 142765 on 28 January 2021 to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury Mr Laurence Robertson.


Written Question
A400M Aircraft and Hercules Aircraft
Monday 1st March 2021

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the different missions, capabilities and roles of the (a) C-130J and (b) A400M.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 142765 on 28 January 2021 to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury Mr Laurence Robertson.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Northern Ireland
Monday 6th July 2020

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking in response to British service men and women being investigated and prosecuted for their service on Operation Banner; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

This Government is committed to ending vexatious claims as quickly as possible. We are working closely with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland towards this objective. As set out in his Written Ministerial Statement, he has committed to bringing forward legacy legislation which will deliver for victims and ensure Northern Ireland veterans are treated as fairly as those who served overseas. He will engage with colleagues from across the House as part of this process.


Written Question
Roads: Freight
Tuesday 19th February 2019

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Departments has allocated funding to promote the road haulage and logistics sector to veterans; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Tobias Ellwood

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides all Service leavers with resettlement provision to help prepare them for entering the civilian job market and to make a successful transition to employment or achieve the wider vocational outcome they seek. The provision entitles Service leavers, depending on their discharge category, to duty time, financial assistance and access to Career Transition Partnership (CTP) Services.

The MOD funded CTP provision includes workshops, seminars, career consultancy, resettlement training advice and vocational training, together with job finding support. This provision promotes employment opportunities across all sectors, including the road haulage and logistics sector. Eligible Service leavers may undertake haulage and logistics vocational training with support from the CTP including licences and certificates of professional competence. The CTP publishes 21 industry guides, including a guide specifically promoting Transport and Logistics. This sector is recognised as a good option for some of our highly talented Service leavers; however, the choice of post-discharge employment sector must remain with the individual.

All employers are encouraged to engage with the CTP through https://www.ctp.org.uk/employers. By registering with CTP, employers gain access to RightJob to freely advertise available jobs, they can attend employment fairs and are assigned a CTP Employment Relationship Manager (ERM).


Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information
Monday 28th January 2019

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2019 to Question 207554 on Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing the information for each year.

Answered by Tobias Ellwood

The Ministry of Defence does not regularly use non-disclosure agreements and they could be held across a number of areas in the Department in both paper file format and as digital records.

In the absence of either a central list or local lists of paper and digital files containing non-disclosure agreements, extensive searches would need to be under taken, the cost in effort for this would exceed the disproportionate cost limit of £850.


Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information
Monday 28th January 2019

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2019 to Question 207554 on Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information, in what form the information on non-disclosure agreements is held centrally by his Department.

Answered by Tobias Ellwood

The Ministry of Defence does not regularly use non-disclosure agreements and they could be held across a number of areas in the Department in both paper file format and as digital records.

In the absence of either a central list or local lists of paper and digital files containing non-disclosure agreements, extensive searches would need to be under taken, the cost in effort for this would exceed the disproportionate cost limit of £850.