Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many non-disclosure agreements have been entered into by his Department in each of the last five years in respect of a personnel matter relating to a Minister in his Department.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Having searched through our records, there is no evidence of non-disclosure agreements being entered into by the Ministry of Defence in respect of a personnel matter relating to a Minister in each of the last five years.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of enlisted army recruits aged (a) under and (b) over 18-years old have a background in the care system.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
During the recruiting year 2016-17, approximately one per cent of under 18 year-olds who enlisted to the Army were subject to a Care Order.
For over 18s, from the information held centrally, no enlistees declared that they had been subject to a Care Order*. Thirteen per cent chose not to declare this information.
*For over 18s, information was available for 89% of enlistees.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what mandatory education is provided to armed forces personnel aged 16 or 17-years old who are not undertaking an apprenticeship in order to ensure that they complete 280 guided learning hours per year towards accredited qualifications.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
All Armed Forces recruits under the age of 18 are enrolled on an apprenticeship. They also receive education in literacy and numeracy, should they need it. The Armed Forces remain the UK's largest apprenticeship provider, equipping young people with valuable and transferable skills for life. OFSTED regularly inspects our care of newly joined young recruits, and we are very proud of the standards we achieve. All apprenticeships require a minimum of 280 Guided Learning Hours (GLHs) within a 12-month period.
Over 95% of all recruits, no matter what their age or prior qualifications, enrol in an Apprenticeship Programme each year. Apprenticeships ensure that Service personnel will gain a Level 2 qualification in literacy and numeracy, which is the equivalent to GCSE (Grade A-C).
Since September 2012, the Department has adopted Functional Skills qualifications (FS (English) and FS (mathematics)) as the accredited measures of literacy and numeracy skills for all Service personnel accessing in-Service literacy and numeracy provision. Defence FS provision will be a blend of in-house and external provision.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of enlisted soldiers stated on their application form that one or both parents are or were in the armed forces.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
This information is not routinely recorded, or held, as part of the recruiting process.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of soldiers who enlist under 18-years old arrive to train without Level (a) 1 and (b) 2 qualifications in both English and mathematics.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Qualification statistics for candidates who entered the Army Foundation College, Harrogate (AFC(H)) in September 2016 are shown below:
Entered without | Literacy | Numeracy |
Level 2 (A*-C) | 71 % | 79 % |
Level 1 (D-G) | 49 % | 67 % |
All under 18 enlistees attend AFC(H), except a very small number who will turn 18 before completion of Phase 1 training.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to review the safeguards on consent to enlistment in the light of the Committee on the Rights of the Child's finding in 2016 that such safeguards were insufficient.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
Ministry of Defence policies on under-18s in the Armed Forces are robust and comply with national and international law. In addition to the comprehensive welfare system that is in place for all Service personnel we remain fully committed to meeting our obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and have taken steps to bestow special safeguards on young people under the age of 18.
Our recruiting policy is absolutely clear. No one under the age of 18 can join the Armed Forces without formal parental consent, which is checked twice during the application process. In addition, parents and guardians are positively encouraged to be engaged with the recruiting staff during the process. Furthermore all Service personnel have a statutory right to claim discharge up to their 18th birthday, and the right of discharge is made clear to all Service personnel on joining the Armed Forces.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has agreed not to enforce the Key Performance Indicators with Babcock while the current industrial action is underway.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
We do not comment on the detailed terms and conditions of the contractual arrangements with our suppliers as to do so would prejudice the commercial interests of the parties involved.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there is currently an operational attack submarine in service at sea.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
There are four Trafalgar Class and three Astute Class submarines currently in service at various stages of their operating cycle. Attack submarines are operationally capable and ready, and our submarines are meeting their operational taskings.
It is UK policy that we do not comment on matters relating to submarine activity or operations.
The normal operating cycle of every submarine includes periods at reduced levels of readiness to enable maintenance and training programmes, and to allow Service personnel to have time with their families.
HMS Ambush is undergoing repairs at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether an Astute Class submarine is undergoing a refit or maintenance.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
There are four Trafalgar Class and three Astute Class submarines currently in service at various stages of their operating cycle. Attack submarines are operationally capable and ready, and our submarines are meeting their operational taskings.
It is UK policy that we do not comment on matters relating to submarine activity or operations.
The normal operating cycle of every submarine includes periods at reduced levels of readiness to enable maintenance and training programmes, and to allow Service personnel to have time with their families.
HMS Ambush is undergoing repairs at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether HMS (a) Triumph, (b) Torbay, (c) Artful, (d) Talent, (e) Trenchant, (f) Ambush and (g) Astute is currently operational.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
There are four Trafalgar Class and three Astute Class submarines currently in service at various stages of their operating cycle. Attack submarines are operationally capable and ready, and our submarines are meeting their operational taskings.
It is UK policy that we do not comment on matters relating to submarine activity or operations.
The normal operating cycle of every submarine includes periods at reduced levels of readiness to enable maintenance and training programmes, and to allow Service personnel to have time with their families.
HMS Ambush is undergoing repairs at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde.