Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officials in her Department have been seconded away from their normal duties to work on the UK's withdrawal from the EU; and what effect that secondment of staff has had on the effectiveness of her Department.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
A total of 257 Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servants were augmented to Other Government Departments (OGDs) as preparation for the UK to leave the EU. This figure includes those who were augmented in support of Operation Yellowhammer. As at 23 May 2019, 254 had returned to the MOD. Three MOD civil servants remain augmenting OGDs as preparation for the UK to leave the EU. In addition, a total of 61 MOD civil servants were moved internally to work on EU Exit within MOD, of which 54 had returned to non-EU specific roles as at 23 May.
The MOD continually reviews workforce plans, reprioritising and assessing changing needs, which includes identification and cessation of non-priority work where appropriate. We have accelerated our plans, and at the same time, the civil service as a whole is working to ensure that EU Exit implementation is carried out to a high quality without impacting public service delivery across the whole of Government. The MOD continues to meet all its current commitments, keeping the country and its interests safe. The augmentation outlined above has had no impact on Defence outputs; as at 1 April 2019, 318 augmentees represented 0.55 per cent of the MOD civilian personnel strength (full time equivalent).
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of the Civil Service workforce in his Department dedicated to planning for (a) the UK leaving the EU and (b) projects relating to the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 July 2017 to Question 5022 to the hon. Member of Arfron, (Hywel Williams).
Given that a wide range of officials from across the Ministry of Defence are working on EU exit as part of their other duties, it's not possible to provide an accurate proportion.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of staff who ceased to be employed by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in the last three years have subsequently been re-employed by his Department on a temporary basis or as a third-party contractor or consultant.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
A total of 51 staff who ceased to be employed by the Department between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2016 were re-employed subsequently as civil servants on a temporary basis.
Data relating to the number of staff who ceased to be employed by the Department during the last three years, and have subsequently been re-employed as a third-party contractor or consultant, is not held.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2016 to Question 34579, what funding was allocated to the Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme in (a) 2014, (b) 2015 and (c) 2016; and how many staff are directly responsible for the (i) strategy and (ii) delivery of that programme.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme (DDIP) is driving change in the core areas of leadership and culture; recruitment; retention and progression; and outreach by ensuring diversity and inclusion considerations as part of normal business across the whole Department. This involves staff and funding across all areas of the Department, to define how this should be done and ensure delivery as part of people's existing roles wherever they work.
The Ministry of Defence is dedicated to achieving a more diverse workforce and is undertaking various activities to increase the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) recruits into the Armed Forces to 10% by 2020 and has allocated resources for this purpose.
The cost of funding the DDIP is disaggregated amongst budgets across the Department; therefore a response could only be provided at disproportionate cost. As part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review we dedicated additional resources to recruitment activity in order to help generate a more diverse workforce and reach all parts of the UK's Armed Forces community.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2016 to Question 34579, what plans his Department has to publish information on the performance of the Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme in increasing the diversity of the armed forces since that programme was established.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme (DDIP) is driving change in the core areas of leadership and culture; recruitment; retention and progression; and outreach by ensuring diversity and inclusion considerations as part of normal business across the whole Department. This involves staff and funding across all areas of the Department, to define how this should be done and ensure delivery as part of people's existing roles wherever they work.
The Ministry of Defence is dedicated to achieving a more diverse workforce and is undertaking various activities to increase the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) recruits into the Armed Forces to 10% by 2020 and has allocated resources for this purpose.
The cost of funding the DDIP is disaggregated amongst budgets across the Department; therefore a response could only be provided at disproportionate cost. As part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review we dedicated additional resources to recruitment activity in order to help generate a more diverse workforce and reach all parts of the UK's Armed Forces community.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 4 March 2015 to Question 225425, what progress has been made on the assessment of the feasibility of the creation of a Sikh regiment.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Armed Forces are working to increase the recruitment of military personnel from all ethnic and religious backgrounds and have made significant progress towards the set target of 10% Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic enlistment to training by 2020. Measures have also been implemented to improve mutual understanding between the Army and the full range of UK communities in order to build better relationships between communities and military personnel.
The Ministry of Defence continues to look at all options relating to the recognition of Sikh values and traditions in our Armed Forces. Service personnel already benefit from a thriving British Armed Forces Sikh Association and a Sikh chaplain to the military; work is ongoing to ensure that policy supports the active participation of the Sikh religion.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) status and (b) purpose is of the Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme established in September 2013.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme (DDIP) is a high priority change programme aimed at increasing the diversity of our workforce - both military and civilian. The Defence Board agreed in 2014 that the DDIP should be regarded as core business, on a par with other Defence Transformation activities.
The main purpose of the DDIP is to ensure that Ministry of Defence outputs are delivered by the right mix of capable and motivated people that appropriately represent the breadth of the society we exist to defend, now and in the future. The programme continues to drive real change in the core areas of leadership and culture; recruitment; retention and progression; and outreach, seeking to remove barriers where they might exist.
The benefits of this will be better access to talent for Defence's workforce and improving the Armed Forces' ability to achieve overall recruitment levels; improved decision making as a result of the different perspectives that come from a more diverse workforce; greater levels of cultural understanding so that we are more effective and trusted in our international operations and activities; improved workforce engagement and morale; and better relations with, and support from, the wide range of communities within British society as a result of a more representative workforce.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the intake of BAME servicemen and women was as a proportion of total intake for each year from 2006 to the latest available figures.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The information held by the Ministry of Defence is as follows:
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) intake as a proportion of Total UK Regulars1 Intake each year April 2008-April 2015.
12 Months ending | 1 April 2008 | 1 April 2009 | 1 April 2010 | 1 April 2011 | 1 April 2012 | 1 April 2013 | 1 April 2014 | 1 April 2015 |
% BAME | 8.3 | 9.4 | 6.8 | 5.6 | 7.3 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 5.7 |
Source: Defence Statistics (Tri-Service)
Older information is not available as the current systems date back to 2007 only. Information on Reserves intake is due to be released as part of the UK Armed Forces Biannual Diversity Statistics on 26 May 2016. The most recent data can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-2015
Notes
1UK Regular Forces comprises Full-time personnel but does not include Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service personnel and Reservists. Percentages exclude those personnel with an unknown ethnicity.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of servicemen and women recruited from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 April 2016 to Question 33630 to the hon. Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis).
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in what conditions the 114 Syrian refugees are being held at RAF Dhekelia in Cyprus; and if he will undertake to ensure that these conditions are inspected as to their appropriateness.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The transit facility at Dhekelia Station in Cyprus where the migrants are being held provides access to three meals a day, shelter , duvets and blankets, privacy and communications as well as facilities for religious worship. The electrical supply is being upgraded to provide heaters for when the weather turns colder.Medical care is being provided if needed. The Ministry of Defence was advised by the Department for International Development (DFID) when designing and constructing the facility, and DFID continue to provide support and advice on the ground. It has been visited by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Cyprus, who has said that the conditions of the facility exceeds the standard of comparable set-ups.