Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force have different rules on the eligibility of dual nationality candidates for pilot and observer aircrew positions.
Answered by Mike Penning
Employment restrictions due to nationality status may be imposed within certain Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Branches for security reasons. Such restrictions may be considered on a case by case basis during the initial recruiting process.
The different aircraft types and scale of aircrew numbers required by each Service, may result in these restrictions being imposed on individuals at different stages through the recruiting and training process.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will re-align the Royal Navy's rules on the eligibility of dual nationality candidates for pilot and observer aircrew positions with those of the Royal Air Force.
Answered by Mike Penning
Employment restrictions due to nationality status may be imposed within certain Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Branches for security reasons. Such restrictions may be considered on a case by case basis during the initial recruiting process.
The different aircraft types and scale of aircrew numbers required by each Service, may result in these restrictions being imposed on individuals at different stages through the recruiting and training process.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the greatest length of time is that a veteran has claimed a pension under the War Pensions Scheme.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to protect war pensions from the effect of changes in the level of funding to his Department.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The War Pensions Scheme (WPS) and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) provide compensation for any injury, illness or death which is caused by service. The WPS, which provides compensation for incidents before 5 April 2005, has protected funding as part of the Department's Spending Round 2015 settlement. The AFCS is funded through employer contributions linked to the Department's pay bill and we are committed to a fair compensation scheme.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent from the public purse on purchasing (a) wearable fitness tracking technology and (b) diet pills for soldiers deemed to be overweight in the last financial year.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Wearable fitness tracking technology equipment is purchased by individual military units. Records of the cost of these purchases are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
In accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, the Ministry of Defence prescribes the medication Orlistat for the management of obesity. The drug is prescribed to both UK military personnel and their dependants. In financial year 2015-16 the total purchase cost of Orlistat was £6,300.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation have been employed to deal with applications for adapted housing in each year since 2000.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
This information is not held.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff have been employed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation or Defence Estates Agency in each year since 2000.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The number of staff employed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation or Defence Estates as of April in each year since 2005 is detailed in the table below.
Information prior to 2005 is not held centrally.
In 2013 the Military Guard Service transferred to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
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| Headcount | Full Time Equivalent (FTE) |
Defence Estates | 2005 | 2,865 | 2,825 |
| 2006 | 2,940 | 2,900 |
| 2007 | 2,930 | 2,860 |
| 2008 | 2,765 | 2,695 |
| 2009 | 2,750 | 2,675 |
| 2010 | 2,910 | 2,830 |
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Defence Infrastructure Organisation | 2011 | 3,270 | 3,185 |
| 2012 | 2,660 | 2,605 |
| 2013 | 5,360 | 5,290 |
| 2014 | 4,590 | 4,520 |
| 2015 | 4,235 | 4,165 |
| 2016 | 4,280 | 4,200 |
Source: Defence Statistics (Civilian) All Headcount and FTE totals have been individually rounded to the nearest 5 personnel. | |||
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications his Department has received for modifications and adapted housing in each year from 2000 to date; and whether data on such applications is available before 2000 and to what date.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 September 2016 to Questions 45414 and 45461.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent from the public purse on modifications and adapted housing in each year from 2000 to date; and whether data on such spend is available before 2000 and to what date.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 September 2016 to Questions 45414 and 45461.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost is of retaining each of his Department's 15 golf courses.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
This information is not held.
The money spent on running golf courses is not separately identifiable from the operating costs of the site as a whole.