Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Armed Forces Pension Scheme payments have been (a) delayed and (b) unpaid in the last five years, where the recipient’s entitlement is manually calculated by his Department.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This information is not held.
All Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) pensions are processed using Ministry of Defence approved calculators. The only manual interaction involved in the process is the input of specific criteria, such as service dates and date of birth, which may affect the outcome of the calculation.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a rolling automatic pension calculation for former armed forces personnel who have received an Early Departure Payment.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
There are no plans to introduce a rolling automatic calculation. However, former Armed Forces personnel can annually request a free forecast at any time by completing a Form 14, available on Gov.uk at the following link:
www.gov.uk/guidance/veterans-uk-armed-forces-pensions-forms
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides support for members of the Armed Forces Pension Schemes through the Joint Personnel Administration Centre (JPAC). Scheme members can access assistance via the following contact details:
Freephone (UK only): 0800 085 3600
Telephone (Overseas): +44 141 224 3600
Phone (Military): 94560 3600
Email: dbs-pensionshelp@dbspv.mod.uk
Mail Point 480
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow
G2 8EX
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the feasibility of integrating non-violent offenders into non-combat military support roles as part of a structured rehabilitation programme.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Defence is dedicated to recruiting, retaining and developing the best talent, drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills and background, to reflect the society we serve. We inherited a long running recruitment crisis from the last government.
Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the Armed Forces can consider applications from candidates with spent and unspent convictions for non-serious offences on a case-by-case basis. The entry policy regarding convictions is regularly reviewed and amended to ensure that it is fully aligned with updated legislation. However, there will always be a number of serious convictions that preclude entry.
The Defence purpose is to protect the people of the United Kingdom, prevent conflict, and be ready to fight our enemies. The demanding nature of defence today is such that we require highly trained, professional personnel in our Armed Forces, fully committed to giving their best in defending our country and its allies. Recruits are all volunteers, and the Government has no current plans to introduce any form of mandated service.
It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to review the principles of justice and deliver the Criminal Justice System. Should the MOJ seek Ministry of Defence (MOD) support for alternative forms of justice and rehabilitation, the MOD will investigate potential options. Within the Strategic Defence Review such initiatives will have merit for consideration as Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds. However, the protection of operational outputs will always be a Defence priority.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on cross-departmental strategies on (a) the size of the armed forces and (b) the rehabilitation of offenders.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Defence is dedicated to recruiting, retaining and developing the best talent, drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills and background, to reflect the society we serve. We inherited a long running recruitment crisis from the last government.
Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the Armed Forces can consider applications from candidates with spent and unspent convictions for non-serious offences on a case-by-case basis. The entry policy regarding convictions is regularly reviewed and amended to ensure that it is fully aligned with updated legislation. However, there will always be a number of serious convictions that preclude entry.
The Defence purpose is to protect the people of the United Kingdom, prevent conflict, and be ready to fight our enemies. The demanding nature of defence today is such that we require highly trained, professional personnel in our Armed Forces, fully committed to giving their best in defending our country and its allies. Recruits are all volunteers, and the Government has no current plans to introduce any form of mandated service.
It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to review the principles of justice and deliver the Criminal Justice System. Should the MOJ seek Ministry of Defence (MOD) support for alternative forms of justice and rehabilitation, the MOD will investigate potential options. Within the Strategic Defence Review such initiatives will have merit for consideration as Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds. However, the protection of operational outputs will always be a Defence priority.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57700 on LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme, what progress his Department has made on ensuring eligible individuals receive compensation under the LGBT Veterans Independent Review’s financial recognition scheme by the target date.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Defence’s LGBT Restorative Action team have worked closely with external and internal Defence communications teams to deliver campaigns to drive awareness of, and encourage, eligible LGBT Veterans to claim under the Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) since the scheme was announced. Defence continues to work with local councils, the NHS, LGBT and military charities, to better inform affected Veterans of the FRS and how to apply. Defence has also allocated £90,000 worth of grants to charities, including Fighting With Pride, to support Veterans with their FRS applications.
The LGBT Restorative Action team also continues to engage with relevant Veterans networks to ensure that eligible applicants of FRS receive the appropriate information, support, and guidance.
The Government encourages those affected by the Ban to visit gov.uk for further information, guidance, and support on how to make an application: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-of-the-lgbt-ban-financial-recognition-scheme
Payments made by the FRS are not compensation payments and do not seek to compensate for any pecuniary losses or attempt to place personnel in a financial position they could have been in, had the ban not existed.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of replacing Capita with a tri-service agency on the armed forces recruitment process.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
On 6 February 2025 AFRP announced the award of the contract to Serco, for the new tri-service Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS). It will provide a streamlined, single-entry point for prospective recruits, with the aim of recruiting from the broadest spectrum of society to attract the best talent into the Armed Forces. The service will launch in 2027, replacing the individual schemes run by the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of sourcing military uniforms from China.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Tenders to supply items of military clothing are conducted in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which ensure best value for the taxpayer in the delivery of Defence requirements. Through the Logistics Commodities and Services Transformation contract with Leidos Europe Limited, Defence Equipment & Support procures approximately 16,000 different clothing items, plus a further 1,300 supporting ceremonial accoutrements such as cuirasses and sabres that form a part of ceremonial uniforms. Uniforms are not purchased fully assembled but rather as individual items.