Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the environmental impact will be of the first deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH was designed, as far as possible, to minimise her impact on the environment, incorporating many new technologies such as integrated platform management system which allows only the minimum number of engines to be operated, adapting to demand.
Until the duration and nature of the deployment is finalised it is not possible to accurately estimate the environmental impact or amount of CO2 that will be generated by HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH on this tasking.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the direct costs of the first deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Answered by James Heappey
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH's Carrier Strike Group 2021 deployment will involve multiple ships and capabilities from across Defence. The construct of this deployment is still in the planning phase and as such costs have not been finalised.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on UK-China relations of the deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth on freedom of navigation operations in the Pacific in the vicinity of disputed islands.
Answered by James Heappey
Planning for the inaugural deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021 as part of a Carrier Strike Group continues. It will be an ambitious deployment which demonstrates the UK's commitment to upholding a rules based international system and showcases our world-leading carrier capability. Once plans for the deployment have been agreed, the Government will make a statement to the House.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) army reserves rates of pay and (b) the method by which those rates are calculated from regular army pay scales.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer on 9 September 2019 to Questions 286771, 286772, 286773 and 286774.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the equity of paying the equivalent of (a) £6.28 an hour for a newly trained army reservist, or (b) £4.68 an hour for a new recruit to the army reserves.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer on 9 September 2019 to Questions 286771, 286772, 286773 and 286774.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the daily rate of pay for armed forces reservists is calculated from the regular equivalents.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.
The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.
Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.
This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the minimum number of hours is that an armed forces reservist is expected to work to qualify for a day's pay.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.
The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.
Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.
This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the equivalent hourly rate would be for a (a) Private and (b)equivalent rank (OR-2-1) in the Armed Forces Reserves working an eight hour day.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.
The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.
Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.
This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the lowest paid armed forces Reserve personnel are paid rates equivalent to the National Living Wage.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.
The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.
Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.
This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of (a) regular and (b) reserve armed forces personnel have made an expenses claim on the Joint Personnel Administration system in the last year.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
During Financial Year 2017-18, 95,964 regular and 10,731 volunteer reserve personnel (a total of 106, 695 personnel which represents approximately 58 per cent of the combined total strength) submitted an expenses claim via the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system. Together they, along with other cadres of personnel with access to the JPA system (including Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and the Military Provost Guard Service), submitted 404,600 expenses claims.
All regular and reserve units have access to the JPA system and provisions are in place for deployed or detached personnel to submit claims if access in theatre is not readily available.
The JPA system is programmed to randomly select five per cent of different types of expense claims for audit to be carried out at Unit level. In addition, each of the single-Services conducts a similar manual percentage audit of claims submitted by their Service personnel.
During Financial Year 2017-18, some 17,800 regular and reserve Service personnel who submitted an expenses claim were required to refund payment either in part, or in full. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of refunded payments by regular and reservist claimants.
Information on the value of unclaimed expenses, and the number of instances where an expenses claim was rejected is not held.