Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of public sector strikes on UK GDP in each month since August 2022.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have noted, it is not possible to precisely isolate the impact of strike action on GDP from other factors across the wider economy.
The Government remains committed to minimising the disruption caused by strike action and encouraging the resolution of industrial disputes as quickly as reasonably possible.
The Government will listen to all unions who are willing to discuss what is fair and reasonable – recognising the vital role public sector workers play but also the wider economic pressures facing the UK. As a condition for talks, we expect unions to call off any planned strike action.
For example, following intensive talks between the Government and Agenda for Change unions, the Government have put forward a fair and generous pay offer which Agenda for Change unions are now balloting their members on, with most unions recommending that their members vote to accept.
Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to join the armed forces have been made in the past 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The requested information is currently undergoing a checking and verification process and publication is anticipated in the summer as an Official Statistic. The release of this data ahead of planned publication would be a breach of the Code of Practice for Statistics. When ready, the information will be published at the website of the collection of Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-index
Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average time was between the submission of an application to join the regular or reserve forces and an interview in the last twelve months.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The following information has been provided by the single Services.
Naval Service
The table below shows the average time taken (in days) between receipt of application and interview date between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Regular Other Ranks | 67 |
Reserve Other Ranks | 73 |
Notes:
British Army
The table below shows the total applications and Time of Flight Average from Application to Army Brief and Individual Candidate Discussion, by stream.
Stream | Average for last 12 months in Days |
Regular Officers | 119 |
Regular Other Ranks | 21 |
Reserve Officers | 78 |
Reserve Other Ranks | 39 |
Notes:
Royal Air Force (RAF)
The table below shows the average time (in days) between application and first interview for the RAF Regular and Reserve Forces in recruiting year 2022-23.
Stream | Average for last 12 months in Days |
Regular Aviator | 106 |
Regular Officer | 120 |
Reserve Aviator | 101 |
Reserve Officer | 144 |
Notes:
Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans can be identified via the verification processes of the Royal British Legion and other service charities.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has access to the records of all service personnel who have served in the UK armed forces. From 1972 onwards the information is held electronically by the MOD, either in the DPRR (data preservation repository reporting) or in the Joint Personnel Administration System. This equates to approximately 2.1 million records.
Prior to 1972 the MOD holds an index of all service personnel IDs (name and service number) to facilitate the recall of service records from the National Archive (all records from WW2 onwards), approximately 4.9m records.
Currently, Service charities approach the single Services or Defence Business Services for verification of an individual veteran’s service. However, more than £1 million in new money is being invested into a new digital verification service for veterans, which will enable them to verify their veteran status online quickly and easily.
Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans can be personally identified from his Department's records.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has access to the records of all service personnel who have served in the UK armed forces. From 1972 onwards the information is held electronically by the MOD, either in the DPRR (data preservation repository reporting) or in the Joint Personnel Administration System. This equates to approximately 2.1 million records.
Prior to 1972 the MOD holds an index of all service personnel IDs (name and service number) to facilitate the recall of service records from the National Archive (all records from WW2 onwards), approximately 4.9m records.
Currently, Service charities approach the single Services or Defence Business Services for verification of an individual veteran’s service. However, more than £1 million in new money is being invested into a new digital verification service for veterans, which will enable them to verify their veteran status online quickly and easily.
Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length of time taken was by Capita to process applications to join the regular or reserve forces in the last twelve months.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The British Army conducts recruiting activities in partnership with Capita under the Recruiting Partnership Programme, whereas the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force deliver recruitment in house. The below table therefore represents the average length of time for Army applicants only.
The table below shows the average time in days from application to starting training.
Mean time (Days) | |
Regular Officer | 524 |
Reserve Officer | 338 |
Regular Other Ranks | 203 |
Reserve Other Ranks | 169 |
Notes / Caveats
- Averages have been calculated using data from the recruiting year (RY) 2021/22 application cohort data.
- Data for RY 2022/23 is not yet available as it takes time for cohorts to mature to the point of intake.
- There are several variables that may impact the time it takes to progress through the recruitment pipeline, including but not limited to, timely individual participation in the recruitment process, medical/fitness issues, aptitude testing success and availability of training places.
- The recruitment process for Officers can take significantly longer given that candidates can go to university between application and arriving at RMAS.
Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse was for Capita to process application forms for the regular and reserve forces in each of the last three years.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The British Army conducts recruiting activities in partnership with Capita under the Recruiting Partnership Programme, whereas the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force deliver recruitment in house. The below table therefore represents the cost to the Army only.
The cost of processing application forms is not captured as a separate activity under the Army Recruiting Contract with Capita, but within the overall cost of recruiting. Recruiting costs are covered by a combination of the Service Management Charge and the Recruitment charge. The latter charge alters depending upon the volume of recruiting demand in a particular year, whereas the former is a fixed charge not dependant on demand volumes. Additionally, there are costs relating to medical assessment activities included.
The table below shows the costs over the last three financial years:
Financial Year | Cost | Comments |
2020-21 | £43.57 million | Figures include the Service Management Charge, Recruitment Charge and medical assessment costs |
2021-22 | £40.29 million | |
2022-23 | £42.65 million |
Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data his Department holds on the number of people who have successfully sued the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) using the bad faith or human rights carve-outs to the FCA's exemption from civil liability, set out in paragraph 25(3) of Part 4 of Schedule 1ZA of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2012.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is not aware of any occasion where the FCA has been successfully sued for damages in the discharge of its functions.
Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the degree to which consumer interests are weighted in the governance of the Financial Conduct Authority; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Section 29 of the Financial Services Act 2021 required the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to consult on whether it should make rules giving regulated financial service providers a duty of care over their customers. The Act also set out that the consultation must include “whether the FCA should make other provision in general rules about the level of care that must be provided to consumers by authorised persons, either instead of or in addition to a duty of care”. The Act further set out that the consultation must be carried out by the end of 2021, and any new rules introduced, if considered appropriate, before 1 August 2022.
The FCA published a final Policy Statement on 27 July 2022 on its new Consumer Duty following two consultations in May and December 2021. The FCA has publicly set out how it considers it has met the requirements under the Financial Services Act 2021, including the requirement to consult on the introduction of a duty of care for financial services firms, and why the Consumer Duty amounts to a duty of care.
As the FCA is an operationally independent regulator, it would not be appropriate for the government to comment on the specific rules introduced by the FCA.
The FCA must operate within the framework of statutory duties and powers agreed by Parliament and is fully accountable to Parliament for how it discharges its statutory functions.
The Government has given the FCA a statutory objective to protect consumers. The FCA is required to set out how it has advanced its objectives, including the consumer protection objective, as part of public consultations on draft rules. It is also required to set out how it has advanced its consumer protection objective as part of its annual report which is laid before Parliament.
Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department plans to take to introduce the duty of care promised by Section 29 of the Financial Services Act 2021.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Section 29 of the Financial Services Act 2021 required the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to consult on whether it should make rules giving regulated financial service providers a duty of care over their customers. The Act also set out that the consultation must include “whether the FCA should make other provision in general rules about the level of care that must be provided to consumers by authorised persons, either instead of or in addition to a duty of care”. The Act further set out that the consultation must be carried out by the end of 2021, and any new rules introduced, if considered appropriate, before 1 August 2022.
The FCA published a final Policy Statement on 27 July 2022 on its new Consumer Duty following two consultations in May and December 2021. The FCA has publicly set out how it considers it has met the requirements under the Financial Services Act 2021, including the requirement to consult on the introduction of a duty of care for financial services firms, and why the Consumer Duty amounts to a duty of care.
As the FCA is an operationally independent regulator, it would not be appropriate for the government to comment on the specific rules introduced by the FCA.
The FCA must operate within the framework of statutory duties and powers agreed by Parliament and is fully accountable to Parliament for how it discharges its statutory functions.
The Government has given the FCA a statutory objective to protect consumers. The FCA is required to set out how it has advanced its objectives, including the consumer protection objective, as part of public consultations on draft rules. It is also required to set out how it has advanced its consumer protection objective as part of its annual report which is laid before Parliament.