Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 7 October 2019 to Question 293678 on the Junior Entry Review, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Junior Entry Review Market Research final report, dated April 2018, referenced in the Junior Entry Review.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
A copy of the Junior Entry Review Market Research final report will be placed in the Library of the House shortly. It is currently being reviewed for commercial and personal data sensitivities.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many incidents of (a) irresponsible and (b) reckless flying have been reported (a) on the Machynlleth Loop and (b) in Wales in each of the last five years; and what steps he is taking to ensure that pilots behave appropriately and responsibly.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The information is not held in the format requested.
The Defence Flying Complaints Investigations Team (DFCIT) is charged with investigating instances of military low flying complaints reported by members of the public. The table below gives the number of investigations undertaken for the whole of Wales and the number of occasions that were identified as a breach of flying regulations.
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
Number of Investigations | 10 | 12 | 4 |
Number of Breaches | 0 | 1 | 0 |
All RAF pilots receive extensive training to ensure they operate in accordance with the appropriate low flying regulations and this training is re-emphasised throughout their careers. These stringent regulations are in place in order to protect the public, our aircrew and aircraft. All aspects of flight safety are kept under continuous review. Aircrew are not permitted to carry out manoeuvres beyond their proven capabilities, or those of the aircraft. All our pilots are constantly assessed to ensure that high standards of professionalism are maintained.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the media buying brief for the 2020 army recruitment campaign.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Media Buying Brief for the 2020 Army recruitment campaign will be placed in the Library of the House shortly. It is currently being reviewed for any commercial sensitivities.
The Army's 2020 campaign is designed to highlight how being in the Army gives personnel a strong sense of self-belief and confidence that few other careers can. Early indications are that this campaign has been received well, with strong early January application numbers.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Army’s review of Junior entry has been completed; and if he will place a copy of that review in the Library.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Army's review of Junior Entry (JE) enlistment has concluded. The Armed Forces offer some of the best training and education to people anywhere in society. Those opportunities begin at 16 with around 1,300 Junior Soldiers graduating from Harrogate each year. The Army Foundation College at Harrogate is the only JE Phase 1 training establishment in the British Army and the JE is a tried and trusted means of engaging young people leading them to a successful Army career. The college aims to create a well-rounded junior soldier, physically, conceptually and morally. The delivery of training is conducted in accordance with a carefully synchronised college programme and is aimed to be progressive and provide variety with a balance between classroom, camp and field training.
This review considered how the Army can continue to attract the best young people under the age of 18 and, in doing so, maximise the talent of the individual to the mutual benefit of the individual, the Army and society improving their social mobility. The tendency for under-18 recruits to serve for longer than their over-18 peers and the relatively high proportion of junior entrants that promote to senior NCO ranks over the course of their careers benefits the Army and the individual.
The Review found that while the JE scheme is performing well and remains attractive to potential recruits, it is not well known and could be advertised more effectively. To recruit effectively the JE model must appeal to all, including females and the growing Black Asian and Minority Ethnic workforce in the UK.
A copy of the report of the Army's review of JE enlistment will be placed in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many visits representatives from the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force made to schools and colleges in (i) Wales, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England and (iv) Northern Ireland in the financial years (A) 2017-18 and (B) 2018-19.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Armed Forces only visit schools and colleges when they have been invited to support activities. No visits to schools by the Armed Forces are directly linked to recruitment, other than specific careers/jobs fairs which generally involve a range of employers. While presentations may be given highlighting the careers available in the Armed Forces, no pupil is able to make a commitment to become a recruit in the Armed Forces during the course of a visit. The visits cover a range of activities such as career events, citizenship talks, science and maths challenges and other indoor or outdoor exercises. The purpose of the visit is always agreed in advance.
In the academic year 2017-18, centrally held records indicate that the Navy conducted an estimated 3,240 school visits and the Army carried out 4,710 visits. Records held by the Royal Air Force (RAF) indicate that in the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 the RAF visited 2,310 schools.
It will take time to collate the information for 2018-19 and to establish whether the figures can be broken down by country. I will write to the hon. Member when these enquiries are complete.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many walk-ins there were to each Army Careers Centre in the last financial year.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The information is not held in the format requested. While some Army Career Centres may record some data locally, this will not be consistent or comparable with other sites.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what value for money criteria were used to make the decision to close Welbeck College; whether that criteria will be used to assess the sustainability of the Army Foundation College Harrogate; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
A review of the Defence Technical Officer and Engineering Entry Scheme (DTOEES), which includes Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College and the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme, has determined that the current scheme is no longer delivering sufficient numbers to meet the Defence requirement for technical and engineer officers, nor does it demonstrate value for money, or the flexibility to meet any changes in the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s future requirements.
The National Audit Office value for money criteria were applied robustly as part of the DTOEES review:
Economy: minimising the cost of resources used or required (inputs)
Efficiency: the relationship between the output of the service and the resources required to produce them
Effectiveness: the relationship between the intended and actual results of public spending (outcomes)
In place of the current scheme Defence will establish a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Graduate Inflow Scheme designed to increase the inflow of STEM undergraduates using a range of targeted financial incentives which may include scholarships, maintenance bursaries and/or payment of tuition fees. It will also recruit from universities across the UK instead of the current limited number and allow for a wider range of degree subjects to be studied, including cyber and computer-based studies.
There are no issues with the sustainability of the Army Foundation College Harrogate and there are no plans to consider its closure.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2019 to Question 221840 on Army: Recruitment, when he plans to place in the Library a copy of the media buying brief produced for the Crown Commercial Service for the Your Army Needs You advertising campaign launched in January 2019.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
A copy of the brief has been placed in the Library of the House, with a small number of redactions for commercial and data protection reasons. I attach a copy to this response for your convenience.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the reasons were for the compensation payments made in the last five years to people living below the Tactical Training Area in central Wales.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Claims are recorded by Low Flying Area (LFA) and cannot be separated out to Tactical Training Areas only. Compensation payments for the five financial years 2013-14 to 2017-18 made to people living below in the LFA encompassing the Tactical Training Area in central Wales for low flying claims were for the following reasons: 12 claims were for loss or injury to livestock and nine claims were for property damage.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) number and (b) value of compensation payments made in the last five years to people living below the Tactical Training Area in central Wales was.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Claims are recorded by Low Flying Area (LFA) and cannot be separated out to Tactical Training Areas only. The number of compensation payments made for low flying claims arising from people living below in the LFA encompassing the Tactical Training Area in central Wales for the five financial years 2013-14 to 2017-18 was 21. The compensation payments amounted to £98,781.27.