Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is reviewing the security arrangements at (a) RAF Lakenheath, (b) RAF Mildenhall and (c) other domestic military bases, in the context of the attack on RAF Brize Norton.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Immediate measures were put in place following the incident at RAF Brize Norton to enhance existing security arrangements and increase vigilance at all Defence sites, and we have also engaged with the US Visiting Forces. You will appreciate that we will not comment on the specifics of those arrangements. We have also directed a full review of security arrangements across all Defence sites and will continue to liaise with our US colleagues accordingly.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department provides to Local National Direct Hire staff members who have been dismissed or placed on furlough from their positions at US Air Force bases.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Individuals hired under the US Local National Direct Hire programme are not employees of the Ministry of Defence and therefore receive no support from the Department if dismissed or displaced on furlough.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Local National Direct Hire staff members have been (a) dismissed and (b) placed on furlough in US Air Force bases in the UK this year.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Local National Direct Hire Programme is a United States' programme and the Ministry of Defence is not privy to the information requested. It is for the US to determine how they support their mission.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether United States Visiting Forces have suspended the Local National Direct Hire programme on US Air Force bases in the UK.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Local National Direct Hire programme is owned by the US Air Force.
We are aware of a “hiring freeze” to the Local National Direct Hire programme but have not seen anything issued formally.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions (a) ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with US Air Forces in Europe – United Kingdom on the Local National Direct Hire programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State for Defence and Defence Officials have regular engagements on a wide range of Defence topics with their US counterparts.
The Local National Direct Hire Programme is a United States’ programme, and it is for the US to determine how they wish to support their mission. Defence officials provide UK sponsorship for the security clearance of UK individuals hired under the US Local National Direct Hire Programme. There is no further planned engagement on this programme.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many employees have been recruited to work on US Air Force bases under the Local National Direct Hire programme in each year since 2000.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
As the Local National Direct Hire Programme is a United States’ programme the Ministry of Defence is unable to provide this information.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to decolonise the (a) artwork, (b) heritage assets in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its arm’s length bodies and (iii) Armed Forces premises of the Armed Forces (A) in and (B) outside the United Kingdom.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
There are no such plans currently under consideration. As a Department, the Ministry of Defence borrows art from the Government Art Collection. There has been no change in the Cabinet Office’s management of artwork or heritage assets since the previous administration. The Ministry of Defence does not have a separate additional policy on artwork and heritage assets.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) their Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to their Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps he plans to take to end each dispute.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence and its Arms Length Bodies have no ongoing industrial disputes with Trades Unions.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times (a) his Department and (b) each agency sponsored by his Department has experienced a cyber attack in each year since 2010; what the cost to the public purse was of each cyber attack; and who the perpetrator was of each cyber attack.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The hon. Member will understand that it is not possible for me to reveal all details of cyber incidents for reasons of volume and security. For the same reason, it is usual practice not to reveal costs of cyber attacks as this is valuable information that our adversaries can use to determine weaknesses in our systems. The Ministry of Defence is the target of interest for the full range of malign cyber actors and has invested heavily in its defensive capabilities.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the eligibility criteria for the Nuclear Test Medal to include UK service personnel who took part in (a) Operation Bagpipes in 1954 and (b) all other US tests.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Nuclear Test Medal was designed to recognise the unique contribution of those personnel who served at the locations in Australia and the Pacific where the UK Atmospheric Nuclear Test Programme, including clear-up operations, took place between 1952 and 1967. In particular, the Medal recognises the contribution made by these personnel to the development of the UK's independent deterrent.
The agreed eligibility criteria for the Medal do not currently include UK personnel who were not present in the defined test areas, personnel who monitored nuclear tests conducted by other nations, or personnel who were present at later, non-atmospheric, tests.
We recognise the sacrifices and the huge contribution that Nuclear Test Veterans have made to the UK’s security. The Secretary of State for Defence has directed the Department to look at the commemorative medal criteria, in consultation with other stakeholders.