Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has received a request from the (a) Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and (b) Attorney General's Office for documents as part of the SFO's investigation into GPT Special Project Management.
Answered by Gavin Williamson
It would not be appropriate for me to comment on a live criminal investigation.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 111165 on Saudi Arabia: Cluster Munitions, for what reason the UK government ceased to make offers to Saudi Arabia to remove and destroy the Royal Saudi Airforces's inventory of BL755 cluster munitions after 2010.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Saudi Arabia has made a commitment that it will not use BL-755 cluster munitions, which the UK welcomes. The Saudi Government is nevertheless aware that we would be willing to assist with the disposal of any remaining stocks. The UK also continues to encourage Saudi Arabia, as well as other non-parties, to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions the Defence Council has concluded that conduct by (a) a member of the armed forced engaged in active service and (b) a civilian subject to service discipline which would otherwise be deemed to be a relevant bribery offence, was necessary under Section 13 of the Bribery Act.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
There are no recorded disciplines for Service personnel or a civilian subject to service discipline, that would have been deemed to be a relevant bribery offence under the Bribery Act 2010.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the UK last offered to assist Saudi Arabia destroy any remaining stocks of the BL-755 cluster munition in line with the UK's commitment to the Cluster Munitions Convention; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK offered to remove and destroy Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) stocks of BL-755 cluster munitions in 2010. The UK welcomes Saudi Arabia's commitment in 2016 that it would no longer use BL-755 cluster munitions.
The UK takes its obligations under the Cluster Munitions Convention very seriously and continues to fulfil them. In this respect, we have continued to encourage Saudi Arabia to accede to it.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK has provided funding, training or other support to the military forces of Myanmar in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The UK has not provided any funding or combat training to the Burmese military, although we have been providing education training. In addition to English language training the Ministry of Defence has provided courses covering governance, human rights, accountability and international law. These courses were delivered by the Defence Academy in Burma and here in the UK.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to raise the minimum age of enlistment into the armed forces to 18 years of age.
Answered by Mike Penning
The Armed Forces have no plans to raise the minimum age of recruitment. All recruitment into the UK military is voluntary and no young person under the age of 18 years may join our Armed Forces unless their application is accompanied by the formal written consent of their parent or guardian. We take the duty of care towards all recruits seriously, in particular those under 18 years of age. We have robust, effective and independently verified safeguards in place to ensure that under-18s are cared for properly.
Our policies on under-18s in Service comply with national and international law. In addition to the comprehensive welfare system that is in place for all Service personnel we remain fully committed to meeting our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and have taken steps to bestow special safeguards on young people under the age of 18.
The provision of education and training for 16-year-old school leavers provides a route into the Armed Forces that complies with Government education policy and offers a significant foundation for emotional, physical and educational development throughout an individual's career. All recruits aged under 18 receive key skills education in literacy and numeracy, should they need it, and all are enrolled in apprenticeships. The Armed Forces remain the UK's largest apprenticeship provider, equipping young people with valuable and transferable skills for life. Over 95% of all recruits, no matter what their age or prior qualifications, enrol in an apprenticeship each year. The Armed Forces offer courses in a wide range of skills, such as engineering, information and communications technology, construction, driving, and animal care. Ofsted regularly inspects our care of newly joined young recruits, and we are very proud of the standards we achieve.
Our policy on under-18s is published in Part 1 of Joint Service Publication 822, "Defence direction and guidance for training and education", available at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-822-governance-and-management-of-defence-individual-training-education-and-skills
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the safety of civilians in Mosul.
Answered by Mike Penning
The Government continues to work closely with partners and allies supporting the Iraqi-led campaign to drive out Daesh from Mosul, stressing the requirement to protect civilians and minimise suffering. The UK has recently committed £90 million of humanitarian assistance for Iraq with a particular focus on Mosul, taking its total commitment to £169.5 million since June 2014. A substantial element of this new assistance is supporting partners responding to the situation in Mosul. Regarding the UK's contribution to the coalition air campaign, the Ministry of Defence takes all feasible precautions to minimise the risk of civilian casualties through strict targeting procedures, as we do when conducting any form of military operation.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2016 to Question 52514, how many meetings on what dates since December 2013 involving routine engagement between Ministers and officials of his Department and Rolls Royce included a discussion of the Serious Fraud Office investigation into Rolls Royce.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Available Ministry of Defence records indicate that the Serious Fraud Office investigation into Rolls-Royce was referred to during one routine meeting between the company and the then Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology on 5 March 2014.
It should be noted that this was a reference to the existence of the investigation, but that there was no discussion of the substance of the investigation itself.
Records of meetings between Rolls-Royce and defence officials are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Ministers or officials of his Department have held discussions on the Serious Fraud Office's investigation into Rolls Royce at any meeting with representatives of Rolls Royce since 2012.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials and Ministers hold regular meetings with defence contractors, including Rolls-Royce, to discuss a variety of subjects. The Serious Fraud Office investigation is not related to Rolls-Royce business with the MOD, and available records indicate that no meetings have specifically been called in relation to the investigation. However, the subject has been discussed during our routine engagement with the company.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times his Department has (a) terminated a contract, (b) imposed a penalty and (c) denied permission for a company to tender on the grounds of grave professional misconduct since November 2015.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.