Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who is responsible for paying the cost of the excess on a travel insurance claim for cancelled flights when leave is cancelled at short notice for soldiers serving overseas.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Service personnel who have purchased an insurance policy which includes cancellation cover are entitled to claim back the excess fee from the Ministry of Defence when their leave is cancelled at short notice for service reasons.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of serving military personnel in combat zones purchased their own clothing in preference to army issue kit.
Answered by Philip Dunne
This information is not held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
The MOD is fully committed to ensuring that our Armed Forces are properly resourced, funded and equipped. There may be occasions when serving personnel opt to customise the equipment provided to them. However, there is no need for them to do so and it is purely a matter of personal choice.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been made of the quality and robustness of army issue clothing for serving military personnel.
Answered by Philip Dunne
All clothing items issued to UK Armed Forces are made to stringent specifications developed after field trials and laboratory testing to ensure that the garment is fit for purpose for the task required.
The range, quality and versatility of the clothing we issue to our troops is far greater than it has ever been and we are continually working to make further improvements.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the nutritional value of army provided meals for army personnel serving overseas.
Answered by Philip Dunne
Ministry of Defence personnel in the UK and permanent bases overseas are primarily catered for through a number of multi-activity contracts. Armed Forces personnel serving on operations, exercises and HM Ships and Submarines, are catered for under a single food supply contract with Purple Foodservice Solutions Ltd.
The daily diet provided for each member of the Armed Forces serving on operations and exercises ensures that their meals are both nutritious and varied and provide a minimum of 4,000 calories per day, this being the recommended daily allowance required for such activity.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average annual allowance is for army personnel serving overseas for travel on leave back to the UK.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Allowable costs vary widely with location, ranging from £148 for Germany to £1,235 for Diego Garcia. In financial year 2014-15 Army personnel claimed an average of £380.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department made arrangements for serving military personnel to vote in person at the recent General Election.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, (Lord Astor of Hever), to the noble Lord, Lord Roberts of Llandudno, in the House of Lords to Question HL207.
I trust this demonstrates that where Service personnel are unable to vote in person, other options have been publicised.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to progress the salvage of HMS Victory 1744.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The wreck site of HMS Victory (1744) is not subject to a salvage operation. Officials are reviewing the Maritime Heritage Foundation's project design for recovery and curation of her cultural artefacts.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans there are for commemoration and celebration by the armed forces of the 70th Anniversary of VJ Day.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I refer the hon. Friend to the answer I gave in the House on 8 June 2015 to the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland (Bridget Phillipson).
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Army spent per day per head on food for (a) officers and (b) serving ratings in the last period for which figures are available.
Answered by Philip Dunne
Ministry of Defence personnel in the UK and permanent bases overseas are primarily catered for through a number of catering, retail, leisure and other multi-activity contracts.
Armed Forces personnel serving on operations, UK and overseas exercises and HM Ships and Submarines, are catered for under a single food supply contract with Purple Foodservice Solutions Ltd.
The cost of food purchased under these contractual arrangements is not held in the format requested.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Royal Fleet Auxiliary spent per day per head on food for (a) officers and (b) serving ratings in the last period for which figures are available.
Answered by Philip Dunne
Ministry of Defence personnel in the UK and permanent bases overseas are primarily catered for through a number of catering, retail, leisure and other multi-activity contracts.
Armed Forces personnel serving on operations, UK and overseas exercises and HM Ships and Submarines, are catered for under a single food supply contract with Purple Foodservice Solutions Ltd.
The cost of food purchased under these contractual arrangements is not held in the format requested.