Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 8 November 2016, WS 246, on which date Ministers of his Department were informed of the shortfall in funding for the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I was informed of the shortfall in funding for the Armed Forces Pension Scheme on 20 October 2016.
As per my Written Statement, Her Majesty's Treasury have remedied their error. No former or serving Service personnel have been affected.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 8 November 2016, WS 249, whether the error referred to in that Statement has led to shortfalls in funding for other services provided by his Department.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The error by Her Majesty's Treasury has not led to any further shortfalls in funding for other services in the Ministry of Defence.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's recent shortfall in funding for the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) has prohibited AFPS recipients from drawing on their pension.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Armed Forces Pension Scheme recipients were not affected by the recent error by Her Majesty's Treasury.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 8 November 2016, WS 249, what steps his Department is taking to identify the source of the inadvertent publishing error referred to; and what steps he is taking to ensure such an error does not happen again.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The printing error was made by Her Majesty's Treasury who are reviewing their internal processes to ensure such mistakes do not occur again. In future, the Ministry of Defence will have sight of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme figures prior to publication by Her Majesty's Treasury .
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide details of all minor defects requiring repair on each of the Type 45 destroyers on the day this Question is received by his Department; and when each of those defects was first recorded.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
I am withholding information on the details of defects on each of the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers as the disclosure would, or would likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces and for the purpose of safeguarding national security. We have previously released historical information related to the number of Operational Defects on the Type 45 Destroyers and I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 February 2016 to Question 25004 by my predecessor.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 16 July 2015 to Question 6874, if he will make an estimate of the cost of reinstating war pensions to widows who surrendered their pension due to marriage or cohabitation.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
There are currently no plans to restore War Widows Pensions to those who had surrendered it on re-marriage or cohabitation. I have, however, asked Ministry of Defence officials to continue to consider potential options, including their costs.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what budget has been allocated for the improvement of power and propulsion systems on the Type 45 destroyers between the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review and 2025.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend the Minister of State for Defence, the Rt Hon Earl Howe to the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem to Question HL5630 on 8 February 2016.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to improve (a) power and propulsion systems in general, (b) power and propulsion through the installation of an additional diesel generator and (c) other systems on the UK's Type 45 destroyers between now and 2025.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend the Minister of State for Defence, the Rt Hon Earl Howe to the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem to Question HL5630 on 8 February 2016.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent report he has received on seizing Saudi weapons from Syrian rebel forces.
Answered by Michael Fallon
None.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) regular service personnel, (b) reservists and (c) civilian staff were employed by his Department in each year since 2010.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Information on the number of Regular Service personel and Reservists employed by the Ministry of Defence from 2012 to 2016 is available in the annual Service Personnel Statistics publication. Older data is also published by UK Defence Statistics. This information can be found at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-armed-forces-monthly-service-personnel-statistics-index
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140116142443/http://www.dasa.mod.uk/index.php/publications/UK-defence-statistics-compendium
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140116142443/http://www.dasa.mod.uk/index.php/publications/personnel/military/reserves-and-cadets-strengths/
Civillian staff employed by the Ministry of Defence is published in the Quarterly Civilian Personnel Report and in the UK Defence Statistics publication which can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-armed-forces-monthly-service-personnel-statistics-index