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Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking in its role as penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council to help prevent further violence in (a) El Fasher and (b) Sudan.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK condemns the violence taking place across Sudan, including in El Fasher. On 8 March, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2724, led by the UK, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan during the month of Ramadan and urging the warring parties to ensure safe, unhindered humanitarian access. We condemn the fact that the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces did not heed this Resolution. On El Fasher, the UN Security Council agreed a UK-led press statement on 27 April, calling for de-escalation, and we also called for the Security Council to convene on the deteriorating situation, which it did on 29 April. The UK will continue to use its position as penholder at the UN Security Council to urge the warring parties to achieve a ceasefire, increase much-needed humanitarian assistance and access, and ensure the protection of civilians.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) implications for his policies of the recent insurgent attacks around (i) Macomia, (ii) Missufine and (iii) Cajerene in Mozambique and (b) impact of those attacks on the (A) displacement and (B) casualties of civilians.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK continues to pay close attention to developments in Mozambique, including the recent attacks, and is monitoring with partners the impact of these attacks on the civilian population and on the delivery of UK priorities. UK funding is supporting humanitarian assistance for those displaced from Macomia and across the north, alongside longer-term support. In May 2023, the Deputy Foreign Secretary met President Nyusi and discussed UK support for the Government of Mozambique's response to the insurgency, including new programmes on peacebuilding and resilience to violent extremism, increased humanitarian support and military capacity-building. MOD will begin a next round of training of Mozambique's Armed Forces in June, with over 200 members already trained in human rights.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps he is taking with regional partners to facilitate aid access to all parts of Sudan.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Current humanitarian access into and within Sudan remains highly constrained. Our top humanitarian priority remains securing immediate humanitarian access and operational security guarantees for humanitarian agencies. The UK continues to speak out publicly and vigorously to press the warring parties to facilitate unhindered, crossline & cross-border humanitarian access. On 20 March, the UK highlighted at the Security Council the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) White Note's clear warning that obstruction of humanitarian access by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces is resulting in people in Sudan starving. On 8 March, the UK led the Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire for Ramadan and for urgent humanitarian access.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps he is taking as the penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council to prevent the flow of arms to the Rapid Support Forces.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK uses its position as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and penholder on Sudan to take action to bring an end to the conflict and atrocities in the country. There is a UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur, which the UN renewed in March 2023. There is also a longstanding bilateral UK arms embargo in place for the whole of Sudan. In our engagement with international partners, the UK continues to emphasise the importance of refraining from actions that prolong the conflict. On 15 April, a year after the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, the UK imposed new sanctions targeting three businesses linked with the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 21542 on Armed Forces: Housing tabled by the Rt hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne on 15 April 2024.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I responded to the right hon. Member on 24 May 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 21541 on Armed Forces: Housing tabled by the Rt hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne on 15 April 2024.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I responded to the right hon. Member on 24 May 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2024 to Question 25754 on Armed Forces: Recruitment, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of the senior responsible officer’s time that was spent working on the Recruiting Partnering Project in the last 12 months.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Approximately 10% of the Senior Responsible Officer’s (SRO) programmed meeting time was spent on the Recruiting Partnering Project in the last 12 months, alongside their other duties. This is the only programme for which they are the SRO. The SRO is supported by a team who focus on the Recruiting Partnering Project full time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2024 to Question 25754 on Armed Forces: Recruitment, what other programmes the Senior Responsible Officer has responsibility for.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Approximately 10% of the Senior Responsible Officer’s (SRO) programmed meeting time was spent on the Recruiting Partnering Project in the last 12 months, alongside their other duties. This is the only programme for which they are the SRO. The SRO is supported by a team who focus on the Recruiting Partnering Project full time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to take steps to end the procurement from China of clothing for (a) the SAS, (b) snipers, (c) the Red Arrows and (d) other military units.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's progress on improving service accommodation since his appointment.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

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 manufacturing all British armed forces uniforms in the UK.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of manufacturing armed forces uniforms abroad on security.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide a breakdown of countries with current British Armed Forces uniform manufacturing contracts.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of armed forces uniforms are manufactured in the UK.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2024 to Question 21508 on Armed Forces: Health, for what reasons members of the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force were deemed medically non-deployable on 1 April (a) 2023, (b) 2016 and (c) 2010.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) full time and (b) reservist Armed Forces personnel are working on recruitment for the (i) British Army, (ii) Royal Navy, (iii) RAF and (iv) Royal Marines as of 13 May 2024.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 25 July 2023 to Question 194671, what his Department's recruitment targets for the armed forces are for 2024-25.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Recruitment targets for Regular Serving personnel in 2024-25 currently are summarised below:

Royal Navy

Officers 450

Sailors 2,864

Army

Officers 677

Soldiers 9,800

Royal Air Force

Officers 462

Aviators 2,615

In my answers to Questions 7264, 8358, 12118 and 17290, I incorrectly stated that there were no recruitment targets for officers.

I have therefore provided below the historic Army recruitment targets for officers, as contained within the Recruiting Partnering Project (RPP) Demand Plan. The Plan reflects the number of personnel that Capita are directed to recruit annually. The figures include Direct Entrants and Professionally Qualified Officers.

The RPP started in 2012. Please note that data pre-dating 2014 could not be accessed in the time available.

In relation to the question asking for the target for recruitment of officers into the British Army for each of the first three quarters in the 2023-24 financial year; please note that OF in-year targets are based on the intakes to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS), of which there are three a year. The following reflects the target by intake, rather than quarter.

Data is sourced from Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command and reflect single Service estimates.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) of his Department's civilian personnel, (b) Armed Forces personnel and (c) external private contractors work on recruitment for the (i) Royal Navy, (ii) British Army, (iii) Royal Air Force and (iv) Royal Marines.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) armed forces (i) personnel and (ii) families and (b) civil servants in his Department have been affected by personal data incidents related to Defence Children Services schools and settings in each year since 2010.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The number of personal data incidents that have been correctly reported to the Army Warning Advice and Reporting Point (WARP) that have affected Defence Children Services schools and settings since 2010 and the number of affected individuals that have been affected by personal data incidents related to Defence Children Services schools and settings in each year since 2010 is as below:

This data has been taken from Blackthorn Defence Incident Management Database (BT DIMDb) (which is directly fed by the Security Incident Reporting Forms (SIRFs) used across Defence) and the Army WARP Security Incident Database (SID).

It is not possible to split the affected individuals down into the categories stipulated in this question as that distinction is not made during reporting or investigation. It should also be noted that the number of people impacted is determined during the course of the investigation.

The 2021 figures include a major investigation into a cyber incident at a single school, which resulted in the potential compromise of 1110 internal (Ministry of Defence) email addresses and 3070 external (personal) email addresses.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on minority ethnic veterans employed through the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

This Government is committed to making sure that all veterans have equal opportunities and can access valuable, sustainable careers, including in the Civil Service, after they leave the Armed Forces.

A breakdown of demographics and locations of veterans who apply to Civil Service roles is not held in the format requested.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Going Forward into Employment scheme for supporting ethnic minority veterans.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

This Government is committed to making sure that all veterans have equal opportunities and can access valuable, sustainable careers, including in the Civil Service, after they leave the Armed Forces.

A breakdown of demographics and locations of veterans who apply to Civil Service roles is not held in the format requested.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2024 to Question 18036 on Civil Servants: Veterans, whether he plans to capture regional data on veterans who access employment through the Great Work for Veterans initiative.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

This Government is committed to making sure that all veterans have equal opportunities and can access valuable, sustainable careers, including in the Civil Service, after they leave the Armed Forces.

A breakdown of demographics and locations of veterans who apply to Civil Service roles is not held in the format requested.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Veterans’ Career Development Fund on employment levels for veterans.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

This Government is committed to making sure that our veterans and their families have equitable access and opportunity to a full range of career options after leaving military service, including access to the qualifications, training and skills development they may need to progress in their careers.

The recently announced Op PROSPER backed by £2.1 million in government funding includes the £700,000 Veterans’ Career Development Fund grant, which makes funding available to organisations providing qualifications, training and skills development to veterans and their families in locally based communities across the country.

The Veterans’ Career Development Fund is administered as a grant by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, and includes a planned evaluation of the overall Op PROSPER programme and its outcomes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many notices to quit have been issued by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation to (a) service and (b) non service families in Service Family Accommodation properties in the UK in each month since January 2023.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Data on the number of Notices to Quit (NTQs) issued to Service personnel and their families in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in the UK is available from April 2022; the implementation date of the current service contract:

A monthly breakdown of issued NTQs since January 2023 is provided below:

The Civilian Sublet Tenancy Scheme began in 2016 and no NTQs were issued until 2019. An annual breakdown of the number of NTQs that have been issued to Civilian Sublet tenants living in SFA properties in the UK is provided in the table below:

A monthly breakdown of issued NTQs since January 2023 is provided below:

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many notices to quit have been issued by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation to (a) service and (b) non service families in Service Family Accommodation properties in the UK in each year since 2010.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Data on the number of Notices to Quit (NTQs) issued to Service personnel and their families in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in the UK is available from April 2022; the implementation date of the current service contract:

A monthly breakdown of issued NTQs since January 2023 is provided below:

The Civilian Sublet Tenancy Scheme began in 2016 and no NTQs were issued until 2019. An annual breakdown of the number of NTQs that have been issued to Civilian Sublet tenants living in SFA properties in the UK is provided in the table below:

A monthly breakdown of issued NTQs since January 2023 is provided below:

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total number of personnel in the armed forces in the UK, including reserve forces.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As at 1 January 2024, there were 138,100 UK Forces personnel, of which 132,360 are based in-country.

As at 1 January 2024 there were 32,650 Future Reserves 2020 (FR20) of which an estimated 32,310 are based in-country.

The stationed location data for Future Reserves 2020 (FR20) Reserves has not been fully verified, therefore the figure provided is considered to be an estimate. Future Reserves 2020 includes volunteer reserves who are mobilised, HRR and volunteer reserve personnel serving on Additional Duties Commitment (ADC) or FTRS contracts.

Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 to prevent inadvertent disclosure. However, numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest 20 to prevent systematic bias. Totals and its constituent numbers have been rounded separately, and so totals may not equal the sums of their rounded parts.

Further Stationed Location Stats for UK Regulars can be found in the Annual Location Statistics (ALS) publication:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/location-of-all-uk-regular-service-and-civilian-personnel-annual-statistics-index

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Defence on 7 May (HC Deb cols 466–467), how many retired military personnel have been affected by the data breach of the armed forces payment network; and what steps they are taking to reassure veterans that their personal details have not been disclosed.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

At present there is no indication that this data has been accessed, exploited or made publicly available. This is being actively monitored. We have taken a precautionary approach of writing to those who have received salary or lump sum payments under either the Armed Forces Pension Scheme or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme since 2018.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government who funded the recent trip of the Minister for the Armed Forces, Leo Docherty MP, to Bahrain; and, insofar as sponsorship was provided by the government of Bahrain, what this sponsorship covered.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I can confirm that this visit was funded only through HMG, there was no funding or sponsorship from Bahrain.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what support his Department is providing to veterans to help them become entrepreneurs.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

This Government is committed to making sure that our veterans have equitable access and opportunity to a full range of career options after leaving military service, including self-employment, SME (small & medium-sized enterprise) ownership and entrepreneurship.

The Government-owned British Business Bank has a specialist delivery partner, X-Forces Enterprise, for its Start Up Loans programme which specifically supports veterans, members of the wider Armed Forces community and their family members. Since 2013 there have been over 3000 Start Up Loans delivered by X-Forces Enterprise, totalling over £33 million of finance provided.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications were made to join the Maritime Reserves in each month since January 2023.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Below are the requested figures counted to September 2023. Due to how recruiting data is collected, these are the most up to date figures.

Figures define an application as an online application submitted by an individual and accepted by the Recruit Information Technology System, the application system.

With reference to the Rt Hon Gentleman’s similar WPQ of 6 Mar 24, note that the definition used to identify applications before Sept 2017 differs from that used after. Previously an application would be counted after a candidate had submitted an Armed Forces Career Office Form 4 and sat the Recruit Test. As a result, application data after Sept 2017 is not comparable to application data prior to Sept 2017.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications were received to join the full time Royal Navy in each month since January 2023.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Below are the requested figures counted to September 2023. Due to how recruiting data is collected, these are the most up to date figures.

Figures define an application as an online application submitted by an individual and accepted by the Recruit Information Technology System, the application system.

With reference to the Rt Hon Gentleman’s similar WPQ of 6 Mar 24, note that the definition used to identify applications before Sept 2017 differs from that used after. Previously an application would be counted after a candidate had submitted an Armed Forces Career Office Form 4 and sat the Recruit Test. As a result, application data after Sept 2017 is not comparable to application data prior to Sept 2017.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of new recruits joined the (a) British army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force in financial year 2023-24.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Intake to the UK Regular Forces by Service for the full 2023-24 Financial Year is due to be published as part of the Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics (SPS); publication is planned for 30 May 2024. The most recent SPS publication, from 1 January 2024, can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2024

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the reintroduction of national service on national security.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Government has no current plans to reintroduce National Service. Since 1963, when the last national servicemen were discharged, it has been the policy of successive Governments that the best way of providing for the defence of our country is by maintaining professional Armed Forces staffed by volunteers. The demanding, increasingly technical, nature of defence today is such that we require highly trained, professional men and women in our Regular and Reserve Armed Forces, fully committed to giving their best in defending our country and its allies.

If potentially unwilling National Service recruits were to be obliged to serve alongside the professional men and women of our Armed Forces, it could damage morale, recruitment and retention and would consume professional military and naval resources. If, on the other hand, National Service recruits were kept in separate units, it would be difficult to find a proper and meaningful role for them, potentially harming motivation and discipline. For all these reasons, there are no current plans for the restoration of any form of National Service.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel are classified as (a) wounded, (b) injured and (c) sick by (i) reason and (ii) service branch.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The numbers of Personnel on Recovery Duty (PRD) by principal cause of medical downgrading and service as at 1 April 2024 is presented in the table below:

Sources: Wounded, Injured and Sick Management Information System (WISMIS), Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) and Defence Medical Information Capability Programme (DMICP).

1 Royal Navy includes the services Royal Navy and Royal Marines

2 Injured includes Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00–T98)

3. Other includes all other ICD-10 cause code categories

4. Some personnel have no cause information recorded at the point of entering recovery

The UK armed forces are not currently deployed on any combat operations therefore all injuries are non-battle injuries.

The principal cause of downgrading as recorded on an individual’s medical record may not be the reason for entering recovery as an individual can have more than one cause associated with their downgrading.

For some personnel no cause of downgrading information was held at the point they entered recovery. They may have had no cause information recorded, their medical board may have occurred after they entered recovery, or they may still be awaiting a medical board. The cause information is taken from their downgrading and not GP recorded information due to GPs generally recording signs and symptoms. The three single Services differ in their criteria for who receives support from recovery. Due to the differences between the three Services, comparisons between them are not valid and as such the three services have been presented separately.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to join the full time (a) British Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force were received in financial year 2023-24.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The number of applications to the UK Armed Forces by Service for Financial Year 2023-24 is due to be published as part of the Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics (SPS) publication; the provisional release date is August 2024. The latest SPS was published 1 January 2024 and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2024.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the appointment of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba as head of the Ugandan military.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba was appointed as Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces in March 2024. Uganda plays an important role in regional security, including as the largest Troop Contributing Country to the African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). The UK will continue to work with the Ugandan authorities to advance our objectives.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the armed forces’ diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Defence is dedicated to recruiting and retaining the best talent. In a competitive labour market, we must attract, recruit, and retain the best people drawn from the whole of the population.

We continue to implement the recommendations of the Haythornthwaite Review of Armed Forces Incentivisation to modernise our people system to attract and retain those who have a desire to serve under modernised terms which are right for them and their families. Failure to do so will compromise our ability to deliver defence outputs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2024 to Question 20856 on Schools: Veterans, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing new activities in the national curriculum on the role of the armed forces and veterans in society.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The National Curriculum is a framework setting out the content that the department expects schools to cover in each subject. The curriculum does not set out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects, should be taught. The department believes schools should be able to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their pupils, and to make choices about what they teach. Therefore, whilst the department does not direct schools to teach about the role of the armed forces and veterans in society, schools are already free to do so in the context of citizenship within the National Curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4, which includes important content about the British constitution, the precious liberties enjoyed by the citizens of the United Kingdom and the roles played by public institutions and citizens.

Schools are also able to teach about these topics within other subjects. For example, the flexibility within the history curriculum means that there is the opportunity for teachers to teach about the lived experience of veterans across the spectrum of themes and eras set out in the curriculum. The role of the armed forces could also be explored through English literature where the context is right.

The government has committed to making no changes to the curriculum for the remainder of this parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of mental health support provided to veterans who have addictions.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Since 2015, the Better Care Fund has been crucial in supporting people of all walks of life to live healthy, independent, and dignified lives, through joining up health, social care, and housing services seamlessly around the person. There is no data available on how much of that funding may have been used for veterans. However, since August 2021, there have been four social prescribing pilots in the areas of Cornwall, Durham, Dorset, and Kensington and Chelsea. Between July 2023 and March 2024, the projects supported a total of 226 veterans.

In addition to the social prescribing pilots, NHS England has been operating seven Op COMMUNITY pilot sites which provide support to the wider Armed Forces Community, including veterans. These sites are in the integrated care board areas of Humber and North Yorkshire, Hertfordshire and West Essex, Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, North Central London, Devon, Kent and Medway with Sussex, Bath, North-East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. Across the seven sites, they have supported 319 referrals relating to veterans.

No formal single assessment has been made to the potential merits of increasing mental health support to veterans with addictions. It is recognised that some individuals would benefit from mental health support, which is why NHS England commissioned Op COURAGE. This is a bespoke mental health pathway that provides support to veterans with mental health issues and addiction issues. The Op COURAGE service is in addition to the support that is available to veterans from locally commissioned addiction and mental health services.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has (a) allocated to and (b) spent on the DragonFire programme.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons accelerated programme, announced in April 2024 by the Secretary of State for Defence, will see £350 million in government investment by April 2027 to deliver minimum deployable capability. The accelerated programme is based on the DragonFire technology demonstrator which has seen £100 million of joint investment from MOD and UK industry since 2017. With £50 million funded by MOD and an additional £50 million funded by industry partners. The MOD is committed to the continued investment in UK Sovereign DEW technology, to provide cutting edge capability to the Armed Forces at pace.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2024 to Question 24361 on Armed Forces: Motor Vehicles, how many callouts the National Roadside Repair and Recovery service received by (a) call-out location and (b) vehicle type in the 2023-24 financial year.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Information on the number of callouts by vehicle type is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The number of National Roadside Repair and Recovery service callouts by location for the financial year 2023-2024 is located below.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the news release entitled Myanmar: Military Forcibly Recruiting Rohingya, published by Human Rights Watch on 9 April 2024.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are concerned by credible reports of forcible detention and recruitment of the Rohingya by the Myanmar military. This has the potential to further stoke inter-communal tensions. In April, the UK convened the UN Security Council to raise concern over the escalating conflict in Rakhine State. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will continue to use all of our multilateral channels to maintain a spotlight on the situation in Rakhine.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of recent efforts to secure guarantees from Sudan’s warring parties to ensure critical humanitarian supply routes are (1) open and (2) free from bureaucratic impediments or taxation.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK continues to press the warring parties to facilitate unhindered, crossline and cross-border humanitarian access. On 27 February, the UK called for the UN Security Council to convene for a closed consultation in response to the Sudanese Armed Forces' (SAF) decision to withdraw permission for the movement of humanitarian personnel and supplies into Sudan from Chad via the Adré crossing. On 20 March, we made a UK intervention at the Security Council highlighting the OCHA White Note's clear warning that obstruction of humanitarian access by the SAF and Rapid Support Forces is resulting in people in Sudan starving. On 8 March, the UK led the Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire for Ramadan and for urgent humanitarian access.

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 bringing forward legislative proposals to make the Armed Forces Covenant statutory.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Government has met its manifesto commitment to strengthen the Armed Forces Covenant in law by introducing a statutory Covenant Duty through the Armed Forces Act 2021, to raise awareness of, and help promote better outcomes for, the Armed Forces community when accessing key public services.

During the passage of the Armed Forces Act, the Ministry of Defence committed to review whether central government should be included within the scope of the duty, and to report back to Parliament in the 2023 Covenant and Veterans Annual Report. Overall, the review found that the UK Government and Devolved Administrations are already implementing the Armed Forces Covenant as a matter of Government policy. We are committed to further strengthening of the Covenant and are actively looking at options.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2024 to Question 20144 on Social Rented Housing: Veterans, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of recording the armed forces status of social housing applicants.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Localism Act 2011 gave local authorities the power to decide who qualifies for social housing and to set waiting list policies appropriate to their local area. In June 2020 we published new statutory guidance for local authorities that set out how they can identify applications from members of the Armed Forces, veterans and their families, to ensure that they are considered appropriately.

The guidance also asks local authorities to give ‘additional preference’ (high priority) to seriously injured, ill or disabled Service personnel and former members of the Armed Forces who already have ‘reasonable preference’ (priority).

The latest Local Authority Housing Statistics, available at Local Authority Housing Statistics data returns for 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), provide data for those households on housing registers which include members of the UK Armed Forces community with additional preference.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that more people from minority faith groups are recruited and retained by the UK armed forces.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Defence is dedicated to recruiting and retaining the best talent, drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills, and background, to reflect the society we serve.

In addition to the various informal Defence staff networks that reflect faith and beliefs, the Armed Forces Chaplaincy is evolving to increase the proportion of minority faith chaplains, as well as non-religious pastoral officers to support Service personnel.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has contracted Fujitsu to (a) supply the (i) system or (ii) software for and (b) deliver any other aspect of veterans ID cards.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Fujitsu has had no involvement in either the development or production of HM Armed Forces Veteran Cards.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) recruitment target and (b) workforce intake was for full-time (i) Army, (ii) Royal Navy and (iii) Royal Marines personnel in financial year 2023-24.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I provided on 15 March 2024 to Question 17290 in relation to the recruitment targets and intake for the Army.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I provided on 15 January 2024 to Questions 8657 and 8659 in relation to recruitment targets and intake for full time Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he has made an assessment of the potential merits of altering the legislation to enable the Civil Aviation Authority to allow drones to be operated out of the line of sight by the (a) police and (b) armed forces.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Legislation already allows for police to fly drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) when certain conditions are met. Additionally, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the National Police Chiefs’ Council are considering developing a regulatory framework to support police drone use, and the Department for Transport will consider any recommendations they have, including whether any changes to legislation are appropriate.

The armed forces’ use of drones is a matter for the Ministry of Defence to comment on, as it is outside of the remit of civil aviation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of employment support available to veterans in Job Centres.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our Jobcentre teams are supporting people back into employment and helping those in work to progress. We are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies quickly, delivering recruitment days, job fairs, and work trials and more intensive employment programmes.

Specifically on veterans, DWP takes its responsibilities under the Armed Forces Covenant very seriously. Veterans who need help from the department in finding work receive support from their Work Coach, who are trained to provide tailored and personalised support to claimants dependant on their individual circumstances. For those who need specialist support, we have a network of Armed Forces Champions in every Jobcentre Plus District, providing specialist support to members of the Armed Forces community. Armed Forces Champions develop and maintain joint working relationships, provide specialist support to all Jobcentre staff and act as the first point of contact in communities for organisations and services.

Although there has been no specific assessment conducted, the Department monitors the support delivered through our Jobcentre network to ensure we offer the best service possible, and we have had and continue to receive positive feedback from customers and external stakeholders regarding their experience of working with Armed Forces Champions.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Armed Forces Recruitment Programme has a full-time senior responsible officer.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Yes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the number of veterans that have (a) died and (b) committed suicide whilst awaiting a final settlement of a claim to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme since 2019.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The information requested cannot be provided without exceeding the disproportionate cost limit.

However, I can confirm that between 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2024, ten veterans whose next of kin decided to proceed with the active claim died before receiving an outcome of either an initial Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) injury/illness claim or an appeal. The figure includes claims which were still open on 31 March 2024.

The Ministry of Defence does not hold information on the cause of death where a claimant dies before receiving an outcome of claim under the AFCS. Therefore, it is not possible to identify veterans that have committed suicide whilst awaiting a claim outcome since 2019.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is supporting Nigerian armed forces in training their personnel to protect (a) religious minorities and (b) other vulnerable groups.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we are committed to supporting Nigeria to improve security across the country and protect human rights. This includes supporting the Armed Forces of Nigeria to build their capacity to counter internal and regional security threats, which continue to take a significant toll on civilians. Our engagement aims to ensure an integrated civilian and military approach to these challenges. UK Defence training will always stress the need to respect International Law and the importance of adhering to international standards, including human rights and human security to protect religious minorities and vulnerable groups.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2024 to Question 19525 on Pension Credit: Veterans, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of recording whether Pension Credit claimants (a) are and (b) have been members of the armed forces.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Information on a claimant’s previous occupation is not relevant for a Pension Credit claim.

We have no plans to routinely collect additional information on veterans beyond that which we already collect for Universal Credit, and we will not be extending this to other benefits.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many referrals for post-traumatic stress disorder for (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force personnel were made in 2023-24.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I am withholding this information as it is held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) with a view to its publication. The number of UK Armed Forces personnel with an initial assessment at a MOD Department of Community Mental Health for post-traumatic stress disorder by service in 2023-24 will be published on 4 July 2024 in the Official Statistic publication: UK Armed Forces Mental Health 2023-24, which will be available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/defence-mental-health-statistics-index.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2024 to Question 18350 on Jobcentres: Armed Forces, how many veterans were supported into employment by Armed Forces Champions in the 2022-23 financial year.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

As part of the Armed Forces Covenant the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has initiatives which help current and former Armed Forces personnel and their families. This includes the role of the Armed Forces Champion in every Jobcentre Plus District, who provide specialist support to members of the Armed Forces community and build Work Coach capability in our Jobcentres. Armed Forces Champions develop and maintain joint working relationships, provide specialist support to all Jobcentre staff and act as the first point of contact in communities for organisations and services.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2024 to Question 18350 on Jobcentres: Armed Forces, in which garrison towns the armed forces champions are located.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Champions are allocated to Jobcentre Plus Districts, rather than individual Jobcentres.

Our model for Armed Forces Champions comprises 50 Armed Forces Champions working alongside 11 Group Leads at managerial level in 37 Districts. This ensures that there is at least one Armed Forces Champion role allocated to each Jobcentre Plus District supported by a Group network, with resources in the network targeted where there is geographically particularly high levels of demand, for example in areas where a garrison is located.

In addition to the Armed Forces Champions roles, all Work Coaches are trained to provide veterans and others with the help and support they need to access both benefits and employment support.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2024 to Question 18350 on Jobcentres: Armed Forces, how many veterans have been supported into employment by Armed Forces Champions in 2024.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

As part of the Armed Forces Covenant the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has initiatives which help current and former Armed Forces personnel and their families. This includes the role of the Armed Forces Champion in every Jobcentre Plus District, who provide specialist support to members of the Armed Forces community and build Work Coach capability in our Jobcentres. Armed Forces Champions develop and maintain joint working relationships, provide specialist support to all Jobcentre staff and act as the first point of contact in communities for organisations and services.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of the Armed Forces Champions have previously served in the military.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Details of roles undertaken by staff before joining the department is not held centrally.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the current arrangements for the assessment of literacy and numeracy competence at the first stage of recruitment into any branch of the armed forces; what provision exists for adult education for (1) literacy, (2) numeracy, and (3) broader educational purposes, after the first two stages of the recruitment process; and what specialist and current expertise exists to assist senior officers in their responsibility to deliver professional and educational support.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Armed Forces conduct a range of eligibility checks and assessments within recruitment pipelines, and these include the requirement for candidates to have minimum educational qualifications for entry into the Armed Forces. The single Services set their own minimum educational entry standards, and these are specific to the individual requirements of employment groups. Minimum educational qualifications for entry are regularly reviewed and amended to reflect the most up to date requirements of employment groups.

Following initial training, 95% of enlisted personnel are enrolled onto apprenticeships, which require Functional Skills standards. We support all Service personnel up to Level 2 Functional Skills English and Maths and provide further additional support for those with Specific Learning Differences. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) also promotes lifelong learning among members of the Armed Forces, using the Elective Education Schemes to gain higher level qualifications. MOD, and each of the Armed Forces, have specialist education and training policy teams to assist senior officers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 May 2024 to Question 24424 on Armed Forces: Defence Equipment, for what reason his Department has linked the annual budget cycle in 2024 to the announcement for future funding in the 2025-26 financial year, in the context of the annual budget cycle being for in-year spending adjustments.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department runs an Annual Budget Cycle (ABC) every year. However, this is not solely for in year spending adjustments, it is a financial planning exercise to review the Department's ten-year forecast.

The most recent ABC conducted in 2023 reviewed the ten-year forecast from 2023-24 to 2032-33 and the current ABC process underway is reviewing the ten-year forecast from 2024-25 to 2033-34. This will reflect the recent announcement of our planned trajectory to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of routers used by Shared Services Connected Ltd to manage the armed forces payroll system were manufactured by (a) Huawei and (b) ZTE.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

No routers used by Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL) are manufactured by either Huawei or ZTE.

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Found: Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey: 2024

Found: Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey: 2024

Found: Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey: Summaries

Found: Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey: 2024

Found: Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey: 2024

Found: Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey: 2024

Found: Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey: 2024

Found: Mefloquine (Larium) prescribing in the UK armed forces: 12 September 2016 to 31 March 2024

Found: Mefloquine (Larium) prescribing in the UK armed forces: 12 September 2016 to 31 March 2024

Found: Mefloquine (Larium) prescribing in the UK armed forces: 12 September 2016 to 31 March 2024

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Found: Establishment (AWE) records relating to nuclear test veterans Explore the topic Defence and armed

Found: Establishment (AWE) records relating to nuclear test veterans Explore the topic Defence and armed

Found: Establishment (AWE) records relating to nuclear test veterans Explore the topic Defence and armed

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Found: 2024 Get emails about this page Print this page Explore the topic Defence and armed

Found: Healey MP in response to Written Parliamentary Questions regarding how many applications to join the Armed