Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many former members of the regular Army have regular reserve call out liability as of 1 April 2024.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As at 1 January 2024 there were 22,676 Army Regular Reservists with recall liability under Section 22 of the Reserve Forces Act (RFA) 96.
In addition, there are approximately 55,000 ex-Regular personnel as of March 2024 subject to recall under Section 68 of the RFA 96.
Notes/caveats:
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2024 to Question 20584 on Air Force: Training, how many RAF pilots completed their phase 2 training but did not complete training to the level required to operate Front Line Operational Conversion Units in each year since 2018-19.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The following table details the number of personnel who have not completed Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) flying conversion courses, across all the OCUs in each year.
2018-19 - Nil
2019-20 - Nil
2020-21 - Nil
2021-22 - One
2022-23 - Three
2023-24 - Nil
Personnel who do not complete an OCU flying conversion course for a specific frontline aircraft type are considered for re-streaming of their career path. They may subsequently successfully complete another OCU conversion course for a different aircraft type or be re-streamed into wider ground-based RAF Profession.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2024 to Question 20584 on Air Force: Training, what the target number of Royal Air Force pilots was for successful completion of Phase 2 Military Flying Training in each of the training years between 2018-19 and 2023-24.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Between 2018-19 and 2023-24, Phase 2 Military Flying Training pilot output achieved 100% of the training targets to enable Front Line operations. I am withholding the specific information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2024 to Question 20584 on Air Force: Training, what the average cost was of training a Royal Air Force pilot to Phase 2 Military Flying Training in the each of the training years between 2018-19 and 2023-24.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The average cost of flying training per trainee is not currently compiled on an annual basis. The last time in-depth cost modelling conducted was in Financial Year 2021-22.
The average cost of flying training for Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots in Financial Year 2021-22 was as follows:
RAF Fast Jet: £5,362,085
RAF Multi Engine: £ 953,817
RAF Rotary Wing: £1,041,843
The above figures include pay, support costs and costs within the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) contract up to the point a trainee pilot commences training on a front line aircraft as part of an Operational Conversion Unit.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason there is no armed forces recruitment target for ethnic minorities.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Whilst Defence has not set hard targets for the recruitment of ethnic minority personnel for the Armed Forces, we have set internally published levels of ambition to increase the recruitment and representation of underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities. The purpose of these levels of ambition is to act as a catalyst for innovation and activity, and to provide challenge and stretch to existing processes and approaches.
Defence has committed to improving the recruitment of ethnic minority personnel into the Armed Forces and is engaged in a wide range of activities to promote better understanding and enhance engagement with ethnic minority communities, reviewing Armed Forces recruitment processes and delivering more targeted marketing and communications towards potential ethnic minority applicants.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2024 to Question 20584 on Air Force: Training, what constitutes a Front Line Operational Conversion Unit; what the average cost of such a Unit was in each year since 2018-19; and how many such Units the RAF had in each such year.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Operational Conversion Units (OCU) support operational output through type specific training on front line aircraft for aircrew, engineers and other ground personnel as required. They also provide refresher training for personnel who have previously operated the aircraft type and are returning to the type following other tours of duty in the wider Service.
The average costs of Operational Conversion Units are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Between 2018 and 2023 there were five OCUs. In 2023 a sixth OCU was formed.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2024 to Question 20584 on Air Force: Training, for what reason fewer pilots successfully completed Phase 2 Military Flying Training in the training years (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that reduction in numbers on the UK’s preparedness for military conflict.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The number of Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots who successfully completed Phase 2 Military Flying Training in training years 2022-23 and 2023-24 was in line with requirement. There is no impact on the UK’s preparedness for military conflict; the UK continues to train the required number of RAF pilots, on time, to world-leading standards.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on their target for women to account for 30% of personnel recruited by 2030.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 December 2023 to Question 4844.
In the 12 months to 30 September 2023, the proportion of female intake was 12.3% and we hope to continue to work towards the target year on year.
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many former members of the regular Army have regular reserve recall liability in the event of a national emergency as of 1 April 2024.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As at 1 January 2024 there were 22,676 Army Regular Reservists with recall liability under Section 22 of the Reserve Forces Act (RFA) 96.
In addition, there are approximately 55,000 ex-Regular personnel as of March 2024 subject to recall under Section 68 of the RFA 96.
Notes/caveats:
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Israel sought military assistance from the UK for the action taken against Iranian drones and missiles on 13 April 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
For operational security reasons and as a matter of policy, the Ministry of Defence does not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations' military operations.