Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to allow access to the Motability Scheme for (a) claimants of (i) Personal Independence Payment with standard rate mobility and (ii) Disability Living Allowance with low rate mobility, (b) claimants in the process of applying for Personal Independence Payment for up to 18 months to provide time for any appeals and (c) Blue Badge holders.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
To be eligible to join the Motability Scheme claimants must be in receipt of the higher-rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, the enhanced-rate mobility component of Personal Independence Payment, Armed Forces Independence Payment or War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement. Customers in receipt of one of these benefits, may then choose to join the Motability scheme. If the person is not receiving one of the above benefits, they will not qualify for the Motability scheme. In line with legislative requirements the gateway for the transfer of benefits is dependent upon entitlement to specific mobility components and targets support to those with the most severe mobility needs.
There are currently no plans to look at expanding the eligibility criteria for the Motability Scheme.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to join the (a) Army, (b) Maritime and (c) RAF Reserves were voluntarily withdrawn after (i) three, (ii) six and (iii) 12 months in each year since 2010.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member’s Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Armed Forces Careers Offices operated in each region in each year since 2010.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 April 2024, to Question 7763 and 7764.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK's participation in the military operation in defence of Israel on 13 April 2024 was carried out under the terms of the agreement signed between the British Armed Forces and the Israeli Defence Force on 2 December 2020.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
No.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Armed Forces Careers Offices operated in each year since 2010.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 April 2024, to Question 7763 and 7764.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Service Family Accommodation properties were rented out to non-service personnel by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in each year since 2010.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The number of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties rented out to non-service personnel by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation as of the 1 April in each year since 2016 is shown in the table below:
Year | April 2016 | April 2017 | April 2018 | April 2019 | April 2020 | April 2021 | April 2022 | April 2023 | April 2024 |
Total of SFA Sublets | 157 | 282 | 660 | 1272 | 1724 | 1998 | 1931 | 1930 | 2402 |
No information is held prior to Financial Year 2016/17 as the Department only began to sub-let surplus SFA in 2016.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2024 to Question 20104 on Armed Forces: Housing, how many emergency pest control requests were responded to within three hours.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In relation to the incidents data in the table referred to, there were no emergency incidents relating to pest control activities requiring a response within three hours.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2024 to Question 20104 on Armed Forces: Housing, how many routine pest control requests were responded to within fifteen days.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This information is not held in the format requested and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2024 to Question 19180 on Armed Forces: Housing, when the (a) Minister for the Armed Forces and (b) Minister for Defence People and Families last had discussions with representatives of (i) VIVO, (ii) Amey and (iii) Pinnacle on the maintenance of service accommodation properties.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
There is no formal record of any meeting between the Minister for Armed Forces and representatives from VIVO, Amey and Pinnacle on the maintenance of Service accommodation.
There is a formal record of an invitation for a meeting in January 2023 between the Minister for Defence People and Families and VIVO, Amey and Pinnacle on the maintenance of Service accommodation.
I have engaged with VIVO, Amey and Pinnacle representatives in summer 2023 regarding overdue Landlord Gas Safety Inspections and Electrical Insulation Condition Reports.
In addition to this, Defence Infrastructure Organisation officials are in daily contact with VIVO, Amey and Pinnacle regarding delivery and performance.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) priorities and (b) objectives are of the Future Force Design Review; who is leading the Review; when he plans it will be completed; and whether he plans to publish the recommendations of the Review.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Future Force Design Review is being led by the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Capability). It will consider how the UK will warfight in the future, what this means for how we structure our armed forces and the capabilities we need, all within a NATO context. It is a pan-Defence review drawing from existing evidence, concepts and operational lessons, including insights from Ukraine, with the objective of presenting choices to inform the next integrated review. Given the classification of the work, the department does not intend to publish the recommendations of the review but instead the output will be included in future strategic review documents and our investment plans. We have committed to engage with the House of Commons Defence Committee as this work matures.