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  • Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports from Human Rights Watch of collusion between Sudanese police forces and people smugglers trafficking people in the region.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of, and deeply troubled by, reports of collusion between Sudanese police forces and people smugglers. We have raised our concerns over these reports with both the Ministry of Interior and the Commissioner for Refugees. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Government of Sudan as part of our wider engagement on migration issues.

  • Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the monitoring and oversight mechanisms in place in respect of the use of EU funds to ensure that the Khartoum Process complies with human rights norms.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government is continuing its Chairmanship of the Khartoum Process, and remains committed in its support for human rights. Our focus remains on the implementation of the actions agreed at last year’s EU-Africa Valletta Summit on migration.

    We are working with EU and international partners to ensure that EU funding underlying the Khartoum Process is properly monitored and overseen, including compliance with the EU Treaties which includes respect for human rights.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the outcome of the EU referendum.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    I have been holding, and will continue to hold, discussions with my international counterparts on the outcome of the EU referendum. Last week I met international counterparts at the NATO summit. I will meet many more overseas counterparts at the Asia–Europe Meeting in Ulaanbaatar later this week. I will also attend the Foreign Affairs Council, which will include an informal dinner on 17 July with my European counterparts to discuss the referendum outcome and an EU and Gulf Cooperation Council Summit Dinner on 18 July.

  • Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Neill on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect the interests of Gibraltar as a result of the outcome of the EU referendum.

    Mr David Lidington

    I saw the Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, yesterday; it was my third such conversation with him since the UK referendum. I have not only recommitted the British Government to the full involvement of Gibraltar in the negotiations for our exit from and subsequent relationship with the EU 27; I have also invited the Chief Minister to identify the key economic priorities for the people of Gibraltar as we approach those negotiations.

  • Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of withdrawal from the EU on the UK’s role in global affairs.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The UK referendum made a decision to leave the EU, not to turn our backs on Europe, let alone the world. Throughout the referendum debate, campaigns on both sides rejected any notion that a “Leave” vote would signal any kind of retreat from the world. The UK will remain a major player, fully engaged in world affairs, including through our membership of multilateral organisations. We are a Permanent member of the UN Security Council; the second largest contributor to NATO; a key member of the Commonwealth, of the G7 and the G20. We also remain committed to renewing the nuclear deterrent. Our voice will always be prominent – but we will perhaps have to work a little bit harder to ensure that our voice carries the same authority it did before.

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-07-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the proposed 30 per cent reduction in Ministry of Defence civilian staff as set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, what assessment they have made of the impact of that reduction on the formulation and delivery of policy.

    Earl Howe

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to meeting its obligations set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, including the aim to reduce our civilian workforce by 30 per cent. The Chief of Defence People has been appointed Senior Responsible Owner, and work is in hand within the single Services, Joint Forces Command, and other organisations within the MOD to develop detailed plans. As we develop these plans we will continually assess their impact to ensure that the Department continues to have the skills and capabilities required to deliver our Defence outputs, including policy development and management of major programmes.

    The Government will respond in due course to the report by the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy.

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-07-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the proposed 30 per cent reduction in Ministry of Defence civilian staff as set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, what assessment they have made of the ability of the Ministry of Defence to deliver major programmes.

    Earl Howe

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to meeting its obligations set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, including the aim to reduce our civilian workforce by 30 per cent. The Chief of Defence People has been appointed Senior Responsible Owner, and work is in hand within the single Services, Joint Forces Command, and other organisations within the MOD to develop detailed plans. As we develop these plans we will continually assess their impact to ensure that the Department continues to have the skills and capabilities required to deliver our Defence outputs, including policy development and management of major programmes.

    The Government will respond in due course to the report by the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy.

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-07-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the level of recruitment forecast in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, what assessment they have made of the Armed Forces’ ability to undertake the range of tasks they face.

    Earl Howe

    The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (SDSR 2015) ensured that investment in capability – including personnel – remained in balance with financial requirements, with a focus on matching capability to policy throughout the Review. To fully deliver future Defence commitments, the SDSR also set out plans for investment in an additional uplift of 400 personnel for the Royal Navy and 300 for the Royal Air Force. This will ensure that the Armed Forces continue to have the capabilities and skills needed to meet global obligations.

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-07-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what spare capacity the Armed Forces have to respond flexibly and with resilience to unexpected emergencies.

    Earl Howe

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently engaged in 23 operations around the world, which is above the historical norm for operational commitments. While delivering current operations, the MOD continually develops options for wider contingencies as risks to UK national interests emerge. Significant investment in a variety of critical enablers, both before and after the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, underpins our continued ability to meet demands both in the UK and overseas.

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-07-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, what impact the fixed one per cent pay increase has had on (1) retention, and (2) recruitment, in the (a) Army, (b) Navy, and (c) Royal Air Force.

    Earl Howe

    The Government greatly values the important work of the Armed Forces. The independent Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body (AFPRB) annually reviews Armed Forces’ pay to ensure that it remains comparable and adequate to recruit, retain and motivate personnel. Having considered all the evidence presented to them during the last pay round, the AFPRB recommended that a one per cent increase in base pay across the board was appropriate; a recommendation which the Government accepted in full. In addition to the one per cent pay rise, Service personnel have benefited from the introduction of a new pay structure in April 2016. As well as retaining incremental pay scales, ‘Pay 16’ seeks to rebalance pay to better reward our most highly skilled personnel while addressing many of the concerns Service personnel had raised regarding the previous pay structure.

    Pay restraint was one of the many difficult decisions the Government had to make to put the UK’s public finances back on track. However, the overall remuneration package remains competitive with a non-contributory pension scheme, subsidised accommodation and access to free medical and dental care.

    Research suggests that individuals joining the Armed Forces rate factors such as training, qualifications and promotion more highly than pay. For example, the 2014-15 Recruit Trainee Survey reports that the top four most important factors influencing recruits’ decisions to join the Armed Forces were: challenge and adventure (93 per cent); keeping fit (93 per cent); gaining skills and qualifications and the appeal of the lifestyle. Similar findings are found in research regarding Service personnel’s intentions to stay in the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey 2016 reports that the top five factors increasing Service personnel’s intention to stay in the Armed Forces are: job security; dental and healthcare provision; pension; and mental health provision.

    The Services closely monitor recruitment and outflow. They have introduced a wide range of initiatives to increase recruitment numbers, which include targeted marketing, specific recruitment events, and improvements in the recruitment process. Instances of high outflow are mitigated through a variety of management actions which include extensions of Service, financial retention initiatives and inter-Service transfers. However, it should be recognised that some churn in strength, particularly in the lower ranks, is welcome and helps to refresh the Armed Forces.