The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the armed forces will tender for the successor to the SA80 L86A2.
Mr Philip Dunne
There are currently no plans to replace the SA80 L86A2.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2014, Official Report, column 181W, on D-Day landings: anniversaries, how many (a) veterans, (b) armed forces’ widows, (c) armed forces’ spouses and (d) carers his Department expects will be in attendance for each of the 70th anniversary D-Day commemoration events in the UK.
Anna Soubry
The 70th Anniversary D-Day commemorative events in Portsmouth are being organised by Portsmouth City Council, and the military is supporting the event as requested. Similarly, the Services are supporting events planned by the Normandy Veterans Association (NVA). The Department is unable to predict the numbers who may be present at any of these events and has received no requests to facilitate attendance.
The Ministry of Defence was made aware of Portsmouth City Council’s planned events in April 2013. We were informed about the majority of NVA events in February 2013, and the National Memorial Arboretum event in November 2013. We have been working closely with the Royal British Legion and the NVA on the planned events to mark this significant anniversary, and have ensured that a range of Service charities and associations are kept informed, including COBSEO, the Confederation of Service Charities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in how many joint NATO training exercises in which countries the UK plans to participate in the next six months.
Dr Andrew Murrison
In the next six months the UK is planning to participate in thirty-seven joint and multinational training exercises in a NATO context.
These exercises will take place on the territory of, in the waters around or in the skies above the following countries:
Canada
Croatia
Denmark
Estonia
France
Germany
Greenland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Norway
Poland
Slovenia
Spain
Turkey
UK
USA
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the 60 questions relating to the future Strategic Defence and Security Review to which the Permanent Under-Secretary of his Department referred during his oral evidence to the Defence Select Committee on 25 March 2014.
Mr Philip Hammond
The cross-Government lead on the next NSS and SDSR sits with Cabinet Office. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is engaged with them and other interested Departments. MOD is in the very early stages of identifying those areas which may require further work or which we may wish to look at in 2015 as part of the Cabinet Office-led process. This evolving work supports the development of Government policy and I am therefore not able to provide this internal policy work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate the attendance of (a) veterans, (b) armed forces’ widows, (c) armed forces’ spouses and (d) carers to the 70th anniversary D-Day commemoration events at (i) Portsmouth on 5 June 2014, (ii) London on 22 June 2014, (iii) York on 20 July 2014 and (iv) London on 16 October 2014.
Anna Soubry
The 70th Anniversary D-Day commemorative events in Portsmouth are being organised by Portsmouth City Council, and the military is supporting the event as requested. Similarly, the Services are supporting events planned by the Normandy Veterans Association (NVA). The Department is unable to predict the numbers who may be present at any of these events and has received no requests to facilitate attendance.
The Ministry of Defence was made aware of Portsmouth City Council’s planned events in April 2013. We were informed about the majority of NVA events in February 2013, and the National Memorial Arboretum event in November 2013. We have been working closely with the Royal British Legion and the NVA on the planned events to mark this significant anniversary, and have ensured that a range of Service charities and associations are kept informed, including COBSEO, the Confederation of Service Charities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2014, Official Report, column 181W, on D-Day Landings: anniversaries, with which service and veterans’ charities his Department has been liaising for each of the 70th anniversary D-Day commemoration events in the UK.
Anna Soubry
The 70th Anniversary D-Day commemorative events in Portsmouth are being organised by Portsmouth City Council, and the military is supporting the event as requested. Similarly, the Services are supporting events planned by the Normandy Veterans Association (NVA). The Department is unable to predict the numbers who may be present at any of these events and has received no requests to facilitate attendance.
The Ministry of Defence was made aware of Portsmouth City Council’s planned events in April 2013. We were informed about the majority of NVA events in February 2013, and the National Memorial Arboretum event in November 2013. We have been working closely with the Royal British Legion and the NVA on the planned events to mark this significant anniversary, and have ensured that a range of Service charities and associations are kept informed, including COBSEO, the Confederation of Service Charities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what non-lethal military support his Department has provided to Libya in each year since 2012.
Dr Andrew Murrison
Since 2012 the UK has provided advice, training and Defence Education to Libya.
An advisory team was established in Tripoli in 2012 to support the UK / Libya relationship and provide advice through a number of personnel embedded in the Libyan Ministry of Defence, Navy, Air Force, Land Forces and Border Security Force.
In 2013 the advisory team was renamed the Defence Advisory and Training Team (DATT) to reflect the variety of support programmes, including strategic communication, developing explosive ordnance disposal schools, supporting the creation of a joint operational planning staff and naval training. The DATT currently numbers 34 personnel which includes a Senior Disarmament Advisor working with the Government of Libya, the UN and international partners on disarmament issues. The DATT also provides the platform for Short Term Training Team deployments from the UK.
In 2013 HMS Echo surveyed the coast off Tripoli including a number of ports and in February 2014 the Libyans signed a data sharing agreement with the UK Hydrographic Office.
Libyan personnel have undergone defence education and training in the UK including: English Language Training, Initial Officer Training, Economic Exclusion Zone Protection Officers courses and Managing Defence in the Wider Security Context.
In November 2013 the UK also established a Defence Section within the British Embassy, Tripoli with a Defence Attaché.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what non-lethal military support his Department has provided to Algeria in each year since 2012.
Dr Andrew Murrison
The UK provides military support to the Algerian Armed Forces mainly through the provision of academic and specialised UK based courses. In 2012, 31 Algerian students from the Algerian Armed Forces attended UK military courses, and in 2013 seven students came to the UK for training. The courses attended since 2012 are:
Royal College of Defence Studies
Initial Naval Training (Officers) at BRNC Dartmouth
RAF Initial Officer Training at RAF Cranwell
Economic Exclusion Zone Protection Officer Course (one in 2012 delivered in the UK, one in 2013 delivered in Gibraltar)
Stabilisation and Peace Support Operation
Board and Search Training
English Language Training
HM Common Time course
International Principal Warfare Officers’ Course
RIB training
International Air Battle Management Course
Multinational Peace Support Operations Instructor Training Course
Design and Evaluation of Peace Support Operations Training
In addition to this, in 2013, delegations from the Algerian Armed Forces visited the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, and the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury. In March 2014, a delegation from the Ministry of Defence’s Surgeon General’s department visited Algiers to discuss potential areas for cooperation with the Algerian military medical services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many serious case reviews have been (a) commissioned and (b) published since June 2010.
Mr Edward Timpson
302 serious case reviews (SCRs) have been commissioned by local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) and notified to the Department for Education since June 2010. 114 have been published.
|
Serious case reviews commissioned |
Serious case reviews published[1] |
|
|
10 June 2010 to 31 March 2011 |
52 |
0 |
|
1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 |
55 |
12 |
|
1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 |
81 |
31 |
|
1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 |
114 |
71 |
|
Total |
302 |
114 |
136 SCRs are currently in progress. 30 SCRs have been notified as not for publication due to compelling reasons related to the welfare of the children directly related to these cases.
22 SCRs have been completed and have not yet been published due to outstanding police investigations, criminal proceedings and welfare issues.
We have set up a national panel of independent experts who will advise and challenge LSCBs on any case where an LSCB has concerns about the publication of an SCR report and/or intends not to publish an SCR report.
[1] Overview reports only. These figures do not include executive summaries published during this period.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what interaction the National Panel on Serious Case Reviews has had with the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Network.
Mr Edward Timpson
The national panel of independent experts on Serious Case Reviews has met the chair of the Association of Independent Local Safeguarding Children Board Chairs, twice, most recently on 10 March 2014.