Author: admin

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to extend the Duty Holder Concept Regulations to apply to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department.

    Anna Soubry

    Under the policy introduced across Defence, a Duty Holder is an official (military or civilian) who owns, manages and is accountable for risks to life of people in his or her area of responsibility. Senior Duty Holders, who head the Department’s Top Level Budget areas and Trading Fund Agencies, are required by the Secretary of State’s Policy Statement on Health, Safety & Environmental Protection to refer to him any risks that they consider cannot be reduced as low as reasonably practicable.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of all invoices submitted by public interest lawyers for work undertaken in relation to Al-Sweady Inquiry.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The Al-Sweady Inquiry has cost the public purse £28.4 million to 31 March 2014. The potential cost of the Inquiry to its completion is £31.1 million.

    The information requested is commercial in confidence and cannot be provided without a significant level of redaction of sensitive information.

    However I am able to provide a summary of costs incurred by Public Interest Lawyers for work undertaken in relation to the Al-Sweady Inquiry up to 31 March 2014.

    Summary of Payments made to Public Interest Lawyers
    in relation to the Al-Sweady Inquiry.

    Date of Payment Amount of Payment (£)

    March 2010 6,921.60

    August 2010 68,060.36

    October 2010 45,752.15

    February 2011 41,581.11

    May 2011 94,154.64

    June 2011 6,210.00

    July 2011 33,828.33

    September 2011 10,113.68

    November 2011 6,445.34

    December 2011 2,421.51

    January 2012 68,343.35

    February 2012 37,838.53

    April 2012 21,775.17

    May 2012 47,491.94

    June 2012 16,328.20

    July 2012 5,200.00

    August 2012 220.60

    September 2012 10,115.00

    November 2012 100,587.10

    December 2012 46,352.33

    January 2013 99,208.41

    February 2013 51,117.56

    March 2013 74,356.24

    May 2013 197,070.38

    Junuary 2013 107,544.50

    July 2013 164,335.64

    August 2013 85,516.25

    September 2013 33,091.25

    October 2013 176,401.67

    November 2013 187,376.83

    January 2014 174,806.09

    February 2014 36,133.25

    March 2014 59,093.74

    April 2014 301,909.00

    Grand Total 2,417,701.75

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the costs of the (a) Baha Moussa inquiry and (b) Al-Sweady inquiry are classified by his Department as being operational and reclaimable from the Treasury Special Reserve.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The costs of the Baha Mousa and Al-Sweady inquiries were not deemed by the Department to be true net additional costs associated with activity to support specifically authorised operations and were not reclaimed from the Treasury Special Reserve.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s cost of defence output categories taxonomy.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The Ministry of Defence’s cost of defence taxonomy is as follows:

    Frigates
    Aircraft Carriers
    Destroyers
    Lynx Mk 3/8
    Minehunters
    Patrol vessels
    Survey vessels and Ice Patrol
    RW (SAR)
    Test, Simulation
    Landing Platform Dock
    Landing Platform Helicopter
    Landing Ship Dock
    Sea King Mk 7 ASaC, Mk 5 SAR
    Army Manning/Training Margin
    Army phase 1 training
    Army phase 2 training
    Army phase 3 training
    Defence CBRN Wing
    Civilian Training
    Light Brigades
    Air Assault Brigade
    Armoured Brigades
    Attack Helicopters
    Support Helicopters
    Mech Brigades
    RAF Force Protection
    RAF Reserves
    Royal Marines
    RNR and RMR
    Logistic Brigades
    2 MED Brigade
    Defence Medical Services
    Artillery Regts
    Engr Regts
    Signals Regts
    HQ Theatre Troops
    Commitments staff
    PJHQ, JFHQ, Theatre HQs
    Battle-Space Command and Control Communications and Information Systems
    IS and Communications Capability Projects
    Deployed Ops supporting units
    Deployable HQ
    Maritime Warfare Centre
    Joint Combat Aircraft
    Tornado
    Nuclear Deterrent
    Nuclear Estate
    Merlin
    Ship Submarine Ballistic Nuclear
    Ship Submarine Nuclear
    Estate Disposals
    MOD Estate
    Regional Prime Contracts
    Service Families Accommodation
    Single Living Accommodation
    Supporting infrastructure (utilities)
    Sustainability (DE&S War Reserves / Op Stocks)
    IS for Logistics
    Permanent Joint Operating Bses
    A400M
    BAe125
    BAe146
    C17
    Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft
    Hercules
    Tristar
    VC10
    Auxiliary Oiler
    Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment
    Royal Fleet Auxiliary
    Forward Repair Ship
    Joint Casualty Treatment Ship
    Defence Intelligence Staff
    ASTOR
    E3-D
    Rivet Joint
    Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
    Electronic Warfare
    UK Air Surveillance and Control
    Army Joint and Collective Training
    Specialist Training
    Defence Academy
    RAF Joint and Collective Training
    RN Joint and Collective Training
    RAF Manning/Training Margin
    RAF phase 1 training
    RAF phase 2 training
    RAF phase 3 training
    Army Cadets
    Army Recruiting
    RAF Cadets
    RAF Recruiting
    RAF Aerobatic Team
    RN Cadets
    RN Recruiting
    Regional Forces – Northern Ireland
    Regional Forces – Germany
    Regional Forces – GB
    SIT Outputs
    Army Reserves
    RN Manning/Training Margin
    RN phase 1 training
    RN phase 2 training
    RN phase 3 training
    MOD Police and Guarding
    Special Forces
    Typhoon
    Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of his Department’s output maps.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    I regret that I must withhold the requested information as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of his Department’s force structure cost model.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would be commercially sensitive and would prejudice the economic interests of the United Kingdom as well as the capability, effectiveness and security of the Armed Forces.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who all the core participants in the Al-Sweady Inquiry were; and what the name and firm was of each of those participants’ legal representatives.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The following Iraqi nationals have been designated as core participants in the Al-Sweady Inquiry as they were either detained, or are related to those who died, during the engagements on 14 May 2004. All are represented by Public Interest Lawyers (PIL):

    1. Hamzah Joudah Faraj ALMALJE
    2. Mahdi Jasim Abdullah AL-BEHADILI
    3. Ibrahim Gattan Hasan AL-ISMAEELI
    4. Kadhim Abbas Lafta AL-BEHADILI
    5. Abbas Abd Ali Abdulridha AL-HAMEEDAWI
    6. Ahmed Jabbar Hammood AL-FURAIJI
    7. Hussein Fadhil Abbas AL-BEHADILI
    8. Atiyah Sayyid Abdulridha AL-BAIDHANI
    9. Hussein Gubari Ali AL-LAMI
    10. Kahz’al Jabratallah Khalad Mulla AL-HELFI
    11. Hatar Moutashar Zeidan Shamekhy AL-LAMI
    12. Khudhur Al-Swaiedi
    13. Jasem Khalloufi Khreibet Al Alyawi AL-JAMINDARI
    14. Ali Ati Raheemah AL-MOZANI
    15. Rashak AL-AMSHANI
    16. Sabrah Maryoosh HUSSEIN
    17. Kamil Mowat Mohammed AL-MOZANI
    18. Saad Radhi Khafeef AL-KEEMY
    19. Yousef Ouda BADAY
    20. Qassim Ghelan Neema Sahn AL-MAJIDI
    21. Bareq Mohammed Hussein AL-KHALIFA
    22. Ahmed Mshatat KAZEM
    23. Karam Yaseen Laheet Sneshee AL-MOZANI
    24. Zahra Resan MUHSIN
    25. Abdelzahra Atti DAWOOD
    26. Mahud Jihaijeh Dawood AL-MOZANI
    27. Ali Jaseeb Ghazi AL-MUHAMMADAWI
    28. Jabra Abdulah MOHSIN
    29. Nasser Ali Husain AL-DOUGHAAN

    The remaining Iraqi witnesses, most of whom are also represented by PIL, are considered by the Inquiry to be witnesses rather than core participants.

    The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is also a core participant in the Inquiry as it is the Government Department that was responsible for the conduct of the British Servicemen who are the subject of allegations.

    Although the Treasury Solicitor’s Department is not a core participant, the Inquiry Chairman has accorded them equivalent status in recognition of the very large number (over 500) of current and former service personnel that they represent in this Inquiry.

    A smaller number of military witnesses were either unrepresented or represented by Kennedy’s and are considered witnesses, not core participants.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make an assessment of the feasibility of granting people the right to vote in General Elections based on residency rather than nationality; and if he will make a statement.

    Greg Clark

    The Government has no plans to link the right to vote in General elections to residency rather than nationality.

  • Khalid Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Khalid Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Khalid Mahmood on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to remove any contractual gagging orders or similar measures applicable to staff in the West Midlands involved in the ongoing investigation into school governance in that area led by Ian Kershaw.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education hopes that any individual with relevant information about the serious allegations made in relation to a number of schools in Birmingham will come forward and share this with the Education Commissioner, Peter Clarke, and Ian Kershaw, the Chief Adviser for Birmingham City Council’s investigation.

    Amendments to The Employment Relations Act 1996, introduced by the Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) 1998, mean that any confidentiality clauses in settlement agreements cannot have the effect of preventing a protected disclosure and any provision will be void to the extent it seeks to do so. The Department revised the model settlement agreements for new academies in January to make this absolutely clear. The PIDA Act 1998 also introduced provisions to protect workers from detrimental treatment or victimisation from their employer if, in the public interest, they blow the whistle on wrongdoing.

  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which local authorities currently do not have enough childcare places available to cater for the extension of the childcare offer to the 40 per cent most disadvantaged two-year-olds in September 2014; and what the shortfall of places is in each such authority.

    Elizabeth Truss

    In February 2014 local authorities reported that around 103,000 two-year-olds were already accessing a funded early learning place. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that every eligible child, whose parents wish them to take a place, is able to.