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Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2016 to Question 21330, what estimate his Department has made of its spend on mental health specialists in each of the next five years.

Mark Lancaster

As previously reported, the Defence Medical Services’ average annual staff costs for military, reserves and civilian mental health personnel across the last three years was £20.39 million. Our current intention is to maintain the numbers of mental health specialists at broadly the same level over the next five years.

A recent study (the Defence Mental Health Services Review) recommended the civilianisation of 40 military posts. Overall, there will be a net increase of two posts and minor changes to the mix of specialisms. It is anticipated that this will result in a minor decrease in overall annual staff costs. This cannot yet be quantified as the detailed timing of implementation is yet to be determined.

01/01/2023
Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to Question 21228, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Letter of Request sent to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Mr Philip Dunne

It would be inappropriate for the Department to place a copy of the Letter of Request in the Library of the House, as it contains commercially sensitive information. Making the information publicly available would undermine the US and UK Governments’ commercial position and hence jeopardise the Department’s ability to ensure value for money.

01/01/2023
Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on compiling a definitive central list of all service personnel who lost their lives on operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007.

Penny Mordaunt

Work to produce a central list of Service personnel who lost their lives on operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007 has been a time consuming and detailed task. The process of finalising the details should appropriately consider the format of such a list and where such a list might be hosted in order to appropriately commemorate the loss of personnel during this operation. Publication will be made once due consideration of these issues has been completed.

01/01/2023
Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what change there has been in the number of personnel in the Maritime Reserves Units in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

Mr Julian Brazier

The Maritime Reserves are represented in Northern Ireland by the Royal Naval Reserve unit HMS HIBERNIA in Lisburn, and the Royal Marines Reserve Belfast Detachment of RMR Scotland.

The table below sets out the number of all personnel in the Maritime Reserve units in Northern Ireland for the period required:

Unit

Number of personnel as of 1 December 2014

Number of personnel as of 1 December 2015

HMS HIBERNIA

80

110

Belfast Detachment

20

40

Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 in accordance with the Departmental rounding policy.

01/01/2023
Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what military assets his Department has decommissioned in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Ministry of Defence manages a wide range of assets to support the UK Armed Forces. A list of equipment decommissioned in the last 12 months is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

01/01/2023
David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to (a) invest in research on rehabilitation, health and social care models to improve the quality of life for ill Gulf War veterans and (b) communicate the results of US research on those issues to Gulf War veterans living in the UK.

Mark Lancaster

The Government greatly values the service of all 1990-91 Gulf War veterans, particularly as we reach the 25^th anniversary of the start of combat operations. We have long accepted that the ill health of some veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War is associated with their service in the Gulf. In such cases compensation may be claimed under the War Pensions Scheme with appropriate medical care provided by the National Health Service across the UK .

The Department has funded extensive research into Gulf War illness including some research into rehabilitative therapies for those veterans with persistent symptoms.

Our strategy on research topics and studies has been informed and overseen by independent scientific experts nominated by the Medical Research Council taking account of published peer-reviewed international literature and international studies. We have no plans to undertake further research on Gulf War issues. We continue to monitor any Gulf War research that is published round the world including from the United States.

01/01/2023
David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the start of combat operations in the First Gulf War.

Mark Lancaster

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to honour the contribution of all those who served in the First Gulf War. The MOD will formally commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the end of combat operations (Operation GRANBY), with a service of commemoration in St Paul’s Cathedral, where the Gulf War Memorial is situated, on Friday 26 February 2016.

In addition, separate formations in Defence are also planning to mark the anniversary. These include a commemorative service held by the Grenadier Guards at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks; a series of commemorative events hosted by the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, a gathering of veterans hosted by the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars Association, and attendance at and support to an event organised at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) on 28 February to dedicate a new memorial to the conflict. The Royal Air Force will conduct an over-flight of the NMA event using a Tornado aircraft.

01/01/2023
Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of his Department’s planned £8.4 million expenditure on armed forces veterans’ mental health services will be spent in Scotland in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18, (d) 2018-19 and (e) 2019-20; and in which areas of mental health services that funding will be spent in each of those years.

Alistair Burt

The funding and provision of healthcare in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Government. The additional £8.4 million announced in the 2015 Budget will be used by the National Health Service across England to enhance mental health and support services for vulnerable veterans.

01/01/2023
Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18551, for what reason his Department no longer holds records on trainee attendance and courses held; and what assessment he has made of the compliance of the disposal of those records with the policy and procedures set out in the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 20817.

Mark Lancaster

I have asked officials to look into this matter. I will write to the hon. Member once I have received their report and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

01/01/2023
Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will request the Senior Information Officer at (a) MOD Grantown-on-Spey, (b) MOD Llanrwst, (c) MOD Fairbourne and (d) MOD Crickhowell to provide a list of what records are held at that location of numbers of attendees on training courses, costs maintenance improvement and development costs, building of storage facilities and travel and accommodation costs for years prior to 2015.

Mark Lancaster

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I have provided previously in relation to the RAF FDAT review. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 November 2015 to Question 17694 regarding the number of attendees on training courses; the answer I gave on 2 December 2015 to Question 17679 regarding the maintenance, improvement and development costs in addition to my letter to you dated 17 December 2015; the answer I gave on 4 December 2015 to Question 17675 regarding the building of storage facilities and the answer I gave on 4 December 2015 to Question 17680 regarding travel and accommodation costs.

In accordance with JSP 441, the Department only retains documents worthy of permanent preservation which are judged to have short or long term corporate value.

As the hon. Member will be aware, we are currently reviewing some of the previous answers previously given to her.

01/01/2023

Unit	Number of personnel as of 1 December 2014	Number of personnel as of 1 December 2015
HMS HIBERNIA	80	110
Belfast Detachment	20	40