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  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the security of data transmission between the F35B Lightning II fighter and remote monitoring and control stations.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Autonomous Logistics Information System is part of the ground based information system and is not fitted on board the F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft. Both the Autonomous Logistics Information System and the F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft have been subject to a comprehensive independent programme of penetration testing.

    Risk assessments of the Autonomous Logistics Information System and its interfaces with the F-35B Lightning II fighter are conducted continuously throughout the test programme. All classified data transmissions to and from the F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft are fully encrypted.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has undertaken a programme of independent penetration testing of the Autonomous Logistics Information System on board the F35B Lightning II fighter.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Autonomous Logistics Information System is part of the ground based information system and is not fitted on board the F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft. Both the Autonomous Logistics Information System and the F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft have been subject to a comprehensive independent programme of penetration testing.

    Risk assessments of the Autonomous Logistics Information System and its interfaces with the F-35B Lightning II fighter are conducted continuously throughout the test programme. All classified data transmissions to and from the F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft are fully encrypted.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the performance of Capita in the recruitment programme to the Regular and the Reserve Forces; what progress has been made in such recruitment; and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Since March 2013 the Army has been delivering its recruiting operations with Capita through the Recruiting Partnering Project (RPP). Both the Army and Capita are investing to improve recruiting performance, and over 14,000 Regular and Reserve personnel have joined in the last 12 months.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual maintenance spend by the (a) Royal Navy, (b) British Army and (c) Royal Air Force has been in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Annual maintenance spend, on equipment support and property management, is not recorded by individual arm of Service. This is because our Armed Services operate as integrated joint organisations in which the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force work together and share land, buildings, facilities and equipment.

  • Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bernard Jenkin on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department are working on matters related to (a) European policy, (b) the future of Europe, (c) reform of the EU, (d) the renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with the EU, (e) the EU referendum and (f) the consequences of the EU referendum; how many full-time equivalent staff are working on such matters; what the (i) staff and (ii) other cost of such work is; what proportion of that work is undertaken by such staff on (A) communications, (B) strategy and (C) policy; whether his Department has established any specific unit or units to deal with those matters; to whom such (1) staff and (2) units report; whether his Department has issued guidelines to staff on those matters; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the UK – so we get a better deal for the UK and secure our future. Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe, including the renegotiation and referendum.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what export licences have been granted to UK manufacturers since 2010 to export (a) military and (b) police-related equipment to Israel.

    Anna Soubry

    Information on arms export licences are published as Official Statistics (from January 2015) in the Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. They are available to view at GOV.UK.

    The most recently published information covers the period until 30 June 2015.

    All export licences are issued in strict accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 2.10 of JSP441 Defence Records Management Policy and Procedures, whether his Department’s practice on data retention which means it can only provide information relating to (a) numbers of training courses, attendees costs, (b) maintenance, improvement and development costs, (c) accommodation, (d) travel costs and (e) building of storage facilities for only the preceding year meets the requirements of that paragraph; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    In areas of routine business, where there is unlikely to be need for permanent preservation of information and potential accession to The National Archives, decisions on whether to keep or destroy will be taken locally by the Senior Information Officer, Information Manager, or their staff. They will seek to balance the perceived future value of the information against the cost of retention, based on the departmental guidance in JSP 441 and elsewhere, and the training they have received

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to give veterans affected by mesothelioma the choice between receiving a traditional War Pension or a lump sum payment that is comparable to the awards given to civilians under the Government’s Diffuse Mesothelioma Scheme.

    Mark Lancaster

    Mesothelioma is a devastating disease affecting not only the individual diagnosed, but their family and loved ones. It is important to ensure we offer the right support for those veterans affected.

    As I announced on 16 December 2015, veterans who were diagnosed on or after that date with diffuse mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos during their military service prior to 6 April 2015 would have the option of receiving a lump sum of £140,000 under the War Pension Scheme. For those who elect to receive the lump sum, this will take the place of the current arrangements of payment of a regular War Pension, any Supplementary Allowances and dependant’s benefits.

    The necessary legislative changes need time to be brought into effect. Subject to the agreement of the Privy Council, these changes will be made on 11 April 2016.

    Those diagnosed on or after 16 December 2016, who elect to receive the lump sum before legislation has been introduced, will in the interim be able to receive the War Disablement Pension and any Supplementary Allowances until the lump sum is paid. Any such payments would then be deducted from the lump sum which will be paid following the introduction of the legislation on 11 April 2016.

    The Veterans Welfare Service is on hand to help claimants and their families understand the details of the options available.

  • John Woodcock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Woodcock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Woodcock on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons there was no bidding process for the primary lighting contract for the Successor submarines.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    No contract has yet been awarded for the Successor primary lighting system.

  • John Woodcock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Woodcock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Woodcock on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department conducted its most recent review of the procurement process for the Successor submarines.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    All Ministry of Defence programmes are routinely subject to regular review as part of the standard approvals and scrutiny process. The most recent review of the Successor programme was produced in December 2015.