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  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the planned reductions in current staff numbers in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, how many of those job reductions will be in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18, (d) 2018-19, (e) 2019-20 and (f) 2020-21; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    The civilian staff reductions announced as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review will be managed in a number of different ways. In the short term, the Ministry of Defence has agreed to make further savings and adjustments in this current financial year as part of the Government’s commitment to reducing the deficit. This is still on-going and may mean restrictions on recruitment.

    Over the longer term, a number of change programmes already under way across the Department are reducing our civilian workforce. These programmes will continue, and individuals are already aware if they are affected. We will also drive forward programmes to consider better ways of delivering services, and explore opportunities to deliver outputs in more efficient or innovative ways.

    We are confident these programmes will deliver the required reductions to meet the efficiency and reform savings announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the projected savings for his Department arising from military pay restraint in the 2015-16 financial year and in each of the next five such years; and what proportion of those savings will arise from (a) pay rises limited to one per cent and (b) the ending of military commitment bonuses.

    Mark Lancaster

    The estimated military paybill saving in 2015-16 from pay restraint is £98 million.

    The Summer Budget confirmed that the Government would fund public sector pay awards at 1% for four years from 2016-17 onwards. The estimated military pay saving is £1.8 billion over the next five years as detailed below.

    Figures are all in £millions.

    2016-17

    2017-18

    2018-19

    2019-20

    2020-21

    80

    180

    366

    602

    625

    Commitment bonuses which have not proven effective are to be withdrawn in full with effect from 1 April 2021. The estimated saving from ending commitment bonuses is £118 million over the next five years as detailed below.

    Figures are all in £millions.

    2016-17

    2017-18

    2018-19

    2019-20

    2020-21

    5

    10

    20

    35

    48

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of savings to the public purse expected through the reduction in professional fees paid out by his Department in the 2015-16 financial year and in each of the next five such years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As a result of Spending Review 2015 the Ministry of Defence will reduce its annual expenditure on fees for professional services over the Spending Review period. The estimated savings from this measure are around £29 million per year.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the latest estimate of the cost of the Successor class submarine programme has increased to £31 billion; and whether he expects that cost to rise.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Designing and building submarines is one of the largest programmes and one of the most complex activities that the Ministry of Defence and UK Industry has ever undertaken. It is the purpose of a design phase to improve our understanding of costs and timescales, which we have now done. The current estimates reflect what we have learned since the design phase began.

    As stated in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) 2015 (Cm9161), our latest estimate of the total cost to manufacture the four Successor submarines reflects greater maturity of the design and understanding of the supply chain, amounts to £31 billion; we will also set a contingency of £10 billion. This level of contingency represents about 35% of the costs to completion and is a prudent estimate based on past experience of large, complex projects.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department from planned reductions in travel expenditure in each of the next five years.

    Mark Lancaster

    As a result of Spending Review 2015 the Ministry of Defence will reduce its annual transport expenditure over the Spending Review period. The estimated savings from this measure are around £25 million per year.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the location in the UK is of each army regiment.

    Mark Lancaster

    The UK locations of the major British Army units, as at 26 November 2015, are given below. In line with standard practice, information on Special Forces is being withheld for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

    Major Unit

    Town

    Household Cavalry Regiment

    Windsor

    Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

    London

    1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

    Tidworth

    3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

    Harlow Hill

    7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

    Colchester

    1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards

    Swanton Morley

    The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers And Greys)

    Leuchars

    The Royal Dragoon Guards

    Catterick

    The Royal Lancers

    Catterick

    The King’s Royal Hussars

    Tidworth

    The Light Dragoons

    Catterick

    The Royal Tank Regiment

    Tidworth

    4th Regiment Royal Artillery

    Topcliffe

    5th Regiment Royal Artillery

    Catterick

    12th Regiment Royal Artillery

    Thorney Island

    14th Regiment Royal Artillery

    Larkhill

    16th Regiment Royal Artillery

    Emsworth

    19th Regiment Royal Artillery

    Tidworth

    29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery

    Plymouth

    32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

    Larkhill

    47th Regiment Royal Artillery

    Larkhill

    21 Engineer Regiment

    Ripon

    22 Engineer Regiment

    Perham Down

    23 Parachute Engineer Regiment

    Woodbridge

    24 Commando Engineer Regiment

    Chivenor

    26 Engineer Regiment

    Perham Down

    32 Engineer Regiment

    Catterick

    33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)

    Wimbish

    36 Engineer Regiment

    Maidstone

    39 Engineer Regiment

    Kinloss

    42 Engineer Regiment (Geographical)

    Huntingdon

    101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)

    Wimbish

    62 Works Group Royal Engineers

    Chilwell

    63 Works Group Royal Engineers

    Chilwell

    64 Works Group Royal Engineers

    Chilwell

    66 Works Group Royal Engineers

    Chilwell

    20 Works Group Royal Engineers (Air Support)

    Peterborough

    1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment

    Chatham

    3 Roay School of Military Engineering Regiment

    Minley

    1st Signal Regiment

    Stafford

    2nd Signal Regiment

    York

    3rd Signal Regiment

    Bulford

    10th Signal Regiment

    Corsham

    11th (Royal School of Signals) Signal Regiment

    Blandford

    14th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare)

    Brawdy

    15th Signal Regiment (Information Support)

    Blandford

    16th Signal Regiment

    Stafford

    21st Signal Regiment

    Colerne

    22nd Signal Regiment

    Stafford

    30th Signal Regiment

    Bramcote

    1st Battalion Grenadier Guards

    Aldershot

    1st Battalion Coldstream Guards

    Windsor

    1st Battalion Scots Guards

    Aldershot

    1st Battallion Irish Guards

    London

    1st Battalion Welsh Guards

    Pirbright

    The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland

    Holywood

    The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland

    Edinburgh

    The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland

    Inverness

    The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland

    Catterick

    1st Battalion The Duke Of Lancaster’s Regiment

    Catterick

    2nd Battalion The Duke Of Lancaster’s Regiment

    Preston

    1st Battalion The Royal Regiment Of Fusiliers

    Tidworth

    1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment

    London

    2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment

    Cottesmore

    1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment

    Warminster

    2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment

    Catterick

    1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment

    Bulford

    2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcester and Foresters, and Staffords)

    Chester

    1st Battalion The Royal Welsh

    Tidworth

    1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment

    Tern Hill

    2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment

    Colchester

    3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment

    Colchester

    2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles

    Shorncliffe

    1st Battalion The Rifles

    Beachley

    2nd Battalion The Rifles

    Lisburn

    3rd Battalion The Rifles

    Edinburgh

    4th Battalion The Rifles

    Bulford

    1 Regiment Army Air Corps

    Yeovilton

    2 (Training) Regiment Army Air Corps

    Middle Wallop

    3 Regiment Army Air Corps

    Wattisham

    4 Regiment Army Air Corps

    Wattisham

    5 Regiment Army Air Corps

    Aldergrove

    7 (Training) Regiment Army Air Corps

    Middle Wallop

    9 Regiment Army Air Corps

    Dishforth

    3 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Abingdon

    4 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Abingdon

    7 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Cottesmore

    9 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Hullavington

    10 The Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment

    Aldershot

    11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Didcot

    13 (Air Assault) Support Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Colchester

    17 Port And Maritime Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Marchwood

    27 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Aldershot

    29 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    South Cerney

    Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Support Battalion

    Innsworth

    5 Training Regiment the Royal Logistic Corps

    Grantham

    25 Training Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Deepcut

    2 Medical Regiment

    North Luffenham

    3 Medical Regiment

    Preston

    4 Armoured Medical Regiment

    Aldershot

    5 Armoured Medical Regiment

    Catterick

    16 Medical Regiment

    Colchester

    22 Field Hospital

    Aldershot

    33 Field Hospital

    Gosport

    34 Field Hospital

    Strensall

    1 Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Catterick

    2 Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Leuchars

    4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Tidworth

    6 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Tidworth

    7 Air Assault Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Wattisham

    5 Force Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Tidworth

    1st Regiment Royal Military Police

    Catterick

    3rd Regiment Royal Military Police

    Bulford

    4th Regiment Royal Military Police

    Aldershot

    Special Investigation Branch Regiment Royal Military Police

    Bulford

    Specialist Operations Regiment Royal Military Police

    Southwick Park

    Military Provost Staff Regiment

    Colchester

    1st Military Working Dog Regiment

    North Luffenham

    1 Military Intelligence Battalion

    Catterick

    2 Military Intelligence Battalion

    Upavon

    4 Military Intelligence Battalion

    Bulford

    Specialist Group Military Intelligence

    Hermitage

    15 (United Kingdom) Psychological Operation Group

    Hermitage

    The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia)

    Monmouth

    The Honourable Artillery Company

    London

    The Royal Yeomanry

    London

    The Royal Wessex Yeomanry

    Bovington

    The Queen’s Own Yeomanry

    Newcastle Upon Tyne

    The Scottish And North Irish Yeomanry

    Edinburgh

    101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery

    Gateshead

    103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Regiment Royal Artillery

    St Helens

    104th Regiment Royal Artillery

    Newport

    105th Regiment Royal Artillery

    Edinburgh

    106th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery

    Grove Park

    71 Engineer Regiment

    Leuchars

    75 Engineer Regiment

    Warrington

    65 Works Group Royal Engineers

    Chilwell

    32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment

    Glasgow

    37th Signal Regiment

    Redditch

    39th (Skinners) Signal Regiment

    Bristol

    71st (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment

    London

    52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland

    Glasgow

    51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland

    Perth

    3rd Battalion The Princess Of Wales’s Royal Regiment

    Canterbury

    4th Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment

    Preston

    5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

    Newcastle Upon Tyne

    3rd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment

    Bury St Edmunds

    4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment

    York

    4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcester and Forsters, and Staffords)

    Wolverhampton

    3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh

    Cardiff

    2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment)

    Lisburn

    4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment

    Pudsey

    The London Regiment

    London

    6th Battalion The Rifles

    Exeter

    7th Battalion The Rifles

    Reading

    1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Brigade Specialist Military Unit

    London

    1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Brigade Specialist Military Unit

    Birmingham

    6 Regiment Army Air Corps

    Bury St Edmunds

    150 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Hull

    151 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Croydon

    152 (North Irish) Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Holywood

    156 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Liverpool

    158 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Peterborough

    154 (Scottish) Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Dunfermline

    157 (Welsh) Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Cardiff

    162 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Grantham

    165 Port And Maritime The Regiment Royal Logistic Corps

    Plymouth

    159 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Coventry

    167 Catering Support Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

    Grantham

    2 Operational Support Group The Royal Logistic Corps

    Grantham

    201 (Northern) Field Hospital

    Newcastle Upon Tyne

    202 (Midlands) Field Hospital

    Birmingham

    203 (Welsh) Field Hospital

    Cardiff

    204 (North Irish) Field Hospital

    Belfast

    205 (Scottish) Field Hospital

    Govan

    207 (Manchester) Field Hospital

    Manchester

    208 (Liverpool) Field Hospital

    Liverpool

    212 (Yorkshire) Field Hospital

    Sheffield

    225 (Scottish) Medical Regiment

    Dundee

    243 (The Wessex) Field Hospital

    Bristol

    253 (North Irish) Medical Regiment

    Belfast

    254 (East of England) Medical Regiment

    Cambridge

    256 (City of London) Field Hospital

    Walworth

    306 Hospital Support Medical Regiment

    Strensall

    335 Medical Evacuation Regiment

    Strensall

    Operational Headquarters Support Group

    Strensall

    101 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Wrexham

    102 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Newton Aycliffe

    103 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Crawley

    104 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Northampton

    105 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    Bristol

    106 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

    East Kilbride

    3 Military Intelligence Battalion

    London

    5 Military Intelligence Battalion

    Coulby Newham

    6 Military Intelligence Battalion

    Rusholme

    7 Military Intelligence Battalion

    Bristol

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the £10 million investment for better broadband infrastructure in the South West announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 is part of a larger investment programme; for what reasons the South West was chosen for the £10 million investment; and what funding will be made available by the Government for other regions.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government has allocated £10 million to the South West broadband fund, commencing in April 2016. This fund extends the support already being provided through the superfast programme and will also stimulate the ultrafast market. The South West region has some of the most difficult topography in the UK for fixed broadband deployment and this fund will help provide coverage in challenging areas within the region. In addition, the Prime Minister recently announced the ambition to give people the legal right to request a connection to broadband with speeds of 10 Mbps, no matter where in the country they live.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an estimate of the amount of financial provision required to affect the level of competition between broadband providers by means of the broadband investment fund announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Greg Hands

    The Spending Review and Autumn Statement announced that the government will investigate the feasibility of setting up a new broadband investment fund, to be supported by both public and private investors, and managed by the private sector on a commercial basis.

    Access to cost effective, commercial finance is critical for any business to grow and expand. The government will hold discussions with industry participants to determine whether enhancing access to finance through a dedicated, commercial investment fund could help support the growth of alternative network developers in the broadband market. Decisions on the feasibility and size of the fund will be made following this market engagement.

  • Paul Farrelly – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Paul Farrelly – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Farrelly on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings he has had with representatives of (a) Sky plc and (b) 21st Century Fox since 7 May 2015.

    Tracey Crouch

    Information on Ministers’ meetings with external organisations, including meetings with Media organisations, are included in the quarterly transparency returns.

  • Paul Farrelly – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Paul Farrelly – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Farrelly on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he is seeking the advice of Ofcom on Trinity Mirror’s purchase of Local World and the implications of that purchase for plurality in provision of local news.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    At the present time the Department has not formally sought the views of Ofcom on this matter.