The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of the Boeing P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
Mr Philip Dunne
We are unable to release this information publicly while commercial negotiations are continuing.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost per unit of each Boeing P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
Mr Philip Dunne
We are unable to release this information publicly while commercial negotiations are continuing.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the first Boeing P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft came into full service; and by what date he plans for all nine to be operational.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft entered service with the United States Navy in November 2013. Under current plans, we anticipate that it will enter service with the RAF in the UK during financial year 2019-20. Exact dates for entering service and for all nine aircraft to be operational are yet to be agreed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to answer the letters from the hon. Member for Tewkesbury dated 20 July and 21 October 2015.
Michael Fallon
I apologise for the time taken to respond to the hon. Member’s letters. I will write to the hon. Member shortly on this issue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what timetable he has set for the introduction of the Rapid Strike brigade as set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Mr Philip Dunne
The two Strike Brigades will provide a rapidly deployable agile force, with enhanced range, speed, protection and firepower, significantly enhancing the UK’s ability to respond to international crises.
As previously announced on 3 September 2014 by My right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary (Michael Fallon) (Official Report, column 19WS) a contract has been awarded to deliver 589 Ajax vehicles. Detailed allocation plans have yet to be finalised. Fielding of Strike Brigades will start from 2018, delivering an initial operating capability in 2021 and moving towards Full Operating Capability from 2025.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his departmental expenditure was on travel for (a) military staff, (b) civilian staff and (c) Ministers in each of the previous five years.
Mark Lancaster
This information is not available in the format requested. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) routinely distinguishes between military and civilian travel and subsistence costs only where these are reimbursed to the individual under our pay and claim arrangements.
Overall departmental expenditure on travel and subsistence has, however, been as follows:
|
Financial Year |
Expenditure |
|
2010-11 |
£226 million |
|
2011-12 |
£213 million |
|
2012-13 |
£213 million |
|
2013-14 |
£212 million |
|
2014-15 |
£221 million |
Expenditure by the Defence Ministers on travel and subsistence has been as follows.
|
Financial Year |
Expenditure |
|
2010-11 |
£297,126 |
|
2011-12 |
£295,922 |
|
2012-13 |
£225,300 |
|
2013-14 |
£262,184 |
|
2014-15 |
£259,849 |
Note: This expenditure includes road transport, rail travel, international and domestic flights and the notional costs of travel in RAF aircraft where they have been available.
Travel by the Defence Ministers and all departmental staff makes a key contribution to achieving Defence objectives. The MOD has sites in many parts of the country, and internationally, and staff need to travel between them. For example, travel enables Ministers and senior leaders to visit troops on operations or to hold discussions with other governments aimed at reducing conflict.
We have achieved savings of over £60 million a year in non-operational travel since 2009-10 and plan to make further savings of 10% over the rest of this Parliament. These savings will be delivered in a number of ways, including a reduction in travel where the business need can be met by alternative arrangements such as video or audio conferencing.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of his Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.
Mr Philip Dunne
I refer the hon. Member to para 6.44 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (Cm9161) for the proportion of our defence budget dedicated to science and technology.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much of his Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Spending Review 2015 set out settlements for departments and showed how the government will deliver on its priorities, eliminate the deficit, and deliver security and opportunity for working people.
Final decisions on internal departmental funding allocations for future years, including for research and development, will be set out in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help increase the number of disabled people who own their own home.
Brandon Lewis
The Government is committed to extending home ownership opportunities for everyone. Disabled people with aspirations to own their own home can benefit from a number of policies offered by this Government, like Help to Buy and Right to Buy. However, we do recognise that for some people with long-term disabilities, our mainstream home ownership programmes may not be suitable. The Home Ownership for those with Long-term Disabilities (HOLD) scheme is specifically designed to help people living with such disabilities to buy a property on the open market on shared ownership terms with a registered housing provider.
The Government is also providing affordable housing for disabled and older people through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund, phase 1 of which will deliver around 4,000 new homes by 2018. Between 2011-15 the Affordable Homes Programme has also delivered almost 14,000 specialised and mainstream affordable homes for older and disabled people.
In the Spending Review we have committed to £400 million of funding to deliver 8,000 specialist homes for the vulnerable elderly or those with disabilities. A commitment to funding from the Department of Health could deliver up to a further 7,500 homes over the Spending Review period.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on the introduction of application fees for listed building consent.
Tracey Crouch
Ministers are considering a number of measures relating to local Heritage management as part of the Cultural White Paper, which will be published in due course.