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  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the accessibility of the Sevenoaks Annex of Weald of Kent Grammar School to school-age people living in the community served by the original school.

    Edward Timpson

    Departmental advice for academies wishing to make a change to their existing arrangements is available on GOV.UK.

    The new annexe will serve the same age range as the existing site of Weald of Kent Grammar School, which is 11-19. The admission arrangements apply across the whole school. It is the responsibility of the academy trust as the admission authority to ensure that admission arrangements are compliant with The School Admissions Code.

    The newly expanded school will better meet the needs of school-age people in the community that it serves, with over 41% of students at the existing site already travelling from the Sevenoaks area.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assets his Department has assigned to (a) Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, (b) Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, (c) Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 and (d) Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 since February 2015; and for how long each such asset has been so assigned.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Since February 2015, the UK has assigned the following assets to Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1:

    The Sandown-class minehunter HMS PEMBROKE (from January until April); the Hunt-class minehunter HMS QUORN (from April until July); the Sandown-class minehunter HMS GRIMSBY (from August until December).

    Over the same period, there have been no UK vessels assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 and 2 or Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2.

  • Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to UK Defence in Numbers, published by his Department in August 2015, in what capacity the four Wessex Combat support helicopters referred to in that document may be used.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Defence in Numbers booklet is a snap shot of the UK’s Defence capability and how we are spending the fifth largest Defence budget in the world. As well as giving details on civilian and personnel numbers and current operations, it also includes a list of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment holdings, the vast majority of which are in service and deployable. We will continue to review the Defence in Numbers booklet to ensure that it best reflects the breadth of defence equipment.

    The pieces of equipment listed in the Defence in Numbers booklet that are not capable for use on the front-line are: Jet provost aircraft, BAE-125 aircraft, Wessex helicopters, Challenger 1 battle tanks, FH70 Towed Howitzers and Chieftain Armoured Vehicles. These platforms are used in either a training or ceremonial capacity.

    Currently 90 Tornado aircraft remain in the operational fleet and are, or could be, returned to combat ready status; this number includes aircraft undergoing periodic deep maintenance and modification which are not immediately available for operational use.

  • Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to UK Defence in Numbers, published by his Department in August 2015, how many of the 125 Tornado Combat aircraft referred to in that document are combat ready.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Defence in Numbers booklet is a snap shot of the UK’s Defence capability and how we are spending the fifth largest Defence budget in the world. As well as giving details on civilian and personnel numbers and current operations, it also includes a list of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment holdings, the vast majority of which are in service and deployable. We will continue to review the Defence in Numbers booklet to ensure that it best reflects the breadth of defence equipment.

    The pieces of equipment listed in the Defence in Numbers booklet that are not capable for use on the front-line are: Jet provost aircraft, BAE-125 aircraft, Wessex helicopters, Challenger 1 battle tanks, FH70 Towed Howitzers and Chieftain Armoured Vehicles. These platforms are used in either a training or ceremonial capacity.

    Currently 90 Tornado aircraft remain in the operational fleet and are, or could be, returned to combat ready status; this number includes aircraft undergoing periodic deep maintenance and modification which are not immediately available for operational use.

  • Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to UK Defence in Numbers, published by his Department in August 2015, in what capacity the seven Jet Provost training aircrafts referred to in that document may be used; and when those aircraft were last used for that purpose.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Defence in Numbers booklet is a snap shot of the UK’s Defence capability and how we are spending the fifth largest Defence budget in the world. As well as giving details on civilian and personnel numbers and current operations, it also includes a list of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment holdings, the vast majority of which are in service and deployable. We will continue to review the Defence in Numbers booklet to ensure that it best reflects the breadth of defence equipment.

    The pieces of equipment listed in the Defence in Numbers booklet that are not capable for use on the front-line are: Jet provost aircraft, BAE-125 aircraft, Wessex helicopters, Challenger 1 battle tanks, FH70 Towed Howitzers and Chieftain Armoured Vehicles. These platforms are used in either a training or ceremonial capacity.

    Currently 90 Tornado aircraft remain in the operational fleet and are, or could be, returned to combat ready status; this number includes aircraft undergoing periodic deep maintenance and modification which are not immediately available for operational use.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual running costs of RAF Waddington are; and what assessment he has made of RAF Waddington’s contribution to the local economy.

    Mark Lancaster

    The annual infrastructure running costs for RAF Waddington in the Financial Year 2014-15 were £5,566,795. No assessment has been made of RAF Waddington’s contribution to the local economy.

  • Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which of the items of equipment referred to in UK Defence in Numbers, published by his Department in August 2015, are (a) not capable of use on the front line and (b) have been retired.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Defence in Numbers booklet is a snap shot of the UK’s Defence capability and how we are spending the fifth largest Defence budget in the world. As well as giving details on civilian and personnel numbers and current operations, it also includes a list of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment holdings, the vast majority of which are in service and deployable. We will continue to review the Defence in Numbers booklet to ensure that it best reflects the breadth of defence equipment.

    The pieces of equipment listed in the Defence in Numbers booklet that are not capable for use on the front-line are: Jet provost aircraft, BAE-125 aircraft, Wessex helicopters, Challenger 1 battle tanks, FH70 Towed Howitzers and Chieftain Armoured Vehicles. These platforms are used in either a training or ceremonial capacity.

    Currently 90 Tornado aircraft remain in the operational fleet and are, or could be, returned to combat ready status; this number includes aircraft undergoing periodic deep maintenance and modification which are not immediately available for operational use.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to allow UK citizens who have been awarded the NATO Africa Medal for efforts against piracy to wear that medal in public; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Government is immensely proud of the courage and professionalism displayed by the UK Armed Forces in support of NATO counter-piracy operations off the coast of Africa. Their effort has helped to deter and disrupt pirate attacks and set the conditions for a more viable and secure region.

    Members of the UK Armed Forces may accept foreign military awards, although only those medals that Her Majesty The Queen has approved for wear may be worn. The NATO Africa Medal has not been approved for wear and may not, therefore, be worn by Service personnel.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civil servants in his Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to his Department.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) no longer holds data on employees who are members of Trades Unions (TUs), following the removal of automatic TU subscription-fee deductions from employees’ salary in January 2015.

    The MOD makes certain facilities available to civilian employees who are accredited representatives, but not paid officials of, TUs recognised by the Department. The amount of time off and the purposes for which it is allowed is in accordance with the ACAS Code of Practice Time off for Trade Union duties and activities. This is recorded as facility time (FT).

    In FY 2014-15 some 9,865 staff days were spent on FT at a cost of £1.13 million, which is significantly lower than comparable figures for FY 2011-12 when an estimated 27,060 staff days were spent on FT at a cost of £3.65 million. The number of Departmental staff who were recorded as being 100% FT has also fallen from 53 in 2013 to zero in 2015.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the command structure at RAF Waddington is; and what the total payroll costs for senior officers were in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15.

    Mark Lancaster

    The total payroll costs for senior officers (Regular and Reserve personnel at RAF Waddington, holding the rank of Squadron Leader and above) for the previous five financial years are as follows:

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    Total Payroll Cost

    £6.125 million

    £6.161 million

    £6.404 million

    £6.127 million

    £5.840 million

    RAF Waddington’s command structure comprises Station Executives for each Wing and Squadron, who report directly to the Station Commander.