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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that there are sufficient appropriately trained reserve forces to support regular service men and women to meet Force 2020 commitments.

Mr Julian Brazier

We have made a number of improvements to ensure we reach our target strength of 35,000 trained volunteer reservists by 31 March 2019. Central to this is an improved offer, which includes better training, better equipment, improved remuneration and an improved experience for reservists.

We have also widened the opportunity for reservists to contribute on operations and established a new relationship with employers as well as improving the support available to employers when a reservist employee is mobilised.

These actions are in addition to improving capacity and flow in the recruiting process and our marketing campaigns.

As a result, more reservists are joining either as new entrants to the military or with prior experience either in the Regulars or in the Reserves. 8,370 joined in the 12 months to 1 September, a 70% rise on the equivalent period a year earlier and the trained strength has reached 25,720, ahead of target.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities uphold the Military Covenant.

Mark Lancaster

For information on this Department’s engagement with Local Authorities on the Armed Forces Covenant I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 September 2015 to Question 8395 to the hon. Member for Northampton South (Mr Mackintosh).

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-09-04/8395/

In addition, since I provided that answer I have also met with the Chairman of the Local Government Association and with the Minister for Housing and Planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). We are collectively planning to review the work undertaken by Local Authorities to deliver the Covenant and expect to complete this by March 2016. This will help to further identify best practice and where to target future work.

The Minister for Housing and Planning will write to all Local Authorities setting out examples of best practice and reminding them of the need to honour their commitments under the Covenant. I will also address a conference of Local Authority Community Covenant Champions in London on 4 November 2015. I hope that members’ Local Authority Armed Forces Covenant champions will be there.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the potential effects of the provisions of the Housing and Planning Bill on the total amount of spending on housing benefit in each of the next five years.

Brandon Lewis

The Government will continue to assess the impacts of the Housing and Planning Bill as it progresses through Parliament. We will publish our assessments on Parliament’s website at

http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/housingandplanning/documents.html.

These will be updated as further assessments are undertaken.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential (a) economic and (b) health effects of the provisions of the Housing and Planning Bill on people who receive housing benefit and who are subject to the benefit cap in each of the next five years.

Brandon Lewis

The Government will continue to assess the impacts of the Housing and Planning Bill as it progresses through Parliament. We will publish our assessments on Parliament’s website at:

http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/housingandplanning/documents.html.

These will be updated as further assessments are undertaken.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 13 of the joint ministerial declaration on UK/French cooperation in tackling ongoing illegal migration in Northern France and across Europe, issued on 20 August 2015, when she plans to publish the study of other Channel and appropriate North Sea ports that could be used by criminal gangs exploiting migrants, referred to in that declaration.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office has no intentions to publish the study of Channel and North Sea ports that is referenced in the Joint Ministerial Declaration of 20 August. Publishing such a report could reveal security vulnerabilities that might be exploited by criminals groups that seek to transfer illegal migrants and contraband material into the UK via clandestine means.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the joint ministerial declaration on UK/French co-operation in tackling ongoing illegal migration in northern France and across Europe, issued on 20 August 2015, how many of the security audit recommendations made by a British and French specialised team on 10 August 2015 have been fully implemented.

James Brokenshire

The Joint Security Audit which was undertaken with the French Authorities in August identified priority risk areas from migrant activity and work is continuing at pace to complete priority physical measures. These include fencing of shuttle platforms at the Eurotunnel site and the freight approach road as well as anti-intrusion measures in-and-around the Channel Tunnel itself. A number of these measures have been completed and the remainder will be completed in the coming weeks.