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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to repair the broken fuel storage tanks at Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus.

Mark Lancaster

A programme is currently in progress to repair or replace the three broken bulk fuel installations at RAF Akrotiri. It is anticipated that all installations will be back in use in summer 2016.

An interim solution is currently in place; the repair or replacement work has had no impact on the unit’s operational output.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of (a) credit unions and (b) the help to buy scheme by armed forces personnel.

Mark Lancaster

In October 2015, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) launched a facility to make Credit Union services available to UK Armed Forces personnel via payroll deductions. The launch was communicated through the MOD intranet and gov.uk website, and also cascaded to the single Service welfare and internal communications leads.

Three chosen Credit Unions are now working together collectively under the banner ‘Joining Forces’ to provide Service personnel with access to dependable savings facilities and safe affordable loans. Further details are available from their website: http://joiningforcescu.co.uk/

Joining Forces have an employee who works solely on behalf of the collective to deliver presentations and information packages to personnel on military bases. They are also examining various strategies to promote their services through Armed Forces publications and engagement with the Families Federations.

Work is currently under way to enable veterans who are in receipt of an Armed Forces pension to access the services provided by Joining Forces. It is expected that this facility will go live later this year.

Take-up of the £200 million Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme has been very encouraging. The scheme has already given £93.7 million to help over 6,100 Service personnel buy or extend their homes. While there is no advertising budget for FHTB, the success stories of the scheme continue to be communicated through routine internal channels, as well as MOD social media where appropriate. These examples are cascaded via the individual Service networks to raise awareness of the scheme and to inform Service personnel of the support available to them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with counterparts in the French government on providing (a) training and (b) logistics for the Lebanese armed forces.

Penny Mordaunt

The UK and France participate in a multilateral group that meets twice a year to coordinate capacity building support to the Lebanese armed forces.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the government of Cyprus on ensuring that wild migratory birds are not netted on the Sovereign Base Areas or any other land used by his Department in Cyprus.

Mark Lancaster

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, (Michael Fallon) has had no direct discussions with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus on this subject, but the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) Administration has regular meetings on this issue with the relevant authorities in the Republic of Cyprus and relevant Non-Government Organisations to exchange and share information. The SBAs in Cyprus are covered by the Bern convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats and adhere to its provisions. The SBA Police have for a number of years put considerable effort into anti-poaching measures, and recently there has been an especially robust campaign through enhanced enforcement and the removal of non-native invasive acacia trees that are deliberately cultivated by trappers to attract birds. The SBA Police also work in close co-operation with the Cyprus Game and Fauna Service and the SBA Administration intends to continue to work with the Republic of Cyprus to bring an end to this unpleasant and outlawed practice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to upgrade the housing stock in Cyprus for service personnel and their families; and when such work will be completed.

Mark Lancaster

The upgrading and refurbishment of the housing stock in Cyprus is a continuous process. This financial year, the Ministry of Defence has invested £4.4 million on upgrades of Service Families Accommodation (SFA) in Cyprus and this investment will continue in 2016-17. The Defence Capital Infrastructure Programme includes a further £28 million project to refurbish SFA in Cyprus from 2019-2025.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what financial support his Department has committed for accommodation for the Quick Reaction Force project for Jordan.

Penny Mordaunt

We have spent £709,800 on accommodation for the Quick Reaction Force project on Jordan. This is based on an exchange rate of £1=1.10 Jordanian Dinar.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what agreement has been reached with the government of Cyprus on repatriation of refugees that have recently arrived at Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area.

Penny Mordaunt

No agreement exists with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus on repatriation of 115 refugees who arrived at RAF Akrotiri in the Sovereign Base Area (SBA) in October 2015. Since 2003, under a Memorandum of Understanding agreed with the Republic of Cyprus, those seeking asylum will have their claim processed by Republic of Cyprus asylum specialists on behalf of the SBA Administration. All migrants who are not eligible for asylum or do not apply for asylum are liable under SBA law for removal and repatriation to their country of origin, residency or embarkation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to ensure that any underspend of the budget for Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus is allocated to projects and schemes on those bases; and what planning his Department has carried out for such a scenario.

Penny Mordaunt

There has been no significant underspend in the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) in recent years. In the unlikely event an underspend is identified, there are measures in place to identify priorities for additional investment in the SBAs, subject to wider Departmental policies. These measures involve engagement with all key stakeholders at the beginning of each Financial Year to identify ‘quick win’ projects that could be funded and implemented promptly in the event of a potential underspend.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve spousal employment for service personnel posted in Cyprus.

Mark Lancaster

There are a limited number of employment opportunities for family members of deployed personnel within British Forces Cyprus (BFC). Spousal employment is restricted by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment between the UK and the Republic of Cyprus (RoC), which states that service organisations shall, ‘so far as is practicable, employ only Cypriot staff’. To help mitigate this restriction, the Partner Employment Programme (PEP) under the New Employment Model (NEM) facilitates courses and training to assist with employability on return to the UK. BFC is also facilitating Business Start-up courses run by Wolverhampton University. There are no restrictions on spouses seeking employment in the RoC; by way of an example it is known that some spouses are employed locally in international schools.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that equipment is properly tested before purchase or procurement.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Department uses Test and Evaluation to support decision making throughout the acquisition cycle to understand the performance of the equipment that we procure.

Test and Evaluation activities are used to demonstrate that equipment is fit for purpose, safe and compliant with contract requirements. The suitability of these activities is an integral part of our normal acquisition management processes and decision points.