Tag: Kevan Jones

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what background checks his Department undertook on Lord Lingfield’s charitable foundation before the transfer of the wreck of HMS Victory 1744.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Following the 2010 public consultation on options for the management of the wreck site of HMS Victory 1744 it was decided to place responsibility for the future management of the site on a charitable trust. The Maritime Heritage Foundation (MHF) was a newly formed charity and its objectives ‘to recover, preserve and display in public museums, to promote knowledge and understanding of our maritime heritage through educational projects’ were considered to be well suited for the management of the wreck site. No additional checks were made because the MHF is a registered charity under the auspices of the Charity Commission and subject to its rules and regulations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel undertook phase two training for the Royal Marine Band Service at the Royal Marine School of Music in 2013-14.

Anna Soubry

The requested detail for Financial Year 2013-14 is provided below:

No personnel undertook phase two training with the RAF Music Services. The RAF recruits are fully trained musicians who undertake a rigorous audition process and are only admitted once their playing ability is proven.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel undertook phase two training for the regular army band at Kneller Hall in 2013-14.

Anna Soubry

The requested detail for Financial Year 2013-14 is provided below:

No personnel undertook phase two training with the RAF Music Services. The RAF recruits are fully trained musicians who undertake a rigorous audition process and are only admitted once their playing ability is proven.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department was of providing Phase two training for the Royal Air Force Music Services at the Headquarters Music Services, Northolt in 2013-14.

Anna Soubry

The requested detail for Financial Year 2013-14 is provided below:

No personnel undertook phase two training with the RAF Music Services. The RAF recruits are fully trained musicians who undertake a rigorous audition process and are only admitted once their playing ability is proven.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department was of providing Phase two training for the Royal Marine Band Service at the Royal Marine School of Music in 2013-14.

Anna Soubry

The requested detail for Financial Year 2013-14 is provided below:

No personnel undertook phase two training with the RAF Music Services. The RAF recruits are fully trained musicians who undertake a rigorous audition process and are only admitted once their playing ability is proven.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel undertook Phase two training for Royal Air Force Music Services at the Headquarters Music Services, Northolt in 2013-14.

Anna Soubry

The requested detail for Financial Year 2013-14 is provided below:

No personnel undertook phase two training with the RAF Music Services. The RAF recruits are fully trained musicians who undertake a rigorous audition process and are only admitted once their playing ability is proven.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department was of providing phase two training for the regular Army band at Kneller Hall in 2013-14.

Anna Soubry

The requested detail for Financial Year 2013-14 is provided below:

No personnel undertook phase two training with the RAF Music Services. The RAF recruits are fully trained musicians who undertake a rigorous audition process and are only admitted once their playing ability is proven.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-06-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what planning data was used to devise his Department’s recruitment target for the Army Reserve as part of its Army 2020 reforms.

Anna Soubry

The term “recruitment target” has been interpreted as the 30,000 trained Army Reservists required under Army 2020.

During the Three Month Exercise, the Ministry Of Defence examined a range of Force Structure options which were assessed as being able to deliver the policy demand specified by the new Defence Planning Assumptions laid out in Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010. As a result of this, a Senior Military Judgement Panel chaired by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and including the Assistant Chiefs of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force concluded that the size of the Regular Army should be 82,500, and the Independent Commission to Review the United Kingdom’s Reserve Forces recommended an Army Reserve of 30,000 trained personnel. This was judged to be the optimal size and shape of the Army within available resources.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-06-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what preliminary tests his Department conducted to assess whether it was feasible to recruit and train the required number of reserves within the necessary timescale envisaged by the Army 2020 proposals.

Anna Soubry

Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review, a three month exercise was undertaken which examined a range of force structure options which built upon analysis undertaken during the review. These options were then tested for their efficacy against a wide range of scenarios. The options were then assessed by a senior judgement panel, chaired by the Vice Chief of Defence Staff. Included in this panel were the Assistant Chiefs of Staff for the Royal Navy, Army and royal Air Force. The panel took decisions collectively and all members were fully involved and consulted.

In July 2011 an Independent Commission to Review the UK’s Reserve Forces, chaired by my hon. Friend, the member for Canterbury and Whitstable (Julian Brazier) and General Sir Nicholas Houghton, then set a target of 30,000 for a trained Army Reserve. This judgement was reached in the knowledge that the strength of the Territorial Army had been over 70,000 in the 1980s.

Subsequent work was then undertaken to establish the timescales to build the trained strength of the Army Reserve to 30,000. This was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement and paper placed in the Library of the House by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence (Philip Hammond) on 19 December 2013 (Official Report, column 124WS).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-06-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Audit Office report, Army 2020, HC 263, published on 11 June 2014, page 12, what his Department’s response is to the recommendation that it should reassess its targets for recruiting reserves.

Anna Soubry

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement and paper my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Philip Hammond) placed in the Library of the House on 19 December 2013 (Official report, column 124WS). The hon. Member will be aware that this is a five-year plan and I am confident that the Army will reach this target.