Tag: Kirsten Oswald

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to take account of the levels of satisfaction with pay reported in the Regular Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey in his setting of pay policy for the armed forces.

Mark Lancaster

The new Pay 16 structure was specifically established in response to Service personnel criticisms of the old pay model. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has developed the new pay model as a simpler, more transparent system which provides Service personnel with greater pay predictability. It addresses some of the concerns about the previous pay model reported by personnel through both the Service Complaints system and the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) and in feedback from the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB). I fully expect these changes to be positive for morale overall.

Many personnel will experience an increase in pay as a result of the new pay model, and no one will take a cut in core pay on implementation. We have taken steps to ensure that personnel are aware of the range and nature of the pay reforms that began on 1 April 2016 and comprehensive internal communications activity has been undertaken to explain the changes. This included Departmental guidance to help personnel understand their new pay statement and any changes. Personnel, including those under pay protection, continue to remain eligible for any Government-approved pay award. Pay protection has been put in place to ensure that no one will take a pay cut on implementation of Pay 16 and this arrangement will exist for at least the first three years to ensure that no one is disadvantaged.

The new pay model is not designed as a cost saving exercise, but is a rebalancing of pay to make more efficient and effective use of the Armed Forces pay bill; the AFPRB will continue to recommend pay rates for all personnel. As we go forward the Service Complaints Process and AFCAS will be primary sources which inform our assessment of the benefits realised through the pay reforms.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that former service personnel from other Commonwealth countries who wish to reside in the UK are supported through the immigration process.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Under the Immigration Act 1971 Commonwealth Nationals are exempt from immigration control whilst serving in HM Forces. They may qualify for Indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom on discharge from the Services, if they have completed more than four years’ reckonable service and meet the other requirements of the Immigration Rules.

To assist the transition of serving personnel to civilian life, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) offers a wide-ranging resettlement programme. Home Office officials work closely with MoD colleagues and the Tri Services to ensure that those discharged from HM Forces receive advice on their immigration status.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of personnel from each of the armed forces who have been made redundant have received transitional support through the Future Horizons Programme in each year since that programme’s inception.

Mark Lancaster

The Future Horizons Programme (FHP) is the resettlement programme for Early Service Leavers (ESL), meaning those members of the UK Armed Forces who leave with less than four years’ service. It is delivered through the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Career Transition Partnership (CTP) with Right Management Limited (part of the ManpowerGroup). The uptake rates and employment outcomes of ESL are monitored routinely through the CTP governance structure to ensure the programme continues to be effective in supporting ESL.

ESL have been entitled to the FHP since it was introduced on 1 October 2013. Between 1 October 2013 and 31 March 2014 approximately 33% of eligible personnel participated in the FHP. During financial year 2014-15 some 62% of eligible personnel participated in the Future Horizons Programme. Prior to the establishment of the FHP all ESL were entitled to unit level support as part of standard MOD policy.

From 1 October 2015, the resettlement provision for ESL is termed CTP Future Horizons. Official statistics for ESL who used CTP Future Horizons from 1 October 2015 will be published in January 2017 as part of the CTP Official Statistic.

All personnel made redundant in the Armed Forces redundancy programme 2011-2015 (Tranches 1-4), received the highest level of resettlement provision delivered through what was then termed the CTP Full Resettlement Programme, regardless of their overall length of service.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 4 visas have been issued to students entering the UK to study English as a foreign language as their principal area of study in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire

Acquiring this information would involve examining each individual case record held by UKVI for the category. To do so would incur a disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many health and safety near misses were reported by his Department in each of the last five years; and how many of those near misses involved the unplanned or faulty discharge of a weapon.

Mark Lancaster

We are investigating the compilation of the requested statistics and I will write to the hon. Member in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the protection affordable from the public purse for the procurement and commercial arrangements for the Type 45 Destroyer; and whether those arrangements permit appropriate designation of responsibility for design and performance failures.

Mr Philip Dunne

Standard terms governing the allocation of liabilities were put in place for the Type 45 programme. All six Type 45 Destroyers have now passed the point in time from which these terms ceased to apply. A number of early modifications were implemented under the Type 45 Destroyer Contract for Availability arrangement with BAES Systems at no additional cost to the Ministry of Defence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department issues to jobcentre staff on the delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant.

Justin Tomlinson

The department takes its ongoing responsibilities under the Armed Forces Covenant very seriously. Pete Searle, the Strategy Director for Working Age Benefits, is DWP’s Armed Forces Advocate responsible for ensuring that the needs of service personnel, their families and veterans are properly catered for by the Department. This means ensuring that these groups are not disadvantaged as a result of military service, and providing special treatment where appropriate.

Every Jobcentre district has an “Armed Forces Champion” to provide a level of expertise for Jobcentres on Armed Forces matters. This is backed up by guidance covering the special rules that are in place, such as ex-service personnel having early access to the Work Programme, and information on any particular challenges they may face, such as the impact on employment prospects of frequent changes in locations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the funding of research into the use of laser treatment for cancers from the science budget in the next five years.

Joseph Johnson

Research into cancer involving proton therapy and laser treatment falls within the remit of the Research Councils.

I have asked the Chair of the Research Councils UK Strategic Executive to write to the hon. Member and I will place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel have suffered (a) minor injuries and (b) serious or fatal injuries as a result of mines or improvised explosive devices in the last 10 years.

Mark Lancaster

From centrally held data it is not possible to provide the exact numbers and types of injuries to UK Service personnel specifically as a result of mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). However, we can provide the numbers of personnel that died or were injured whilst on Operations TELIC or HERRICK where the mechanism was recorded as an explosion. This includes mines, IEDs, unspecified explosives and explosive accidents.

Between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2016, 514 UK Armed Forces personnel sustained a minor injury due to an explosion. Of these, 39 personnel did not have an Initial Notification of Casualty raised and thus we are unable to determine the exact severity of the injury from the centrally held data.

964 personnel sustained a serious or fatal injury due to an explosion, of which 310 had an Incapacitating Injury, 171 were Seriously Injured, 208 were Very Seriously Injured and 275 died.

In these figures, individuals are counted once per injury. If any individual has been injured on multiple events they are counted for each event where the injury reported is not linked to a previous event. Individuals who were injured due to an explosion and later died of their injuries have been included in the number of fatalities, not injuries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria his Department uses to determine links between cancer experienced by a current or former member of the armed forces and exposure to chemicals during periods of service.

Mark Lancaster

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides no-fault compensation for members of the Armed Forces where illness, injury or death is caused by service from 6 April 2005 under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and, before that date, under the War Pensions Scheme (WPS).

Any disablement, injury or illness, including cancer, can be claimed with awards made where the claimed disorder is accepted as being due to service. Lay and scheme medical advisers work together and decisions are evidence based, reflecting the individual case facts, contemporary medical understanding of causation and the relevant law.

Awards under the WPS depend on the assessed level of disablement with the method of assessment set out in the legislation and expressed as a percentage. The AFCS is tariff based. The legislation includes nine tables of injuries and disorders with associated tariff levels, relevant to military service. A lump sum is paid for pain and suffering taking account of the likely progress of the condition over the person’s lifetime. There are fifteen tariff levels and, for the more serious disorders like cancer, a Guaranteed Income Payment to cover reduced civilian employability is paid, in addition, from the date of claim for life.

Where negligence exists on the part of the MOD, Service personnel may make a claim for damages under common law for service after May 1987. Awards are determined by common law principles which, broadly, take into account, as appropriate, an individual’s pain and suffering, degree of injury, past and future financial losses and level of care required. Levels of compensation which include these elements can vary depending on an individual’s circumstances.