The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department plans to publish the draft BBC Charter.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The government is in the process of drafting the Royal Charter and we expect to publish a draft version in the coming months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria he will use to determine eligibility for discounted travel as part of the local discount scheme when tolls on the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee bridges are introduced.
Andrew Jones
Following the previous Chancellor’s further statement in July 2015 that the Government is looking at extending Mersey Gateway bridge toll discounts to residents of Chester West & Chester and Warrington, officials are currently working through what the proposed further extension means for the scheme both by way of the cost to the Department but also and importantly what this would do to the commercial structure of the contracts already signed for the scheme. Once this is clear we will be able to provide more information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to make any further changes to the definition of defence expenditure in calculating the proportion of GDP spent on defence in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.
Michael Fallon
The NATO definition of defence expenditure is outlined in NATO guidance. NATO determines when changes to that guidance are required.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many locally-employed Afghan interpreters who worked alongside the British Army have (a) approached the Government for help and (b) been resettled in the UK under his Department’s intimidation policy.
Penny Mordaunt
Since June 2013 around 330 locally employed staff have approached our dedicated team in Kabul for assistance under the Government’s Intimidation Policy. As the Intimidation Policy is open to all staff, regardless of their role, not all of these staff are interpreters: they carried out a variety of roles in support of our operation in Afghanistan. All cases are investigated thoroughly by experienced and trained police officers, in the majority the risk can be successfully mitigated in country, through provision of bespoke security advice and guidance to the former staff member. We consider relocation to the UK if it is assessed the individual would not be safe if they remained in Afghanistan. We have offered financial support to over 30 staff to move to a new location within Afghanistan to maintain their safety, and one former staff member has been relocated to the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many locally employed Afghan interpreters who worked alongside the British Army have (a) approached the Government for help under the ex-gratia redundancy scheme and (b) been relocated to the UK under the ex-gratia redundancy scheme.
Penny Mordaunt
Some 840 former local Afghan staff are eligible for the Ex Gratia Redundancy Scheme, of which nearly 500 are eligible for the relocation option. Of these, nearly 200 have already relocated to the UK along with their immediate families. A further 60 have been awarded visas and are due to relocate in the coming months. The remainder are either going through the visa application process or are yet to be made redundant.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the first Type 26 frigate will be ready for service.
Mr Philip Dunne
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 September 2015 to Question number 8460 to the hon. Member for Glasgow South West (Chris Stephens).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made by the UK and its Coalition Partners on disrupting the ability of ISIS to raise significant funds through oil revenues; and if he will make a statement.
Penny Mordaunt
The Coalition’s initial approach to disrupting ISIL’s ability to raise funds from oil revenues was to seek to destroy modular oil refineries. However, ISIL has adapted to this and is now using low technology refining methods and changing the way it trades hydrocarbon products.
The UK and its Coalition partners are now concentrating on oil smuggling and the ability of ISIL to keep its production facilities functioning.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many full-time staff are based in the Kabul Intimidation Investigation Unit; and what the roles of those staff are.
Penny Mordaunt
The Intimidation Investigation Unit (IIU), based in Kabul, has six full time, in-theatre staff:
A Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servant leads the team as the Scheme Manager, overseeing the investigation of intimidation cases, presenting cases at decision panels, and managing any policy issues which arise.
Another MOD civil servant, employed as the Policy and Secretariat Officer, manages the overall caseload appropriately and ensures that case records are maintained.
Two appropriately trained and experienced police officers, seconded from Home Office constabularies, are employed to conduct the investigations into intimidation claims. Their tasks include conducting interviews and assessing evidence.
Two British military interpreters, fluent in Pashtun and Dari, who provide support to interviews and translate documents that have been provided as evidence.
Though not members of the IIU staff, the IIU receives additional in-theatre support from a Danish legal adviser, and from staff within the Labour Support Unit.
The work of the IIU in-theatre is overseen by the Operation TORAL Civil Secretary, who dedicates the majority of their time to chairing the in-theatre decision panels and provides guidance should cases or issues need to be escalated.
Additional support is provided from the UK by a full-time policy officer based at Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), and by senior managers within PJHQ who oversee the whole of Operation TORAL.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons retired and out-of-date equipment, including FH70 howitzers and Jet Provost aircraft, were included in his Department’s Defence in Numbers publication of August 2015; and if he will make a statement.
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 or used for training (for example Jet Provost) or ceremonial (for example FH70 howitzers) purposes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to maximise the role that UK suppliers can play in the development of the Type 26 programme.
Mr Philip Dunne
In February 2015 the Government signed a £859 million Demonstration Phase contract for the Type 26 (T26) Global Combat Ship. Around 1,700 jobs in the UK will be sustained as a result with 600 of those jobs safeguarded in Scotland where T26 will be built.
The majority of sub-contractors to the T26 Global Combat Ship programme are selected by BAES through competition.
The use of competition remains the cornerstone of defence procurement and this approach has been successful in driving efficiency into the UK defence industry. UK suppliers have had an equal opportunity to bid for work on the T26 programme with selections based on cost and the ability of suppliers to meet the schedule and performance requirements.
To date BAES has placed eight design development agreements (DDAs) and six design and manufacture contracts with UK based companies. These are shown in the table below:
Design Development Agreements – UK based companies only
|
Company |
Equipment supplying |
Location |
|
Cathelco |
Hull preservation |
Chesterfield |
|
L3 |
Platform management system |
Bristol |
|
Marine Systems Technology Ltd |
Doors, scuttles and hatches, X-Y crane |
Middlewich |
|
Rolls Royce |
Steering Gear System |
Derby |
|
Rolls Royce |
Stabilisers |
Dunfermline |
|
Salt Separations Ltd |
Reverse osmosis plant |
Rochdale |
|
TOD |
Sonar dome |
Weymouth |
|
Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions |
Fixed fire fighting system |
Reading |
Design & Manufacture Contracts – UK based companies only
|
Company |
Equipment supplying |
Location |
|
Babcock |
Air weapons handling system |
Leicester |
|
BAE Systems |
Meteorological and oceanic (METOC) sensors UK |
Dorchester |
|
David Brown Gear Systems |
Propulsion gearbox |
Huddersfield |
|
GE Energy |
Electronic integration test facility, Propulsion motor and drive system |
Warwickshire |
|
Rohde and Schwarz UK Ltd |
Communications |
Fleet |
|
Rolls Royce |
Gas Turbines |
Derby |
We anticipate that more UK based sub-contracts will be appointed as the programme progresses.