Tag: Maria Eagle

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of how much people in rural areas will have to contribute to receive a basic 10 Mbit/s broadband connection as a result of his Department’s decision not to automatically roll-out broadband to all households and businesses.

Mr Edward Vaizey

This information is not yet available. Ofcom’s call for evidence on the the design of the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) invites views on how a reasonable cost threshold for a broadband connection might be determined. The new broadband USO will give all households and businesses the legal right to request a fast broadband connection. This would work similarly to the telephone USO, where there is a reasonable cost threshold above which the hardest to reach properties are expected to contribute to the cost of the installation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academies each regional schools commissioner has issued with formal intervention measures in the last 12 months.

Edward Timpson

In the last 12 months Regional Schools Commissioners (RSC) took formal intervention measures in 116 academies and free schools; 66 academies and free schools were moved to a different trust or sponsor and 50 academies were issued with a formal notice.

The table below shows the number of interventions in each RSC region in the last 12 months.

RSC region	Number of warning notices issued in the last 12 months	Number of academies moved to different trust or sponsor
East Midlands & Humber	13	18
Lancashire & West Yorkshire	2	5
North	2	3
North East London & East	8	3
North West London & South Central	14	2
South London & South East	7	4
South West	2	21
West Midlands	2	10
Total	50	66

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2015 to Question 13126, how many of the refugees who have arrived at RAF Akrotiri have (a) claimed asylum, (b) had such asylum claims accepted and (c) had such asylum claims rejected to date; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt

Following the arrival of 115 migrants at RAF Akrotiri on 21 October 2015, as at 12 November 2015, 60 migrants have claimed asylum. Six asylum seekers have been transferred so far into the Republic of Cyprus. The other asylum seekers are completing pre-requisite security and medical screening and we expect that they will transfer to the Republic of Cyprus asylum system shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 31 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs likely to be sustained by the Apache helicopter upgrade.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Apache Capability Sustainment Programme is currently in the Assessment Phase and the investment decision is anticipated in summer 2016 to enable orderly upgrade of our existing fleet as they reach their out-of-service date.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 31 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, what his Department’s planning assumptions are for the number of vessels of the new class of general purpose frigates which his Department plans to procure.

Mr Philip Dunne

The number of general purpose frigates to be procured through the programme has yet to be determined. Work on the programme will be scoped initially during the concept study outlined in the White Paper National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (Cmd 9161).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 49 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, in which countries he plans to locate British defence staffs in 2016.

Mr Julian Brazier

The decision as to where locations of where British Defence Staffs (BDS) will be based has yet to be finalised. The intention of establishing BDS is to build on our existing overseas networks (including Defence Attaches, Liaison and Exchange Officers and Training Teams) in order to provide a cross-regional focus, and improved coordination and coherence, to Defence Engagement activity. We review our overseas footprint regularly to match the requirement and this work is in conjunction with the development of a Defence Engagement Career Field within the UK Armed Forces, improved training, preparation and development for our overseas cohort and greater alignment with other Government Departments with deployed networks.

Once decisions have been made on the future of BDS I will write to the hon. Member to update her.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what cost savings his Department plans to make from phasing out the commitment bonus for members of the armed forces.

Mark Lancaster

The estimated saving from phasing out the commitment bonus for members of the Armed Forces is £118 million over the remainder of this Parliament and some £50 million a year thereafter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of savings to the public purse expected through the reduction in professional fees paid out by his Department in the 2015-16 financial year and in each of the next five such years.

Mr Philip Dunne

As a result of Spending Review 2015 the Ministry of Defence will reduce its annual expenditure on fees for professional services over the Spending Review period. The estimated savings from this measure are around £29 million per year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of those eligible service personnel who have left the armed forces have participated in the Core Programme of the Careers Transition Partnership in each year since 2010.

Mark Lancaster

Personnel with at least six years’ Service are eligible for the Core Resettlement Programme (CRP). The latest information held on eligible personnel that have participated in the CRP is as at 31 March 2014. Between 2010-11 and 2013-14 the following percentage of eligible personnel have participated in the CRP:

2010-11 – 76%

2011-12 – 74%

2012-13 – 74%

2013-14 – 72%

Some of the personnel eligible for the CRP may choose to use the Employment Support Programme instead.

Figures presented for 2013-14 are provisional as personnel can receive Careers Transition Partnership resettlement services up to two years before and after leaving the UK Armed Forces. Figures are revised annually in the Official Statistic publication with figures being fixed after two years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on bonuses for regular Army personnel who have been transferred to the staff and personnel support branch in each year since 2010.

Mark Lancaster

Since 2010 the numbers of trained regular officers and soldiers transferring to the Adjutant General’s Corps Staff and Personnel Support Branch, AGC(SPS), each calendar year are as follows:

2010 – 130

2011 – 160

2012 – 50

2013 – 40

2014 – 60

2015 to 31 October – 150

Where there is a shortage of key personnel, the Army offers a transfer bonus which is payable to soldiers upon successful completion of the transfer into the specified trade.

From 2010 to 2013, transfer bonus payments of £1,500 each were made to 73 soldiers who transferred into the AGC(SPS) as Military Clerks or Combat Human Resource Specialists. No payments were made from 2014 onwards. The amount spent each calendar year since 2010 is as follows:

2010 – £52,500

2011 – £51,000

2012 – £3,000

2013 – £3,000