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166700

registered interest
date	28/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces: Chemicals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Armed Forces personnel have reported exposure to what types of chemicals in what situations in each year since 2003.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	216404
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p>The information requested is shown in the table below. Information on the types of chemical used at the time of each incident is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The incidents in question were identified through the use of free text searches of computerised records; the numbers are therefore based on reporting of suspected cases, and so are not confirmed incidents.</p><p> </p><p>Industrial incidents involving exposure of Armed Forces Personnel<sup>1</sup> to chemicals, by mechanism, 1 January 2003 to 31 March 2014 (latest date available)</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Mechanism</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number</strong><sup>2,3</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Equipment Maintenance</p></td><td><p>~</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Near Miss/Safety Failure/Equipment Failure</p></td><td><p>9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Normal Duties</p></td><td><p>21</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Training/Exercise</p></td><td><p>8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Workplace Transport</p></td><td><p>~</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>41</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><sup>1 </sup>Armed Forces Personnel includes all Army, Navy, Royal Marine and RAF personnel.</p><p> </p><p><sup>2 </sup>In line with Defence Statistics' rounding policy for health statistics (May 2009), and in keeping with the Office for National Statistics Guidelines, all numbers less than five have been removed and presented as '~'. Where there is only one cell in a row or column that is less than five, the next smallest number (or numbers where there are tied values) has also been removed so that numbers cannot simply be derived from totals.</p><p> </p><p><sup>3 </sup>The numbers are presented as totals for the whole time period rather than broken down by year, as to do the latter would necessitate including a disproportionate amount of tildas (~) and dashes (-) to signify numbers fewer than five.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois question first answered 15/12/2014 17:32:02 answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois previous answer version 31985 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

164139

registered interest
date	21/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Libya
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2014 to Question 213404, for what reason £14.7 million of the additional costs of the recent training programme for Libyan Armed Forces personnel remain to be negotiated between his Department and the Libyan government.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	215597
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>The Libyan Government has agreed to pay for General Purpose Force training. However, the deteriorating political and security situation in Libya has meant that it has not yet been possible to conclude discussions on payment with the relevant Libyan authorities. We will continue to press for payment of the balance, in parallel with our work to support the UN-led mediation process.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois grouped question UIN 215598 question first answered 01/12/2014 16:07:39 answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois previous answer version 30688 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

164140

registered interest
date	21/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Libya
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2014 to Question 213404, when his Department expects to conclude negotiations with the Libyan government about repayment of the remaining £14.7 million of the additional costs of the recent training programme for Libyan Armed Forces personnel.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	215598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>The Libyan Government has agreed to pay for General Purpose Force training. However, the deteriorating political and security situation in Libya has meant that it has not yet been possible to conclude discussions on payment with the relevant Libyan authorities. We will continue to press for payment of the balance, in parallel with our work to support the UN-led mediation process.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois grouped question UIN 215597 question first answered 01/12/2014 16:07:39 answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois previous answer version 30687 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

106413

registered interest
date	04/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Libya
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Libyan soldiers previously in receipt of UK military training at Bassingbourn have been withdrawn; and how many such people are (a) facing criminal charges and (b) have received convictions (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	213412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>Prior to the start of General Purpose Force training on 11 June 2014, the UK had several discussions with the Libyan government about the selection and vetting of the Libyan trainees. These conversations also included representations from the United States and Italy.</p><p> </p><p>The Libyan government provided trainee candidates who had been through Libyan vetting and selection processes. These candidates were then subject to additional UK vetting in Libya, to ensure that those selected met Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Home Office requirements on security, immigration, medical, physical, literacy and numeracy criteria; in addition, the selected cohort comprised a suitable geographic representation of Libya. Home Office visa processes included checks against UK criminal databases and a visa declaration by all trainees which confirmed that they held no criminal convictions or charges in the UK or elsewhere.</p><p> </p><p>We are not aware that any of those candidates who passed UK screening had criminal convictions or faced charges at that time in the UK or elsewhere.</p><p> </p><p>During the course of training the Libyan General Purpose Force (GPF) we are aware of sixteen individuals being arrested. Of these five have been remanded in custody while facing the following criminal charges:</p><p> </p><p>Three counts of sexual assault, one count of theft of a pedal cycle and one count of exposure.</p><p> </p><p>Three counts of sexual assault and one count of theft of a pedal cycle.</p><p> </p><p>Two counts of sexual assault, one count of theft of a pedal cycle and one count of using threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress against a police officer.</p><p> </p><p>One count of rape.</p><p> </p><p>One count of rape.</p><p> </p><p>All other trainees at Bassingbourn have been returned to Libya.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A team has been set up to produce for the Defence Secretary before Christmas an objective report into the GPF training. It is led by a MOD senior civil servant who was not involved in the original work, supported by a senior civil servant loaned from another Government Department to provide an additional element of independence and challenge.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois grouped question UIN 213338 213410 213588 214129 question first answered 18/12/2014 16:33:08 answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois previous answer version 29885 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

106414

registered interest
date	04/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Libya
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) criminal convictions and (b) criminal charges are held by members of the Libyan armed forces receiving training in the UK.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	213410
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>Prior to the start of General Purpose Force training on 11 June 2014, the UK had several discussions with the Libyan government about the selection and vetting of the Libyan trainees. These conversations also included representations from the United States and Italy.</p><p> </p><p>The Libyan government provided trainee candidates who had been through Libyan vetting and selection processes. These candidates were then subject to additional UK vetting in Libya, to ensure that those selected met Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Home Office requirements on security, immigration, medical, physical, literacy and numeracy criteria; in addition, the selected cohort comprised a suitable geographic representation of Libya. Home Office visa processes included checks against UK criminal databases and a visa declaration by all trainees which confirmed that they held no criminal convictions or charges in the UK or elsewhere.</p><p> </p><p>We are not aware that any of those candidates who passed UK screening had criminal convictions or faced charges at that time in the UK or elsewhere.</p><p> </p><p>During the course of training the Libyan General Purpose Force (GPF) we are aware of sixteen individuals being arrested. Of these five have been remanded in custody while facing the following criminal charges:</p><p> </p><p>Three counts of sexual assault, one count of theft of a pedal cycle and one count of exposure.</p><p> </p><p>Three counts of sexual assault and one count of theft of a pedal cycle.</p><p> </p><p>Two counts of sexual assault, one count of theft of a pedal cycle and one count of using threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress against a police officer.</p><p> </p><p>One count of rape.</p><p> </p><p>One count of rape.</p><p> </p><p>All other trainees at Bassingbourn have been returned to Libya.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A team has been set up to produce for the Defence Secretary before Christmas an objective report into the GPF training. It is led by a MOD senior civil servant who was not involved in the original work, supported by a senior civil servant loaned from another Government Department to provide an additional element of independence and challenge.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois grouped question UIN 213338 213412 213588 214129 question first answered 18/12/2014 16:33:09 answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois previous answer version 29888 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

100788

registered interest
date	23/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Middle East
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 October 2014, Official Report, column 63WS, on the Middle East, from which bases the UK's (a) Reaper UAVs and (b) River Joint aircraft operate for their surveillance missions over Iraq and Syria.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	211833
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>I am withholding the information as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice operational capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces and also relations between the United Kingdom and another State.</p> answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois question first answered 04/11/2014 17:27:25 answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois previous answer version 25424 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

100789

registered interest
date	23/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Syria
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 October 2014, Official Report, column 63WS, on the Middle East, how many of the UK's Reaper aircraft will be deployed for surveillance missions over Syria.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	211832
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>We have initially deployed two Reaper aircraft for operations in the Middle East, including for surveillance missions over Syria. As Reaper numbers in Afghanistan reduce we intend to move more to the Middle East, adding to our coverage.</p> answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois question first answered 04/11/2014 17:28:37 answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois previous answer version 25423 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

61624

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Army: Recruitment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	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 30, if he will provide a breakdown of the extra £70 million in costs that will be borne by his Department for the decision to revert to a hosting environment provided by Capita as part of the Recruiting Partnering Project.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	200538
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Philip Hammond) set out on 14 January 2014 (Official Report, column 716) the cost of Capita providing a new Information Technology platform as part of the Recruiting Partnering Project. At the time, these costs were expected to be around £47.7 million directly linked to the change of hosting provision. Since this statement, the £47.7 million has reduced to £42.9 million. <br><br>As previously stated by the Secretary of State on 14 January, there has been an additional cost of around £1 million per month to run the Capita system. This includes costs for additional manpower. <br><br>The Recruiting Partnering Project remains within the overall agreed cost of £1.360 billion.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry grouped question UIN 200300 question first answered 24/06/2014 14:51:44 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry previous answer version 4717 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

61628

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Army Reserve
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	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.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	200586
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2014 answer text <p>The term “recruitment target” has been interpreted as the 30,000 trained Army Reservists required under Army 2020.<br><br>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.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 25/06/2014 16:10:50 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry previous answer version 4720 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

61629

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Army: Recruitment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	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.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	200587
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>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.<br><br>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. <br><br>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).</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 24/06/2014 14:44:38 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry attachment 1 file name Hansard Extract FR2020.doc title Hansard Extract FR2020 previous answer version 2134 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones