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1148120

registered interest
date	03/10/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of recruits undertaking physical training courses.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	294169
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>We take our duty of care to our personnel very seriously, but risk is inherent in many activities carried out by the Armed Forces. This risk is rendered as low as reasonably practicable during training by ensuring that its design and delivery are subject to strict safety procedures and rigorous risk analysis. Training programmes are also subject to internal or external assurance and audit inspections including by OFSTED.</p><p>On 1 April 2015, we established the Defence Safety Authority which brings together the Defence Safety Regulators and the Accident Investigation Branch, providing independent assurance to the Secretary of State in accordance with his health, safety and environmental policy statement.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer question first answered 08/10/2019 13:31:33 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1148121

registered interest
date	03/10/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces: Sick Leave
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of level of sickness absence among women in the armed forces in the latest period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	294243
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the health and wellbeing of its personnel very seriously. A Health and Wellbeing Strategy for all MOD employees, military and civilian, was published in mid-2015 (updated in August 2016) and is designed to provide guidance to the Chain of Command and civilian line managers on how to manage the health needs, both mental and physical, of their people. The aim is to maximise the number of people fit to work, managing people back to work after a period of sickness, so that they are fit and able to meet the requirements of Defence outputs, including operational effectiveness.</p><p>Whilst the MOD records the medical employability and deployability of Service personnel, more specific information about the level of sickness absence among women - or men - in the Armed Forces is not held centrally. As at 1 May 2019, medical employability for the trained UK Armed Forces was 98 per cent, with a male:female split of 98:97% respectively.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer question first answered 08/10/2019 12:57:21 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1086473

registered interest
date	11/03/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces: Weather
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what cold weather equipment his Department provides to soldiers.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	230729
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2019 answer text <p>Whether on deployment or exercise, soldiers are supplied with the right equipment for the operational climate. On joining the Army, all soldiers are provided with clothing designed to protect them from all climate conditions experienced in the UK and Western Europe. Soldiers who subsequently deploy to colder climates, such as Estonia, are provided with additional items such as face masks, hats, gloves, cold weather boots, undershirts, thermal jackets and trousers and socks all specifically designed to protect them from the effects of temperatures they will experience.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 18/03/2019 14:57:54 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1077120

registered interest
date	25/02/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces: Drugs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many drug tests have been administered in the (a) Royal Air Force and (b) Royal Navy in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	225504
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2019 answer text <p>The numbers provided in the table below relate to the number of drug tests administered each calendar year.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Number of drug tests administered each year in</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Royal Air Force</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Royal Navy*</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td><td><p>12,618</p></td><td><p>13,082</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015</strong></p></td><td><p>12,450</p></td><td><p>13,556</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p>14,061</p></td><td><p>12,846</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p>20,662</p></td><td><p>15,689</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2018</strong></p></td><td><p>27,199</p></td><td><p>24,032</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>*These figures are for the Naval Service which consists of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Although the selection of personnel for compulsory drug tests is primarily random, a small percentage of personnel are repeatedly selected for testing. Consequently, the number of personnel tested each year does not directly correlate to the number of drug tests completed.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 04/03/2019 16:39:13 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1064674

registered interest
date	21/02/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Army: Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to reduce the proportion of army personnel that cannot be sent overseas due to medical reasons.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	224332
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 February 2019 to Question 216134 to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr Andrew Rosindell).</p><p>For the Army, the health and wellbeing of personnel is a priority. A range of initiatives and policies are continuously being developed and implemented to address the conditions which most frequently cause medical downgrades.</p><p>The introduction earlier this year of new Physical Employment Standards for Ground Close Combat (GCC) roles followed evidence from research as part of a five-year programme that aims to reduce musculo-skeletal injury and optimise operational effectiveness. Work is now under way to develop the most suitable standards for non-GCC roles.</p><p>Additionally, there are a number of initiatives that aim to provide long-term support to address poor lifestyle choices and weight management issues, which we recognise as an issue for modern society. For example, some units are trialling a Healthy Living programme, using wearable technology linked to an online application which aims to instil a personal responsibility culture for soldiers to maintain their fitness.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 28/02/2019 15:53:57 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood attachment 1 file name 216134_Armed_Forces_Health.docx title 216134 - Armed Forces; Health
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1023956

registered interest
date	12/12/2018
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces: Recruitment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps he is taking to encourage people from all ethnic groups to join the armed forces.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	201648
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>The Defence Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, published in October, is based on achieving a vision that reflects our recognition that the recruitment, and inclusion of individuals with diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds will bring real strength to Defence and wider society.</p><p>The Armed Forces are working towards a target of 10 per cent of recruits to come from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds by 2020.</p><p>Work to increase representation from minority ethnic groups includes better understanding and greater engagement with these communities, reviewing recruitment processes; and better targeted marketing and communications towards potential applicants.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 20/12/2018 15:28:56 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1020217

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Army: Suicide
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to tackle the matter of soldiers taking their own life (a) during and (b) after active service.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	199402
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2018 answer text <p>Every study conducted by the Ministry of Defence has found that the risk of suicide amongst the Armed Forces community, including veterans of the 1982 Falkland and 1990-91 Gulf conflicts, is lower than amongst the general population.</p><p>A considerable amount of work has already been undertaken to improve the mental health of Service personnel and to prevent suicide and suicide risk. This includes tackling stigma through education and providing easily accessible, rapid and flexible access to mental health support and healthcare services. Armed Forces personnel undergo &quot;through life&quot; psychological resilience training which enables them to recognise and manage stress in themselves and in their colleagues and actively encourages them to seek help at an early stage.</p><p>However, we continue to look at what more can done. This includes a focused review by the Defence Safety Authority of suicide in Service personnel to identify additional measures for preventing suicide. The review was published on 9 November 2018 by the Defence Safety Authority and work to take forward the recommendations has commenced.</p><p>We have less influence on individuals' behaviour once they are discharged from the Armed Forces, as their mental healthcare becomes the responsibility of the National Health Service in the UK. There are many factors that can result in suicide such as relationship breakdown, debt and employment concerns, not only service in the Armed Forces.</p><p>However, we are not complacent. Any suicide is one too many and a tragedy for the individual, their family, friends and colleagues.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 11/12/2018 16:15:29 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

997121

registered interest
date	29/10/2018
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Boko Haram: Military Intervention
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what military assistance the Government is providing to the Government of Nigeria to help it defeat Boko Haram.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	184962
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2018 answer text <p>The UK and Nigeria share a deep and long-standing Defence partnership. Since 2014, the UK has sought to support and enable a Nigerian-led regional response to Boko Haram and related violent extremism, doing so in the context of the long-term need to help build capacity of the Nigerian Armed Forces and support Defence Transformation. Some 70 Defence personnel are currently deployed to Nigeria on an enduring basis, and over 800 have deployed to Nigeria on training and advisory tasks since April 2015. This is supported by equipment gifting, places on professional development courses, and a focus on developing Nigerian Command, Staff, and Leadership institutions.</p> answering member constituency Milton Keynes North answering member printed Mark Lancaster question first answered 05/11/2018 16:58:12 answering member 1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

992646

registered interest
date	22/10/2018
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Afghanistan: Military Aid
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what military support the UK is providing to the Afghan army to combat ISIS in areas east of Kabul.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	182206
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2018 answer text <p>The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces are in the lead for the security of the Afghan population, including tackling the threat posed by ISIS. The UK, as part of the non-combat NATO Resolute Support mission, is providing advisors to the Army, Police, Air Force and Security Ministries to help them become self-sufficient in managing security and preventing terrorist attacks against the Afghan people.</p> answering member constituency Milton Keynes North answering member printed Mark Lancaster question first answered 30/10/2018 16:39:32 answering member 1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

992647

registered interest
date	22/10/2018
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Afghanistan: Armoured Fighting Vehicles
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the performance of the foxhound armed vehicle in Afghanistan.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	182207
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2018 answer text <p>There are no performance upgrades planned on Foxhound for its operational role, as it currently performs to the required standard and exceeds availability targets.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 30/10/2018 15:13:00 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon