Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1611630

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2023
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Veterans: Charities
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, In December past, what discussions he has had with veterans' charities on providing more support to those organisations for supporting veterans in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	181174
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2023 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Defence regularly meets with representatives of Service charities on a range of matters. Responsibility for coordination with Service charities to support their work with veterans is a matter for the Office of Veterans’ Affairs in the Cabinet Office.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 26/04/2023 16:39:19 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1693226

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	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 assessment has been made of trends in the level of army recruitment over the past five years.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	16704
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>The Army continues to implement a number of measures to improve recruitment and regularly assesses the recruiting environment to ensure that demand can be met. January 2024 saw the highest number of monthly applications for Regular soldiers in over six years.</p><p> </p><p>Key points and trends can be found at the below link within the published Quarterly service personnel statistics:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2024/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-1-january-2024" target="_blank">Quarterly service personnel statistics 1 January 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 12/03/2024 15:14:32 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

63610

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Egypt
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on training and capacity building in the Egyptian army.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	202265
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Secretary of State for Defence has not had any discussions with his Egyptian counterpart on training and capacity building in the Egyptian army.<br><br>As part of wider UK defence engagement Ministry of Defence officials regularly discuss the potential for further engagement with a number of countries and may from time to time provide training as required and in accordance with wider Government policy.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 01/07/2014 14:08:51 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1684753

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Veterans: Homelessness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with Veterans UK on veteran homelessness.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	11336
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2024 answer text <p>Veterans UK is the public facing name given to the administration and payment by the Ministry of Defence of Armed Forces Pensions and the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes, and Veterans Welfare Service. The brand is being retired because it does not exist as an executive agency or standalone entity, and the continued use of the brand causes confusion as to the role of the Department.</p><p>As I said in the House on 8 January 2024 (volume 743, column 11), homelessness is not principally a function of the Ministry of Defence. However, the Veterans Welfare Service, Defence Transition Service and Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans provide holistic transition and welfare information, guidance and support to the Armed Forces Community, which includes that in relation to homelessness where the need is specifically linked to Service. This includes responding to housing enquiries from Service leavers and their families with a housing need, including those at risk of homelessness and who require further, additional transitional support.</p><p>The lead for cross Departmental issues effecting Veterans such as homelessness is the Office for Veterans Affairs.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 01/02/2024 13:25:44 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1691555

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces: Vocational Guidance
	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 engage with schools to help ensure young people are aware of opportunities available to them in the armed forces.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	15630
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2024 answer text <p>The Armed Forces enjoy good relationships with schools, primarily in terms of engagement to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) curriculum areas but this also extends to careers engagement. The Armed Forces only visit when they have been invited by a school to support activities. The visits cover a range of activities such as career events, citizenship talks, science and maths challenges and other indoor or outdoor exercises.</p><p>The Cadet Expansion Programme has focussed on growth in the state sector. Since introduction in 2012, the number of cadet units in state schools has grown by 417% (268 schools). Some new units have also been opened in Independent Schools and here there has been a 12% increase (total 201).</p><p> </p><p>It is important to note that the Armed Forces do not target recruitment activity at under-16s, and no visits to schools by the Armed Forces are directly linked to recruitment, other than specific Careers/Jobs Fairs which generally involve a range of employers. While presentations may be given highlighting the careers available in the Armed Forces, no pupil is ever signed up or able to make a commitment to become a recruit in the Armed Forces during the course of a visit.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 05/03/2024 14:59:01 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608519

	registered interest
	date	29/03/2023
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Veterans: Cost of Living
	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 help veterans with the cost of living crisis.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	176591
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>The Ministry of Defence (MOD) paid the £150 Disability Cost of Living payment to eligible Veterans whose only government-paid income is from a War Disablement Pension.</p><p> </p><p>Through its Veterans Welfare Service, the MOD provides bespoke advice and assistance to Veterans and their families through a holistic assessment of need tailored to an individual's specific circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Where financial assistance is required by Veterans the Veterans Welfare Service can assist with benefits checks, completion of application forms and signposting to entitlements and support available from the wider public and voluntary sectors.</p><p> </p><p>Veterans can call the Veterans Helpline free of charge on 0808 1914218 and ask for a call back from the welfare service.</p><p> </p><p>The Government are committed to supporting all households, including veterans, with the cost of living through initiatives such as the energy price guarantee and cost of living payments.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 21/04/2023 13:05:33 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1657690

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2023
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Korean War
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to acknowledge and commemorate the contribution of British service personnel during the Korean War.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	197390
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2023 answer text <p>On 27 July 2023 the Ministry of Defence supported the Royal British Legion to mark the 70th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. An event was held on Horse Guards Parade with invited veterans and families as well as ticketed guests, with tri-service involvement and representation throughout the Service. The service acknowledged the contribution of the 6,000 Service personnel from across Britain and the Commonwealth during the Korean War, including the 1,100 who lost their lives.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 12/09/2023 11:46:08 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1135782

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Medicine: Israel
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing co-operation between medical R&D facilities in the UK and Israel.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	271463
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>The UK and Israel are co-operating in a wide range of areas in medical R&amp;D, with many successful partnerships across academia and business. The Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership has supported medical collaboration over the last seven years, distributing 19 grants for joint research excellence totalling over £8 million. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv and the British Council manage the programme with private funding raised from a diverse coalition of non-Government organisations. In 2018 the British and Israeli Governments signed an agreement covering a two year £4 million bilateral programme to support business-to-business R&amp;D collaboration between Israeli and UK companies. Projects to receive funding will be announced later this month with a number of medical R&amp;D projects in contention.</p><p>The UK-Israel Tech Hub at our Embassy also helps to create tech and innovation partnerships across several sectors, including healthcare. One of their projects, the UK-Israel Dangoor Healthcare Initiative, aims to create a pipeline of digital innovation for the NHS. We are currently exploring further opportunities to expand cooperation in medical R&amp;D.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 09/07/2019 16:13:37 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1134946

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	China: Prisoners
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for bilaterial relations of the report of the people's tribunal into forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	269733
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>We have noted the recent report by the pressure group “The International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China”. Officials attended public hearings organised by the group, and its report is one of a number of sources of information that we are taking into account when considering this issue. We have also recently consulted the World Health Organization (WHO) in both Geneva and Beijing. Their view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, though they do have concerns about overall transparency.</p><p> </p><p>At present, our assessment remains that there is not a strong enough evidential base to substantiate the claim that systematic state-sponsored or sanctioned organ harvesting is taking place in China. There is, however, credible evidence that practitioners of Falun Gong are subjected to serious mistreatment. Our relationship with China is robust enough for us to raise concerns when we need to, including on the extensive use of the death penalty and the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in China. We continue to keep this issue under review.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 03/07/2019 15:19:05 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1175916

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2020
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria: Armed Conflict
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to end (a) the aerial bombardment of and (b) other military hostilities towards civilians in Idlib, Northern Syria by the (i) Russian and (ii) Syrian Government.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	12253
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2020 answer text <p>We are deeply concerned about the situation in Idlib, north-west Syria, as a result of the ongoing offensive by the Syrian regime and Russia. We are calling on all parties to adhere to previously agreed ceasefires and abide by their obligations under International Humanitarian Law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, particularly UNSCR 2254, which calls for a nationwide ceasefire as part of a political process to end the conflict.</p><p>We have repeatedly raised the issue at the UN Security Council and called an emergency session on Idlib on 6 February. The Prime Minister discussed the situation in Idlib with President Erdogan, President Macron and Chancellor Merkel at their meeting on 3 December 2019. I discussed Idlib with Turkish counterparts during a visit to Turkey on 5-6 February and with Special Envoys of the Small Group on Syria (comprising Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States) on 28 January. Officials have also raised our concerns with Russian counterparts. We have repeatedly condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure, including schools and medical facilities. We strongly supported the UN Secretary General's establishment of a Board of Inquiry to investigate such attacks and have called for the results of this inquiry to be made public when released.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison grouped question UIN 12255 12256 question first answered 11/02/2020 16:25:27 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon