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1142851

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Ministry of Defence: Travel
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	284291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Information on ministerial travel is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the Ministry of Defence publishes data on ministerial overseas travel on a quarterly basis in arrears at the following link:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-with-external-organisations-in-the-ministry-of-defence</p><p>Information on costs on overseas travel from July to September 2019 is expected to be published in December 2019. Please note we do not routinely publish any national travel costs for Ministers.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer grouped question UIN 284366 question first answered 09/09/2019 15:43:33 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1144623

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Reserve Forces: Pay
	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 ensure that the lowest paid armed forces Reserve personnel are paid rates equivalent to the National Living Wage.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	286774
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.</p><p>The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.</p><p>Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.</p><p>This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer grouped question UIN 286771 286772 286773 question first answered 09/09/2019 15:42:48 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1144622

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Reserve Forces: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the equivalent hourly rate would be for a (a) Private and (b)equivalent rank (OR-2-1) in the Armed Forces Reserves working an eight hour day.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	286773
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.</p><p>The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.</p><p>Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.</p><p>This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer grouped question UIN 286771 286772 286774 question first answered 09/09/2019 15:42:48 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1144621

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Reserve Forces: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the minimum number of hours is that an armed forces reservist is expected to work to qualify for a day's pay.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	286772
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.</p><p>The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.</p><p>Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.</p><p>This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer grouped question UIN 286771 286773 286774 question first answered 09/09/2019 15:42:48 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1144620

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Reserve Forces: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the daily rate of pay for armed forces reservists is calculated from the regular equivalents.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	286771
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.</p><p>The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.</p><p>Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.</p><p>This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer grouped question UIN 286772 286773 286774 question first answered 09/09/2019 15:42:47 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1142913

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Ministry of Defence: Accountancy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide more details on what is meant by bookkeeping adjustments in his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19; and what plans he has to reduce the amount of such adjustments in the future.
	tabling member constituency	North Durham
	tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
	uin	284354
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Bookkeeping adjustments arise when an asset balance or transaction in the accounts is written off because there is no definitive evidence that confirms or denies the existence of the asset or supports the transaction, e.g. writing off asset balances which cannot be linked to physical assets, or balances that should have been cleared on project completion. The accounting adjustments detailed in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts needed to be made because the audit trails did not provide the required standard of certainty over the value of the asset balances or transactions involved. There was no evidence of fraud, theft or payments made in error.</p><p>Of the £25.622 million reported as Bookkeeping Adjustments, the majority (£24.441 million) relates to just four cases. There are ongoing initiatives to improve the quality and accuracy of the information reported in our Annual Report and Accounts. A Statement of Financial Position Group has been established to enforce a more rigid approach to the management of asset balances across the Department. As a result, we are introducing more regular review of asset balances and account reconciliations. The National Audit Office review the accounting treatment of procurement projects and account reconciliations as part of the financial audit of the Annual Report and Accounts and any errors are reported in the Departmental Management Letter. A formal process exists to monitor resolution of these errors and lessons are incorporated into Departmental Policy.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 09/09/2019 15:35:17 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
	tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

1142972

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Tornado Aircraft: Training
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to end the service of the RAF Tornado simulator.
	tabling member constituency	North Durham
	tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
	uin	284466
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Following the drawdown of the Tornado Force in March 2019, the Tornado simulators at both RAF Marham and RAF Lossiemouth have been dismantled and disposed of.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 09/09/2019 15:34:52 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
	tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

1144803

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Arms Trade
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to ensure that UK defence exports continue to be supported after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Filton and Bradley Stoke
	tabling member printed	Jack Lopresti
	uin	286706
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Defence exports will continue to be supported, not just by Defence, but by other Government Departments including the Department for International Trade, after the UK leaves the EU. Work is ongoing to explore how to strengthen the competitiveness of UK industry and support exports, both to the EU and globally.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 09/09/2019 15:19:37 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
	tabling member	3989 label Biography information for Jack Lopresti

1144382

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Ministry of Defence: Saudi Arabia
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) civilian staff in his Department based in the UK, (b) military personnel based in the UK, (c) civilian staff in his Department based in Saudi Arabia and (d) military personnel based in Saudi Arabia were employed by the (i) Saudi Arabian National Guard Communications Project and (ii) Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Project on 1 April 2019.
	tabling member constituency	North East Fife
	tabling member printed	Stephen Gethins
	uin	286284
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The number of civilian and military personnel based in the UK and Saudi Arabia who were employed by the Saudi Arabian National Guard Communications Project (SANGCOM) and the Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Projects (MODSAP) on 1 April 2019 is shown below. The Saudi Arabian Government reimburses the UK Ministry of Defence for these staff costs and there is, therefore, no cost to the UK taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Manpower number as at 1 April 2019</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>SANGCOM</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>MODSAP</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UK-based Civilian Staff</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>69</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UK-based Military Staff</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>35</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Saudi-based Civilian Staff</p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>38</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Saudi-based Military Staff</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>66</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Milton Keynes North answering member printed Mark Lancaster question first answered 09/09/2019 15:13:23 answering member 1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
	tabling member	4434 label Biography information for Stephen Gethins

1144752

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Military Bases: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on disposing of (a) Abercorn barracks and (b) other earmarked sites in Northern Ireland.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast East
	tabling member printed	Gavin Robinson
	uin	286775
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The decommissioning of Abercorn Barracks was announced in the Better Defence Estate announcement of 7 November 2016 (Official report, column 1286). The site was decommissioned in 2018 however, there is continuing Defence requirement for the adjacent training area (Ballykinler Training Centre).</p><p>In February 2019, the Ministry of Defence also confirmed its use of Newtownards Airfield in Northern Ireland had ceased.</p><p>The Department's intent remains to dispose of Kinnegar Logistics Base; plans to vacate the site are still being developed.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 09/09/2019 15:12:45 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
	tabling member	4360 label Biography information for Gavin Robinson