Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of the executive boards of the 13 Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The estimated annual projected costs to the Ministry of Defence of the 145 volunteers who are members of an executive board, i.e. the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (RFCA) Executive Boards, the Council of Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (CRFCA) and the CRFCA Board, is a maximum of approximately £45,000.

This estimate is based on 100 per cent of the volunteers claiming 100 per cent of their travel and subsistence costs. In reality, the actual cost of expenditure claims associated with RFCA Executive Boards is likely to be far lower; a number of RFCAs report nil cost. The vast majority of active members make no claims, reflecting their sense of service and deep connection with the UK’s Reserve Forces and Cadets.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to reintroducing prison farms with a view to the mental wellbeing of prisoners.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

HM Prison and Probation Service continues to operate five working farms which provide employment, skills, and produce for the internal market. Over 70 prisons offer horticultural training opportunities, which assist prisoners with gaining sector-specific skills and experiences.

We also recognise the value of farms, horticultural and land-based activity for improving wellbeing and addressing poor mental health. We continue to develop a range of opportunities for accessing farms and gardens to learn new positive skills, including growing food and environmental improvement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current national budget of the Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Accurate financial information for the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (RFCAs) can be found in the published Consolidated Financial Statements in their Annual Reports and Accounts, the latest three of which were placed in the Library of the House on 22 October 2024. These documents extend to Financial Year (FY) 2022-23 and can be found as Deposited Papers at the following website: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2286623/details.

The RFCA’s Annual Report and Accounts for FY 2023-24 are not yet finalised but will be published in due course. The RFCA’s budget for FY 2024-25 is held across a number of different funding lines and will be published in due course through the Annual Report and Accounts process.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of volunteer hours put in by non-executive board members and the wider membership of the Reserve Forces and Cadet Associations.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (RFCA) is a centrally coordinated national body that delivers its outputs locally, by local people, to support the sustainment and generation of Reserve Forces. The RFCA and the 13 Regional RFCAs purposefully sit outside of the Chains of Command (as an Arm’s Length Body) in order to support better outcomes for the public.

The RFCA has an extensive volunteer membership (numbering around 8,000), bringing a wide breadth of expertise and community links. The RFCAs’ extensive network of volunteer members, based within communities across the UK, enable the RFCAs to better connect to society.

Volunteers assist in providing the RFCAs with the information and knowledge needed to discharge their duties. While the number of hours volunteered is not formally recorded either for the volunteer membership or non-executive board members, it is estimated that this figure is around 69,000 hours per year.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which current members of the House of Lords will be affected by the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill as currently drafted.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill delivers the manifesto commitment to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. As a result of the Bill, the 92 seats currently reserved for hereditary peers will be removed. The Bill will remove the remaining hereditary peers at the end of the Parliamentary session in which it receives Royal Assent. A list of the current hereditary peers can be found below

Found: party-political group in the House of Lords not otherwise identified in this table” THE EARL OF DUNDEE LORD COLGRAIN

Found: party-political group in the House of Lords not otherwise identified in this table” THE EARL OF DUNDEE LORD COLGRAIN

Found: party-political group in the House of Lords not otherwise identified in this table” THE EARL OF DUNDEE LORD COLGRAIN

Found: party-political group in the House of Lords not otherwise identified in this table” THE EARL OF DUNDEE LORD COLGRAIN

Found: party-political group in the House of Lords not otherwise identified in this table” THE EARL OF DUNDEE LORD COLGRAIN

Found: party-political group in the House of Lords not otherwise identified in this table” THE EARL OF DUNDEE LORD COLGRAIN