Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government who keeps records of exit interviews of those leaving the Armed Forces; and how often the Ministry of Defence evaluates those records.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Responsibility for carrying out exit interviews (as well as analysing the results) sits with the Single Services, and data is held on their systems accordingly.
The Royal Navy stores exit interview information on Joint Personnel Administration system (JPA, the military intranet-based HR system), where it can be accessed by their People and Transformation team. The team generate six-monthly Leavers Intention surveys, from which themes and trends can be identified. A formal review process is being considered as part of the Navy People Transformation process.
The British Army operates a de-centralised process, with Regiments conducting their own exit surveys; the data is held and available for analysis at local level. In line with Army’s project on retention, work towards a structured exit interviews and surveys is due to be completed by September 2020.
Within the RAF, statistical information for voluntary exits is provided to Defence Statistics who use this detail to publish voluntary outflow rates, which inform retention work. All sources of exit information are routinely analysed by the RAF’s Workforce Requirements and Recruiting to assist in the management of staffing and forecasting. A six-monthly retention working group is held, where data is reviewed in depth.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing prefabricated new accommodation for service personnel.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has assessed the merits of providing pre-fabricated or modular constructed Single Living Accommodation (SLA). The advantages include simplicity and consistency of design, quality of manufacture in a controlled environment, speed of on-site construction and certainty in manufacturing cost.
The MOD has used modular construction extensively in respect of around 12,000 bed spaces in its Single Living Accommodation Modernisation (SLAM) Project. These have proved to be of good quality and durable.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel in each location are accommodated in twin rooms.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assistance he is providing to help defeat (a) Boko Haram in West and Central Africa, (b) al Shabab in Somalia and East Africa and (c) al Qaeda affiliates in Yemen.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The UK is increasing support to the Nigerian Forces in tackling the Boko Haram threat. We have a resident British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) that has grown in size since the government announced last year that the UK would increase its support to Nigeria to combat Boko Haram. UK military personnel are working with US, French and Nigerian experts in an intelligence fusion cell in Abuja, and the Coordination and Liaison Cell in N’Djamena, Chad. The Defence Secretary has announced the additional deployment of a small team of experts who will work alongside the Armed Forces of Nigeria to provide assistance in countering improvised explosive devices as well as medical training and advice.
UK Defence is currently contributing to wider international efforts to achieve stability and security in Somalia and the wider East Africa region and defeat Al Shabaab. We are achieving this through supporting a range of UN and EU Missions to provide training, mentoring, and logistical support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and develop the Somali National Army.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) continues to pose a threat to both the UK and globally. We are committed to supporting the Yemeni government in establishing a stable and secure Yemen and we continue to work with regional and international partners to tackle the threat posed by AQAP and Daesh in the Yemen. Ongoing peace talks are the top priority as a political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability to the country.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information is held on the value of the residual estates of service men and women killed in action who were not married at the time of their death.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) would not have visibility of the residual value of the estate of a Service person, as it is the responsibility of the executor or personal representative to collect information on any monies due (such as bank accounts, insurance payouts) or owed (such as bank loans).
The MOD would inform the executor of any money owing to the estate from the Department. This can comprise: arrears of pay; arrears of allowances (operational allowance, council tax refund); credit for untaken annual leave; cash found in effects and the death in service lump sum payment if this falls due to the estate (rather than being paid to a qualifying beneficiary under the pension scheme).
Payment is made to the executor once they obtain either a Grant of Representation or Confirmation or Letters of Administration or for small amounts only (Under £5,000) on completion of a Form of Declaration supplied by the MOD.