Lord Touhig

In February the department published labour market projections for the period to 2027. The published report and results outline the future shape and size of the labour market and employment prospects by industry, occupation, qualification level, gender and employment status. The report is attached and is also available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-and-skills-projections-2017-to-2027.

The results will enable employers to anticipate workforce gaps and skills mismatches; training providers to understand skills needs and consider their future provision; and individuals to understand the prospects for different occupations and qualification requirements when making career choices. To further support individuals with their careers decisions, the results are also made available through DfE’s Labour Market Information for All open data service that was a commitment in the department’s careers strategy and is available at the following page: https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/.

The government recognises that there are a number of international examples, including in Singapore and India, which provide useful insights to inform the development of our adult skills reforms.

We are also taking steps to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. Programmes including Apprenticeships, funded or co-funded skills provision through the Adult Education Budget, access to Advanced Learner Loans and the National Retraining Scheme enable adults to gain the skills that they need to progress or reskill.

The government has started testing the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain, in 6 areas across England. Get Help to Retrain is a digital service that will help users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations and find and sign up to training. We will continue to test and further improve the service in 2020. The government is also providing an extra £3 billion to develop a National Skills Fund that helps adults to learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.

The government is taking steps to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. Programmes including reforms to technical education such as apprenticeships, funded or co-funded skills provision through the Adult Education Budget, access to Advanced Learner Loans and the National Retraining Scheme enable adults to gain the skills that they need to progress or reskill.

The government has started testing the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain, in 6 areas across England. Get Help to Retrain is a digital service that will help users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations and find and sign up to training. We will continue to test and further improve the service in 2020.

We are also providing an extra £3 billion to develop a National Skills Fund that helps adults to learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future. We are planning to consult widely on the fund and will be keen to hear the views of employers.

Our adult skills system seeks to increase productivity, support employment and promote social inclusion. The Adult Education Budget fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19+ from pre-entry to level 3 and includes funding to help learners to overcome barriers which prevent them from taking part in learning.

The attached City and Guilds Group report, ‘Missing Millions’, states that adult skills are becoming increasingly important due to adults being economically active for longer as well as automation and technological change. The department is committed to improving the offer for adults through user research and delivering the flexibility in training that adults tell us that they need.

Moreover, over the course of this Parliament, we are providing an extra £3 billion for a new National Skills Fund to help people learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.

The City and Guilds Group report also highlights the important role that employers have in investing in training their workforces.

The government recognises that there are a number of international examples, including in Singapore and India, which provide useful insights to inform the development of our adult skills reforms.

We are also taking steps to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. Programmes including Apprenticeships, funded or co-funded skills provision through the Adult Education Budget, access to Advanced Learner Loans and the National Retraining Scheme enable adults to gain the skills that they need to progress or reskill.

The government has started testing the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain, in 6 areas across England. Get Help to Retrain is a digital service that will help users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations and find and sign up to training. We will continue to test and further improve the service in 2020. The government is also providing an extra £3 billion to develop a National Skills Fund that helps adults to learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.

Increasing the number of apprenticeships further is a priority, and we are actively considering how to do so. We have introduced a wide range of reforms to improve the quality of apprenticeships and to encourage employers across England to create more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds. In 2019-20, the funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England is over £2.5 billion, which is double what was spent in 2010.

For the smallest employers (fewer than 50 staff) who take on apprentices under 19, we pay 100% of apprenticeship training costs.

Apprenticeship starts in 2018-19 were 393,400, of which 37% (143,600 starts) were at intermediate level (level 2). 25% of starts (97,700 starts) were by apprentices aged under 19.

To ensure that young people hear about the education and employment options available to them, in January 2018 we introduced a legal requirement for schools to give training providers the chance to talk to pupils about technical qualifications and apprenticeships. We offer a free service to schools through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) project to ensure that teachers have the knowledge and support to enable them to promote apprenticeships to their students. In the last academic year, ASK reached over 300,000 students.

Traineeships are also helping thousands of young people to get the skills and experience that they need to obtain apprenticeships and other jobs. We are strengthening our communications with employers, providers, parents and young people to raise awareness of traineeships and the benefits that they offer. 62% of those who completed a traineeship in 2016-17 progressed to positive destinations, including apprenticeships.

We continue to engage closely with businesses and listen to their views about the apprenticeships programme and the operation of the apprenticeship levy.

We are committed to making sure the apprenticeship programme continues to provide opportunities for people of all backgrounds, while meeting the needs of employers of all sizes and delivering benefits for the economy.

We have introduced a wide range of reforms to improve the quality of apprenticeships and to encourage employers across England to create more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds. Our reforms have made apprenticeships longer and more rigorous, with more off-the-job training and with an independent assessment at the end.

We recognise that some apprentices may not complete their apprenticeship. This can be for a variety of reasons; including personal circumstances, leaving for other employment or training opportunities, being promoted, or sometimes changing apprenticeships.

Programmes such as traineeships provide a pipeline to apprenticeships for young people who are not yet ready to do an apprenticeship, giving them the the skills and work experience they need to access these opportunities, and helping them to make informed career choices.

Last year, we worked with the Quality Alliance, made up of the bodies responsible for the quality of apprenticeships and provider representative bodies, to publish a quality strategy. This set out the expectations for a high-quality apprenticeship experience to help ensure that apprenticeships meet apprentice and employers’ needs and delivers successful outcomes.

We are continuing to take steps to improve our understanding of the apprentice experience and how the department, employers and providers can better support apprentices throughout their journey.

We are working with employers to jointly design and deliver policies and programmes which will develop the skills that individuals of all ages need to be successful and that employers want.

These include apprenticeships, with our reforms benefiting people of all ages and backgrounds, including adults developing their skills.

This also includes Adult Education Budget (AEB) funded provision. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3 (including traineeships) to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

Advanced Learner Loans support clear routes into work, progression within work and progression to higher education (HE), by providing fees support for level 3 to level 6 qualifications. Access to multiple Advanced Learner Loans enables adults to progress or re-skill.

We are developing the National Retraining Scheme to support working adults to prepare for future changes to the economy, including those brought about by automation, and help them retrain into better jobs.

The government is also developing a new £3 billion National Skills Fund to upskill workers and prepare for the economy of the future.

Flexible and part-time HE also has a key role in terms of widening choice and participation. To reduce barriers for entering HE, our part-time undergraduate tuition fee loans are available to eligible prospective students of all ages. We have asked the Office for Students to continue to focus on part-time and flexible learning to deliver choice and flexibility.

The department does not collect this information directly.

According to the 2017 apprenticeship evaluation learner survey, 56% of all level 2 and 3 apprentices were recruited specifically with the intention of completing an apprenticeship. Just over two-fifths of level 2 and 3 apprenticeships (42%) were undertaken by those in existing roles already working for their employer.

The National Retraining Scheme will support working adults to prepare for future changes to the economy, including changes brought about by automation, and help them to retrain into better jobs.

In addition to the National Retraining Scheme, our wider adult skills system seeks to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. Programmes including apprenticeships, funded or co-funded skills provision through the Adult Education Budget and access to Advanced Learner Loans enable adults to gain the skills that they need to progress or reskill.

The government is also providing an extra £3 billion to develop a National Skills Fund that helps adults to learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.

The government has initiated rolling out the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain. This service helps users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations that they could do and find and sign up to the training they need to access opportunities for a broad range of good jobs.

Since the start of the roll out of Get Help to Retrain in the Liverpool City Region in July, more features have been added to the service, and it has been rolled out to users in a further five areas. The service will be further tested and improved in 2020.

Alongside Get Help to Retrain, we are developing other products that will collectively make up the full National Retraining Scheme service.

The government has started to roll out the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain, in 6 areas across England.

Get Help to Retrain is a digital service that will help users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations that they could do and find and sign up to the training they need to access opportunities for a broad range of good jobs.

Since the start of the roll out of Get Help to Retrain in July 2019, over 1,000 users have tested the service. The service will be further tested and improved in 2020.

Other products are being developed that will sit alongside Get Help to Retrain, collectively making up the full National Retraining Scheme service.

In the spring of 2019, a consultation was held on proposals for a mandatory register of children not attending state or registered independent schools to help local authorities carry out their responsibilities in relation to children not in school.

Almost 5000 responses were received to the consultation which closed in June 2019. They have now been considered and a formal government response document setting out next steps will be issued in due course.

The government is committed to carrying out the SEND review, first announced on 6 September 2019. In announcing that we are reviewing the system of support for children with special educational needs and disabilties, we acknowledged the challenges the system faces. We are committed to setting out plans to tackle these issues and build on our 2014 reforms which gave vital support to more children.

The review is ongoing and we will provide an update in due course. It is right that we take the time to consider how best to ensure support in different local areas is consistent, joined up across health, care and education services, and that high-quality health and education support is available across the country.

The Department for Work and Pensions currently has 46 Armed Forces Champions in place, including at least one in each of the 37 Jobcentre Plus Districts.

Our top priority during the pandemic has been to focus on processing claims and paying people quickly, while supporting all those using Jobcentre Plus services. As a result, the planned additional recruitment to increase the number of Armed Forces Champions was paused. Planning for 2020/21 is underway.

The DWP is proud to continue to provide vital and significant support services for veterans which recognises their particular needs and circumstance. During this pandemic the Department has announced it is recruiting 13,500 more Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches to boost its frontline. Every Work coach is trained on how to provide tailored and personalised support to members of the Armed Forces Community and their families, working in partnership with their district Armed Forces Champion where necessary. In those areas where there are particularly high levels of demand, for example garrison towns, this will form a significant part of the work done in individual Jobcentres.

Veterans are also supported in a number of other ways, for example, they are given early voluntary entry to the Work and Health Programme, and using Service Medical Board evidence where we can a severely disabled person does not have to undergo additional examinations for Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit purposes. We are also able to signpost veterans to other organisations for further support where appropriate.

Meanwhile, the department is a supporter of the Armed Forces Covenant which helps ensure members of the armed forces community have access to government support in a number of areas, including:

• Starting a new career
• Access to healthcare
• Education and family well-being
• Having a home
• Financial assistance
• Discounted services, including travel

The Ministry of Defence’s representation on the Biological Security Strategy Governance Board consists of either one or two representatives, depending on the meeting agenda. This has not changed since 2018.

The Home Office does not maintain central records of an individual’s military career history. Providing the information requested would therefore require a manual check of individual records which could only be done at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes data on returns from the UK in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on the number of returns, by year, nationality and type of return are published in table Ret_D01 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/returns-and-detention-datasets) within the returns detailed dataset.

The term 'deportations' refers to a legally-defined subset of returns which are enforced either following a criminal conviction or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. Information on those deported is not separately available and therefore the published statistics refer to all enforced returns.

Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘Summary tables’, available from the above link. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on returns. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2020.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=release-date-oldest).

The main focus over the last twelve months has been to develop the governance structures and cross-government biological security community. There are already processes in place for sharing information between departments. Enhancements to data sharing will be one of many areas that will likely be considered by the Biological Security Strategy Governance Board after the COVID-19 response.

The main focus over the last twelve months has been to develop the governance structures and cross-government biological security community. There are already processes in place for sharing information between departments. Enhancements to data sharing will be one of many areas that will likely be considered by the Biological Security Strategy Governance Board after the COVID-19 response.

The main focus over the last twelve months has been to develop the governance structures and cross-government biological security community. There are already processes in place for sharing information between departments. Enhancements to data sharing will be one of many areas that will likely be considered by the Biological Security Strategy Governance Board after the COVID-19 response.

The Department does not issue eviction notices; these are issued and enforced by a court. The Department issues Notices to Vacate (NTV) in the following circumstances:

Service personnel to coincide with the final day of Service, or when their entitlement ceases due to personal circumstances.

Civilian sub-let tenants prior to the termination of their occupancy.

The annual number of NTV and enforcement actions required to regain possession from Service personnel/former Service personnel in Financial Year 2015 - 2019 was as follows:

(No centralised records were kept on the number of NTV and enforcement actions required to regain possession from Service personnel in Service Families Accommodation prior to 1 April 2015).

The monthly number of NTV and enforcement actions required to regain possession from Service personnel/former Service personnel since January 2020 was as follows:

The annual number of NTV and and enforcement actions required to regain possession from civilian sub-let tenants from Financial Year 2016 - 2019:

(The civilian sub-let programme started in 2016, and as such is reflected in the table below)

The monthly number of NTV issued to civilian sub-let tenants since January 2019:

There are currently 739 Armed Forces personal at high readiness, or otherwise committed to supporting the national COVID response. Approximately 7,000 personnel will shortly be brought to readiness ahead of the Winter period.

Recruitment of Commonwealth citizens has never stopped. Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, both the Army and the Royal Air Force (RAF) had received large numbers of applications from Commonwealth citizens. The Army therefore stopped accepting new applications in September 2019 and the RAF stopped accepting applications from outside the UK in November 2019. The Royal Navy (RN)/Royal Marines (RM) has continued to accept new applications.

When the COVID-19 restrictions were implemented in March 2020, the RN/RM and RAF continued with the selection and initial training of all applicants who were already in the UK, including those from the Commonwealth. For those applicants based outside the UK, they continued to be proactively managed virtually, but their applications and the recruitment process could not be completed until candidates were once again able to fly to the UK and could meet any COVID-19 restrictions placed on their entry, such as quarantine measures.

The Army temporarily paused all face-to-face selection until June and all Basic Training until May, but applicants continued to be managed and nurtured. Since selection and training has resumed, the Army has continued to process those applicants already in the UK, and those who had applied prior to September 2019. The Army continues to have enough applications from Commonwealth citizens to meet demand for the current Recruiting Year, and will not therefore be accepting new applications, other than for the Royal Corps of Music.

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Ministry of Defence publishes spend over £25,000 on a monthly basis as part of its transparency data routine publication which is accessible at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mod-finance-transparency-dataset

Additionally, the Ministry of Defence publishes annual accounts. The latest of which can be found at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mod-annual-reports

No Secretary of State for Defence was asked to give evidence to the Intelligence and Security Committee's inquiry into Russia, however Defence officials did give evidence.

The Integrated Review will cover all aspects of international policy from defence to diplomacy and development. Visits to Government locations, including Armed Forces bases, will be included when helpful for the conduct of the review, as they are for normal Government working. These visits are arranged on a case by case basis with the relevant Departments.

Details of compensation paid (by year) as a result of employment tribunals brought against the Ministry of Defence for racial discrimination by serving and former Service personnel is provided below.

In June Zero (0) Weapon Release Events were recorded from Remotely Piloted Air Systems against Daesh targets. The Ministry of Defence regularly releases statistics on UK air activity under Op SHADER on the gov.uk website.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that unacceptable behaviour, including racism, still occurs. We are committed to eradicate this, and have a zero-tolerance approach. Defence, does not yet represent society and it is essential that we work towards this. We recognise that the pace of change needs to quicken and are renewing our ambition at the highest levels of the Department. We aim to eliminate discrimination and improve diversity throughout Defence as enshrined in our 2018-2030 Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Strategy .

Legal advice has interpreted the terms “racial discrimination cases” and “discrimination cases involving racism” to refer to Employment Tribunals (ETs). The attached tables show the number of ETs brought against the MOD by military personnel in each year from 2010 to-date, and the breakdown of compensation paid in each year from 2016-2020 as a result of racial discrimination ETs.

All MOD personnel (civilian and military) are required to complete mandatory D&I Training courses. In addition, those trained as D&I Advisers and Practitioners provide impartial advice and support to personnel who encounter discrimination, bullying and harassment. This is supplemented by Speak Safe Volunteers, trained independent bullying, harassment & discrimination advisers who enable individuals to understand their situation and make informed decisions. An Active Bystander training course has also been designed to equip personnel with the skills to effectively challenge unacceptable behaviour.

The independent study into the overrepresentation of minority groups in the Service Complaints system has yet to conclude, therefore we are unable to commission targeted training at this current stage. However, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is conducting a comprehensive review of all relevant training to ensure Diversity and Inclusion principles are included and up to date, reflecting the Wigston Review findings.

The MOD ensures all Service personnel and civil servants receive regular and mandatory Diversity and Inclusion training, and each Service has their own initiatives aimed at their personnel. Collectively, the Department has recently designed a three strand approach to Active Bystander training: new entrants to Defence and those on career progression courses will receive Active Bystander principles in their training; Delivering Active Bystander training on establishments at regular intervals; and creating an accessible online training Active Bystander product.

I refer the Noble Lord to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Procurement (Jeremy Quin), in the House of Commons on 22 June 2020 to the hon. Members for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner), Newport West (Ruth Jones), Glasgow South (Stewart Malcom McDonald), Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone) and Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan) in response to Question numbers 60776, 60864, 60814, 60482, 60852 and 60853 respectively.

Defence has been working hard to achieve a more diverse workforce. However, progress in terms of the representative rates of our people – both military and civilian – has been too slow. It is clear there is still much further to go if we are to successfully attract and retain diverse talent both now and in the future. That is why we are renewing our levels of ambition at the highest levels in Defence as we work to fulfil the key objective in our 2018-2030 Diversity and Inclusion Strategy to eliminate discrimination and improve diversity throughout Defence.

Since 2015 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been working towards a target for 10% of recruits into the Armed Forces to be from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background by April 2020, rising to 20% thereafter. These are challenging targets demonstrating the importance Defence places on having Armed Forces reflecting the society they serve. I am pleased to confirm the latest statistics show we have now exceeded the initial intake target as 11.7% of recruits were Black, Asian or from an ethnic minority in the 12 months to 31 March 2020. While this is an improvement, there is further long-term progress to be made and sustained. Ongoing work to improve all aspects of diversity in MOD continues, includes better understanding and greater engagement with the communities the Armed Forces want to recruit from; reviewing recruitment processes; and better targeting marketing and communications.

As at 1 April 2020, the numbers of UK Regular full-time Service personnel who had declared their ethnicity as BAME and were serving at NATO Rank OF-6 or above (Brigadier and equivalent) were five or fewer in each Service. In addition, fewer than five Senior Civil Servants employed in each Command had declared their ethnicity as BAME. In line with standard statistical disclosure methodology, the percentages associated with these figures have been suppressed to ensure individuals are not inadvertently identified.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes biannual statistics on diversity declarations for Armed Forces personnel and MOD civilian staff. The latest editions can be found at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-index

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-diversity-dashboard-2020

The Chief of Defence People, Lieutenant General James Swift, has been appointed the Senior Responsible Owner for culture and behaviours in the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

The MOD remains committed to implementing the recommendations of the Wigston Review. We have set up the Wigston Review Implementation Team to drive this forward in the short term. Decisions about the Defence Authority will be taken in due course following agreement on proposals to reform the Service Complaints system, some of which may require legislative change.

The Chief of Defence People, Lieutenant General James Swift, has been appointed the Senior Responsible Owner for culture and behaviours in the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

The MOD remains committed to implementing the recommendations of the Wigston Review. We have set up the Wigston Review Implementation Team to drive this forward in the short term. Decisions about the Defence Authority will be taken in due course following agreement on proposals to reform the Service Complaints system, some of which may require legislative change.

The Department is currently in the process of refining proposals for the new Service Complaints system.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that unacceptable behaviour, including racism, still occurs. We are committed to eradicate this, and have a zero-tolerance approach. Defence, does not yet represent society and it is essential that we work towards this. We recognise that the pace of change needs to quicken and are renewing our ambition at the highest levels of the Department. We aim to eliminate discrimination and improve diversity throughout Defence as enshrined in our 2018-2030 Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Strategy .

Legal advice has interpreted the terms “racial discrimination cases” and “discrimination cases involving racism” to refer to Employment Tribunals (ETs). The attached tables show the number of ETs brought against the MOD by military personnel in each year from 2010 to-date, and the breakdown of compensation paid in each year from 2016-2020 as a result of racial discrimination ETs.

All MOD personnel (civilian and military) are required to complete mandatory D&I Training courses. In addition, those trained as D&I Advisers and Practitioners provide impartial advice and support to personnel who encounter discrimination, bullying and harassment. This is supplemented by Speak Safe Volunteers, trained independent bullying, harassment & discrimination advisers who enable individuals to understand their situation and make informed decisions. An Active Bystander training course has also been designed to equip personnel with the skills to effectively challenge unacceptable behaviour.

Defence has been working hard to achieve a more diverse workforce. However, progress in terms of the representative rates of our people – both military and civilian – has been too slow. It is clear there is still much further to go if we are to successfully attract and retain diverse talent both now and in the future. That is why we are renewing our levels of ambition at the highest levels in Defence as we work to fulfil the key objective in our 2018-2030 Diversity and Inclusion Strategy to eliminate discrimination and improve diversity throughout Defence.

Since 2015 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been working towards a target for 10% of recruits into the Armed Forces to be from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background by April 2020, rising to 20% thereafter. These are challenging targets demonstrating the importance Defence places on having Armed Forces reflecting the society they serve. I am pleased to confirm the latest statistics show we have now exceeded the initial intake target as 11.7% of recruits were Black, Asian or from an ethnic minority in the 12 months to 31 March 2020. While this is an improvement, there is further long-term progress to be made and sustained. Ongoing work to improve all aspects of diversity in MOD continues, includes better understanding and greater engagement with the communities the Armed Forces want to recruit from; reviewing recruitment processes; and better targeting marketing and communications.

As at 1 April 2020, the numbers of UK Regular full-time Service personnel who had declared their ethnicity as BAME and were serving at NATO Rank OF-6 or above (Brigadier and equivalent) were five or fewer in each Service. In addition, fewer than five Senior Civil Servants employed in each Command had declared their ethnicity as BAME. In line with standard statistical disclosure methodology, the percentages associated with these figures have been suppressed to ensure individuals are not inadvertently identified.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes biannual statistics on diversity declarations for Armed Forces personnel and MOD civilian staff. The latest editions can be found at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-index

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-diversity-dashboard-2020

Officials have identified a preferred set of researchers and are currently undertaking the necessary commercial process to conduct an independent study into why there appears to be overrepresentation of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) personnel in the Service complaints system.

The Government is currently considering the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body’s (AFPRB) recommendations, taking into account the need to recruit, retain, and motivate personnel, as well as the long-term affordability of the Armed Forces. Once a decision has been reached, any pay rises will be backdated to 1 April 2020.

The following number of Ministry of Defence officials were members of the Counter Proliferation & Arms Control Centre in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

2018: 9

2019: 10

2020: 10

This year, United Kingdom Armed Forces have recorded the following numbers of weapon release events from Reaper remotely piloted aircraft against Daesh targets:

January - 0

February - 0

March - 0

April - 1

May - 6

As a Trading Fund (up to 31 March 2017) or Executive Agency (from 1 April 2017) of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Dstl is funded principally by revenue from customers rather than direct Government funding. Since 1 April 2017 capital expenditure only has been funded directly from MOD budget allocation. Previously as a Trading Fund, capital expenditure was funded from accumulated cash reserves, and was therefore deemed to be funded from within operating income (turnover).

For the year ended 31 March 2020 the accounts are yet to be audited and are currently scheduled to be laid before Parliament in September 2020.

Summary figures to the nearest £million are:

Full details of Dstl’s total funding, principal customers and amounts spent externally via third parties are available from the Agency’s published Annual Report and Accounts for all financial years up to 31 March 2019, available in the House of Commons library and at the following links:

2015/16 - HC 36

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory-annual-report-and-accounts-2015-to-2016

2016/17 - HC 83

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory-annual-report-and-accounts-2016-to-2017

2017/18-HC1265
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018

2018/19-HC2244
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019

All new Ministry of Defence Buildings are commissioned and constructed in accordance with the Department's Building Performance Standards Policy, as set out in the Joint Services Publication 315.

The policy contains an Energy and Performance standard that directs that "all new and major refurbishments should be designed to be 'nearly zero-energy buildings".

We intend to strengthen these standards and they are currently under review.

Commonwealth UK Armed Forces veterans are made aware of the process for regularising their immigration status on enlistment to the Armed Forces, during their service and again prior to discharge.

Following discharge, Veterans UK's Veterans Welfare Service and Defence Transition Services provide the same level of support to Foreign and Commonwealth veterans as they do to any other veteran. They provide relevant advice, information and support, assisting veterans to access the appropriate range of services to meet their individual needs and requirements. This support continues for as long as required as part of our commitment to providing 'through-life support' to veterans.

As at 1 October 2019, there were 4,490 Commonwealth citizens in the trained and trade trained strength of the Regular Armed Forces and 240 in the Future Reserves 2020 population.

Notes:

• Figures for the Royal Navy/Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are for the Trained Regular population and Trained Future Reserve 2020 (FR20) population. Army figures are for Trade Trained Regular population, and Trained FR20 population.
• UK Regulars consist of Full-time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding FTRS personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service, Locally Engaged Personnel and Non-Regular Permanent Staff.
• FR20 includes Volunteer Reserves who are mobilised, High Readiness Reserves and those Volunteer Reserves serving on FTRS and Additional Duties Commitment. Sponsored Reserves who provide a most cost-effective solution than Volunteer Reserves are also included in the Army Reserve FR20 figures.
• Nationality is as reported on the Joint Personnel Administration system
• Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 in line with disclosure control policy.

Data on renewable energy consumed by the Defence Estate is not held centrally. The proportion of electricity used by the Department, drawn through the GB National Grid, from renewable sources has increased from 2.97% in 2010 to 32% in 2020.

The Department recognises its contribution is vital in the UK's response to bring greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. As such, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has launched a Climate Change and Sustainability Review. The Review is currently at the scoping stage; setting the ambition, refreshing the baseline and establishing the MODs route to net zero. The Review aims to have a clear response plan in place by the end of 2020.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes environmental and sustainability issues into account throughout its acquisition process. Our investment approvals policy includes a requirement to take sustainability into account in all initial business cases, and the use of an environmental management system is mandated for all acquisition projects.

This helps to ensure that our activities are compliant with Government sustainable development and environmental protection policy requirements. Where relevant, sustainability and environmental requirements are also defined in defence contracts, evaluated in the tender process and monitored and managed through the life of the contract to ensure MOD requirements are being met.

We also expect defence industry suppliers to play a key role in improving their own processes and supply chain education. Where sub-contractors are engaged, the prime contractor remains responsible for ensuring adherence to all obligations, including those relating to sustainability and environmental issues.

We expect our suppliers to abide by the Government's Supplier Code of Conduct, which requires suppliers to understand and reduce their impact on the environment. Underpinning this, the MOD has published a Defence Standard for assurance that contractors are operating suitable environmental management systems.

We also continue to work through the Sustainable Procurement Working Group to share good practice and maintain a dialogue with industry partners on this important issue.

More information on how the MOD manages sustainable procurement can be found on the Knowledge in Defence website at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/knowledge-in-defence-kid.

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Individuals wishing to re-join the Armed Forces can apply to do so. The single Services will consider all the circumstances of an individual’s previous service in making a judgement on re-employment, including taking full account of the provisions set out by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, where appropriate.

RFA ARGUS is the Ministry of Defence's Primary Casualty Receiving Ship. The consideration of options to deliver the capabilities provided by ARGUS after she leaves service remains ongoing.

RFA ARGUS is the Ministry of Defence's Primary Casualty Receiving Ship. The consideration of options to deliver the capabilities provided by ARGUS after she leaves service remains ongoing.