Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Air Force personnel there have been on average in each year since 2000.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Year | British Army | Royal Navy and Royal Marines | Royal Air Force |
2000 | 109,600 | 42,800 | 54,600 |
2001 | 109,200 | 42,100 | 53,600 |
2002 | 110,100 | 42,600 | 52,900 |
2003 | 112,000 | 41,400 | 53,100 |
2004 | 112,100 | 40,700 | 53,100 |
2005 | 108,800 | 39,800 | 51,400 |
2006 | 107,200 | 39,200 | 47,900 |
2007 | 105,900 | 38,800 | 45,100 |
2008 | 104,610 | 38,410 | 43,300 |
2009 | 106,890 | 38,350 | 43,520 |
2010 | 107,740 | 38,650 | 43,800 |
2011 | 105,940 | 37,480 | 42,230 |
2012 | 103,820 | 35,500 | 39,710 |
2013 | 98,630 | 33,860 | 36,690 |
2014 | 90,390 | 33,160 | 35,050 |
2015 | 85,590 | 32,670 | 33,860 |
2016 | 84,700 | 32,480 | 33,410 |
2017 | 83,000 | 32,470 | 33,100 |
2018 | 80,590 | 32,460 | 32,850 |
2019 | 78,800 | 32,500 | 32,780 |
2020 | 79,290 | 32,960 | 32,860 |
2021 | 81,720 | 33,890 | 33,220 |
2022 | 80,060 | 33,750 | 33,130 |
2023 | 76,950 | 32,590 | 31,940 |
Notes/Caveats
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Navy personnel there have been on average in each year since 2000.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Year | British Army | Royal Navy and Royal Marines | Royal Air Force |
2000 | 109,600 | 42,800 | 54,600 |
2001 | 109,200 | 42,100 | 53,600 |
2002 | 110,100 | 42,600 | 52,900 |
2003 | 112,000 | 41,400 | 53,100 |
2004 | 112,100 | 40,700 | 53,100 |
2005 | 108,800 | 39,800 | 51,400 |
2006 | 107,200 | 39,200 | 47,900 |
2007 | 105,900 | 38,800 | 45,100 |
2008 | 104,610 | 38,410 | 43,300 |
2009 | 106,890 | 38,350 | 43,520 |
2010 | 107,740 | 38,650 | 43,800 |
2011 | 105,940 | 37,480 | 42,230 |
2012 | 103,820 | 35,500 | 39,710 |
2013 | 98,630 | 33,860 | 36,690 |
2014 | 90,390 | 33,160 | 35,050 |
2015 | 85,590 | 32,670 | 33,860 |
2016 | 84,700 | 32,480 | 33,410 |
2017 | 83,000 | 32,470 | 33,100 |
2018 | 80,590 | 32,460 | 32,850 |
2019 | 78,800 | 32,500 | 32,780 |
2020 | 79,290 | 32,960 | 32,860 |
2021 | 81,720 | 33,890 | 33,220 |
2022 | 80,060 | 33,750 | 33,130 |
2023 | 76,950 | 32,590 | 31,940 |
Notes/Caveats
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Army personnel there have been on average in each year since 2000.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Year | British Army | Royal Navy and Royal Marines | Royal Air Force |
2000 | 109,600 | 42,800 | 54,600 |
2001 | 109,200 | 42,100 | 53,600 |
2002 | 110,100 | 42,600 | 52,900 |
2003 | 112,000 | 41,400 | 53,100 |
2004 | 112,100 | 40,700 | 53,100 |
2005 | 108,800 | 39,800 | 51,400 |
2006 | 107,200 | 39,200 | 47,900 |
2007 | 105,900 | 38,800 | 45,100 |
2008 | 104,610 | 38,410 | 43,300 |
2009 | 106,890 | 38,350 | 43,520 |
2010 | 107,740 | 38,650 | 43,800 |
2011 | 105,940 | 37,480 | 42,230 |
2012 | 103,820 | 35,500 | 39,710 |
2013 | 98,630 | 33,860 | 36,690 |
2014 | 90,390 | 33,160 | 35,050 |
2015 | 85,590 | 32,670 | 33,860 |
2016 | 84,700 | 32,480 | 33,410 |
2017 | 83,000 | 32,470 | 33,100 |
2018 | 80,590 | 32,460 | 32,850 |
2019 | 78,800 | 32,500 | 32,780 |
2020 | 79,290 | 32,960 | 32,860 |
2021 | 81,720 | 33,890 | 33,220 |
2022 | 80,060 | 33,750 | 33,130 |
2023 | 76,950 | 32,590 | 31,940 |
Notes/Caveats
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to support veterans living in countries that do not have a reciprocal uprating agreement with the UK and whose pensions are frozen.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
State Pensions are the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions.
The UK State Pension is payable worldwide to those who meet the qualifying conditions. It is up-rated where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example, where recipients are living in countries where there is a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating. The Government has no plans to change the policy on up-rating UK State Pensions overseas; the policy is longstanding and has been supported by successive Governments for over 70 years.
The Government understands that people move abroad for many reasons and that this can have an impact on their finances; up-ratings are based on levels of earnings growth and price inflation in the UK which have no direct relevance where the pensioner is resident overseas. The decision to move abroad remains a personal choice and advice has been provided to the public for many years that the UK State Pension is not up-rated overseas except where there is a legal requirement. However, in recognition of the unique nature and commitment of service life, military occupational pensions, Armed Forces Independence Payments, Guaranteed Income Payments and War Pension Scheme payments are paid and uprated every year, including for our veterans anywhere in the world, regardless of whether there is a reciprocal arrangement for the State Pension.
In addition, any veteran who has received a gratuity payment due to disablement resulting from service or is in receipt of a disablement pension under the War Pension Scheme can have the costs of treatment met where there is no free healthcare for that condition available in the country they reside.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many nuclear safety events occurred at (a) Coulport and (b) Faslane in each year since 2010.
Answered by Alec Shelbrooke
The table below provides the number of Nuclear Site Event Reports (NSERs) at Coulport and Faslane recorded between 2010 and 2022 (January 2022-June 2022). These are shown according to their categorisation using criteria agreed locally in 2015.
Nuclear Site Events - 2010 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
Faslane | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Nuclear Site Events - 2011 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Faslane | 0 | 0 | 12 | 8 |
Nuclear Site Events - 2012 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Faslane | 0 | 0 | 18 | 10 |
Nuclear Site Events - 2013 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Faslane | 0 | 0 | 10 | 11 |
Nuclear Site Events - 2014 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
Faslane | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Nuclear Site Events – 2015* | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Faslane | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
*Updated categorisation criteria in 2015
Nuclear Site Events - 2016 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Faslane | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
Nuclear Site Events - 2017 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Faslane | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 19 |
Nuclear Site Events - 2018 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16 |
Faslane | 0 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 86 |
Nuclear Site Events - 2019 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
Faslane | 0 | 1 | 5 | 46 | 88 |
Nuclear Site Events - 2020 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
Faslane | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 96 |
Nuclear Site Events - 2021 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 32 |
Faslane | 0 | 2 | 10 | 33 | 67 |
Nuclear Site Events- 2022 | Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D | Below Scale |
Coulport | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
Faslane | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 12 |
In line with Industry Good Practice and in common with other defence and civil nuclear sites, HMNB Clyde has a well-established system for raising NSERs.
NSERs are raised to foster a robust safety culture that learns from experience, whether that is equipment failures, human error, procedural failings, documentation shortcomings or near-misses.
The safety significance of all reported events remains low and are below Level 1, the lowest of the seven-point International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES).
None of the events caused harm to the health of any member of staff on the Naval Base or to any member of the public or have resulted in any radiological impact to the environment.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average timescale is for a decision to be made on a claim under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
During the 2020 to 2021 financial year the average time for a decision to be made on a claim for injury/illness under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme was 83 days (median average). This was published in the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) bulletin as at 31 March 2021. The Supplementary Tables provide a break down by financial year which allows comparison across years. The bulletin can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-compensation-scheme-statistics-financial-year-202021
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many claims under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme are awaiting (a) a decision and (b) an offer.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The information on cases awaiting decision is already published within the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme bulletin and Supplementary Tables (on Table 2) as at 31 March 2021, and can be found at the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-compensation-scheme-statistics-financial-year-202021
The second part of the question cannot be answered in the format requested. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme is a one-step process and awards are made at a specified tariff and financial amount upon a decision being made. Claims cannot be awaiting an offer.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the crew allocation for the proposed Royal Yacht.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Details of the first phase of the competition to design the National Flagship were set out in a Contract Notice published on 19 July 2021. Further details will be made available to industrial partners that express an interest in bidding for phase 1 of the National Flagship design competition. Premature disclosure of this information, or of that pertaining to later stages of the procurement, would be prejudicial to the commercial interests of the Ministry of Defence and its industrial partners and I am therefore withholding it at this time.
The crew allocation of the ship will be dependent upon the selected design.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide details of the (a) specification development, (b) tender and award process, (c) construction, (d) commissioning and handover and (e) other aspects of the procurement programme for the proposed new Royal Yacht.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Details of the first phase of the competition to design the National Flagship were set out in a Contract Notice published on 19 July 2021. Further details will be made available to industrial partners that express an interest in bidding for phase 1 of the National Flagship design competition. Premature disclosure of this information, or of that pertaining to later stages of the procurement, would be prejudicial to the commercial interests of the Ministry of Defence and its industrial partners and I am therefore withholding it at this time.
The crew allocation of the ship will be dependent upon the selected design.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which department is responsible for potential (a) risks and (b) overspend in respect of the procurement of the proposed Royal Yacht.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The management of risk and budget will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. The National Flagship will be delivered in the same way as other shipbuilding programmes run by this department.