Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence's Sex Offending Strategy, published in July 2022, whether he plans to review the current rules on the reporting of sexual offences within the Armed Forces; and whether he plans to change policy to allow certain categories of sexual offences to be reported to civilian police forces.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Since 2009, the Civilian and Service police have shared jurisdiction for dealing with allegations of criminal offending by Service personnel in the UK. A Service person therefore has the choice to report any crime, including sexual offences, to the Civilian or Service Police.
The establishment of the Defence Serious Crime Command in 2022 created a an independent tri-Service investigative capability, and placed victims at the centre of a more streamlined and effective service. Where a report of sexual offending, or any serious crime, is made to the Service Police, the Defence Serious Crime Unit carries out an independent investigation and the Victim and Witness Care Unit provides support and advice from the point a crime is reported.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on replacing enhanced combat body armour for frontline troops.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The safety of personnel remains the Ministry of Defence’s top priority and we are taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our forces and maintain operational readiness. Where it is appropriate, alternative body armour plates have been issued to those on high-threat deployments.
Work continues, at pace, to test and ensure the safety of sufficient Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) plates. To date 30% of the required number of ECBA plates have been scanned and are in the process of being distributed back to units. This is being prioritised based on operational requirements. It is anticipated that the most impacted users will receive tested ECBA plates by the end of this month.
The Tactical Ballistic Plate programme, which will replace both Osprey body armour and ECBA plates, is expected to deliver from 2027.