Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to reduce the number of people being accommodated at Nesscliffe Training Camp.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
All Afghans arriving in the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) are being resettled due to their contribution to UK military and national security objectives during our mission in Afghanistan.
To temporarily house families arriving in the UK under ARAP, the Ministry of Defence has stood up transitional accommodation across the Defence Estate, including at Nesscliffe Training Area. The Ministry of Defence keeps all transitional accommodation under review in order to manage changes to the arrival and departure rate.
Transitional accommodation on the Defence estate is being used on a temporary basis prior to ARAP-eligible Afghans onward movement into settled accommodation as quickly as possible.
Nesscliffe Training Camp will, in due course, be returned to its previous use.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people are being accommodated at Nesscliffe Training Camp.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The number of Afghans accommodated at Nesscliffe Training Camp under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme will vary depending on numbers of arrivals and speed of families moving into settled accommodation.
The site currently has capacity for a maximum of 220 ARAP-eligible persons. The Ministry of Defence keeps all transitional accommodation under review in order to manage changes to the arrival and departure rate.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) shortest, (b) average and (c) longest time taken is between application to and a payment under the War Widows Recognition Payment Scheme.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme has received 330 applications and accepted and paid 209 claims since it was launched on 16 October 2023. Of those, 90 per cent of all claims have been processed and 97 per cent of payments made to those eligible within the published timescales. The Recognition Payment Scheme is delivering effectively to those it was established to recognise.
The shortest time taken between an application being received and a payment being made was 19 working days and the longest 88 working days, with an average of 56 working days.
The below table shows the number of applications made to the War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme in each month since it was launched on 16 October 2023.
Month | Number of applications received |
October 2023 | 165 |
November 2023 | 86 |
December 2023 | 25 |
January 2024 | 15 |
February 2024 | 22 |
March 2024 | 10 |
April 2024 | 6 |
May 2024 | 1 |
Total | 330 |
The scheme is administered by a dedicated team of six staff, and application support is available through the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS).
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the War Widows Recognition Payment Scheme.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme has received 330 applications and accepted and paid 209 claims since it was launched on 16 October 2023. Of those, 90 per cent of all claims have been processed and 97 per cent of payments made to those eligible within the published timescales. The Recognition Payment Scheme is delivering effectively to those it was established to recognise.
The shortest time taken between an application being received and a payment being made was 19 working days and the longest 88 working days, with an average of 56 working days.
The below table shows the number of applications made to the War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme in each month since it was launched on 16 October 2023.
Month | Number of applications received |
October 2023 | 165 |
November 2023 | 86 |
December 2023 | 25 |
January 2024 | 15 |
February 2024 | 22 |
March 2024 | 10 |
April 2024 | 6 |
May 2024 | 1 |
Total | 330 |
The scheme is administered by a dedicated team of six staff, and application support is available through the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS).
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications have been (a) made to, (b) approved by and (c) paid by the War Widows Recognition Payment Scheme.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme has received 330 applications and accepted and paid 209 claims since it was launched on 16 October 2023. Of those, 90 per cent of all claims have been processed and 97 per cent of payments made to those eligible within the published timescales. The Recognition Payment Scheme is delivering effectively to those it was established to recognise.
The shortest time taken between an application being received and a payment being made was 19 working days and the longest 88 working days, with an average of 56 working days.
The below table shows the number of applications made to the War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme in each month since it was launched on 16 October 2023.
Month | Number of applications received |
October 2023 | 165 |
November 2023 | 86 |
December 2023 | 25 |
January 2024 | 15 |
February 2024 | 22 |
March 2024 | 10 |
April 2024 | 6 |
May 2024 | 1 |
Total | 330 |
The scheme is administered by a dedicated team of six staff, and application support is available through the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS).
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications have been made to the War Widows Recognition Payment Scheme in each month since it was announced.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme has received 330 applications and accepted and paid 209 claims since it was launched on 16 October 2023. Of those, 90 per cent of all claims have been processed and 97 per cent of payments made to those eligible within the published timescales. The Recognition Payment Scheme is delivering effectively to those it was established to recognise.
The shortest time taken between an application being received and a payment being made was 19 working days and the longest 88 working days, with an average of 56 working days.
The below table shows the number of applications made to the War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme in each month since it was launched on 16 October 2023.
Month | Number of applications received |
October 2023 | 165 |
November 2023 | 86 |
December 2023 | 25 |
January 2024 | 15 |
February 2024 | 22 |
March 2024 | 10 |
April 2024 | 6 |
May 2024 | 1 |
Total | 330 |
The scheme is administered by a dedicated team of six staff, and application support is available through the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS).
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department work on the War Widows Recognition Payment Scheme.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme has received 330 applications and accepted and paid 209 claims since it was launched on 16 October 2023. Of those, 90 per cent of all claims have been processed and 97 per cent of payments made to those eligible within the published timescales. The Recognition Payment Scheme is delivering effectively to those it was established to recognise.
The shortest time taken between an application being received and a payment being made was 19 working days and the longest 88 working days, with an average of 56 working days.
The below table shows the number of applications made to the War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme in each month since it was launched on 16 October 2023.
Month | Number of applications received |
October 2023 | 165 |
November 2023 | 86 |
December 2023 | 25 |
January 2024 | 15 |
February 2024 | 22 |
March 2024 | 10 |
April 2024 | 6 |
May 2024 | 1 |
Total | 330 |
The scheme is administered by a dedicated team of six staff, and application support is available through the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS).
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will conduct a freedom of navigation exercise around Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb for the purpose of establishing their non-Iranian status.
Answered by Leo Docherty
We are not conducting freedom of navigation operations around these islands. However, we keep operations in the Gulf under constant review. The UK supports the United Arab Emirates’ call to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute over the three islands – Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa – through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law including the UN Charter.
The UK is dedicated to defending freedom of navigation in the Gulf, which is crucial for the global trading system and world economy, with the deployment of HMS DIAMOND to enhance our current footprint in the region. We are proud to be partnering with other members of the international community to uphold the rules based approach.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to help support the manufacture of military weapons in Ukraine.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Yes. On 13-14 Dec 2023 we held the UK's first trade mission visit to Kyiv. This brought together UK and Ukrainian government officials with key stakeholders from UK and Ukrainian industry to discuss opportunities for long-term cooperation. The agreements signed between UK and Ukrainian companies will enhance resilient defence industrial facilities inside Ukraine.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius on the US contribution to the military balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK's priority is the long term continued effective operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia and Mauritius has made clear publicly that it supports this goal. We continue to work in lockstep with the US to this end and have their full support. The Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary Austin discussed the British Indian Ocean Territory in Washington DC on 1 December 2023.