Dave Doogan

The Cabinet Office is not responsible for the pension arrangements of Equiniti. 26,715 of around 700,000 pensioner members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme were affected following the Civil Service Pension Scheme Guaranteed Minimum Pension reconciliation and rectification exercise.

Civil Service Pension Scheme members were provided with detailed information about the change to their pension, along with any lump sum underpayment due to the member. In cases where pensions had been overpaid the overpayment was written-off and future pension payments adjusted to the correct level. Members requesting a complete breakdown of the calculations supporting these figures, following receipt of the detailed information about the change to their pension, were provided with the complete breakdown.

The reconciliation exercise compares member data held by the scheme with records held by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Where there is a discrepancy between the data sources the reason is investigated in order to reconcile the scheme data with the HMRC data which may result in changes to pensions in payment. Consideration of notional or payable Additional State Pension is not relevant to the reconciliation exercise.

The Cabinet Office is not responsible for the pension arrangements of Equiniti. 26,715 of around 700,000 pensioner members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme were affected following the Civil Service Pension Scheme Guaranteed Minimum Pension reconciliation and rectification exercise.

Civil Service Pension Scheme members were provided with detailed information about the change to their pension, along with any lump sum underpayment due to the member. In cases where pensions had been overpaid the overpayment was written-off and future pension payments adjusted to the correct level. Members requesting a complete breakdown of the calculations supporting these figures, following receipt of the detailed information about the change to their pension, were provided with the complete breakdown.

The reconciliation exercise compares member data held by the scheme with records held by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Where there is a discrepancy between the data sources the reason is investigated in order to reconcile the scheme data with the HMRC data which may result in changes to pensions in payment. Consideration of notional or payable Additional State Pension is not relevant to the reconciliation exercise.

The Cabinet Office is not responsible for the pension arrangements of Equiniti. 26,715 of around 700,000 pensioner members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme were affected following the Civil Service Pension Scheme Guaranteed Minimum Pension reconciliation and rectification exercise.

Civil Service Pension Scheme members were provided with detailed information about the change to their pension, along with any lump sum underpayment due to the member. In cases where pensions had been overpaid the overpayment was written-off and future pension payments adjusted to the correct level. Members requesting a complete breakdown of the calculations supporting these figures, following receipt of the detailed information about the change to their pension, were provided with the complete breakdown.

The reconciliation exercise compares member data held by the scheme with records held by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Where there is a discrepancy between the data sources the reason is investigated in order to reconcile the scheme data with the HMRC data which may result in changes to pensions in payment. Consideration of notional or payable Additional State Pension is not relevant to the reconciliation exercise.

Her Majesty’s Government is committed to maintaining high standards of conduct and probity, whilst making improvements where necessary to policies and processes which help support this.

There are a range of mechanisms in place to maintain and drive up standards, including Codes of Conduct (such as the Ministerial Code, Civil Service Code, Special Adviser Code), policies and guidance (such as Managing Public Money), and bodies and offices charged with overseeing aspects of government activity (for example the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments and the Civil Service Commission). The Committee on Standards in Public Life also issues regular reports with ideas and recommendations for the Government and other public bodies to consider.

I also refer the Hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 16 December 2021, Official Report, HCWS500, on the Government's anti-corruption strategy work.

The Government has provided comprehensive guidance on the new arrangements for trade with the EU. We are working closely with the devolved administrations, operational partners, industry groups and transporters to minimise any potential disruption. The Border Operating Centre is operating around the clock to pull together all the necessary sources of information to track what is happening at the border.

The table below shows the number of staff in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (core department only) by location and grade.

The number of women in the department for Energy Security and Net Zero (core department only) on temporary contracts* is currently 15.

The percentage of women on temporary contracts of all temporary contracts (male and female) is 57.7%.

The percentage of women on temporary contracts as a share of all women in the department is 0.7%.

*Temporary contracts are defined as being on the payroll and holding a ‘fixed term contract’ that is 12 months or less in duration.

The Government is facilitating the deployment of electricity storage, including battery storage, through actions set out in the 2021 Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan.

On longer duration electricity storage, the Government has committed to developing an appropriate policy framework by 2024 to enable investment and deploy sufficient storage to balance the system. The Department is planning to consult on the framework this year.

On hydrogen storage, the Government has set out its preferred hydrogen storage business model to unlock private sector investment and remove barriers. The Government has secured amendments to the Energy Bill to introduce the primary powers to deliver this business model by 2025.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State discusses a range of issues with the Home Secretary, including offshore wind.

Operation of the Balancing Mechanism is the responsibility of the Electricity System Operator, which has a responsibility to minimise the cost of balancing for electricity consumers.

The Government, through the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) programme, is considering reforms needed to electricity market arrangements to drive the necessary investment and efficient operation of a secure, cost-effective, low-carbon electricity system. This includes reform options to maximise the potential for a range of flexible technologies to deploy and operate flexibly, including battery storage.

The table below shows the number of staff in the department for Energy Security and Net Zero (core dept only) by locations and grades.

All applications to the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund made before the closure of the application window on 31st May will be processed.

Eligible organisations will have 90 days from the scheme introduction date of 26 April 2023 to apply for the higher support of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme. New organisations or newly eligible organisations will have 90 days to apply from the date at which they become eligible. Once eligibility has been determined, support will be backdated to the 1^st April 2023.

The Government has increased the number of receipts an applicant can use to evidence £200 of alternative fuel usage from 2 to 10. The Government has worked constructively with stakeholders to reach this decision. A limit is necessary however, to help prevent fraudulent applications.

The window to apply for funding closes on 31 May 2023, meaning households can still make purchases to bring their total spend to £200 ahead of that date.

Rejected applicants of the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding can contact the contact centre helpline on 0808 175 3287 where a representative can provide additional information on the reasons why their application was rejected and provide further assistance where necessary.

No estimate has been made. The Government understands that alternative fuel users are routinely provided with suitable documentation through their fuel provider and, where necessary, fuel suppliers have indicated that they can reissue receipts.

The receipts must show a date of purchase between September 2022 and the end of the application window on 31 May 2023.

The Government has moved at pace to develop and deliver a complex scheme, meaning it was not possible to publish the application guidance prior to the launch of the scheme. In developing the scheme, the Government worked closely with stakeholders across the country on the requirement that applicants prove that they are eligible through demonstration of alternative fuel use, e.g. by receipt/delivery note and were assured that most alternative fuel users are routinely provided with suitable documentation through their fuel provider.

The Department is reviewing evidence on biomass costs and undertaking analyses on uses of biomass to support the forthcoming Biomass Strategy, which will be published in Q2 2023.

The Alternative Fuel Payment Portal opened for applications on Monday 6 March.

Most eligible households should have received their Alternative Fuel Payment by Tuesday 28 February through their electricity supplier.

A single payment of £400 will be paid directly into the bank accounts of eligible applicants of the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding, by local authorities.

It is not possible to give a precise number of how many payments have been issued at this stage in the scheme. The vast majority of eligible households will receive the payment automatically via their electricity supplier from 6 February. Payments are expected to be completed within the month - although this will depend on customers’ suppliers and how they pay their bills.

The Government will provide access to a helpline for those who need to apply for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding but do not have internet access.

The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding will provide a £400 payment for the small percentage of households who will not receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme, including those who do not have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier. The application portal will include an eligibility overview and information on what applicants need to do to apply for energy bills support under the scheme.

The Government is helping to protect businesses from high energy costs through the six-month Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS). HM Treasury is carrying out a review on the current scheme, which will be published in the new year.

In addition, the UK’s two Energy Intensive Industries Schemes offer support to eligible UK companies in certain sectors with particularly high energy costs. These schemes have provided £2 billion of relief to over 300 businesses across the UK.

The Government will support Local Authorities as much as possible in delivering the funding, and work closely with them to ensure that appropriate new burdens funding is provided alongside the grants to support people in their areas.

There is no minimum unit price for the Alternative Funding. It will provide equivalent support of £400 for the small percentage of households who are not reached through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, including those who do not have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier.

A Direction-based approach has been used successfully to deliver the Energy Bill Support Scheme via energy suppliers in Great Britain. As such, the Government is confident it can be used to deliver further support schemes like the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) scheme.

Clause 22 of The Energy Prices Bill 2022 gives power to the Secretary of State to give directions to a person who holds an energy licence. It will allow the Secretary of State to set out the necessary requirements for relevant energy licence holders to deliver energy support schemes including AFP.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) will be in place from 1 October 2022 until April 2023 to support non-domestic energy customers in Great Britain.

The Government has committed to carrying out a review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme to inform decisions on future support after March 2023. Over the course of the review, the Government will be engaging widely to understand those who are most in need of further support. The findings of the review will be published by the end of the year.

The Government has doubled support to £200 for alternatively fuelled households, in recognition of the pressures caused by rising fuel costs. The Government is committed to delivering this payment to households as soon as possible this Winter. The Government will announce further information on the delivery and timing of these payments in due course.

Revocation of licences is a matter for Ofgem, as the independent regulator.

There are circa 1.7m UK households that rely on heating oil (5% of UK households). Recent figures on the proportion of households with oil primary heating systems show that this is 3.2% in England, 5% in Scotland, 10% in Wales and 68% in Northern Ireland.

No, CF Fertilisers UK Ltd is not currently in receipt of a Government subsidy to maintain production of CO2. A market-led agreement to supply CO2 is in place.

Smart meters are replacing traditional gas and electricity meters in Great Britain as part of an essential infrastructure upgrade to make the energy system more efficient and flexible, enabling the cost-effective delivery of net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Smart meters also provide households with accurate, near-real time information about energy consumption in pounds and pence via an In-Home Display, so consumers can easily understand how to use less and save money on their bills.

Energy suppliers are required by licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters in homes and small businesses. This obligation expires at the end of June 2021 and will be replaced with a new four-year policy framework from 1 July 2021 with fixed annual installation targets for energy suppliers to drive the consistent, long-term investment needed to ensure that everyone can benefit from smart meters.

Smart meters are not mandatory for energy consumers, but the Government wants all homes and small businesses to be able to benefit from the financial savings and greater convenience of digital energy services, and as such smart meters will become the default metering technology used in Great Britain.

Defra is working closely with the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at every level to utilise opportunities to press the General Administration of Customs China (GACC) for the re-listing of the three affected UK pork processing plants. As part of this Defra has taken a number of steps, including those summarised below.

Defra, in collaboration with DIT and FCDO, continues to monitor the situation and to do all it can to resolve this issue. However, re-listing these establishments is ultimately in the gift of the GACC.

• The Defra Secretary of State wrote to GACC Minister Ni in March 2021 and again in May 2021 to raise this issue and request a meeting. GACC have not responded.
• Defra has fulfilled all of China’s technical requests to enable the re-listing of these UK establishments. This includes the submission to GACC of extensive COVID-19 dossiers, countersigned by the relevant Food Safety Competent Authorities and Public Health Authorities, as well as completing virtual video inspections chaired and facilitated by Defra with GACC Officials, where requested.
• A letter from the UK Chief Veterinary Officer was sent to GACC to highlight the latest UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s guidance that was published in August 2021 on the risks COVID-19 transmission via food or food packaging.
• Beyond direct engagement with GACC, Defra continues to engage with FCDO and DIT colleagues at different levels on a regular basis to ensure a consistent, joined up approach to UK Government pressing GACC for the re-listing of UK pork establishments.
• Additionally, the UK raised concerns regarding these trade restrictive measures at the World Trade Organisation Sanitary Phytosanitary (WTO SPS) Committee in November 2020, March 2021, July 2021 and in bilateral discussions with China.

As set out in the recently published Action Plan for Animal Welfare we will be bringing in legislation to ban the import and export of detached shark fins.

We are making good progress with developing this legislation including consideration of the scope needed to ensure our measures are as effective as possible at delivering shark conservation benefits globally. These measures will demonstrate our continuing leadership on shark conservation issues and signal our strong opposition to any ongoing finning practices.

From 21 April 2021, low risk pigeon racing can take place from locations not on mainland Europe, provided organisers notify the Animal and Plant Health Agency at least seven days before the event and that they meet the requirements of the General Licence. For a full list of what is permitted see the guidance for bird gatherings on gov.uk. Definitive requirements are set out in the published General Licence for the relevant administration (England, Wales and Scotland)

Selecting the additional operators for the extended Seasonal Workers Pilot is a two-stage process. Defra conducted the first stage, which was the Request for Information (RFI) exercise inviting responses by 29 January 2021. Information on the selection criteria and scoring mechanisms is published online here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/seasonal-workers-pilot-request-for-information/seasonal-workers-pilot-request-for-information .

Defra has now completed the RFI exercise and in doing so proposed two additional operators to the Home Office, who are now conducting the second-stage of approval and licensing.

We do not routinely track the costs of export certification, which is a commercial matter between certifiers and exporters. We have always been clear that new processes would apply for exports of products of animal origin to the EU, from 01 January 2021. Before then we introduced efficiency measures for exporters, including guidance for logistics hubs and consolidation of loads. These measures have reduced exporters’ administrative requirements and through consolidation the total number of export health certificates required for EU exports. We are working to improve the online process of applying for export heath certificates to reduce errors and speed up certification.

Since leaving the EU, we are an independent trading nation and we will use our voice to champion free trade and lower barriers to trade.

In line with these ambitions, I am pleased to confirm that there is an established process for obtaining model Export Health Certificates (EHCs) for exports of animal by-products. Agreed EHCs for all commodities can be obtained from GOV.UK. Applicants can use the website to search, view and apply for the relevant Export Health Certificate to facilitate trade in their commodity.

In addition to this, some Export Health Certificates are even more accessible, and can be applied for via the EHC online system which reduces some of the manual procedures previously in place. This process is under iterative review in order to ensure improvements can be made for the future.

The public consultation ended on 25 February and we are currently analysing all the responses we received; we will be publishing the Government response in due course.

There is a constant engagement between Defra officials and our counterparts in the EU to discuss issues regarding agri-food goods at the borders as they are reported. Through these channels, and through our regular meetings with industry representatives, we’re closely monitoring live issues and working to resolve them. Officials also hold regular technical meetings with experts from the UK and Member States to ensure that border issues are quickly resolved, including multiple engagements between the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer and their counterparts in EU Member States to further develop mutual understanding on controls and checks that are necessary at borders. The Secretary of State will also continue to engage directly with his counterparts in the EU and beyond.

At the end of the EU Exit Transition Period, all extant EU maximum residue levels (MRLs) were carried over into the pesticides regulatory regime in place in Great Britain. These have not changed since and there is currently no difference between the EU and GB MRL for potatoes for 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene (1,4-DMN). The 1,4-DMN MRL therefore applies to both domestic produce and produce imported from the EU. The key difference is in which pesticides are authorised for use in each country.

As of 1 January 2021, there is an autonomous pesticides regime in Great Britain. This means that the UK Government and the devolved administrations take our own decisions about which pesticides to authorise for use, based on scientific assessment of the risks. We may therefore sometimes take different decisions to countries in the EU or elsewhere. Last year, our regulator, the Health and Safety Executive, passed concerns arising from their risk assessment for 1,4-DMN to the EU for them to take into account.

In the meantime, emergency authorisations have been granted by all four UK administrations allowing limited and controlled use of a 1,4-DMN product.

We aim to establish a formal MRL review programme in the next few years and we are able to review MRLs when necessary, for example, to protect public health.

Before a pesticide can be used, its active substance must be approved and the pesticide itself must be authorised. Decisions on approval and authorisation are based on an assessment of the risks posed to people and to the environment. Such decisions are devolved and so are taken by the relevant government or by the Health and Safety Executive on its behalf. Decisions on the authorisation of pesticides for use in Scotland are not, therefore, taken by the UK Government.

The active substance 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene (1,4-DMN) is approved but at present there is no authorised product. All four UK governments have granted an emergency authorisation allowing the limited and controlled use until 31 May of a 1,4-DMN product to prevent sprouting of harvested potatoes. This emergency authorisation is granted in recognition of the need for sprout suppression and the lack, in certain circumstances, of alternative means of control.

Potatoes treated with 1,4-DMN are only permitted to be imported from the EU or elsewhere if the level of the chemical is below a statutory Maximum Residue Level of 15 mg/kg.

I apologise for the further delay in responding. A reply was issued to the hon. Member for Angus on 23 February 2021.

Defra ministers agreed a policy proposed by Defra officials and cleared with Devolved Administration (DA) colleagues to accept EU seed potatoes for 6 months beyond the end of the transition period, until 30 June. This policy was a change from an original policy to block EU seed potatoes entirely, to protect Scotland's specialist industry. The policy options regarding the import of seed potatoes from the EU were discussed between officials of all four administrations and industry organisations. In the absence of a reciprocal agreement with the EU, the original preference was to block EU seed potatoes immediately after the transition period. However, the coordinated request from three organisations representing interests across the potato industry, and the UK Government’s concern that entirely blocking EU potatoes, could prove detrimental to a reciprocal agreement in the longer term, led us to revisit the policy. The industry organisations expressed concerns that although the UK is broadly self-sufficient in the total quantity of seed potato production, it does not currently produce the range of varieties required by the UK market. They also explained that the transitional provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement for goods on the market were unhelpful for seed potatoes because of the need for specialist storage. To address both issues, their request was to allow EU seed potatoes to be imported for planting in spring 2021 to provide a further period of adaptation. This led to the final proposal to accept EU seed potatoes in England and Wales until June 2021, supporting the industry as it adapts.

Defra officials and the DAs re-visited the policy following a joint letter from industry organisations representing both seed and ware potato growers. They proposed a compromise policy to accept EU seed potatoes for a limited time to ensure supply for the Spring growing season. This policy was discussed and agreed with the DAs and a sixth month period of grace was proposed, in line with other 'standstill' policies.

I apologise for the delay in responding. Defra is currently dealing with high volumes of correspondence due to Covid-19. A reply to the hon. Member is being prepared and will be issued very shortly.

Over the past two years, Defra has put in place new veterinary export health certificates to facilitate the export of processed animal proteins from terrestrial animals to Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nigeria and Pakistan. We do not currently know the value of these new markets but the gross value of the annual trade to all non-EU markets is approximately £40million. There are now 23 veterinary export health certificates available to support this trade to countries outside the EU.

Defra is aware that UK renderers wish to export even further afield and that many of the authorities in those destination countries require consignments to be accompanied by a veterinary export health certificate and meet stringent import conditions. Defra continues to work with UK rendering companies to maintain and expand its range of veterinary export health certificates supporting the export of processed animal protein to their priority destination countries.

Defra is in regular discussions with businesses on the Export Health Certificate (EHC) requirements for products sent to Northern Ireland and the EU which contain processed animal protein (PAP).

Mammalian PAP must have been processed in a region which is, under the international rules, in the negligible risk category for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). It must have been processed by pressure sterilisation (known as ‘Method 1’). This means mammalian PAP products from Great Britain cannot be certified for export to Northern Ireland or the EU.

This issue was raised in our discussions with the EU last year and we continue to look at options to negotiate a position on trade.

We continue to hold discussions regularly with the rendering industry. We have worked with other countries to obtain additional export health certificates for PAP, meaning we were able to open markets for these products elsewhere.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement delivers on the Government's promise to take the UK out of the EU's customs territory and to regain control of our borders. We have always been clear that this means there will be new customs processes on goods being moved from GB into the EU and vice versa. The Agreement will help to manage the burden of non-tariff barriers for businesses by supporting efficient customs arrangements covering all trade in goods, while ensuring that we will be free to regulate our own market as we see fit. In addition, the agreement enables both sides to further reduce costs in the longer term. For example, we have agreed to explore the possibility of sharing import and export declaration data, including by setting up pilot programmes, where appropriate, with a view to reducing administrative burdens on business.

Importantly, this Agreement ensures there will be zero tariffs or quotas on trade between the UK and the EU, where goods meet the relevant rules of origin, and includes provisions to facilitate trade and address non-tariff barriers for UK exports to the EU and vice versa. It will therefore provide Scottish businesses with exceptional access to the EU's market and help them continue to trade smoothly: it is the first time the EU has ever agreed a zero tariff, zero quota deal.

We have already struck deals with more than 58 countries around the world, worth £198 billion a year - including with Canada, Japan and Singapore, with many more to come. This will benefit Scottish businesses, and create new markets for Scotland's exporters. It allows us to continue to have a close relationship with our European friends and neighbours, while we take our place in the world with an independent trade policy, acting as a global force for good.

Defra works closely with industry bodies and leaders, regularly speaking with recruiters, growers, unions and associations, and making use of all available information and evidence to understand the labour supply picture for the agri-food supply chain.

Industry reports that supply of seasonal labour has been sufficient across the main horticultural sectors so far this year. Through the ‘Pick for Britain’ campaign, Defra has collaborated with industry to raise the profile of seasonal work on farms. The Pick for Britain website has received nearly 2 million unique page views since its launch but Defra does not hold any information about specific vacancies, interviews or people in jobs as that information is held by individual companies.

The horticultural sector will continue to be able to rely on EU nationals living in the UK with settled or pre-settled status. Around 3.7 million EU citizens and their families have been granted settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and the application deadline is not until 30 June 2021. EU nationals who have settled status can continue to travel to the UK to do seasonal work in 2021.

On 19 February, the Government announced that the annual quota for this second year of the?Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme would increase from 2,500 to 10,000 places. The Pilot has provided thousands of non-EU workers to farms across the UK this year to undertake seasonal employment in the edible horticulture sector.

Defra will continue to work closely with the Home Office on seasonal agricultural workers and the needs of the sector.

A reply to the hon. Member’s correspondence is being prepared and will be sent out very shortly.

I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon Member. Defra is currently dealing with unprecedented volumes of correspondence due to COVID-19. A reply to the hon. Member’s correspondence is being prepared and will be sent out very shortly.

A reply to the correspondence referred to was sent by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on 21 October. The reply included an apology for the delay in responding.

Her Majesty’s Coastguard has one National Maritime Operation Centre (NMOC) which is based in Fareham in Hampshire. In addition to the National Maritime Operations Centre there are ten Coastguard Operations Centres (CGOCs) which are located at: Aberdeen; Belfast; Dover; Falmouth; Holyhead; Humber; Milford Haven; Shetland; Stornoway; and London.

The NMOC and the CGOCs form a fully integrated and flexible national network which allows Her Majesty’s Coastguard to fulfil its national and international functions, which includes the initiation and coordination of civil maritime and aeronautical search and rescue.

As defined by international convention the six key functions of the integrated national network are; search and rescue; pollution and response; vessel traffic management; maritime safety; maritime security and emergency; and disaster management. All centres are equipped to respond to such incidents 24/7/365.

In addition, the NMOC also incorporates the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre and the Mission Control Centre, which are responsible for tasking of all Her Majesty’s Coastguard search and rescue aviation assets and the receipt and response to distress beacons respectively.

All Her Majesty’s Coastguard centres are equipped to receive, respond and coordinate all distress, urgency and alert situations within the UK Search and Rescue Region. This includes an integrated command and control system, search planning, integrated mapping and communications systems, including satellite-based services.

The below table demonstrates how many full-time equivalent operational staff, by job role, are expected to be at each location.

Two Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Managers also work at the National Maritime Operation Centre. A further two full time equivalent staff work at the Mission Control Centre and thirty-two staff work at the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre.

As of 31 March 2021, the employees of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are broken down as follows, this includes permanent and fixed term employees:

England - 926

Scotland -161

Northern Ireland - 41

Wales – 108

Her Majesty’s Coastguard is a Directorate within the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and therefore is included in the figures above. Disaggregating Her Majesty’s Coastguard figures from above, permanent and fixed term employees within Her Majesty’s Coastguard Directorate as of 31 March 2021 are:

England - 334

Scotland -114

Northern Ireland - 28

Wales – 57

Her Majesty’s Coastguard has on contract two types of search and rescue helicopter. These are the Sikorsky S 92 and the AgustaWestland (Leonardo) AW189.

The dedicated search and rescue helicopters operate from the following locations:

Sikorsky S92 AgustaWestland 189

Sumburgh Inverness

Stornoway Prestwick

Humberside St Athan

Caernarfon Lydd

Newquay Lee on the Solent

Her Majesty’s Coastguard has on contract one Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV) – which is an Anchor Handling Tug. The ETV is permanently stationed off the northern coasts of Scotland.

In summary, as well as the services of Her Majesty's Coastguard, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency manages the UK Ship Register and carries out its ship survey and inspection roles as both as a Flag and a Port State. Through its survey and inspection regime, it enforces standards for ship safety, security, pollution prevention and seafarer health and safety.

It also provides seafarer examinations and certification services and provides regulatory and policy advice on matters including fishing vessel safety, civil hydrography, navigation safety and future technologies. The Maritime & Coastguard Agency promotes maritime standards and encourages economic growth.

The budget for Her Majesty’s Coastguard for each of the last five years is as follows:

Financial Year Budget (£)

2016-17 242,355,780

2017-18 260,745,074

2018-19 248,005,106

2019-20 259,397,741

2020-21 271,058,746

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is now planning to resume driver training and testing in line with the Prime Minister’s road map announcement. In England, this will be no earlier than 12 April 2021, providing the data shows it is safe to move on to this next step.

Dates for Scotland and Wales remain subject to agreement with the devolved administrations.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not hold data on a candidate’s occupation, or reason for taking a test, when they apply for a routine theory or practical test. The DVSA will be making tests available in all licence categories when it is safe to do so.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is now planning to resume driver training and testing in line with the Prime Minister’s road map announcement. In England, this will be no earlier than 12 April 2021, providing the data shows it is safe to move on to this next step.

Dates for Scotland and Wales remain subject to agreement with the devolved administrations.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not hold data on a candidate’s occupation, or reason for taking a test, when they apply for a routine theory or practical test. The DVSA will be making tests available in all licence categories when it is safe to do so.

We have no plans to allow early access to State Pension.

For those at the end of their life, the Government’s priority is providing financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way that the Department does this is through special benefit rules, sometimes referred to as “the Special Rules”. These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit. For many years, the Special Rules have applied to people who have 6 months or less to live and now they are being changed so they apply to people who have 12 months or less to live.

Scotland has the powers under the Scotland Act 2016 to make additional discretionary payments should it wish to do so. Whilst pensions remain a reserved matter, the Scotland Act 2016 has given the Scottish Government the ability to use a wide range of new welfare provisions.

In order for a Paying Parent to claim mileage and travel costs through a variation, they must provide the Child Maintenance Service with the total distance in order for the Service to calculate the costs correctly. This ensures the calculation is a fair reflection of the additional costs incurred by the Paying Parent and meets the requirements set out in legislation. This also ensures transparency in decision making so that both parents are able challenge any decision that affects the child maintenance liability.

The safety of all customers is a priority for the Service and it will never share sensitive personal details that could reveal the location of either parent.

The UK has no plans to change its longstanding policy position.

Throughout the Covid-19 outbreak, we have been committed to making sure people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment in a timely manner. To ensure continuity of payments to our customers, in the early stage of the pandemic we extended existing awards with a review date 9 months to ensure that a review could take place before the end of the award. Reviews are an integral part of PIP to ensure that our customers are receiving the correct level of award.

The Department responded by email to Dave Doogan MP, Scottish National Partly Angus, on 26 March 2021.

We have recently streamlined and improved the assessment process, to take a more nuanced view of applications while maintaining a high standard for Kickstart jobs. These changes mean that more applications are likely to be successful. We have also continued to improve and expand our guidance to help employers understand what we are looking for when assessing applications.

We aim to process all applications within four weeks, we recognise this may not always have been possible. We have reprioritised staff resources to deliver the DWP’s Kickstart Scheme to meet the demand from the large number of supportive employers.

The department has worked with a wide range of stakeholders, including gateway organisations since the scheme was announced and will continue to do so.

We have recently improved the assessment process to allow us to consider an application in full to make a decision. We have also continued to improve and expand our guidance to make sure employers know what we are looking for when assessing applications. Whilst maintaining a high standard for Kickstart jobs, these changes will mean that more applications are likely to be successful.

We aim to make a decision on an application within four weeks of receiving it, although this can take longer if more information needs to be gathered. Approved Gateways can get in touch with their local or national Kickstart scheme contact for information about how to add job placements or employers to their existing grant agreements.

The department has worked with a wide range of stakeholders, including gateway organisations since the scheme was announced and will continue to do so.

We have recently improved the assessment process to allow us to consider an application in full to make a decision. We have also continued to improve and expand our guidance to make sure employers know what we are looking for when assessing applications. Whilst maintaining a high standard for Kickstart jobs, these changes will mean that more applications are likely to be successful.

We aim to make a decision on an application within four weeks of receiving it, although this can take longer if more information needs to be gathered. Approved Gateways can get in touch with their local or national Kickstart scheme contact for information about how to add job placements or employers to their existing grant agreements.

The health and safety of our claimants and staff is our key priority. As a result, all face to face assessments for sickness and disability benefits have remained suspended since March 2020.

We are assessing as many people as we are able to on paper evidence or via telephone assessments. Individuals invited for a telephone assessment are encouraged to inform their assessment provider of any additional requirements they may have, and the provider will endeavour to meet any reasonable requests. This is explained to the individual in the initial invitation letter for all telephone assessments. For example, companions are able to join a telephone assessment, as they could for a face to face assessment.

There will be some claimants for whom unfortunately there is insufficient evidence to make a decision on paper and who are unable to undertake a telephone assessment because of their health condition. We continue to develop and implement ways in which we can safely assess these individuals. For example, we are currently testing ways of supporting claimants with speech and hearing difficulties to safely participate in telephone assessments and continue to test video assessments. Claimants who we are unable to assess by telephone or video because of their health condition, in particular those not entitled to UC, will be prioritised when we are able to safely resume face to face assessments.

The health and safety of our claimants and staff is our key priority. As a result, all face to face assessments for sickness and disability benefits have remained suspended since March 2020.

We are assessing as many people as we are able to on paper evidence or via telephone assessments. Individuals invited for a telephone assessment are encouraged to inform their assessment provider of any additional requirements they may have, and the provider will endeavour to meet any reasonable requests. This is explained to the individual in the initial invitation letter for all telephone assessments. For example, companions are able to join a telephone assessment, as they could for a face to face assessment.

There will be some claimants for whom unfortunately there is insufficient evidence to make a decision on paper and who are unable to undertake a telephone assessment because of their health condition. We continue to develop and implement ways in which we can safely assess these individuals. For example, we are currently testing ways of supporting claimants with speech and hearing difficulties to safely participate in telephone assessments and continue to test video assessments. Claimants who we are unable to assess by telephone or video because of their health condition, in particular those not entitled to UC, will be prioritised when we are able to safely resume face to face assessments.

Yes - claimants who were previously in receipt of legacy benefits who migrated to and were awarded Universal Credit can re-apply for Universal Credit if that award has ended. Universal Credit will then be re-awarded if they meet the conditions of entitlement.

The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

In England, children of armed forces personnel are supported by mainstream National Health Service mental health services.

They also have access to support via the veterans mental health Transition Intervention and Liaison Service and Complex Treatment Services, who offer health assessments and signposting to local services.

To improve this offer, NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently preparing an England wide engagement to seek the views of armed forces families to help inform care and support for this group.

In England the National Health Service continuously reviews the services it provides. Veterans are able to access all mainstream NHS services as well as the dedicated veteran specific services NHS England and NHS Improvement have set up. The assurance and quality of all NHS services is undertaken by the Care Quality Commission.

As a result of this ongoing review and feedback from veterans, their families and Service Charities, NHS England and NHS Improvement established two dedicated veteran’s mental health services, Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service and the Complex Treatment Service. NHS England and NHS Improvement are also in the process of developing a High Intense Service to help those individuals nearing crisis.

The UK Government is committed to supporting the UK agricultural industry and restoring all exports of pork products to China. In July I [Minister Adams] met representatives from the relevant UK companies, and we understand that a number of companies, from a range of countries, share similar concerns. Foreign Secretary raises trade issues whenever he speaks to State Councillor Wang Yi, including most recently on 19 August. I [Minister Adams] made representations to the Chinese Ambassador on 8 September. In addition, the Secretary of State for International Trade and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have each written to their Chinese counterparts. Finally, Her Majesty's Ambassador to China and officials in the British Embassy in Beijing have lobbied repeatedly on this issue.

The Loan Charge was introduced to draw a line under the historic use of disguised remuneration (DR) schemes which paid income in the form of loans via third parties, often offshore trusts.

When announced at Budget 2016, the Loan Charge formed part of a package estimated to yield more than £3.2 billion over five years. The forecast was last revised at Spring Statement 2022, with the latest estimated overall Exchequer yield of £3.4 billion for the entire package, which includes the Loan Charge.

There has already been an independent review of the Loan Charge. The Independent Loan Charge Review, led by Lord Morse, assessed the impact of the policy on affected taxpayers. The Government accepted all but one of the Review’s 20 recommendations and changes resulting from the review have reduced the Exchequer yield by an estimated £620 million.

Any loss of life is a tragedy, and HMRC takes issues relating to loss of life or serious injury extremely seriously. HMRC has made ten referrals to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in relation to individuals who have sadly taken their lives and have used DR schemes. In the eight concluded cases, the investigations found no evidence of misconduct by any HMRC officer. Individuals affected by the Loan Charge are supported by HMRC’s Extra Support teams. These are teams of specialist trained advisors who, where appropriate, signpost taxpayers to specialist Voluntary and Community organisations. To further strengthen the support offered to taxpayers, HMRC and Samaritans are currently working together to deliver an 18-month project.

On 9 January, the government announced that it would be launching a new energy support scheme for businesses, charities and the public sector. This will help those locked into contracts signed before recent substantial falls in the wholesale price manage their costs and provide others with reassurance against the risk of prices rising again.

The new Energy Bills Discount Scheme will provide all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users across the UK with a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024, following the end of the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

It will also provide businesses in sectors with particularly high levels of energy use and trade intensity with a higher level of support.

The new scheme strikes a balance between supporting businesses for a further 12 months, from April 2023 to March 2024, and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion. This provides long term certainty for businesses and reflects how the scale of the challenge has changed since September last year.

Further information on the scheme can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bills-discount-scheme

Provisions for the indexation of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions by Public Service Pension Schemes, including for the period from 2016 to 2019, are set out in Directions made by HM Treasury under section 59A of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975. These provide for the full indexation of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions earned as part of a public service pension in circumstances where those Guaranteed Minimum Pensions are not increased through the State Pension. The latest Section 59A direction is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/975793/Treasury_Direction_30.03.2021_FINAL.pdf

An individual’s National Insurance record is a living entity that can be updated at any time through routine ‘business as usual’ reviews or if additional information is received from Pension Scheme Administrators and/or employers. Any of these updates to the National Insurance record could result in a change to the Guaranteed Minimum Pension value held on HMRC records.

The Barnett formula has been applied to spending on Crossrail as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. Crossrail is classified as local transport, which is devolved in Scotland, so spending on Crossrail feeds through into Barnett-based funding for the Scottish Government.

The Barnett formula determines changes in the Scottish Government’s funding, not the overall funding, and is applied at departmental level at Spending Reviews. Barnett consequentials don’t therefore reflect the funding provided to the Scottish Government in relation to specific programmes or projects.

The Block Grant Transparency publication sets out the breakdown of Barnett consequentials for the Scottish Government.

HMRC is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website: www.uktradeinfo.com. From this website, it is also possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table.

Potash falls within commodity code chapter heading 281520: ‘Sodium hydroxide “caustic soda”, potassium hydroxide “caustic potash”; peroxides of sodium or potassium’. Forms of potash are also used in fertilisers and fall within commodity code chapter heading 3104. The full commodity code would depend on the specific compounds of the potash.

A data table showing the volumes of potash and fertilisers containing potash that were imported into the UK in the last six months compared to the last three years is provided separately.

Since 25 February 2021, employees can check if their employer made a CJRS claim on their behalf for periods from December 2020 onwards through their online Personal Tax Account (PTA). Details of CJRS claims are updated monthly in PTAs.

If an employee thinks their employer is incorrectly claiming for them, they should talk to their employer about this in the first instance to rectify this if they feel comfortable doing so.

Anyone who suspects a fraudulent claim has been made can report it to HMRC’s Fraud Hotline. HMRC operates a Fraud Hotline service which allows members of the public to submit allegations of fraud relating to all of its COVID-19 schemes, including CJRS. The public can access this reporting service by searching 'report tax fraud' on GOV.UK or, for urgent and time critical matters, by telephone on 0800 788 887, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. HMRC encourages the public to use its online form wherever possible as it remains the most efficient way of informing HMRC of potential wrongdoing.

HMRC will check claims made through the scheme. Payments may be withheld or need to be repaid in full to HMRC if the claim is based on dishonest or inaccurate information or found to be fraudulent.

The Northern Ireland Protocol entails some new administrative processes for traders, notably new digital import declaration requirements and digital safety and security information for goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. Processes are fully digital and eligible to be facilitated by the Trader Support Service (TSS). There are no export or exit declarations needed for goods leaving Great Britain for Northern Ireland.

The TSS is a free, optional service which supports all businesses affected by the Protocol. It can complete declarations on behalf of traders so that they do not need to engage directly with new digital customs systems or processes and in most cases traders will not need their own XI EORI number. Traders can register by going to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/trader-support-service.

As well as the TSS, the Government has provided a range of support for traders affected by the Protocol, including:

• Publishing a suite of new guidance to support Great Britain and Northern Ireland businesses engaging in new processes under the Protocol.
• Creating the Movement Assistance Scheme, which provides support to traders moving agri-food commodities and equines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
• Creating a £20 million SME Brexit Support Fund to support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) adjust to new customs, rules of origin, and VAT rules.
• Implementing a range of other support schemes, including the General Export Facility guarantee scheme aimed at SMEs, which means the Government can provide an 80% guarantee on financial support from lenders to help with general exporting costs, up to the value of £25 million.
• Implementing the UK Trader Scheme, which ensures that authorised traders do not pay tariffs on the movement of goods into Northern Ireland from Great Britain, where those goods can be shown to remain in the UK customs territory.
• Permitting waivers for duty on goods that traders bring into Northern Ireland from Great Britain that would normally be charged ‘at risk’ tariffs, up to a maximum allowance of €200,000 over three tax years.
• A temporary extension of the period in which traders who do not have a fixed place of business in Northern Ireland can be authorised to declare their goods “not at risk” until 1 November 2021, providing they meet all other UK Trader Scheme eligibility requirements.
• Establishing a specific taskforce working with businesses across Northern Ireland and Great Britain on issues related to the Protocol.

The Exchequer cost of the temporary reduced rate of VAT for hospitality, accommodation and attractions until 31 March 2021 was set out at Spending Review 2020. The estimated cost is £2,540m, as shown in Table 1.1: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2020-documents.

This costing has been certified by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

The actual cost to date is not available owing to the lags in VAT reporting, and the final cost will depend on the level of demand and the extent of restrictions during the period of the relief.

For over a year, the Government has been working to help businesses to understand and prepare for their new obligations, including customs paperwork for export to the EU. The Government will continue to assess carefully how traders are adapting to the new customs arrangements over the next few weeks and months.

The Government undertook significant readiness activity prior to 1 January, identifying key customer groups and delivering a high volume of targeted communications and engagement, including sending over 11 million letters and emails and hosting 50 webinars with over 30,000 attendees to date, preparing businesses for the new rules.

Through the cross-Government campaign since August the Government has reached 41m adults (15+) and 16m business decision makers through radio, and 18m adults (15+) and 3.5m business decision makers through print and digital articles, promoting key readiness messaging for importers and exporters.

The Government will continue to run this comprehensive engagement campaign with regular (and increasingly directive) letters to VAT registered traders, targeted phone calls and emails, events, webinars and video tutorials. Regular engagement with business representative organisations and devolved governments continues, with emphasis on trader readiness.

As well as providing extensive communications and guidance helping traders, the Government has made available grants of up to £1,000 per organisation for any importer and or exporter who is new to customs to support the cost of customs training. The grants have in particular helped small businesses to understand customs processes and to provide accurate information to intermediaries; for example, for entries into declarants’ records.

Recognising the impact of coronavirus on businesses’ ability to prepare, the Government has taken the pragmatic and flexible decision to introduce new border controls in three stages up until 1 July 2021, giving industry extra time to adjust to the new procedures. The priority from 1 January is reminding traders and the border industry about staged controls for imports and other temporary contingency milestones and supporting them to embed the new processes.

The Government will continue to provide support for the rest of this year.

The Government recognises the challenging times facing the coach sector as a result of Covid-19, and firms experiencing difficulties are able to draw upon the unprecedented package of cross-economy measures the government has put in place, including Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and tax deferrals. These measures have been designed to ensure that firms of any size receive the help they need to get through this difficult time.

As part of my regular engagement with industry leaders, I recently met with representatives of the coach sector to better understand their situation. I encourage the sector to continue to engage with the Department of Transport on the matters discussed.

HMRC have been in contact with Mr Doogan’s office in relation to these letters and are now working on their response as a priority. There has been a delay caused by the letters being sent to an incorrect email address.

The Treasury responded to the member’s letter on 9 October 2020.

The HMRC Director responsible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, Paul Riley, duly replied to the Honourable Member’s letter on 18 September 2020. HMRC apologise for the delay in responding.

VAT is a broad based tax on consumption and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services.

Relief from the standard rate is already available on the sale and installation of certain energy-saving materials such as insulation, draught stripping and solar panels if certain conditions are met.

Although there are no plans to extend the scope of the relief already in place, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

A temporary zero-rate of VAT applies to sales of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for protection from infection from 1 May 2020 until 31 July 2020. The temporary relief has been introduced as an urgent response to the coronavirus emergency. Its main objective is to relieve businesses, particularly in the healthcare and residential care sectors, of the burden of tax on essential infection protection equipment needed to deal with the emergency.

All taxes are kept under review and Government will reassess the situation in the future.

HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.

Our priority will always be to keep our communities safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove those with no right to remain in the UK.

For commercial reasons, we are unable to disclose the name of our contractor for this operation. Charter flight operations are an important means to remove individuals with no right to remain in the UK where there are limited scheduled routes. We manage the charter programme flexibly, balancing it with use of scheduled flights to best respond to operational needs. Costs for individual flights will vary based on a number of different factors and are regularly reviewed to ensure that best value for money is balanced against the need to remove those individuals with no right to remain in the UK.

The endless merry go round of late legal claims – which are often unfounded or without merit – can result in people being removed from flights at the last minute. However, our New Plan for Immigration will stop the abuse of the system and expedite the removal of those who have no right to be here.

Unaccompanied minors are only eligible under the Homes for Ukraine scheme if they are reuniting with a parent or legal guardian in the UK – this is outlined in the Immigration Rules.

Data on the number of people issued under Homes for Ukraine can be found on the GOV.UK webpage: Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Unaccompanied minors are only eligible under the Homes for Ukraine scheme if they are reuniting with a parent or legal guardian in the UK – this is outlined in the Immigration Rules.

Data on the number of people issued under Homes for Ukraine can be found on the GOV.UK webpage: Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

As part of extending the Seasonal Worker visa route until the end of 2024, we have followed through on the recommendation made by the Migration Advisory Committee in their report of September 2018, which stated:

‘If a seasonal agriculture worker scheme was introduced we recommend that employers pay a higher minimum wage in return for the privileged access to labour this scheme would give the sector in order to encourage increases in productivity.’

The Government has introduced a minimum hourly rate of pay for the Seasonal Worker route as part of a wider package of work being jointly delivered with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, seeking to ensure the welfare of participating migrant workers, and in particular to reduce the risks of debt bondage.

The Government published a review of the seasonal worker route on 24 December 2021, that clearly set out the types of migrant welfare issues we have identified within this route. The Director of Labour Market Enforcement has also flagged the agriculture sector, and specifically seasonal workers, as presenting a high risk for labour marker exploitation.

It is not the purpose of the UK immigration system to provide UK growers with a guaranteed source of cheap labour, or to perpetuate conditions which would not be acceptable to resident workers. The increase in the wage required from National Minimum Wage to £10.10 per hour is reasonable and necessary in order to ensure these vulnerable workers are receiving fair remuneration for their work.

As part of extending the Seasonal Worker visa route until the end of 2024, we have followed through on the recommendation made by the Migration Advisory Committee in their report of September 2018, which stated:

‘If a seasonal agriculture worker scheme was introduced we recommend that employers pay a higher minimum wage in return for the privileged access to labour this scheme would give the sector in order to encourage increases in productivity.’

The Government has introduced a minimum hourly rate of pay for the Seasonal Worker route as part of a wider package of work being jointly delivered with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, seeking to ensure the welfare of participating migrant workers, and in particular to reduce the risks of debt bondage.

The Government published a review of the seasonal worker route on 24 December 2021, that clearly set out the types of migrant welfare issues we have identified within this route. The Director of Labour Market Enforcement has also flagged the agriculture sector, and specifically seasonal workers, as presenting a high risk for labour marker exploitation.

It is not the purpose of the UK immigration system to provide UK growers with a guaranteed source of cheap labour, or to perpetuate conditions which would not be acceptable to resident workers. The increase in the wage required from National Minimum Wage to £10.10 per hour is reasonable and necessary in order to ensure these vulnerable workers are receiving fair remuneration for their work.

The Home Office is not aware any applications to the Homes for Ukraine scheme have been lost.

We have received thousands of applications for the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme and in just five weeks, over 71,000 visas have now been issued so people can rebuild their lives in the UK through the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine.

The Home Office is not aware any applications to the Homes for Ukraine scheme have been lost.

We have received thousands of applications for the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme and in just five weeks, over 71,000 visas have now been issued so people can rebuild their lives in the UK through the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine.

The Home Office does not provide accomodation to migrants to the UK.

The Home Office does though have a statutory obligation to provide accommodation and other support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their application for asylum is being considered.

The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts.

We do not publish a breakdown of costs of our accommodation & support contracts by location or property type as such detail is considered commercially sensitive.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme was launched on 14 March 2022 by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Information on the scheme can be found at:

Homes for Ukraine: guidance for councils - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Given the very difficult circumstances in Afghanistan, we cannot pursue cases concerning Afghan people in country in the usual ways. The Home Office logged all the cases but will not be providing individual replies.

Instead, please signpost individuals to gov.uk to check for the latest information about Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy: further information on eligibility criteria and offer details - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) (Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

Hemp products containing controlled cannabinoids are unlawful unless accompanied by the requisite Home Office licence and Border Force may seize and destroy them.

The only hemp items which can be imported without a licence are those which are not controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act and derived from the fibre and seed of low THC EU approved seed varieties.

The Home Office does not provide ongoing updates regarding the consideration of specific sponsor licence applications. Any organisation applying for a sponsor licence will be notified of the outcome once their application has been fully considered.

The Home Office has established processes for managing the quotas granted to scheme operators.

We will continue to closely monitor uptake as the year progresses

I am sorry for the delay in responding. All correspondence related to the case of Mr Osime Brown is presently on hold awaiting medical reports. A response to your enquiry will be made once enquiries are complete.

A response was sent to the Hon. Member on 28 September 2020.

Information on our immigration routes with service standards and whether they have been processed against these standards is available as part of our transparency data, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration

The Government has committed to continue the Seasonal Workers Pilot and in our election manifesto we set out plans to increase the scheme to 10,000 places following the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Details will be set out in due course.

I can confirm the UK F-35B Lightning fleet has not been experiencing system cooling problems.

The Government has accepted in principle the vast majority of the report's recommendations and, whilst we agree with the intent behind them, there are a number we will deliver in a slightly different way to that described in the report. We will set out these differences when we publish, in due course, the Government's full response to the review.

The essential criteria used by the Ministry of Defence to determine whether a potential wind farm development is acceptable in the area surrounding the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array is turbine locations, hub height, and rotor diameter. There is also a 10km exclusion zone around the Array.

For now, the focus is on bringing together the information we hold about the Government estate into one place. This work is being coordinated by the Office for Government Property.

Surveys are currently being conducted on all buildings which may have been constructed using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

We take safety extremely seriously and, based on our current information, RAAC has not traditionally been used by the MOD in the construction of domestic structure, and it is therefore highly unlikely that any Service Family Accommodation is affected. The majority of Single Living Accommodation was not constructed during the review period.

For now, the focus is on bringing together the information we hold about the Government estate into one place. This work is being coordinated by the Office for Government Property.

Surveys are currently being conducted to identify buildings which may have been constructed with RAAC on Ministry of Defence (MOD) land.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation Infrastructure Management System has been used to determine what Ministry of Defence (MOD) buildings might potentially contain Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) material, based on the period in which they were constructed and their construction type. HMNB Clyde including Coulport has been included within the assessments to ascertain if they have been constructed with RAAC.

For now, the focus is on bringing together the information we hold about the Government estate into one place. This work is being coordinated by the Office for Government Property.

Surveys are currently being conducted on all buildings which may have been constructed using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

We take safety extremely seriously and, based on our current information, RAAC has not traditionally been used by the MOD in the construction of domestic structure, and it is therefore highly unlikely that any Service Family Accommodation is affected. The majority of Single Living Accommodation was not constructed during the review period.

For now, the focus is on bringing together the information we hold about the Government estate into one place. This work is being coordinated by the Office for Government Property.

Surveys are currently being conducted on all buildings which may have been constructed using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

We take safety extremely seriously and, based on our current information, RAAC has not traditionally been used by the MOD in the construction of domestic structure, and it is therefore highly unlikely that any Service Family Accommodation is affected. The majority of Single Living Accommodation was not constructed during the review period.

The five Airbus H135 aircraft, previously procured for Project MATCHA, are currently being maintained in an airworthy state at Royal Air Force Shawbury awaiting a Defence decision on their disposal.

The requested data prior to 2008 predates the centralised Joint Personnel Administration System, and it is therefore taking time to investigate if data can be provided to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the investigations are complete, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

The definition of the scope of activity within the defence nuclear enterprise is planned to be agreed by the end of September. The financial reporting against this definition will be published at Supplementary Estimates early next year.

The Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy recognise the factors identified in the report and its recommendations, with work already undertaken to address them.

Significant improvements have been made to the Air Safety Management System and overriding Joint embarked safety culture; recent exercises aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth have provided first-hand evidence of the positive progress made.

The UK has provided considerable equipment and training to Ukraine to improve their ability to clear mines. This has included over 1,500 sets of both vehicle-mounted and 'on-the person' mine clearing and explosive ordnance disposal equipment, including necessary training.

The UK is also currently delivering counter explosive training to Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and training Ukrainian Navy personnel to conduct mine countermeasure activity at sea.

Several mine clearance capabilities are also under consideration for inclusion in the next package of support from the International Fund for Ukraine. This package is subject to review and approval by the multinational Executive Panel which oversees the Fund.

Recruitment of Ministry of Defence Police officers targets locations facing the most acute recruitment challenges and uses a variety of outreach methods including social media, events and briefings. The terms and conditions of Ministry of Defence Police officers are subject to regular review including locational and other allowances. Feedback from exit interviews informs consideration of monetary and non-monetary steps to support retention.

Security at Defence sites is provided by a range of guarding and policing providers, including the Ministry of Defence Police. We are in the process of reviewing the way we provide policing at Defence sites, but the safety and security of our people and assets will remain at the heart of any recommendations.

The Veterans' Recognition Scheme has a two-phase rollout. Phase one is complete; with all Service leavers since December 2018 automatically receiving a recognition card as part of the discharge process.

Phase two aims to extend access to the recognition card scheme to veterans who left their service before December 2018. The Government remains committed to delivering recognition cards to veterans and will begin issuing cards by the end of this year. The MOD is currently determining how best to achieve this, working with veterans and other stakeholders.

As phase two has not yet launched, no cards have been issued to any veterans who left Service prior to December 2018.

The Armed Forces have no plans to raise the minimum age of recruitment. All recruitment into the UK military is voluntary and no young person under the age of 18 years may join our Armed Forces unless their application is accompanied by the formal written consent of their parent or guardian. We take the duty of care towards all recruits seriously, in particular those under 18 years of age. We have robust, effective and independently verified safeguards in place to ensure that under-18s are cared for properly.

Service personnel aged under 18 are not deployed on hostile operations outside the UK or on any operations where they could be exposed to hostilities. All new recruits, regardless of age, can discharge within their first three to six months of service.

Our policies on under-18s in Service comply with national and international law. In addition to the comprehensive welfare system that is in place for all Service personnel we remain fully committed to meeting our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and have taken steps to bestow special safeguards on young people under the age of 18.

The provision of education and training for 16-year-old school leavers provides a route into the Armed Forces that complies with Government education policy and offers a significant foundation for emotional, physical and educational development throughout an individual's career. All recruits aged under 18 receive key skills education in literacy and numeracy, should they need it, and all are enrolled in apprenticeships. The Armed Forces remain the UK's largest apprenticeship provider, equipping young people with valuable and transferable skills for life. Over 95% of all recruits, no matter what their age or prior qualifications, enrol in an apprenticeship each year. The Armed Forces offer courses in a wide range of skills, such as engineering, information and communications technology, construction, driving, and animal care. Ofsted regularly inspects our care of newly joined young recruits, and we are very proud of the standards we achieve.

The £3 billion uplift announced for the Defence Nuclear Enterprise in the Spring Statement now forms part of its overall funding allocation for the next two years. Funding will be managed routinely through the Department’s in year financial processes and allocated to nuclear projects in accordance with Departmental priorities.

The United Kingdom (UK) approved participation in the United States (US) led Life Extension programme to enable Trident II D5 missiles to remain in service until at least the 2040s at a cost of £320.5 million. To maintain the shared inventory with the US, the UK additionally participates in other missile related programmes to sustain key components and extend the service life of the boost rocket motors at a cost of £140 million and £361 million respectively, taking the total cost to £821.5 million.

The cost of the Replacement Warhead Programme up to 31 March 2022 (the last audited accounts) was £127 million.

The Ministry of Defence continues to process ARAP applications at pace thanks to the recruitment of more caseworkers and improved systems and processes. In the first half of 2023, we have issued over 29,000 eligibility decisions and we aim to process all outstanding initial applications by August 2023.

If the hon. Member would like an update on a specific case, I will happily provide one via correspondence.

It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Members question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

In collaboration with HM Treasury, the Ministry of Defence is in the process of establishing a definition of the nuclear enterprise for reporting purposes that will encompass the majority of the Ministry of Defence nuclear spend. This spend will form a separate line in the department’s Supply Estimates.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor (Alex Chalk) on 22 March 2023 to Question 168002 to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (John Healey).

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 21 June 2023, to Question 189997.

The six percent figure was calculated for the Defence White Paper “The Future of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent” in December 2006.

Due to restructuring of both the Submarine Enterprise and the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, an equivalent comparison is not available.

The Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) comprises a range of interdependent programmes to support, maintain and renew the United Kingdom’s independent nuclear deterrent as well as the decommissioning and disposal activities for defence nuclear capabilities when they leave service.

These activities are spread across many budgetary areas and have not previously been reported as total DNE. From financial year 2023-04 we will report the majority of DNE nuclear spend as a separate line in the department’s Supply Estimates.

We are proud of our LGBT+ veterans and grateful for their service in defence of our nation. The Government is committed to listening to veterans and improving our services to them.

The experiences detailed in the Northumbria University and Fighting with Pride report do not represent what Defence stands for, and it will always be deeply regrettable that any of our personnel were subjected to such treatment.

Whilst the research report from Northumbria University and Fighting With Pride provides helpful context to the lived experience of LGBT Veterans, the government is committed to considering the findings and recommendations in Lord Etherton’s LGBT Veterans Independent Review. The government will publish Lord Etherton’s review shortly and respond to its recommendations as soon as it can.

The attached supporting Table 1 details the average (mean) length of service of trained and trade-trained UK Regulars on exit from service in years. It shows the average length of service attained for individuals who left service in each of the years 1992, 2002, 2012 and 2022. The data for 1992 and 2002 is not available.

Supporting Table 2 details the average (mean) length of service (in years) attained by trained and trade-trained UK Regulars who were still serving as at current strength 1 January 2023 and also by individual Service.

The attached supporting Table 1 details the average (mean) length of service of trained and trade-trained UK Regulars on exit from service in years. It shows the average length of service attained for individuals who left service in each of the years 1992, 2002, 2012 and 2022. The data for 1992 and 2002 is not available.

Supporting Table 2 details the average (mean) length of service (in years) attained by trained and trade-trained UK Regulars who were still serving as at current strength 1 January 2023 and also by individual Service.

I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Personal taxation is a matter for HMRC. However, this Department provides financial support to mitigate financial disadvantage that Service personnel may face, in addition to core pay and X-Factor. This includes overseas private vehicle provision which assists Service personnel with the costs of accessing a vehicle overseas.

Expense and allowance policy is kept under constant review and where evidence of new, persistent and common disadvantage is identified, options are considered in the context of the tax implications both for individual Service personnel and the Department.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided to his Question 186133 on 25 May 2023.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor provided to Question 172329 on 28 March 2023.

The decision on how many SSN-AUKUS submarines will be required is yet to be determined, it is therefore too early to provide a cost estimate for the programme at this stage.

The decision on how many SSN-AUKUS submarines will be required is yet to be determined, it is therefore too early to provide a cost estimate for the programme at this stage.

It is too early to provide cost estimates for the Replacement Warhead Programme as much will depend on the eventual design requirements, and information relating to the programme may be subject to commercial and national security constraints. Cost estimates and funding arrangements for the programme will be considered at the next spending review.

It is too early to provide cost estimates for the Replacement Warhead Programme as much will depend on the eventual design requirements, and information relating to the programme may be subject to commercial and national security constraints. Cost estimates and funding arrangements for the programme will be considered at the next spending review.

HMS Victorious' Long Overhaul Period and Refuel started in January 2005 and was completed after three years and eight months. Information on the cost is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Whilst HMS Vanguard has left His Majesty's Naval Base Devonport, the upkeep project continues with post refit sea trials. I am withholding the estimated cost as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

The table below shows the budget allocation for infrastructure at HM Naval Base Clyde over the period up to financial year (FY) 2032-33.

Over the last five financial years (FY), expenditure on infrastructure at HM Naval Base Clyde has been as follows:

The attached supporting table details the number of personnel of each rank for the three services of the Armed Forces as at 1 January 2023 which is the latest date for which the information is available.

Service personnel statistics are produced quarterly, using data at points 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October. The quarterly statistics are available at the following link.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-index

It should be noted that the rank information is updated annually as at 1 April. The next publication will be released on 22 June will contain the information as at 1 April 2023.

Of the 9,075 Service Family Accommodation classified as void in 2022, 682 were deemed to be uninhabitable due to long term damage such as fire or flood damage, or other structural issues.

The table below portrays how many and what proportion of Service Family Accommodation have been void (empty) in each of the last five years:

The Ministry of Defence does not use automated decision making in relation to procurement.

While increasing use is being made of automation to support decision-making across the single Service workforce management domains, there are no automated systems currently in service, nor any in development, that will make decisions independently of human intervention. Automated support is streamlining many of the labour-intensive processes which historically have denuded the capacity of single Service workforce planners and managers to focus on resolving people issues as they arise. For example, recruitment processes may use some automation to inform applicants if they are ineligible for a particular role due to their age or nationality, but the system does provide contact details that can be used to discuss potential eligibility for alternative roles.

When recruiting into the Civil Service we may assess candidates using a psychometric test. Tests are taken online, and the test score is calculated from the individual's responses, which are compared with the results of a peer group who took the same test, creating a percentile. Individuals need to reach the pass mark for the test to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment.

In response to a request from the Scotland Office, Defence has deployed a Military Assessment Team to Scotland to investigate the feasibility of military assets providing a temporary replacement for the Corran ferry service. A Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) request has not been received.

The UK's Armed Forces maintain a range of capabilities with the ability to transport assets across water, including landing craft and landing rafts. These are, however, not directly analogous to civilian ferry craft.

It is taking some time to collate the information requested. I will write to the hon. Member shortly to answer his question and will place a copy of my response in the Library of the House.

The attached supporting table details the number of military personnel based and resident in Scotland by rank.

Due to resource constraints, the Ministry of Defence will not be exhibiting at this particular event. Our Doing Business With Defence Team regularly present at various regional and national trade events and meet the buyer events across the United Kingdom as part of the Department's outreach strategy.

Defence owns 34 H135's of which 29 are designated as Juno HT Mk1 for rotary wing training. The other five airframes are airworthy, but in storage awaiting a decision on whether they will remain in Defence.

Registration - Flying Hours

ZM504 - 2,764hrs

ZM505 - 2,461hrs

ZM506 - 2,950 hrs

ZM507 - 2,520 hrs

ZM508 - 2,590 hrs

ZM509 - 2,483 hrs

ZM510 - 2,056 hrs

ZM511 - 1,974 hrs

ZM512 - 2,599 hrs

ZM513 - 2,133 hrs

ZM514 - 2,511 hrs

ZM515 - 2,561 hrs

ZM516 - 2,432 hrs

ZM517 - 2,616 hrs

ZM518 - 2,579 hrs

ZM519 - 2,762 hrs

ZM520 - 2,338 hrs

ZM521 - 1,886 hrs

ZM522 - 2,101 hrs

ZM523 - 2,388 hrs

ZM524 - 2,571 hrs

ZM525 - 1,688 hrs

ZM526 - 2,691 hrs

ZM527 - 2,853 hrs

ZM528 - 1,832 hrs

ZM529 - 1,883 hrs

ZM530 - 1,975 hrs

ZM531 - 802 hrs

ZM532 - 1,477 hrs

G-CMIR - 20 hrs

G-CMIS - 32 hrs

G-CMIT - 12 hrs

G-CMIU - 10 hrs

G-CMIV - 13 hrs

Airbus Helicopters technical information details that the H135 aircraft structural design is damage tolerant and does not specify a finite approved life.

A search has found no contracts awarded by the Ministry of Defence to Infosys.

Comprehensive information on sub-contractors is not recorded centrally by the Department and as such, details of any sub-contracts held by Infosys could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The number of military personnel stationed and living in Scotland as at 1 January 2023 is 9,260. This represents 59.8 per cent of the 15,480 military personnel stationed in Scotland.

The figures are rounded to the nearest ten. Stationed figures are based on Service personnel's stationed location and not their location of residence - where personnel work isn't necessarily where they live. Personnel deployed on operations to an area away from their stationed location are shown against their most recent stationed location. The Royal Navy/Royal Marines personnel on sea service are included against the local authority containing the home port of their ship.

Where a Service person is living is based on their Primary address as recorded on Joint Personnel Administration. An individual can have a Residence at Work Address, Permanent Home Address and Out of Hours Contact Address all running concurrently. The Service person will then mark only one address as primary; this is regarded by the Ministry of Defence as their main resident address.

The number of Military personnel based in Scotland as at 1 January 2023 is 15,480. This represents 8.7 per cent of military personnel. The figures are rounded to the nearest ten and based on the stationed location of Service personnel and not their location of residence because where personnel work is not necessarily where they live.

As announced under Future Soldier, Challenger 3 will replace Challenger 2 to deliver the Army’s new Main Battle Tank capability with enhanced lethality, survivability, and mobility, able to meet current and emerging threats.

The number of Challenger 3 remains under review to ensure the Army’s Main Battle Tank fleet is sufficient to meet Defence’s needs.

The Dreadnought Class submarine build programme remains on track to deliver within the estimated budget, announced in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, of £31 billion with an additional £10 billion contingency. It is too early to provide cost estimates for the Replacement Warhead programme as much will depend on the eventual design requirements, and work is underway to agree cost estimates and funding arrangements.

The Dreadnought Class submarine build programme remains on track to deliver within the estimated budget, announced in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, of £31 billion with an additional £10 billion contingency. It is too early to provide cost estimates for the Replacement Warhead programme as much will depend on the eventual design requirements, and work is underway to agree cost estimates and funding arrangements.

When a member of the Armed Forces reaches their retirement age they receive one of the most generous pensions available in the UK. This fairly reflects the unique sacrifice they have provided their country throughout their career. Armed Forces pensions are claimed and paid in the same way no matter where a veteran chooses to live and uprated in-line with the consumer price index (CPI). The CPI rate used is the CPI headline rate for the September prior to the April adjustment the following year as announced by the Treasury. This is in line with the statutory requirement set out in the Pensions Increase Act 1971 and Social Security Pensions Act 1975.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to utilise the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) where specialist policing services and capabilities can add to the overall security effect at Defence sites and at the other locations where MDP officers are deployed. The size and deployment of the MDP are adjusted according to Ministry of Defence requirements.

MDP takes the security of Defence people, assets and sites extremely seriously. The MDP work with Defence Security and Resilience and other organisations to ensure measures utilised to provide security to MOD sites are kept under constant review and adjusted according to the threats.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to utilise the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) where specialist policing services and capabilities can add to the overall security effect at Defence sites and at the other locations where MDP officers are deployed. The size and deployment of the MDP are adjusted according to Ministry of Defence requirements.

MDP takes the security of Defence people, assets and sites extremely seriously. The MDP work with Defence Security and Resilience and other organisations to ensure measures utilised to provide security to MOD sites are kept under constant review and adjusted according to the threats.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not comment on our security arrangements on national security grounds. We take the security of our people, assets and sites extremely seriously and have robust measures in place to ensure the integrity of the Defence Estate.

These measures are kept under constant review and adjusted according to the threat, including the size and deployment of the Ministry of Defence Police who are just one of several organisations that are utilised to provide security to MOD sites.

The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) statutory powers are conferred by the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987. MDP officers have full powers and privileges of constables in any place in the UK, when exercising these powers within the places and circumstances described in Section 2 of the Act.

Service Police statutory powers are conferred by the Armed Forces Act 2006. Service Police have jurisdiction over any person subject to Service Law and any civilian subject to Service Discipline, committing an offence within England and Wales.

No. Performance awards paid to the former Chief Executive Officer of the Submarine Delivery Agency were not pensionable.

The MOD Police (MDP) Statement of Requirement establishes the strategic requirement for the MDP. It defines the specialist policing capabilities that are required to counter the main crime and security risks faced by the MOD. It provides context for the tasking and resourcing of MDP services and describes the governance framework that directs and assures the force.

Independent assurance is provided by the MDP Police Committee to ensure the MDP is exercising its policing powers and authority lawfully, impartially and meeting the standards required of a UK police force.

The United Kingdom is a sponsoring nation for the following NATO Centres of Excellence (COE):

• Combined Joint Operations from the Sea COE

• Cooperative Cyber Defence COE

• Defence Against Terrorism COE

• Energy Security COE

• Joint Airpower Competence COE

• Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence COE

• Military Engineering COE

• NATO Military Medicine COE

• NATO Strategic Communications COE

• NATO Space COE

The Ministry of Defence made payment to over 9,000 individual suppliers in financial year 2021-22. As such, details of how much was spent on equipment orders placed with the UK arms of multinational companies could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 16 November 2022 to Question 85003.

Leonardo is contracted to support Apache Mk 1, Merlin Mk 2 and Mk 4/4A and Wildcat Mk 1 and Mk 2 aircraft for the Ministry of Defence.

Leonardo is contracted to make available 26 Mk 2 Merlin helicopters to support the Merlin Helicopter Force (MHF) and 21 Mk 4 Merlin helicopters to support the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF). Leonardo is currently providing MHF with 20 aircraft. This is due to a backlog in providing Depth maintenance for six Merlin Mk 2 helicopters. This shortfall is being addressed by prioritising Merlin Mk 2 maintenance and as a result Leonardo is currently providing CHF with 22 Merlin Mk4/4A aircraft, an increase on the contracted target.

Leonardo is contracted to deliver 14 Apache Mk 1 to the Army Squadrons and is meeting this target.

Leonardo is contracted to provide a forward fleet of 24 Wildcat Mk 1 aircraft which has been met without fail during this Financial Year. Wildcat Mk 2 contracted numbers vary from month to month, dependent on the Navy's choice of when to complete capability upgrades, repairs, and trials, but the target is typically between 19 and 21. Leonardo met the requirement in most months this year.

The information needed to answer the hon. Member's question is taking time to collate. I will write to him with an answer shortly, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

The Ministry of Defence publishes information on gov.uk for all expenditure with UK commerce and industry since 2013-14. From this it is possible to extract an overall estimate of expenditure overseas, including equipment, between 2016-17 and 2020-21, which is shown in the table below.

The industry expenditure figures below are based on the location of contracted work and exclude expenditure with foreign governments. Expenditure with the US Government through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) is available from 2018-19 onwards and has been provided separately.

Orders placed in the UK may include those placed with the UK arms of multinational companies.

Figures for overall and UK expenditure can be found within Table 1 of the latest bulletin which can be accessed at the following link:

MOD regional expenditure with UK industry and supported employment: 2020/21 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

FMS expenditure data is set out in Table 9 of the statistics covering MOD Trade, Industry and Contracts 2022, which can be accessed via the following link:

MOD trade, industry and contracts: 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

There are 43 EH101 aircraft currently available for service.

As part of the Integrated Merlin Operational Support contract, Leonardo is currently working on twelve unserviceable Merlin helicopters.

Of these, nine are located at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose with the other three being at the Leonardo site in Yeovil.

There is no requirement for recruits to declare whether they have previously been excluded from school and as such this information is not recorded by the Army.

The Royal Navy operates thirty Merlin (EH101) Mk2 aircraft parented at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose, and twenty-five Merlin Mk4 aircraft parented at RNAS Yeovilton. We do not comment on the number of aircraft embarked at any specific time, as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

As part of the Integrated Merlin Operational Support contract, Leonardo is currently working on nine unserviceable Merlin helicopters at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose. Of these, eight helicopters are either undergoing or being prepared for their scheduled Depth maintenance packages, and one helicopter is undergoing a planned modification package.

The Department has made no allocation from procurement budgets for replenishment.

Where military equipment has been donated to Ukraine and Defence needs to replace the capability, funding to replenish this equipment is allocated from HM Treasury reserves, subject to their approval.

The UK is proud to be a leading provider of support to Ukraine. A wide variety of military equipment and munitions has been granted in kind to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, some provided directly from UK stocks and some procured rapidly from industry suppliers. The Ministry of Defence remains fully engaged with industry, allies and partners to ensure both the continuation of supply to Ukraine, and that all equipment and munitions granted in kind from UK stocks are replaced as expeditiously as possible. It is not possible to comment on the progress of establishing individual contracts, nor on the costs associated with those contracts, as this information is both commercially and operationally sensitive.

The UK is proud to be a leading provider of support to Ukraine. A wide variety of military equipment and munitions has been granted in kind to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, some provided directly from UK stocks and some procured rapidly from industry suppliers. The Ministry of Defence remains fully engaged with industry, allies and partners to ensure both the continuation of supply to Ukraine, and that all equipment and munitions granted in kind from UK stocks are replaced as expeditiously as possible. It is not possible to comment on the progress of establishing individual contracts, nor on the costs associated with those contracts, as this information is both commercially and operationally sensitive.

The cost of fuel forms part of wider running costs for front line commands and there has been no specific increase in allocation for fuel. The Department has not provided any instruction to the Armed Forces to reduce fuel-consuming activities as a result of the increase in cost of living.

The cost of fuel forms part of wider running costs for front line commands and should not be considered in isolation. Any potential impact from rising fuel prices will be closely monitored by the Department, as with any other pressure.

There is not a defined category of discharge from the UK Armed Forces that would automatically result in the loss of entitlement to any of the three schemes AFPS 75, AFPS 05 or AFPS 15.

The circumstances that result in forfeiture under all three schemes AFPS 75, AFPS 05 and AFPS 15 apply to serving personnel who are active members of the scheme, those who have already left and have a deferred pension or are already in receipt of pension where the pension scheme member:

(a) is convicted of treason or one or more offences under the Official Secrets Acts for which

the member has been sentenced on the same occasion-

(i) to a term of imprisonment of at least 10 years; or

(ii) to two or more consecutive terms amounting in the aggregate to at least 10 years;

(b) is convicted of an offence in connection with the service that qualifies the member to

belong to the Scheme which the Defence Council considers to have been gravely

injurious to the defence, security or other interests of the State; or

(c) has after becoming a member of the Scheme incurred a monetary obligation to the Crown

which-

(i) arises out of a criminal, negligent or fraudulent act or omission by the member; or

(ii) arises out of or in connection with the member's service in the armed forces.

There are three different pension schemes from which a Veteran could receive an immediate pension upon discharge. Details of each are below:

1. Under AFPS 75

a) If a member of the Armed Forces leaves Service at age 55 or over and they have completed 34 years Service (as an Officer) or 37 years Service (as Other Rank), they will be entitled to a Full Career Immediate Pension paid on the date of retirement.

b) If they leave Service before age 55 and have completed at least 16 years Service (as an Officer) or 22 years Service (as Other Rank), they will be entitled to an Immediate Pension.

c) If they leave Service but have not completed the required years to receive an Immediate Pension, they will become a Deferred Member and will be entitled to a Deferred pension paid at pension benefit age. This is age 60 for Service up to and including 6th April 2006, and age 65 for Service after 6th April 2006.

d) If the member is in Regular Service and leaves the Service before age 60, they might also be eligible for an ill-health pension or Resettlement Grant.

2. Under AFPS 05

a) If a member leaves the Service at age 55 (normal pension age) or over, they will be entitled to an Immediate Pension.

b) If they leave the Service before age 55, they will become a Deferred member and will be entitled to a Deferred pension paid at age 65 (pension benefit age). They might also be eligible for:

i) Early Departure Payment (EDP). An EDP Scheme aims to retain personnel in Service through to at least age 40 and to compensate for the fact that a full career to age 55 (normal pension age) or beyond is not available to the majority of personnel. The EDP is a benefit which is entirely separate to any pension you may be entitled to and, in the Public Sector, is unique to the Armed Forces.

ii) Ill-health pension

iii) Resettlement Grant

3. Under AFPS 15

a) If a member of the Armed Forces leaves the Service at age 60 (normal pension age) or over, they will be entitled to an Immediate pension.

b) If they leave the Service before age 60 (normal pension age), they will become a Deferred member and will be entitled to a Deferred pension paid at State Pension Age. If they are in Regular Service and leave the Services before age 60, they might also be eligible for either:

i) Early Departure Payment (EDP)

ii) Ill-health pension

iii) Resettlement Grant

The Department continues to monitor recent fluctuations in currency markets and has built appropriate levels of contingency and risk to protect our budget from short term volatility, including through forward purchase arrangements.

The Equipment Plan for years 2022-2032, which sets out the funding requirements, is currently due for publication later this year.

The increase in costs related to exchange rate fluctuation at the beginning of the Department's latest ten year planning period was £403 million over ten years. This has been allocated to the Top-Level Budgets in Annual Budget Cycle 23.

Location Statistics for UK Regular Armed Forces and Civilians are published annually on www.gov.uk.

The table below details the number of personnel based in each area on 1 April 2022 and has been extracted from the 2022 statistics available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/location-statistics-for-uk-regular-armed-forces-and-civilians-2022.

The following tables are the source for the data:

a) Hampshire – Table 3.8a (All MOD Personnel), and 3.8b (Regulars)

b) Wiltshire – Table 3.9a (All MOD Personnel), and 3.9b (Regulars)

c) Oxfordshire - Table 3.8a (All MOD Personnel), and 3.8b (Regulars)

d) Scotland - Table 5.1a (All MOD Personnel), and 5.1b (Regulars)

- Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent the systematic bias caused by always rounding numbers upwards (e.g. a value of ’25’ would be rounded down to ‘20’ and a value of ‘15’ would be rounded up to ‘20’.

- Additionally, totals and sub-totals are rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts.

Our surveillance comprises of a Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) at RAF Boulmer Northumberland and seven Remote Radar Heads (RRH) housing the RAF Air Defence radars. The CRC combines and actions the feeds from the radars on air activity required to defend the UK and NATO partners, whilst exchanging information with neighbouring NATO partners, Airborne Early Warning aircraft and ships. The locations of the Air Defence radars are:

RRH Benbecula, Outer Hebrides

RRH Saxa Vord, Shetland Islands

RRH Buchan, Aberdeenshire

RRH Brizlee Wood, Northumberland

RRH Staxton Wold, North Yorkshire

RRH Trimingham, Norfolk

RRH Portreath, Cornwall

The yearly running costs of each Remote Radar Head are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. This is due to the radar maintenance, and separate radome and site maintenance required at each site being subject to differing multi-year contracts which cover multiple sites. Consequently, costs cannot be broken down or attributed on a per site basis.

The data to answer this question requires input from multiple areas of Defence and would not be retrievable without incurring disproportionate cost.

In July 2016, the Ministry of Defence signed a £183 million contract for the Maritime Indirect Fire System, which will be integrated onto the Type 26 Frigates. The contract covered the design and manufacture of the first three guns as well as a training system and ammunition, sustaining 43 skilled jobs in the UK, with work undertaken at BAE Systems' sites in Frimley, Broad Oak, Glascoed and Barrow-in-Furness. The UK content of the contract is in excess of £45 million.

The Ministry of Defence co-ordinates a range of interdependent programmes to support, maintain and renew the United Kingdom’s independent nuclear deterrent. Due to this complexity of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), and organisational changes which have taken place over the past ten years, financial information is not available in the format requested. However, the National Audit Office estimated in 2018 that £50.9 billion would be spent on DNE equipment and support programmes during the period 2018-2028.

The Ministry of Defence co-ordinates a range of interdependent programmes to support, maintain and renew the United Kingdom’s independent nuclear deterrent. Due to this complexity of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), and organisational changes which have taken place over the past ten years, financial information is not available in the format requested. However, the National Audit Office estimated in 2018 that £50.9 billion would be spent on DNE equipment and support programmes during the period 2018-2028.

The in-service support solution for the Type 31 frigates is still in development, therefore we are currently unable to supply the average yearly running costs.

The Fatigue Index (FI) for the Royal Air Force's Typhoon aircraft is calculated using strain gauges fixed to 16 common locations on every airframe. It is correlated against a static test airframe to which loads have been applied to represent expected design usage. The total amount of fatigue damage applied to the test airframe is classed as 100 FI.

The values of fatigue for each of the monitored locations on the airframe are calculated by the aircraft software using proven and validated algorithms for each flight and expressed as a percentage of 100FI. A cumulative record is kept for each aircraft and flight. Individual aircraft will become unserviceable as they approach the safe-life (earliest FI value at which failure is predicted) proven by test for each location. Aircraft serviceability is continually monitored to ensure the capability of the fleet.

Tail numbers for Tranche One, Tranche Two and Tranche Three aircraft in the Typhoon fleet are given in the following/attached table: