Asked by: Douglas Ross (Conservative - Moray)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the devolved administrations make a financial contribution to the Office of Statistics Regulation.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Asked by: Douglas Ross (Conservative - Moray)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of the Office for Statistics Regulation in each of the last two years; and how many (a) full and (b) part-time equivalent staff are employed at that office.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Asked by: Douglas Ross (Conservative - Moray)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide an update on the implementation of Recommendation 30 of the 2006 Deepcut Review, published in March 2006.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Recommendation 30 of the 2006 Deepcut Review was as follows:-
"There should always be an inquest or, in Scotland, a Fatal Accident Inquiry, into a sudden death of a soldier, wherever the death has occurred".
Section 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 provides that the coroner has a duty to investigate the death of a body in his or her area if the coroner has reason to believe that the deceased died a violent or unnatural death or if the cause of death is unknown. This means that there will always be a coroner investigation, including an inquest, into the death of a member of the Armed Forces on exercises or operations, or where a death has occurred as a result of suicide or an accident, even when the death has occurred overseas and the Service person is returned to England and Wales. In some limited circumstances, for example where a death is a result of natural causes, the coroner has no jurisdiction to investigate.
Section 17 of the 2009 Act also provides that the Chief Coroner must monitor investigations into the deaths of Service personnel and ensure that coroners are trained to deal with such deaths.
Policy as to when a Fatal Accident Inquiry would take place is a matter for the Scottish Government, as this is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Douglas Ross (Conservative - Moray)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans for all Typhoon aircrafts to be fitted with a collision warning system; and what the timescale for fitting that system is.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The RAF is committed to equipping all its Typhoon aircraft with a collision warning system. Under current plans as part of a phased programme Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 aircraft will be fitted with a system by mid 2019. Studies into fitting a collision warning system to Tranche 1 aircraft are ongoing.
Asked by: Douglas Ross (Conservative - Moray)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what timetable his Department has set for the feasibility study on introducing a collision warning system on Typhoon aircraft.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The RAF is committed to equipping all its Typhoon aircraft with a collision warning system. Under current plans as part of a phased programme Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 aircraft will be fitted with a system by mid 2019. Studies into fitting a collision warning system to Tranche 1 aircraft are ongoing.
Asked by: Douglas Ross (Conservative - Moray)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on implementing recommendation 1.5.7(a) of the Military Aviation Authority inquiry, published on 30 June 2014, to equip the Tornado GR4 with a collision warning system.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
All Tornado GR4 aircraft have been fitted with the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System. This work was completed, as planned, by the end of 2016. The system is now in routine use and has been very well received by RAF Tornado GR4 aircrew.