Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on parental eligibility for Neonatal Care Pay and Leave.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The department is committed to supporting employers to implement the range of parental leave entitlements available, and enabling employees to access them. This includes Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. Local authorities are not involved in determining parental eligibility for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. Employers can refer to publicly available guidance on GOV.UK to help them understand which employees are eligible for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. The guidance was created with employers and parents in mind, and government worked closely with HR professionals to make sure it is fit for purpose.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on (a) which NHS trusts provide staff with statutory paternity leave and pay, (b) which NHS trusts provide staff with enhanced paternity leave and pay and (c) levels of take up of those across trusts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold data on the uptake of these arrangements by National Health Service trusts in England.
Employing organisations are legally bound to provide two weeks of statutory paternity leave and pay where individuals meet the required eligibility criteria.
The national terms and conditions for staff on Agenda for Change, resident doctor, specialty and specialist doctor, and consultant contracts provide an enhanced paternity pay offer which uprates statutory pay to full pay where the additional eligibility criteria, as set out in the respective national contracts, is met.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on (a) which local authorities provide their staff with (i) statutory paternity leave and pay and (i) enhanced paternity leave and pay and (b) levels of take up of these across local government.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
All employers, including local authorities, are legally required to provide eligible employees with Statutory Paternity Leave and Pay, if they meet the eligibility criteria. The department does not hold data on which local authorities offer enhanced Paternity Leave and Pay or the take up of these across local government.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit health element applicants (a) had Parkinson's as their primary condition and (b) were found eligible in the last (i) three, (ii) six and (iii) twelve months.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many fast jet pilots are expected to complete training and enter front-line service with the RAF in each of the next five years.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The number of Royal Air Force (RAF) fast jet pilots that are expected to complete training and commence Operational Conversion Units is based upon the front-line demand for qualified pilots in future years. The RAF actively manage the pilot training pipelines to ensure that trainee flowthrough is kept to an optimum and meets the front-line requirements. The specific number of fast jet pilots expected to complete training and commence front-line Operational Conversion Units in the RAF in each of the next five years will not be released into the public domain as this information may provide tactical advantage to hostile forces causing operational and personnel security risks.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many fast jet pilots completed training and entered front-line service with the RAF in each of the last five years.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This information is not released into the public domain for operational and personnel security reasons.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many pilots are expected to complete training and enter front-line service with the RAF in each of the next five years by (a) aircraft and (b) service type.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This information is not released into the public domain for operational and personnel security reasons.
For each training year, the number of pilots that are expected to complete training and commence Operational Conversion Units is based upon the front-line demand for qualified pilots in future years. The Royal Air Force (RAF) actively manage the pilot training pipelines to ensure that trainee flowthrough is kept to an optimum and meets the front-line requirements.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contingency plans he has to rapidly increase the number of front line pilots in the RAF.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Contingency plans are in place to rapidly increase the number of front-line pilots in the RAF if required. Details of specific contingency plans are not released for operational and personnel security reasons.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the number of frontline fast jet pilots available to the RAF.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
In line with the Strategic Defence Review 2025, an RAF programme team is being established to revise current fast jet training arrangements and optimise capacity.
A fast jet transformation project and human performance optimisation programme are being implemented. Measures to increase the number of fast jet Qualified Flying Instructors (QFIs) at RAF Valley have also been implemented. These include agreements with the Combat Air Force for them to provide suitably qualified and experienced QFI trainees from the front-line to RAF Valley to sustain the military QFI requirement and the recruitment of civilian QFIs though the UKMFTS Training Service Partner.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average cost is of training a new fast jet pilot for the RAF.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer the former Minister for Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP, gave to Question 36613 on 13 March 2025 to the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mark Francois MP).