Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much revenue has been generated through the sale of surplus military equipment via the Defence Equipment Sales Authority in each of the last five years.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) handles a wide variety of equipment, from large platforms, such as warships, tanks and aircraft, to smaller assets, such as clothing and textiles, military spares, scrap metal and office/IT equipment. DESA processes, on average, in excess of 7,000 declarations each year. A declaration may cover a single item of military equipment or a list of thousands of smaller items. As such, a substantive response covering all individual items sold over the last five years cannot easily be provided.
The number of declarations and net income from the sale of surplus equipment over the last five financial years (FY) is as follows:
| FY 2016-17 | FY 2017-18 | FY 2018-19 | FY 2019-20 | FY 2020-21 | Total |
Declarations | 7,996 | 7,547 | 7,009 | 7,324 | 6,244 | 36,120 |
Net income £million ex-VAT | 70.739 | 41.309 | 143.304 | 111.349 | 40.716 | 407.417 |
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to encourage employers to advertise the benefits of joining the armed forces reserves to their staff.
Answered by James Heappey
We work closely with employers to generate and maintain their support for the Reserve Forces. Employers can advertise the benefits of joining the Reserves to their employees if they wish, but we do not ask them to do so. Joining the Reserves cannot be a condition of employment, except where we have a contractual arrangement with a company to provide Sponsored Reserves to deliver a military capability.
Defence generates employer support for the Reserves through tailored engagement and clear communication of the benefits they can derive from being supportive. There is mutual benefit for employers and Defence when organisations are supportive of the employment of reservists. When Reservists are confident that their qualities are valued by employers, they are less likely to look for a new job with a more supportive employer.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage recruitment to the armed forces reserves from (a) Wakefield and (b) West Yorkshire.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Armed Forces recruit nationally and do not operate a specific policy of increasing recruitment from particular geographic areas. Armed Forces Career Offices are spread across the UK with approximately a dozen across Yorkshire, including in Leeds and Bradford, and are complemented by dedicated call centres and online recruiting operations, ensuring that all communities have the same recruitment opportunities. During the pandemic, the Armed Forces have conducted COVID-secure outreach programmes and virtual careers events, supported by web-based information services and social media campaigns.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage recruitment to the regular armed forces from (a) Wakefield and (b) West Yorkshire.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Armed Forces recruit nationally and do not operate a specific policy of increasing recruitment from particular geographic areas. Armed Forces Career Offices are spread across the UK with approximately a dozen across Yorkshire, including in Leeds and Bradford, and are complemented by dedicated call centres and online recruiting operations, ensuring that all communities have the same recruitment opportunities. During the pandemic, the Armed Forces have conducted COVID-secure outreach programmes and virtual careers events, supported by web-based information services and social media campaigns.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 23 March 2021 to Question 169082, whether staff in the Royal Submarine Service who are deployed on submarines for a period of longer than three months are entitled to both doses of a covid-19 vaccine prior to deployment, regardless of which JCVI cohort they fall into.
Answered by James Heappey
Defence will ensure all Service Personnel are not disadvantaged in their access to the COVID-19 vaccine, both in the UK and overseas. If they cannot safely be vaccinated with both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in line with their age cohort whilst deployed, they will be vaccinated before leaving the UK.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to encourage businesses in (a) Wakefield constituency and (b) West Yorkshire to sign the Armed Forces Covenant.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Every Local Authority in Great Britain has signed the Armed Forces Covenant and over 6,500 organisations have also pledged support. To date, over 350 organisations hold the Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Standard for partnering with Defence and our network of Regional Employment Engagement Directors continue to promote the Covenant locally.
In West Yorkshire, 148 organisations have signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant, 11 of which are in Wakefield.
The Department is always ready to work with local stakeholders and leaders to further raise the profile of the Armed Forces Covenant and encourage its adoption.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that staff in the Royal Navy Submarine Service will be able to receive a covid-19 vaccination as soon as they are eligible for that vaccination.
Answered by James Heappey
Service personnel will not be disadvantaged by Service overseas. If they cannot safely be vaccinated in line with their age cohort whilst deployed, they will be vaccinated before leaving the UK.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many covid-19 vaccines have been delivered in the Eastern and Western Sovereign base areas of British Forces Cyprus.
Answered by James Heappey
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Defence are jointly ensuring that all entitled HMG personnel overseas receive an offer of a COVID-19 vaccine in line with JCVI guidance and national timelines, in location. Defence has delivered 1,600 vaccines to the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs). A delivery of second doses is scheduled for April. Planning is underway to provide vaccines for entitled Phase 2 individuals in the SBAs in line with UK roll-out.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that members of the British armed forces serving overseas will be able to receive a covid-19 vaccination as soon as they are eligible for that vaccination.
Answered by James Heappey
No Service Personnel will be disadvantaged by their Overseas Service. Vaccines will be made available during their deployments in line with JCVI priorities or they will be vaccinated before they deploy.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to encourage members of the armed forces to take-up their covid-19 vaccinations when eligible.
Answered by James Heappey
Defence's vaccination policy for all vaccines, including COVID-19, is voluntary and administered under the principles of informed consent. Defence is delivering a comprehensive communications programme directed by its medical and scientific experts, including Q&As and engagement events, to dispel myths and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine. We continue to provide advice, both through the Chain of Command and Defence Medical Services, to address any specific issues or concerns that personnel may have.