Asked by: Imran Hussain (Independent - Bradford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what name has been given to the operation of RAF surveillance flights over Gaza; and what the cost of this operation was in the period between October 2023 and October 2024.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Our mandate is narrowly defined to focus on securing the release of the hostages only, including British nationals.
We are unable comment further on detailed intelligence matters for operational security reasons.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Independent - Bradford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether information from Israeli sources has been used to inform the operation of surveillance flights conducted by the RAF over Gaza since 1 December 2023.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The unarmed UK surveillance aircraft are employed for the sole purpose of increasing our chances of locating the hostages. We are unable comment further on detailed intelligence matters for operational security reasons.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Independent - Bradford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure compliance by personnel with the Government's Principles relating to the detention and interviewing of detainees overseas and the passing and receipt of intelligence relating to detainees, published in July 2019, in the context of intelligence received from Israeli sources.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Principles relating to the detention and interviewing of detainees oversees, which replaced the Cabinet Office Consolidated Guidance, apply to and must be followed by members of the Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence employees. The Principles apply to all nations.
As part of pre-deployment procedures, Defence personnel receive theatre specific training, which includes guidance and training on The Principles for personnel who may need to apply it in their work.
If Defence personnel receive intelligence from a foreign authority that has originated from a detainee and there is a risk the detainee has been or will be subject to human rights violations, then a formal assessment of the situation is undertaken and if the concerns remain valid, Defence Ministers will consider a full range of appropriate actions.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Independent - Bradford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure compliance by personnel with the Government's Consolidated Guidance to Intelligence Officers and Service Personnel on the Detention and Interviewing of Detainees Overseas, and on the Passing and Receipt of Intelligence Relating to Detainees, published in July 2010, in the context of intelligence received from Israeli sources.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Principles relating to the detention and interviewing of detainees oversees, which replaced the Cabinet Office Consolidated Guidance, apply to and must be followed by members of the Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence employees. The Principles apply to all nations.
As part of pre-deployment procedures, Defence personnel receive theatre specific training, which includes guidance and training on The Principles for personnel who may need to apply it in their work.
If Defence personnel receive intelligence from a foreign authority that has originated from a detainee and there is a risk the detainee has been or will be subject to human rights violations, then a formal assessment of the situation is undertaken and if the concerns remain valid, Defence Ministers will consider a full range of appropriate actions.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Independent - Bradford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if their Department will publish an Ethnicity Pay Gap Report for financial year 2023-24 in line with the Ethnicity Pay Gap reporting guidance for employers published on 17 April 2023.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
As part of the Ministry of Defence Race Action Plan, Defence has committed to produce ethnicity pay gap reports, for both Defence Civil Servants and members of the Armed Forces. A report for the 2023-24 period will be produced in due course, following the end of that financial year.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Independent - Bradford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of 27 April 2021, Official Report, column 86WH, on the Government's policy on the inappropriate use by some employers of fire and rehire as a negotiation tactic, what steps their Department has taken to (a) investigate and (b) discourage the use of fire and rehire negotiation tactics by their Department's executive non-departmental public bodies; and what steps they have taken to communicate the Government's policy on those practices to those bodies.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The Government has been very clear that threatening fire and rehire as a negotiating tactic is completely unacceptable. MOD always expect employers to treat employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership working with trade unions, where relevant, constructively. The Department is confident that MOD’s non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) are aware of the Government’s position on this matter.
The Department works constructively with each of the NDPBs we have responsibility for, and this includes when it comes to workforce management matters, however each is ultimately responsible for the management of their staff.
The relationship between the MOD NDPBs and the department, is established through their Framework Documents. Managing Public Money sets out that each of the boards of the MOD NDPBs have a responsibility towards its staff for the recruitment, retention and motivation of its staff.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Independent - Bradford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what requirements his Department has set for the re-establishment of military assistance provided by the UK to Myanmar.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Secretary of State took the decision to suspend our educational training courses provided to the Burmese military on 19 September, in light of the ongoing violence in Burma's Rakhine State, the growing humanitarian crisis it has caused, and our deep concern about the human rights abuses that are taking place.
The UN Security Council has made clear that the Burmese must take immediate steps to stop the violence in Rakhine, to allow full access for humanitarian aid, resolve the refugee problem, ensure the protection of all civilians, and to implement the Rakhine Advisory Commission recommendations.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely and to press the Government and Armed Forces of Burma to implement the steps outlined by the UNSC. Only when these issues are satisfactorily resolved will we consider reinstating our educational courses.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Independent - Bradford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK military aircraft have operated in the Kunduz province of Afghanistan since September 2016.
Answered by Mike Penning
No UK military aircraft have operated in the Kunduz province of Afghanistan since September 2016.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Independent - Bradford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many NATO airstrikes took place in Afghanistan on 2 and 3 November 2016.
Answered by Mike Penning
NATO does not conduct airstrikes in Afghanistan.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Independent - Bradford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on whether any members of the Burmese army who have received training from the Government have been involved in military offensives in which war crimes have allegedly been committed against civilians.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
We do not provide combat training to the Burmese army. We do provide educational training which in 2015 included the Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context and Strategic Leadership Programmes, both delivered by the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in partnership with Cranfield University. In addition, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst delivered a Psychology of Leadership programme in Burma, and we have also provided English Language Training. We hold no information on whether any specific members of the Burmese Army who have received training from the UK have been involved in offensives in which war crimes may have been allegedly committed.