Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the re-classification of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as a Non-Standard Occupation Group has been completed.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Discussions are ongoing to define and implement Non-Standard Occupational Group status for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Defence remains focused on delivering a resilient and sustainable workforce for the future and recognising the unique contribution of its seafarers to the defence of this nation.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the operational future of the (a) RFA Argus and (b) RFA Fort Victoria; and what the current status is of each vessel.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the right hon. Member to the response I gave to Question 106973 on 26 January 2026 to the hon. Member for Gosport (Dame Caroline Dinenage).
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-01-20/106973
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to establish the (a) hourly rate of pay and (b) annual hours of each seafarer grade at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We are already working to redefine Terms and Conditions of service for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, including salaried obligations, is already underway. This work will inform a pay and reward strategy to enhance lived experience and optimise effective and efficient capability in line with the recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current level of operational crewing is at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) maintains its vessels at the required safe-crewing levels to meet all operational commitments. Crewing requirements vary by ship class and operational tasking; however, all RFA vessels deployed on operations or held at readiness are crewed to the levels necessary to ensure safety, compliance, and effective delivery of defence outputs.
The Ministry of Defence continues to monitor RFA workforce levels closely and is taking forward a range of measures to support recruitment, training, and retention across the service. For security reasons, detailed operational crewing figures are not disclosed.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Royal Navy tasking is currently being carried out by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Royal Navy (RN) and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) operate as an integrated maritime force. The RFA is a war fighting enabler that safeguards critical national infrastructure, afloat logistics, amphibious, and aviation facilities, and its contribution varies according to operational priorities and vessel availability.
The Ministry of Defence does not record a proportion between RN and RFA for operational activity.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the current online Royal Navy recruitment campaign, how many merchant seafarers currently employed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary work a 3-month on, 3-month off schedule; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The ability to opt-in to a reduced assignment length continues to be available to all Royal Fleet Auxiliary Seafarers. As of January 2026, 10% of permanent employees have chosen this schedule. The previous detail on the recruiting site suggesting this as the default crewing model has been removed.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to compare the contractual employment conditions of Royal Fleet Auxiliary seafarers with employment conditions of crew on outsourced MoD contracts for maritime services.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As part of the continued transformation of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s workforce framework in support of Defence operational needs, the Department continues to draw upon best practice across the maritime industry, proactively engaging with stakeholders to inform future policy.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to review Gurkha pay and pensions in accordance with the 1947 Tripartite Agreement.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government holds the Gurkhas in the highest regard and deeply values their unique and enduring contribution to the United Kingdom. Their bravery, loyalty, and dedication have been an integral part of the British Armed Forces for over two centuries. The Government remains fully committed to recognising their service and ensuring they are treated with fairness and respect.
Gurkha terms and conditions of service were originally established under the 1947 Tripartite Agreement and have been adapted over time to reflect changes in the Brigade’s circumstances. Since 2007, Gurkhas have served under the same terms as the rest of the British Army, with certain provisions retained to preserve the unique identity of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
The Defence Secretary has not engaged in discussions with Cabinet colleagues regarding the uprating of legacy Gurkha pensions, as retrospective changes or enhancements are generally not applied to public service pension schemes. This principle is consistently upheld across the public sector.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ministry of Defence personnel were based in Germany on 16 October 2024, broken down by location.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The number of Ministry of Defence (MOD) Personnel, by location, as at 1 July 2024 can be found below.
Total MOD Personnel | 1,230 |
by region: |
|
North Rheine - Westphalia | 410 |
Bavaria | 70 |
Elsewhere/Unspecified | 750 |
The numbers of MOD Personnel stationed in Germany, 1 April 2007 - 1 April 2024 can be found below.
Date | MOD Personnel |
01 April 2007 | 30,380 |
01 April 2008 | 29,490 |
01 April 2009 | 26,550 |
01 April 2010 | 26,130 |
01 April 2011 | 24,710 |
01 April 2012 | 22,790 |
01 April 2013 | 20,140 |
01 April 2014 | 17,200 |
01 April 2015 | 12,870 |
01 April 2016 | 7,240 |
01 April 2017 | 5,580 |
01 April 2018 | 5,240 |
01 April 2019 | 4,410 |
01 April 2020 | 1,250 |
01 April 2021 | 1,130 |
01 April 2022 | 1,150 |
01 April 2023 | 1,180 |
01 April 2024 | 1,200 |
Notes/caveats
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ministry of Defence personnel were based in Germany in each year since 2000.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The number of Ministry of Defence (MOD) Personnel, by location, as at 1 July 2024 can be found below.
Total MOD Personnel | 1,230 |
by region: |
|
North Rheine - Westphalia | 410 |
Bavaria | 70 |
Elsewhere/Unspecified | 750 |
The numbers of MOD Personnel stationed in Germany, 1 April 2007 - 1 April 2024 can be found below.
Date | MOD Personnel |
01 April 2007 | 30,380 |
01 April 2008 | 29,490 |
01 April 2009 | 26,550 |
01 April 2010 | 26,130 |
01 April 2011 | 24,710 |
01 April 2012 | 22,790 |
01 April 2013 | 20,140 |
01 April 2014 | 17,200 |
01 April 2015 | 12,870 |
01 April 2016 | 7,240 |
01 April 2017 | 5,580 |
01 April 2018 | 5,240 |
01 April 2019 | 4,410 |
01 April 2020 | 1,250 |
01 April 2021 | 1,130 |
01 April 2022 | 1,150 |
01 April 2023 | 1,180 |
01 April 2024 | 1,200 |
Notes/caveats