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 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will have discussions with her counterpart in Pakistan about the abduction of Women in Balochistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains deeply concerned by reports of human rights abuses in Pakistan, including in Balochistan. Advocating for civil and political rights is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement with Pakistan. To that end, I raised human rights issues on several occasions with Pakistan's Interior and Human Rights Ministers and Deputy Prime Minister last year. Our High Commission in Islamabad also regularly engages on these issues with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, as well as supporting a variety of UK-funded programmes promoting human rights in Pakistan. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan in accordance with its constitution and international standards.
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 Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to stop British citizens from travelling to France to participate in far right activities.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This government is bearing down on small boat crossings. We have stopped 40,000 crossing attempts since this Government came into office through our joint work with the French. We have detained and removed almost 50,000 people who were here illegally. Our pilot deal with the French means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back.
The entry and exit of citizens into/from the UK is the responsibility of border control/passenger Policy.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is monitoring far right activity by British citizens in France.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not have any specific remit in that regard.
The UK government cooperates on a regular basis with our close ally and partner France on a range of security issues.