Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton and Scott Mann

Monday 20th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mark Lancaster]

I have good news for the hon. Gentleman and, indeed, I hope for the House. In January, the total size of the Army, including trained and untrained strength, was 81,750. At the end of April, the total size of the Regular Army, both trained and untrained, had risen to 82,770. That is a rise of more than 1,000 personnel.

[Scott Mann (North Cornwall) (Con)]

17. I welcome the Secretary of State to her place. The Army is below its target strength in part because of the difficulties with and the inefficiency in Capita’s administration. What steps is the Department taking to make the joining process for new recruits easier?

[Mark Lancaster]

My hon. Friend raises a very important point. The issue is not only the application process, but the time of flight from doing that application to actually loading people onto training. I am pleased to say that there has been a recent trial in London and elsewhere looking at this very issue. We have managed to reduce the median time for that time of flight from above 200 days down to a median 109 days. That is a dramatic improvement, and it is just one of the things we are doing to speed up that process.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton and Scott Mann

Monday 18th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mark Lancaster)]

In December 2018, the Department announced the award of three competitive design phase contracts for the Type 31e frigate programme. It remains our intention to award a single design and build contract for five Type 31e ships by the end of this year. Construction of the Type 26 frigates remains under way, with the second batch of five ships to be ordered in the 2020s.

[Scott Mann]

I thank the Minister for that response. Following the Secretary of State’s recent successful visit to Plymouth, he will know of the south-west’s military shipbuilding capabilities. May I suggest that Plymouth would make a fantastic base for the littoral strike group vessels?

[Mark Lancaster]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who is an absolute champion for his constituency and the south-west. Her Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport and the south-west of England continue to be vital to the Royal Navy and, as we plan to develop a concept for the littoral strike ship, we will look at how it goes. At the moment, no decision on basing has been made.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton and Scott Mann

Monday 23rd October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mark Lancaster]

My hon. Friend makes a powerful point. Indeed, we are committed to spending at least 2% and I am delighted that we continue to do that. Slowly but surely, we are getting this message across to our NATO allies. Although only a minority of them do spend 2%, we are conscious that the direction of travel is positive.

[Scott Mann (North Cornwall) (Con)]

4. What progress he has made on implementing the national shipbuilding strategy and on procuring the Type 31e frigate.