Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on reducing the backlog of veterans' pensions affected by the McCloud remedy, including expected timelines for cases to be resolved.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
As of 3 July 2026, a total of 98,746 members across the active, deferred, and pensioner cohorts have been issued with their RSSs under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS). There remains 37,890 members who are still awaiting issuance of their RSS. Of these, 12,123 are pensioner members who left service prior to 1 October 2023.
At this stage, I am unable to provide a specific completion date for all outstanding RSSs. However, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to keeping members informed and a further update on progress and timescales will be published on the Armed Forces Pensions page. The Armed Forces Pensions page on GOV.UK provides a delivery update and outlines the revised timeline, which can be found at the following link under 'Remediable Service Statement Delivery Update':
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#remediable-service-statement-delivery-update
As the delay breaches the regulatory deadline, the MOD has reported this matter to the Pensions Regulator and is keeping them informed of our efforts to address the issue. It is important to note that all public sector schemes are facing similar challenges, and this is not a problem exclusive to the AFPS or the MOD.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to reduce processing times for veterans' claims under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Standard pension claims are generally being processed within published service standards and current performance remains high, with pension payments continuing to be made accurately and on time. The Ministry of Defence continues to work with its pension administrators to ensure Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) benefits are processed as efficiently as possible.
The Department is implementing a range of improvements aimed at enhancing service delivery, including the introduction of the Compendia Touch system to streamline case management, ongoing process improvements, and consideration of opportunities to increase processing capacity and automation. These measures are intended to improve productivity and maintain efficient processing times for AFPS members.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to take steps to procure domestic steel for alterations and additions to (a) Royal Air Force bases, (b) Royal Naval bases and (c) army installations.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Steel for our major defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers. This Government is committed to creating the right conditions in the UK for a competitive and sustainable steel industry. It publishes its future pipeline for steel requirements, together with data on how Departments are complying with steel procurement guidance. This enables UK steel manufacturers to better plan and bid for Government contracts.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of inviting representatives from the steel industry to attend the Defence Suppliers Forum.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The MOD is currently reviewing the structure, focus and membership of the Defence Suppliers Forum (DSF) to incorporate the full range of expertise and experience in the Defence supply chain. We carefully assess all potential members of the DSF on the basis of their expertise and ability to add value to the forum.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) potential merits and (b) capacity of the domestic steel industry to provide materials for the Multi Role Support Ships.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Steel for our major defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers. This Government is committed to creating the right conditions in the UK for a competitive and sustainable steel industry. It publishes its future pipeline for steel requirements, together with data on how Departments are complying with steel procurement guidance. This enables UK steel manufacturers to better plan and bid for Government contracts.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating the use of domestic steel in defence procurement contracts.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Steel is procured in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines with many defence programmes requiring specialised steels that are not manufactured in the UK.
Steel for our major defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers. This Government is committed to creating the right conditions in the UK for a competitive and sustainable steel industry. It publishes its future pipeline for steel requirements, together with data on how Departments are complying with steel procurement guidance. This enables UK steel manufacturers to better plan and bid for Government contracts.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to answer Question 17804 tabled by the Rt hon. Member for Garston and Halewood.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
I responded to the right hon. Member on 20 May 2024.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many referrals for post-traumatic stress disorder for (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force personnel were made in 2023-24.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
I am withholding this information as it is held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) with a view to its publication. The number of UK Armed Forces personnel with an initial assessment at a MOD Department of Community Mental Health for post-traumatic stress disorder by service in 2023-24 will be published on 4 July 2024 in the Official Statistic publication: UK Armed Forces Mental Health 2023-24, which will be available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/defence-mental-health-statistics-index.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to Question 21548 on Ministry of Defence: Written Questions, when he plans to answer Question 17804 tabled by the Rt hon. Member for Garston and Halewood.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
I responded to the right hon. Member on 20 May 2024.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where the cloth used to make Army uniforms is manufactured.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Information on where the cloth used to make Army uniforms is manufactured is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.