Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that any evidence of war crimes being committed in Gaza witnessed by UK armed forces surveillance is (a) documented and (b) investigated.

Answered by Leo Docherty

The unarmed UK reconnaissance aircraft are employed solely for the purpose of increasing our chances of locating the hostages.

The UK remains committed to holding perpetrators of war crimes to account, including through our support to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UK would consider any formal request from the ICC for information and act in accordance with its international obligations under the Rome Statute and through the framework in the ICC Act 2001.

As signatories to the Rome Statute, the Genocide Convention and the Convention on Torture, the UK has a responsibility to investigate and prosecute those who have committed core international crimes.

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 deploying armed forces personnel to help facilitate the medical evacuation of civilians in Gaza.

Answered by Leo Docherty

The Ministry of Defence continuously assess medical support options in our response to the Israel/Gaza conflict.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that Armed Forces Compensation payments are processed before applicants die.

Answered by Andrew Murrison

The Ministry of Defence MOD aims to consider all claims under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) as efficiently as possible. Once officials are made aware that an AFCS claimant is terminally ill, their case is afforded top prioritisation across all stages of the consideration and notification process.

Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and are evidence-based, with the majority of evidence-gathering undertaken on the individual's behalf. Complex cases can require extensive Service and medical evidence to be obtained and investigated. Complex cases and all claims for mental health conditions require medical consideration by a Medical Adviser (MA), whose role is to provide advice and guidance based upon pre-existing medical evidence to determine the level of disablement in accordance with the relevant scheme's rules.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to (a) reduce and (b) prevent sexual harassment and assault of women serving in the armed forces.

Answered by Andrew Murrison

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 March 2024 to Question 13252 to the hon. Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood).

https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2286289/details

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed reductions in the number of civil servants on the (a) capacity and (b) efficiency of the Civil Service.

Answered by John Glen - Shadow Paymaster General

The Prime Minister’s announcement of longer term reductions in Civil Service numbers is a reiteration of the policy announced by the Chancellor in October 2023. The longer term reductions will build on the shorter term headcount cap put in place through to March 2025, and the detail of how individual organisations will be affected by the return to pre-pandemic numbers will form a key part of the next comprehensive spending review.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to increase representation of women in veteran support services.

Answered by Johnny Mercer

This Government understands that, whilst the majority of women veterans go on to lead successful post-service lives, and the challenges they face are often the same as for men, the experiences and needs of women are sometimes different.

That is why we are developing the Government’s first Women Veterans’ Strategy, which will celebrate the successes of women veterans, but will also look at specific challenges they may face, in order to better address their needs.

As well as looking at the experiences of women who have served in the UK Armed Forces, the Strategy will recognise their contribution to society and identify what further tailored support could be provided, which includes considering the accessibility of support services.

The Wee Play Place success at the Scottish Hospitality Awards 2024

Children's Hospice Week

Imperial War Museums and union derecognition

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