Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2023 to Question 3662 on Ministry of Defence: ICT, if he will publish details of the 11 red-rated legacy IT systems.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The information held about Red Rated Systems is sensitive as it highlights potential security weaknesses within the Ministry of Defence’s IT estate. For this reason I am withholding this information.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much their Department spent on (a) current and (b) legacy IT infrastructure (i) in total and (ii) purchased in 2013 or earlier in each of the last three years.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to reducing our dependence on legacy IT systems. This is in keeping with wider efforts across Government, and in accordance with the Central Digital and Data Office’s Legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework.
As outlined in the National Audit Office report entitled The Digital Strategy for Defence: A review of early implementation in 2022, the estimated annual departmental spend on digital, which includes IT infrastructure, is approximately £4.4 billion. MOD does not routinely collect consolidated information for spending on legacy IT, and so data is not held in the format you have requested; this could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the guidance by the Central Digital and Data Office entitled Guidance on the Legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework, published on 29 September 2023, how many red-rated IT systems are used by their Department.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As of 21 November 2023, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has 11 red-rated legacy IT systems as defined in the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) Legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework.
The MOD takes the issue of the resilience of our IT networks extremely seriously, and we are driving forward with a number of initiatives to improve it. Work that has been undertaken in line with the CDDO framework includes conducting of obsolescence risk assessments for our critical systems, and creating remediation plans at pace for any of those requiring immediate attention.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 June 2021 to Question 18564 on Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund, what estimate he has made of the projected average future entitlement for members of the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund scheme through the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) seafarers are Ministry of Defence (MOD) employees and members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. The RFA does not sponsor the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund and the MOD is not responsible for any costs or entitlements associated with it.
In addition, my answer to Questions 18563 and 18564 on 28 June 2021 contained an error. It stated:
The RFA does not sponsor the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund and the MOD is not responsible for any costs or entitlements associated with it.
It should have said:
The RFA does not sponsor the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund and the MOD is not responsible for any costs or entitlements associated with it.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 June 2021 to Question 18563 on Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund, what estimate he has made of the potential future cost to the public purse in the (a) short term and (b) long term in relation to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s role as a sponsoring employer of the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund scheme.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Royal Navy is a participating employer for the Merchant Navy Pension Fund for Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) personnel who were members of this scheme prior to the RFA transitioning to the main Civil Service Pension Scheme. The fund closed to new members on 31 May 2001 and is in the process of running down.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the projected average future entitlement for members of the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund scheme through the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) seafarers are Ministry of Defence (MOD) employees and members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. The RFA does not sponsor the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund and the MOD is not responsible for any costs or entitlements associated with it.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the potential future cost to the public purse in the (a) short term and (b) long term in relation to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s role as a sponsoring employer of the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund scheme.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) seafarers are Ministry of Defence (MOD) employees and members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. The RFA does not sponsor the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund and the MOD is not responsible for any costs or entitlements associated with it.