Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure DragonFire’s effective operational readiness.
Answered by Grant Shapps
DSTL have conducted operational analysis of the proposed system and have confirmed with the Royal Navy that the DragonFire system will provide operationally relevant capability. An established test programme using the existing the DragonFire system will provide further evidence and validation. The programme has already commenced multiple work streams to mature Defence Lines of Development to deliver Minimum Deployable Capability.
Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of charges of (a) rape and (b) other sexual offences against people working at the Army Foundation College that were brought to trial at court-martial resulted in conviction in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The tables below show the number and proportion of charges at Court Martial of rape and other sexual offences involving people working at Army Foundation College Harrogate which resulted in a conviction.
Rape
| Number of Convictions | % of Convictions |
2019 (7 May onwards) | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 0 | 0 |
2022 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | 1 | 100% |
2024 (to 7 May) | 0 | 0 |
Other Sexual Offences
| Number of Convictions | % of Convictions |
2019 (7 May onwards) | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 0 | 0 |
2022 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | 2 | 16.7% |
2024 (to 7 May) | 2 | 100% |
Caveats:
1. JPA is a live system which is updated for retrospective complaints/allegations and therefore, data can be subject to change.
2. These figures are single service estimates only and are not official statistics produced by Defence Statistics.
3. The data represents the number of charges; it may be that more than one charge has been brought against the same person.
4. Table two shows the number of other sexual offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 or its historical equivalent.
5. People working at AFC Harrogate does not include recruits.
6. The % columns detail the proportion of convictions in relation to charges at Court Martial.
Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff at the Army Foundation College were found to have started (a) intimate and (b) otherwise inappropriate relationships with recruits in each year since 2014.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Sexual relationships between instructors and trainees have no place in Defence, or wider society, and the MOD’s zero tolerance approach ensures our commitment to providing a better working environment for our Serving personnel is met.
Fewer than ten staff at Army Foundation College Harrogate were found to have had inappropriate relationships with recruits since 2014. Due to the very small number, this will not be broken down further.
Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military personnel were waiting for dental treatment as of 1 May 2024.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
As of 1 December 2023, which is the latest available data, 17,221 UK Armed Forces personnel were categorised as NATO Category 2 and 12,283 were categorised as NATO Category 3, meaning that they require either preventative or interventive treatment to achieve optimal dental fitness. A further 21,699 UK Armed Forces personnel were categorised as NATO Category 4, meaning that they require a periodic dental examination, have an undetermined dental status, or have missing or incomplete dental records.
Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many women in the armed forces who have reported sexual violence have subsequently been (a) medically and (b) administratively discharged on medical grounds due to mental ill health in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The requested information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's assessment of companies against its social value criteria gives equal weighting to benefits that are brought (a) direct to the UK and (b) overseas.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) applies the Social Value Model to all of its in-scope competitive procurements, in accordance with the Cabinet Office Social Value Policy. The MOD ensures correct and consistent application of the Social Value Model through additional policy, guidance, training and through engagement with industry through the Defence Supplier Forum. Its application is monitored through appropriate governance, reporting and reviews.
Weightings are applied to the award criteria, and supplier proposals are assessed qualitatively not quantitively in tender evaluation. The Social Value Model does not discriminate based on where social value is delivered. However where appropriate, and having due regard to UK market access obligations to our international fair-trade agreements (FTAs), procurements may specify, within their social value requirement, the social value to be delivered in specific geographical locations.
MOD currently applies Cabinet Office Social Value rules, and further, Defence specific values. For example, the New Medium Helicopter procurement has a strong weighting for UK workshare and exportability. To ensure the maximum impact of the Integrated Procurement Model, particular in supporting the development of sovereign capability, I will be undertaking a rapid review of how MOD applies social content rules on Defence Procurement.
Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to ensure that the social value model is applied (a) correctly and (b) consistently in his Department's procurement processes.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) applies the Social Value Model to all of its in-scope competitive procurements, in accordance with the Cabinet Office Social Value Policy. The MOD ensures correct and consistent application of the Social Value Model through additional policy, guidance, training and through engagement with industry through the Defence Supplier Forum. Its application is monitored through appropriate governance, reporting and reviews.
Weightings are applied to the award criteria, and supplier proposals are assessed qualitatively not quantitively in tender evaluation. The Social Value Model does not discriminate based on where social value is delivered. However where appropriate, and having due regard to UK market access obligations to our international fair-trade agreements (FTAs), procurements may specify, within their social value requirement, the social value to be delivered in specific geographical locations.
MOD currently applies Cabinet Office Social Value rules, and further, Defence specific values. For example, the New Medium Helicopter procurement has a strong weighting for UK workshare and exportability. To ensure the maximum impact of the Integrated Procurement Model, particular in supporting the development of sovereign capability, I will be undertaking a rapid review of how MOD applies social content rules on Defence Procurement.
Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the adequacy of the delivery of contracts by external providers.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The proactive monitoring, control and management of external providers is undertaken throughout the lifecycle of Defence contracts primarily by the Department’s Commercial and Project Management officials.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence’s Strategic Partnering Programme has built long-term relationships and has increased collaboration with many of our largest suppliers to work together to address any major performance issues.
Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he provides guidance to police forces on the prioritisation of day-to-day duties over responding to medical emergencies.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civil claims for compensation which included an allegation of sexual assault of any kind have been issued against his Department in a (a) civil court and (b) tribunal in the last five years; and how many such claims were settled without a final hearing.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
This Ministry of Defence takes the treatment of women and allegations of sexual assault in the Armed Forces very seriously. In answer to both questions:
(a)150 common law compensation claims which included an allegation of sexual assault/ sexual abuse have been received in the last five years. Of these, 94 have settled out of court with damages paid. 15 have been closed with no damages awarded and 41 cases are continuing.
(b)The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.