Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of exemption to the rules preventing anyone previously sentenced to more than 12 months in custody from obtaining visas for performing artists who have had clean records for the past 10 years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Immigration Rules in this area are aligned with the long-standing automatic deportation threshold for individuals who have received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, as set out in the UK Borders Act 2007. In exceptional circumstances, a visa may be granted, but that has not been a common practice since the passage of the 2007 Act.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 16276 on Warm Homes Plan: Insulation, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) public awareness of and (b) access to loft insultation protection.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s retrofitting tool ‘find ways to save energy in your home’ (https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency), provides tailored guidance to help consumers make their homes greener and cheaper to run.
All businesses installing measures under Government schemes and initiatives must be certified to Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2030 and follow PAS 2035 standards. In the next review of the standards, the British Standards Institute (BSI), who publish PAS 2030 and 2035, will consider how to address more innovative products that do not fit within existing annexes, subject to steering group consensus.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 16276 on Warm Homes Plan: Insulation, whether the Warm Homes Plan will support investment in loft insulation protection.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will support investment in insulation, low carbon heating and other home improvements to cut bills. We will set out full details in due course.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people left the armed forces in each of the last five years, and what information his Department holds on the different types of departure.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The number of people who have left the Armed Forces within the last five years can be found in the table below, and was extracted from the quarterly Service Personal Statistics 2024 on gov.uk at the following link
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2024
12 Months Ending: | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | |
Tri Service: | |||||
Trained (RN/RM and RAF) and Trade Trained (Army) Outflow | 11,797 | 8,649 | 10,610 | 13,464 | 13,275 |
Voluntary Outflow | 7,379 | 5,268 | 5,978 | 8,400 | 8,101 |
Time Expiry | 1,854 | 1,572 | 2,026 | 2,147 | 1,960 |
Other Reasons | 2,564 | 1,809 | 2,606 | 2,917 | 3,214 |
According to the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) 2024, the top three factors increasing, or strongly increasing, intentions to leave were due to the impact of Service life on family and personal life; opportunities outside the Service and the amount of pay. Full results can be found at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-2024
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department paid in paternity pay to (a) civilian and (b) military staff in each of the last five years; and to how many fathers.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The below table details the number of people who took paternity leave for either the birth or adoption of a child in each of the last five calendar years. The amount paid to staff will take longer to compile and I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Calendar Year | Count of Civilian Person Number | Count of Military Person Number |
2020 | 306 | 2,400 |
2021 | 348 | 2,435 |
2022 | 495 | 2,299 |
2023 | 457 | 2,122 |
2024 | 420 | 1,667 |
Grand Total | 2,026 | 10,923 |
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support Armed Forces personnel with children when there is a breakdown in family arrangements.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Joint Service Publication (JSP) 770 (Tri-Service Operational and Non-Operational Welfare Policy) provides a framework for the delivery of a widely recognised and accessible support structure that secures and improves the wellbeing of Service personnel and the Service community.
Whilst JSP 770 recognises that Service personnel have responsibility for their own immediate welfare and that of their family, the Chain of Command have prime responsibility for the welfare support of those personnel under their command and their entitled families when their wellbeing is at risk. Delivery of welfare support to Service personnel and entitled family members is therefore a single Service responsibility and includes provision of welfare support to Service families experiencing separation and divorce.
JSP 770 can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_d ata/file/480979/FOI_04718-JSP_770__Final_v10-U.pdf.
In addition, the Armed Forces Covenant also ensures that support is provided to Armed Forces families. It ensures, amongst other things, that those who currently serve or who have served, as well as their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. The Covenant Legal Duty obliges certain local public bodies to have due regard to the Covenant principles when conducting functions in healthcare, education, and housing. Local authorities are subject to this legal obligation in relation to social housing and homelessness.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the reasons why staff leave the armed forces; and what the most common reasons are.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The number of people who have left the Armed Forces within the last five years can be found in the table below, and was extracted from the quarterly Service Personal Statistics 2024 on gov.uk at the following link
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2024
12 Months Ending: | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | |
Tri Service: | |||||
Trained (RN/RM and RAF) and Trade Trained (Army) Outflow | 11,797 | 8,649 | 10,610 | 13,464 | 13,275 |
Voluntary Outflow | 7,379 | 5,268 | 5,978 | 8,400 | 8,101 |
Time Expiry | 1,854 | 1,572 | 2,026 | 2,147 | 1,960 |
Other Reasons | 2,564 | 1,809 | 2,606 | 2,917 | 3,214 |
According to the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) 2024, the top three factors increasing, or strongly increasing, intentions to leave were due to the impact of Service life on family and personal life; opportunities outside the Service and the amount of pay. Full results can be found at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-2024
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of working conditions in the Armed Forces on the (a) mental health and (b) familial relations of Armed Forces personnel.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Defence considers its people to be its greatest asset and is committed to the health and wellbeing of our personnel and their families. We recognise that the unique nature of Service life can cause stress and strain.
We invest in, and act upon, mechanisms designed to understand the opinions and attitudes of Service personnel and their families. Through the annual Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) and Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FAMCAS) we gather information on the views and experiences of our personnel and their families, including topics such as morale and accommodation, which will impact on family life. The information from these surveys helps shape policies for training, support, and the terms and conditions of service.
All Service personnel can also access pastoral and welfare care from a variety of sources, including from within their Chain of Command, Service welfare organisations, contracted Social Work Services, Families Federations and, where appropriate, Service Charities. Specialist mental health support for Service personnel is also available, including on-demand digital resources, and in-person welfare establishments.
The latest AFCAS and FAMCAS data can be found at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-summaries.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has conducted qualitative research into recruitment barriers in the Armed Forces.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The new Government’s work in improving retention and recruitment is part of a package of measures aimed to renew the contract between the nation and those who serve. We are modernising and refining our policies and processes to attract, and then retain the best possible talent, highlighting that Defence is a modern, forward-facing employer which offers a valuable and rewarding career. Within this work we are drawing on qualitative research to inform decisions and steer direction, ensuring that desired outcomes are achieved in the most effective ways.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming child arrangement orders to help accommodate parents that are Armed Forces personnel on mandatory overseas deployment.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has not made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming child arrangement orders to help accommodate parents that are Armed Forces personnel on mandatory overseas deployment.
Child Arrangements Orders are determined on the individual facts of each case. The Children Act 1989, which governs applications for child arrangements orders, makes the child’s welfare paramount and presumes the child’s welfare is furthered by the involvement of both parents, where it is safe to do so, unless the contrary is shown.
In determining the child arrangements orders, the court will apply the factors set out in the ‘welfare checklist’ in the Children Act 1989. These include the ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child concerned, the impact on the child of any change in circumstances, and how capable each parent is of meeting the child’s needs.