Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what regulations and sanctions there are related to the false written use of military rank and postnominals by non armed forces personnel.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
There is no sanction regarding anyone claiming to have a particular military rank or post-nominals, unless in the commission of fraud. The wearing of uniforms by persons not entitled is an offence under the Uniforms Act of 1894. The wearing of any rank badge or unit insignia/tactical recognition flash by anyone not in uniform would be meaningless. Any act of impersonating military personnel in pursuit of financial or other material gain would fall under the provisions of the Fraud Act. Falsely obtaining access to Departmental property, by no matter what means, might be prosecutable under the Official Secrets Act 1911; Bylaws passed under the Military Lands Acts 1892; or Section 128 or 129 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.
There is at present no sanction for anyone pretending to military rank in order to enhance their social standing.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what UK military technical support or advice is being provided to the UAE for coalition military operations in Yemen.
Answered by Mike Penning
No UK military technical support or advice is being provided to the UAE for coalition military operations in Yemen.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many army leavers aged under 25 have received (a) financial and (b) other assistance with housing resettlement in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
This information related to Under 25s is not held in the format requested.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a robust and effective resettlement system in place which utilises the highly successful Career Transition Partnership (CTP). All personnel are eligible for the CTP resettlement provision including those medically discharged, or leaving the Armed Forces due to redundancy. These free resettlement services are offered to all ranks and ages of Service personnel and offers flexible support which can be accessed two years before discharge, through to two years post discharge in order to ensure that making the transition to civilian life is as smooth as possible.
The resettlement process includes the provision of housing advice via the Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO). The past three years JSHAO statistics are given below:
| Financial Year 2013-14 | Financial Year 2014-15 | Financial Year 2015-16 |
Housing Advice Briefs Delivered | 55 | 56 | 54 |
Number of Army Attendees | No figures available | 547 | 442 |
Army Enquiries | No figures available | 258 | 214 |
Please note that it is not possible to determine the age of those who attended these briefs. Figures were not broken down by Service prior to Financial Year 2014-15.
The JSHAO provides specific housing information and advice to encourage Service personnel and their families to consider their civilian housing options at any point in their career. This is to ensure that those leaving the Services have an understanding of the civilian housing options available to them and the differing financial implications when occupying civilian housing compared to Service accommodation.
The MOD also works closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Devolved Administrations to ensure Service personnel do not experience disadvantage as a result of their military service when applying for social housing.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel received a resettlement grant after a level one medical discharge from the armed forces in each of the last three years, broken down by service branch.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
No personnel received a resettlement grant after a Tier One medical discharge from the Armed Forces in any of the last three years. When a member of the Armed Forces is medically discharged they receive a lump sum payment; there is no entitlement to a resettlement grant.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his plans are for the basing of UK armed forces in Estonia.
Answered by Mike Penning
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier today to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski).
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many available training places have been filled at the (a) Infantry Training School and (b) Army Training Regiment in all cohorts in the last three years.
Answered by Mike Penning
The number of Regular Army trainees loaded to initial training at Infantry Training Centre, Catterick, Army Training Centre, Pirbright and Army Training Regiment, Winchester is shown in the attached table.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 48291, what process his Department followed to determine whether a bid to provide specialist steel for the Successor submarine pressure hulls was viable.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The management of the steel procurement process for the Successor programme is the responsibility of the Prime Contractor, BAE Systems. The Ministry of Defence conducted a technical assessment during the BAE Systems tendering process to ensure bids met specifications.
There were four bids received in total. I am withholding details of the bidding firms as the disclosure of this information would be prejudicial to commercial interests.
Other stages of construction will include grades of steel manufactured by British suppliers and we encourage them to take the opportunity to bid.
85% of BAE Systems supply chain for the new submarines is based in the UK.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 48291, what bids his Department received for the provision of specialist steel required for the pressure hulls for the Successor submarine programme.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The management of the steel procurement process for the Successor programme is the responsibility of the Prime Contractor, BAE Systems. The Ministry of Defence conducted a technical assessment during the BAE Systems tendering process to ensure bids met specifications.
There were four bids received in total. I am withholding details of the bidding firms as the disclosure of this information would be prejudicial to commercial interests.
Other stages of construction will include grades of steel manufactured by British suppliers and we encourage them to take the opportunity to bid.
85% of BAE Systems supply chain for the new submarines is based in the UK.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what legal advice his Department received prior to the airstrike south of Deir ez-Zour on 17 September 2016.
Answered by Mike Penning
| Government Ministers did not authorise UK participation in the 17 September airstrikes. The UK does not deliberately use air power against the Armed Forces of the Syrian Government. A coalition investigation into these airstrikes, which inadvertently targeted Syrian Government ground forces, is ongoing. It would be inappropriate to comment before that process is completed. | ||||||
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Government Minister authorised UK participation in airstrikes south of Deir ez-Zour on 17 September 2016.
Answered by Mike Penning
| Government Ministers did not authorise UK participation in the 17 September airstrikes. The UK does not deliberately use air power against the Armed Forces of the Syrian Government. A coalition investigation into these airstrikes, which inadvertently targeted Syrian Government ground forces, is ongoing. It would be inappropriate to comment before that process is completed. | ||||||