Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress she has made towards the target of 15 per cent female recruitment to the armed forces by 2020.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
In the 12 months to 30 September 2018, 1,320 female personnel joined the UK Regular Forces, which was 10.9 per cent of the total intake.
Data on female intake into the UK Regular Forces is published twice a year in the UK Armed Forces Biannual Diversity Statistics publication. Figures up to 1 October 2018 were published on 13 December 2018 at:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/763676/1_October_2018_Biannual_Diversity_Statistics.pdf
The Ministry of Defence is working to achieve a more diverse and inclusive workforce at all levels, including through increased female representation. This work includes better understanding and greater engagement with potential female recruits; targeting recruitment campaigns; supporting candidates through the recruitment process; opening all roles within the Armed Forces to women; and enabling Service personnel to request fixed periods of part-time working, or varying their deployability, if operational requirements allow it, to better fit their service career around family life.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion recruits to the armed forces in 2018 were female.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
In the 12 months to 30 September 2018, 1,320 female personnel joined the UK Regular Forces, which was 10.9 per cent of the total intake.
Data on female intake into the UK Regular Forces is published twice a year in the UK Armed Forces Biannual Diversity Statistics publication. Figures up to 1 October 2018 were published on 13 December 2018 at:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/763676/1_October_2018_Biannual_Diversity_Statistics.pdf
The Ministry of Defence is working to achieve a more diverse and inclusive workforce at all levels, including through increased female representation. This work includes better understanding and greater engagement with potential female recruits; targeting recruitment campaigns; supporting candidates through the recruitment process; opening all roles within the Armed Forces to women; and enabling Service personnel to request fixed periods of part-time working, or varying their deployability, if operational requirements allow it, to better fit their service career around family life.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the accession of North Macedonia to the EU.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government continues to make clear to its EU counterparts that it views the EU accession process as fundamental to delivering security, stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans. We will continue to support countries committed to the accession process to meet the necessary requirements. This includes Albania and North Macedonia. As and when candidate countries have met the requirements for accession in full, it will be for those countries and European Union members at the time to decide on membership.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the accession of Albania to the EU.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government continues to make clear to its EU counterparts that it views the EU accession process as fundamental to delivering security, stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans. We will continue to support countries committed to the accession process to meet the necessary requirements. This includes Albania and North Macedonia. As and when candidate countries have met the requirements for accession in full, it will be for those countries and European Union members at the time to decide on membership.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic representations his Department has made to the Government of Belarus since recent reports of attacks on independent media outlets including the seizure of equipment and property and the arrests of journalists in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The UK is concerned about restrictions on media freedom in Belarus. We consistently raise our concerns about media freedom as part of ongoing discussions with Belarusian counterparts on human rights and democracy. UK officials raised concerns about the lack of media freedom with the Belarusian Ambassador on 3 April and stressed the importance of a free media with the Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister on 17 April. In February, our Embassy in Minsk attended the trial of the editor of the independent online media outlet, tut.by. Our Embassy is also closely monitoring the situation of the independent TV channel, Belsat, following a search of their offices in Minsk by Belarusian law enforcement officers. The UK continues to support a number of projects to promote and develop independent media in Belarus and regularly raises the need to engage with non-state media, most recently with the Deputy Minister of Information on 10 April.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made about the safety of UK citizens in Sudan.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The situation in Khartoum and across Sudan remains fragile following an announcement on 11 April that President Bashir had been replaced by a Military Council. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice was updated on the same day to advise against ‘all but essential’ travel to the whole of Sudan, in addition to long standing existing advice against travel to certain areas of the country. We advise that British citizens currently in Sudan ensure they are familiar with FCO travel advice (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/sudan) which is frequently updated. Further, they should carefully review whether their need to remain is essential, and consider leaving the country.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the safety of UK citizens who have been asked to travel to Sudan with family members as part of their visa application processes.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The FCO advise UK citizens against all but essential travel to the majority of Sudan and all travel to some parts of Sudan. They further advise that if a UK citizen is in Sudan, they should consider carefully whether their need to remain is essential and consider leaving the country by commercial means.
There is no requirement for UK Citizens to travel to another country as part of a family member’s visa application process. Furthermore, whilst some entry clearance applications should be made in the country or territory in which the applicant is living, there is discretion to allow an application to be made in another country in exceptional circumstances.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 11 January 2019 to Question 59581 on Ascension Island: Aviation, whether best biosecurity industry standards have now been made a condition of the runway resurfacing project on Ascension Island.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Yes.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the political situation in Sudan.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
On 7 April the EU spokesperson released a statement, which we fully support, on behalf of the EU High Representative calling for the Sudanese authorities to commit to a peaceful, credible, legitimate and inclusive process that will allow Sudan to carry out essential reforms. We continue to engage with EU counterparts bilaterally and in EU fora to shape an international response that delivers credibly the demands of the people of Sudan for a more inclusive and swift move to civilian rule.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with European Union counterparts on refugees in the Central African Republic.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK has held discussions with other European countries on supporting the population of the Central African Republic (CAR) including refugees hosted by CAR (1,848 Congolese refugees: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) February 2019). My officials have attended recent meetings on Bêkou – the EU multi-donor Trust Fund for CAR and its extension. We remain supportive of the Bêkou Trust Fund and its activities, which contribute to alleviating the suffering of Central Africans, and the small number of refugees hosted by CAR will continue.
The UK has provided over £111m of funding to CAR and CAR refugees in Cameroon and Chad since 2014. We are committed in our support for the crisis, affecting Central Africans in CAR and the region.