theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her policy is on which flags other than the Union flag should be flown on Government buildings to mark days of (a) national and (b) international significance; and if she will publish her Department's proposed schedule for which flags should be flown on which days in 2025. \p Stephanie Peacock: There is a standing encouragement for Government Buildings to fly the Union Flag every day, and the Ukrainian Flag on a second flagpole if they are able. Government Departments are generally free to fly whichever other flags they deem appropriate, provided they have the necessary consent from their local planning authority.

Regarding the flags flown by DCMS, a decision has not yet been taken on which non-Union flags will be flown in 2025. Over the last two years, this decision was finalised in February.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department has offered grassroots football clubs in the last 12 months. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

We are acting to support more people in getting onto the pitch wherever they live via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, which will invest £123 million UK-wide throughout 2024/25.

In Northern Ireland, funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme is invested through our delivery partner, the Irish Football Association, who invites bids from local authorities, clubs and community organisations. Application windows are currently closed. The constituency of Strangford has received a total of £513,015.98 worth of funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme.

If MPs would like to discuss investment in their constituency, or potential applicants want to enquire about future funding available, they can contact the relevant delivery partner Irish Football Association on xxx@xxx.xx.
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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of recategorising sporting events designated as listed events under the Ofcom Code on Sport and Other listed and Designated Events. \p Stephanie Peacock: The listed events regime aims to ensure many of the nation's biggest sporting events are free-to-air wherever possible while protecting competition organisers' ability to raise income from the sale of broadcast rights to invest in their sports. The government has no plans to amend the regime at this time.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2024 to Question 18400 on 10 Downing Street: Government Art Collection and to the answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 16604 on 11 Downing Street: Art Works, if she will publish a list of each of the Government Art Collection works that have been removed from the 10 Downing Street estate since 5 July 2024. \p Chris Bryant: No. It is standard practice, as followed by the previous government of which he was a member, for new ministers to select works from the Government Art Collection for their ministerial offices. All such changes of displays of works from the Government Art Collection constitute 'business as usual' for the Collection. All artworks in the Government Art Collection are on the website and their present locations can readily be searched and identified. The Collection does not publish the history of the locations of artworks.
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David Pinto-Duschinsky:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support people with gambling addiction in Hendon constituency. \p Stephanie Peacock: Those experiencing gambling-related harm in England can access specialist treatment through the NHS National Gambling Clinic and a range of support through the National Gambling Support Network.

To improve and expand the services available to tackle gambling-related harm, the Government is introducing a statutory levy on gambling operators to improve and expand research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms. This will include ringfenced funding overseen by NHS England and appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales to commission the full treatment pathway, from referral and triage through to aftercare. We will continue to work with NHS England in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh governments, as well as third sector providers, to design and deliver our approach to treatment of gambling-related harms across Great Britain.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department were hired via positive action schemes in the last financial year. \p Catherine West: All Civil Service departments work within the Recruitment Principles, as regulated by the Civil Service Commission, to recruit using a fair and open process and appoint on merit.

Departments will only limit a campaign to a specific group as a form of positive action as a proportionate response to achieve a legitimate aim as defined in section 159 of the Equality Act 2010.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds, to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department has received from the Government of Mauritius on the UK and Mauritius Joint Statement on the exercise of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago dated 3 October 2024; and whether the Government of Mauritius has proposed changes to the terms agreed. \p Stephen Doughty: The Governments of the UK and Mauritius issued a joint statement on 20 December setting out their continued commitment to finalising a treaty as quickly as possible, which will ensure the long-term, secure and effective operation of the existing base on Diego Garcia. The precise terms of the agreement continue to be the subject of discussions between both Governments.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department were hired via positive action schemes in the last financial year. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence has not hired any permanent civil servants using a positive action scheme in the last financial year.
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David Reed:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve its procurement processes to provide greater certainty for private sector defence investors. \p Maria Eagle: This Government is committed to improving the UK Defence industrial base to ensure a robust Defence sector and provide greater certainty in procurement processes. The Statement of Intent for the Defence Industrial Strategy, published on 2 December 2024, set out a commitment to prioritise UK businesses for investment, provide certainty and stability and boost sovereign capacity. As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, we will reform Mininstry of Defence procurement and acquisition processes to ensure we deliver the capabilities defence requires now and in the future, whilst reducing waste, supporting growth and ensuring compliance with our obligations under our international trade agreements.
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David Reed:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2024 to Question 17491 on National Security: Cybersecurity, whether there is a formalised process whereby his Department meets with the (a) Cabinet Office and (b) Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to discuss the (i) development and (ii) procurement of digital capabilities for national security. \p Maria Eagle: Officials from the Ministry of Defence regularly meet with officials from the Cabinet Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology through a number of Cross Whitehall meetings and boards. These forums allow Defence to feed in and engage on broader digital and national security related matters including the development and procurement of digital capabilities.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking with the Joint Civil Aid Corps (JCAC) to help improve the resiliency of the UK's civil defence. \p Luke Pollard: The Ministry of Defence engages with other Government Departments and civil authorities in the event that military aid is sought by them to respond to disruptive challenges to national resilience. Under the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) process, mutual aid and commercial alternatives must have been exhausted before requesting military support. Such engagement with voluntary groups is the responsibility of the requesting organisation.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of officials in her Department were hired via positive action schemes in the last financial year. \p Mike Kane: Seven officials have been hired by the Department at AO and EO grades via the Civil Service ‘Going Forward into Employment’ schemes in the last financial year.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will have discussions with Transport for London on mitigation of the potential impact of fare increases on commuters in London in March 2025. \p Simon Lightwood: Transport in London is devolved and decisions on TfL fares are for the Mayor of London and TfL. Department for Transport ministers and officials speak regularly with TfL on a wide range of issues impacting commuters in the capital.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of bus services in rural areas. \p Simon Lightwood: Good local bus services have an essential role to play in keeping rural communities connected. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in rural areas. The government has committed to increasing accountability by including a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services.

In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the bus fare cap on trends in the level of bus users. \p Simon Lightwood: The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.

The published interim evaluation of the £2 fare cap showed that patronage continued to recover following the COVID 19 pandemic and early evidence from the first two months of the scheme suggested the £2 fare cap may have played a role in this recovery. The final evaluation of the £2 fare cap, including a further assessment of its impact on patronage will be published in due course.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to improve public transportation to help people stay connected with communities. \p Simon Lightwood: The government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London.

We have also set out plans for the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation by delivering publicly owned passenger rail within the first term in government. The Passenger Railway Services Act 2024 will allow the government to deliver on this commitment, meaning services can be operated in the interests of passengers, not shareholders. The government will also establish a new arm's length body, Great British Railways, which will deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient services; along with ensuring safety and accessibility.

The government also launched its plan to develop an Integrated National Transport Strategy which will set the high-level direction for how transport should change over the next 10 years to better serve people and communities.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase road safety for vulnerable road users. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My department is developing our road safety strategy and will set out more details in due course.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which areas has her Department provided additional funding for to develop Mobility as a Service apps; and what the potential cost to the public purse is of this work. \p Simon Lightwood: The Transport Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme, which funds proof of concept projects to either fail fast or uncover early promise across the whole transport technology spectrum, has given funding of a total value of £289k to projects related to Mobility as a Service apps since 2024.

Local authorities receive various other streams of non-ringfenced funding which they have chosen to spend on MaaS projects, for example as part of the Future Transport Zones programme.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding for British Transport Police. \p Simon Lightwood: The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%.

The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.

The Department can, under some limited specific circumstances, support the BTP with additional grant funding such as for additional policing during periods of civil unrest.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing the Environment Agency with ring-fenced funding from the proceeds of fines placed on water companies for breaching sewage dumping regulations. \p Emma Hardy: The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the Government’s commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.

Through the new cost recovery power in the Bill, we will enable the Environment Agency to fully recover costs for the full extent of their water company enforcement activities including prosecutions and civil sanctions, revocation notices of permits and pollution incidents.

The Water Restoration Fund, which launched in April 2024, was established to reinvest water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. Defra is continuing to work with His Majesty’s Treasury regarding continued reinvestment of the water company fines and penalties on water environment improvement. A final decision on this will be made when the Spending Review concludes later this year.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) banning the use of Bovaer and (b) allowing the use of Kelp in milk products. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised milk from cows given Bovaer is safe to drink. Bovaer has undergone a rigorous safety assessment and is approved for use in Great Britain.

Regulation of feed additives and materials, such as kelp, is the responsibility of the FSA. Both synthetic and natural feed products must be demonstrated as safe for use to be added to the GB Register of Feed Materials.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 19860, Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance, whether the expected performance parameters of private sector providers have changed since these contracts were awarded. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The performance parameters of private sector providers are subject to ongoing contract management and are reviewed and, where appropriate, changed to align with the business requirements.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 19860 on Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance, if she will publish the 2023 assessment. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The assessment carried out in partnership with the Cabinet Office in 2023, was conducted in line with Cabinet Office guidance and was consistent with the options appraisal approach prescribed by HM Treasury.

The information contained within the assessment is commercially sensitive and as such there is no intention to publish the assessment as this may prejudice future procurement exercises.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the video on prisons published by her Department on 11 December 2024, what steps she is taking to ensure compliance with the (a) Civil Service Code and (b) Government Communication Service's Propriety & Ethics Guidance for Government Communicators in relation to video content posted online by her Department. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: This post was taken down from all channels on 12 December after civil servants identified the content did not meet expectations on impartiality.

The Ministry of Justice Communication Team’s usual processes for checking the accuracy and appropriateness of social media posts were not followed properly in this instance. All staff involved have been spoken to and reminded of their responsibility to uphold the Civil Service Code.

In addition to our usual mandatory training on the Civil Service Code and propriety and ethics, the Director of Communications will deliver mandatory refresher training across the Communications Directorate and all staff joining the team will be required to complete the training within the first two weeks of employment.
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial protection to victims of (a) financially coercive and (b) other controlling behaviour. \p Alex Davies-Jones: This Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade. We will use every tool within our power to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence, including domestic abuse.

The financial difficulties which cohabitants, including victims of abuse, can face when their cohabiting relationships come to an end, is a matter of concern. That is why the Government committed in its 2024 manifesto to strengthen the rights and protections available to women in cohabiting couples. The Government will set out the next steps in due course.

In relation to divorcing couples, the Law Commission’s December 2024 scoping report on financial remedies considered how conduct, such as domestic abuse, including economic abuse, is considered by the courts when making decisions about a couple’s finances on divorce. The Government will carefully consider the findings of this report.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measure her Department will use to determine whether devolved authorities have been successful in delivering employment support. \p Alison McGovern: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of not increasing Local Housing Allowance rates in 2025-2026 on families. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The decision to maintain Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates at current levels for 2025/26 considered a range of factors such as, rental data, the impacts of LHA rates, the Government’s missions and wider fiscal context and the fact that rates were increased in April.

We are also investing £1bn in funding for both the Household Support Fund (HSF) and Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) (including Barnett impacts) for 2025/26 and will be ensuring DHP funding is maintained at current levels. DHPs are available from local authorities for those unable to meet a shortfall in their rent.

We are publishing a Long-Term Housing Strategy in the Spring, to reform the housing market so that it works better for communities, to build 1.5 million high-quality homes, and deliver the biggest increase in affordable housing for a generation, this includes an extra £500m in new funding for the Affordable Homes Programme.
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Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department spent on Budgeting Loans (a) overall and (b) in each category in the 2023-24 financial year. \p Emma Reynolds: The total spent on Budgeting Loan awards in the 2023/24 financial year was £260.6 million.

A category breakdown for budgeting loans will be published in due course in the 2023/24 Social Fund annual report. This will include the breakdowns by regions, claimant group, family composition and reason for refusal by application group.

Please see for more information the 2023/24 Social Fund Annual Accounts- Social Fund Account 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK

And previous Social Fund Annual reports- Social Fund accounts and reports - GOV.UK
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timeframe is for the 80 per cent employment rate target. \p Alison McGovern: The trend of economic inactivity is a long-term challenge; the UK is the only country in the G7 with an inactivity rate higher than before the pandemic. We want to raise productivity and improve the quality of work to help more people get into and on in work. Achieving an 80% employment rate would mean over two million more people in work across the UK and would place the UK among the highest performing countries in the world.

The Get Britain Working White Paper set out that the Labour Market Advisory Board will support our work on the exact definition and measurement of our ambitions on employment and labour force participation. The timeframe for this long-term ambition will be determined following this work.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 16391 on Department for Work and Pensions: Fraud and Maladministration, what progress she has made on the (a) recruitment and (b) training of additional staff in fraud and error. \p Andrew Western: Funding for 3,000 new roles within the department’s Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt (CFCD) division, allocated in the Government’s Spending Review, will take effect from April 2025. CFCD has also secured an uplift in staffing costs for Q4 of the financial year and will recruit an additional 300 FTE to build momentum heading into Q1. This is in addition to CFCD reaching its upper headcount limit of 9,923 Full Time Equivalent for 2024/25. Training resources and learning journeys for all new starters are robust and clearly defined. Most of our new starters will also align and be assured against Government Counter Fraud Profession (GCFP) cross-gov counter-fraud standards.
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Catherine Fookes:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is available to people waiting for a Personal Independence Payment tribunal. \p Sir Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 November 2024 to Question 11735.
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Jessica Toale:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her Department has set a limit for the amount of income that someone in receipt of carer's allowance can earn. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support to those who’s ability to work is constrained by providing care for someone else for at least thirty-five hours per week. The eligibility conditions for the benefit use income as a proxy for ability to work.

We know that some carers are keen to maintain contact with the labour market, so we want to encourage carers to combine some paid work with their caring duties wherever possible.

This is why the Government has announced that from April 2025 the weekly Carer’s Allowance earnings limit will be pegged to the level of 16 hours work at the National Living Wage (NLW) and in future it will increase when the NLW increases. This means that unpaid carers will be able to earn up to £196 per week net earnings and still receive Carer’s Allowance compared to £151 now.
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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to disability benefits on vulnerable individuals in Leicester; and what steps she will be taking to ensure those most in need are adequately supported during this period of fiscal adjustment. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We want to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain to enable people better to enter and remain in work, and to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health conditions many people live with today.

We will bring forward a Green Paper in the spring. We will listen to and engage with disabled people as we develop proposals for reform in this area and across the employment support system. No decisions have yet been made.

To support those most in need, the Government has provided funding of £742 million to extend the Household Support Fund in England by a further year, from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026. This will ensure low-income households can continue to access support towards the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water.

Local Authorities also have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination for the fund. We encourage Authorities to consider how they may support a wide range of low-income households in need, including households with disabled people.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of financial support available to unpaid carers in Bedfordshire. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting elderly or disabled relatives or friends. Sometimes unpaid carers will need to turn to the benefit system for financial support, so it is right that we keep Carer’s Allowance under review, to see if it is meeting its objectives, and giving unpaid carers the help and support they need and deserve.

Unpaid carers may be able to receive financial and/or employment support from the department depending on their circumstances. Carer’s Allowance provides a measure of financial support and recognition for people who are not able to work full time due to their caring responsibilities. The rate of Carer’s Allowance is £81.90 a week in 2024/25, and from April 2025 this will increase by 1.7% to £83.30 a week.

Spending on Carer’s Allowance in the mid-Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency in 2023/4 was £3.6 million. 912 people in mid-Bedfordshire were in receipt of Carer’s Allowance in May ’24.

In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £198.31 per monthly assessment period. The additional amount for a carer in Pension Credit is £45.60 a week. These additional amounts are worth around £2400 a year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

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Douglas McAllister:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take through the Defence Industrial Strategy to grow the defence sector. \p Maria Eagle: The Government is delivering for defence by increasing defence spending and recognises the defence sector as a strategic resource. The Defence Industrial Strategy will provide clear signals to encourage firms to take long-term investment decisions in the UK and grow onshore production capability in priority areas that will drive growth and productivity across the UK economy, while strengthening our national security. The nearly £3 billion increase in spending next year will help us do this.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_11
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_11

Louise Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to reduce levels of waste in his Department. \p Maria Eagle: We are committed to securing value for money for taxpayers and cutting waste. We have curbed the previous Government's out of control spend on consultants by nearly £300 million by stopping all non-essential Government consultancy spending this year. We have also better aligned spending to Departmental priorities by accelerating the retirement of ageing capabilities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_12

Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the delivery of Homes for Heroes. \p Al Carns: The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have made clear that ensuring veterans and their families can access housing support is a priority.

At a roundtable in November with the Housing Minister and veteran housing organisations, we discussed the removal of the local connection and residency test for veterans applying for social housing in England, which is now in force.

I also attend the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, driving progress on our cross-Government homelessness strategy.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_13

David Mundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the agreement with Mauritius on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory on global security. \p Luke Pollard: For decades, Diego Garcia has played a critical role in global security. It is a critical enabler of our ability to respond to crises and counter complex, challenging security threats. This agreement will safeguard the strategic security interests of the United Kingdom, Mauritius, and the United States, as well as our other regional partners, well into the next century.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_14

Andrew Lewin:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve defence relationships with European allies. \p Luke Pollard: Deepening our defence relationships with European allies continues to be a priority.

Since July 2024 we have signed several new agreements to deepen cooperation, including the UK-Germany Trinity House Agreement and the UK-Estonia roadmap. During 2025 we will also reinvigorate the UK-France Lancaster House Agreement.

Our NATO first approach will complement this work. Investing in our collective defence and security is crucial to further improving our defence relationship with Europe as a whole.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_15

Bobby Dean:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the provision of military support in the context of conflict in the Middle East. \p Luke Pollard: We keep our military engagement in the Middle East under continuous review and any changes are discussed with relevant Departments as appropriate.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_16

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December to Question 19375 on Strategic Defence Review, whether he plans to report the Strategic Defence Review to Parliament before 30 June 2025. \p Luke Pollard: The Reviewers are reporting regularly on progress to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Defence Secretary and will make their final report to them in the spring of 2025. The Secretary of State for Defence will subsequently publish a version of that report to Parliament. It will then be implemented by the Ministry of Defence.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_17
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_17

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding he has allocated for urgent capability requirements for Estonia in (a) this financial year and (b) each of the next three financial years. \p Luke Pollard: Urgent Capability Requirements (UCRs) are rapidly implemented capabilities delivered to the front line to meet urgent operational needs. The department cannot comment publicly on the specific costs associated with operations in Estonia, as the Ministry of Defence continues to deploy to this location and must protect operationally sensitive information. UCRs are reviewed on a rolling monthly basis to ensure the capability is still required and provides value for money.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_18
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_18

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the response of Lord Robertson to Question 1 in the Defence Committee Session on the Strategic Defence Review, HC 484 on 3 December 2024, if he will list the political parties that have made a formal written submission to the Strategic Defence Review. \p Luke Pollard: In the Review's initial evidence-gathering phase, the Reviewers set out to consult widely, including with Parliament, the Defence community, academia, industry and our closest Allies and Partners, including NATO. We received several responses from UK political parties and cross-party committees with membership across several parties.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_20
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_20

Alberto Costa:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of awarding the (a) Op Herrick Operational Service Medal and (b) Civilian Service Medal (Afghanistan) to (i) personnel of the 908 Labour Support Unit RLC and (ii) other Afghan locally employed civilians. \p Al Carns: Under the qualifying criterion for the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan and the Civilian Service Medal (Afghanistan), locally employed civilians working for the 908 Labour Support Unit, and other Afghan locally employed civilians, are not eligible for either Medal.

Whilst we value greatly the support provided by locally employed civilians, the long-established position is that local nationals are not eligible for UK medallic recognition, and the Ministry of Defence has no plans to recommend that this position is reviewed.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_21
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_21

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 17507 on Veterans: Radiation Exposure, when (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have met (i) nuclear veterans and (ii) campaigners to update them on the progress of his review since 13 September 2024. \p Al Carns: The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security.

That is why I have already met with representatives of the nuclear test veteran community in September and December to discuss a range of topics relating to their experiences and the challenges they face. Ministry of Defence officials regularly engage and meet with representatives, and have done so every month since September 2024 to update them on the work currently being done.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_22
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_22

John Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much their Department spent on (a) media and (b) voice training for Ministers since 5 July 2024. \p Al Carns: The Directorate of Defence Communications in the Ministry of Defence Head Office spend on media and voice training for Ministers since 5 July 2024 is nil.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_23

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes in the level of funding for the Combined Cadet Force Association on its operation in the London Borough of Havering. \p Al Carns: This Government’s commitment to supporting the school-based Combined Cadet Force and the Cadet Expansion Programme in schools remains unchanged. Therefore, we continue to invest £3.6 million per year in the programme so that more young people can enjoy the benefits of the cadet experience.

In light of this, I have also directed that a review be undertaken to ascertain how we can deliver more cadet activity, and to do more for our cadets, both in schools and in wider communities.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_24
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_24

Chris Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of standards of (a) maintenance and (b) repair work to (i) Single Living and (ii) Service Families Accommodation. \p Al Carns: Within each Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) contract, there is an embedded assurance and verification process to check the adequacy of the maintenance and repair service provided to Single Living and Service Families Accommodation. The assessments are made against Acceptable Levels of Performance (ALP).

We continue to robustly challenge supplier performance against agreed levels. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation Chief Executive and his Officials hold monthly scrutiny meetings with contractor Chief Executives to continue to hold them to account, drive performance improvements and deliver the best possible service to Service personnel and their families.

Where performance falls short of that ALP, specific performance Rectification Plans are put in place to recover performance and any subsequent contractual performance withholds applied. Each Region manages this performance rectification with suppliers back to an acceptable level of performance with oversight from the Health Check Forum.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_25
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_25

Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Government buys back 36,347 military homes to improve housing for forces families and save taxpayers billions, published on 17 December 2024, what his planned timetable is for the (a) construction and (b) refurbishment of service family homes. \p Al Carns: It is too early to provide a timetable for the construction and refurbishment of Service Family Accommodation (SFA).

The recent announcement comes as the Government kickstarts work on a new military housing strategy, to be published this year.

Key principles of the strategy will include: a generational renewal of Armed Forces accommodation; new opportunities for forces homeownership; and better use of Ministry of Defence land to support the delivery of affordable homes for families across Britain.

The first steps in the strategy will include the rapid development of an action plan to deliver on the “once in a generation” opportunities unlocked by today’s deal. This work will involve independent experts, forces families and cross-Government input.
wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_26
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-06 conversation_26

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the houses bought from Annington are in (a) North Shropshire constituency, (b) Shropshire, (c) Staffordshire and (d) Telford and Wrekin. \p Al Carns: The table below shows the number of properties bought by the Ministry of Defence from Annington Property Ltd located in North Shropshire, South Shropshire, Staffordshire, Telford, and Wrekin constituencies.

Location

Number of properties purchased from Annington Property Ltd

North Shropshire

140

South Shropshire

0

Stafford

190

Telford

0

Wrekin

600