| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
28 Oct 2008 : Column 809W—continued
(1) UK Regular Forces includes all trained and untrained personnel. Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists are excluded.
| As at 1 April: | All services | Naval service | Army | RAF |
| (1) Provisional. Note: Due to ongoing validation of data from the joint personnel administration system, all Naval service flow statistics for 12-month periods ending 31 October 2006 onwards, and Naval service strength statistics from 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review. All Army flow statistics for 12-month periods ending 31 March 2007 onwards and strength statistics from 1 April 2007 are provisional and subject to review. All RAF flow statistics for 12-month periods ending 30 April 2007 onwards and strength statistics from 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review. Source: DASA Quad-Service. | ||||
The Government have made a clear commitment to take all feasible measures to ensure that those who had not yet reached the age of 18 did not take a direct part in hostilities.
Army: Training
Mrs. Humble:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are in place to monitor delays in Phase 2 training in the army; how many individuals
were subject to delays in (a) 2005 and (b) 2007; what record is kept of individual training plans; and how statistical information is collected on training. [230830]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Army Recruiting and Training Division (ARTD) Headquarters do not record the total number of individuals who are subject to delays per calendar year. A monthly report is created by each Arms and Service school illustrating those recruits who have been delayed in commencing aspects of Phase 2 training. Courses start and finish all the time and so this figure should only be considered a 'snapshot' of the delays in the training pipeline at a particular point in time.
The following table gives the average number of recruits who have amassed more than a 14 day cumulative delay prior to reaching Phase 2 training. Data is collected within the first five days of each month. These snapshots of data over the months of the financial years shown have been averaged to show the general standard of delays to Phase 2 in the years requested.
Prior to the end of Phase 1, recruits receive a plan which outlines what Phase 2 consists of and they also visit their Phase 2 establishment. During their Phase 2 induction week, they are given an individual training plan which details their proposed training schedule. Delays can be caused by a number of factors, not all of which are within the Army's control. However, ARTD takes positive steps to minimise delays. Where delays are unavoidable training programmes are run so as to maintain interest, fitness and military skills. A recruit would normally have leave between courses and delays are therefore not calculated until after 14 days.
| Number of recruits with more than 14 days delay | |||||||||||||
| Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Average monthly figure | |
| Note: 1. No data was available in February 2008 due to a two week system disruption. | |||||||||||||
Defence
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for a new defence review. [227868]
Mr. Hutton: There are currently no plans for a new defence review. Defence policy and commitments are kept under continuous review.
Defence: Procurement
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the proposed Directive (a) COM(2007) 0766 on public procurement in the fields of defence and security and (b) COM(2007) 0765 on terms and conditions of defence-related product transfers within the EC; and if he will make a statement. [230244]
Mr. Quentin Davies: We share the Commission's desire for the creation of a more effective European defence equipment market that is open, transparent and competitive. We are working positively with the Commission and other member states to reach agreement on directives which would provide benefit to the conduct of defence business for all stakeholders while protecting the UK's strategic interests. A defence and security procurement directive also has the potential to improve British industry's access to European defence markets and to improve its competitiveness worldwide. The proposed terms of the transfers directive are consistent with the way in which the UK export licensing system currently operates.
Departmental Consultations
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what public consultations his Department has undertaken in the last month. [230170]
Mr. Kevan Jones:
The Ministry of Defence had two open public consultations during the month of September. Consultation on UK Defence Spectrum Management closed on 5 September 2008, and consultation on the MOD's revised Welsh Language Scheme closed on
8 October. Documents for public consultation and the MOD's response to comments that are received can be viewed at:
Departmental Recruitment
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants in his Department were recruited through the fast stream; and what the average salary of those officials is. [229180]
Mr. Kevan Jones:
The specific number of civil servants employed by the Ministry of Defence who were recruited through the Fast Stream whether into the Ministry of Defence directly, or via other Departments, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. As at 21 October 2008 there were 131 civil servants employed by the Ministry of Defence on the Fast Stream scheme. Those who joined the Department on
the current pay deal will earn between a minimum of £22,960 and a maximum of £40,515 per year while on the scheme.
Hercules Aircraft: Safety
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice Ministers had received prior to 2005 on fitting of foam suppressant on the Hercules wing-tanks. [230525]
Military Exercises
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of training exercises have been cancelled in 2008; and for what reason each exercise was cancelled. [230169]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Of the 584 training exercises scheduled to take place in 2008, 55 have been cancelled (9.4 per cent.); reasons for each cancellation are listed as follows.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |