Contributions
413 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTopical QuestionsHaving achieved initial operating capability from land in December 2018, and with the successful completion of its first operation, the Lightning programme is now focused on…08 Jul 2019HANSARDTopical QuestionsI think the figures I have quoted speak for themselves; we are now increasing the size of the British Army.08 Jul 2019HANSARDRoyal Fleet AuxiliaryMembers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are MOD civil servants. Their terms and conditions, including their pay, are subject to civilian rules for the wider public sector. As such,…08 Jul 2019HANSARDArmed Forces PersonnelThat is quite a complicated question, particularly when we get into the question of readiness and the ability to hold people at the appropriate readiness for the threat that we…08 Jul 2019HANSARDRoyal Fleet AuxiliaryI think it is fair to say that the whole House values the role of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Indeed, last summer I spent the most fascinating week on board RFA Mounts Bay in the…08 Jul 2019HANSARDArmed Forces PersonnelI am not going to predict exactly what that date will be. We are seeing an increase month on month, but that does not apply to all establishments: for example, Sandhurst has only…08 Jul 2019HANSARDArmed Forces PersonnelMy hon. Friend makes a very important point. Indeed, there are many good reasons why young people would wish to join the armed forces, not least because our armed forces are now…08 Jul 2019HANSARDArmed Forces PersonnelAs we enter the 21st century, we must accept that the armed forces are about more than simply mass. That is precisely why we are investing in technology, and it is why the…08 Jul 2019HANSARDArmed Forces PersonnelLet us just see whether we can debunk this myth that Army numbers are somehow in freefall. On 1 May, the total size of the British Army, including the Brigade of Gurkhas, both…08 Jul 2019HANSARDArmed Forces PersonnelWe remain committed to maintaining the overall size of the armed forces, including the Army. A range of measures are under way to improve recruitment and retention, and those…08 Jul 2019HANSARDTopical QuestionsI had the enormous pleasure of visiting that battle group only last week in Estonia and was tremendously impressed not least by the way it is demonstrating our interoperability…20 May 2019HANSARDTopical QuestionsI will not comment on future deployments, but I would say, having visited Somalia, though not Somaliland, that we need to understand the strategic importance to the UK of that…20 May 2019HANSARDCapita Army RecruitmentI do not think there is any ideological belief about having to use Capita. For reasons I have already explained, we are seeing progress in the one particular contract that I am…20 May 2019HANSARDCapita Army RecruitmentMy right hon. Friend is quite right to highlight the fact that the one thing we do not want to do is to lose talent. I made reference earlier to the medical review process that we…20 May 2019HANSARDCapita Army RecruitmentI think I tried to address this point earlier. Obviously, we have seen a rise in applications, and we have now seen a rise—taking the Regular Army as an example—in people entering…20 May 2019HANSARDCapita Army RecruitmentThe Army continues to work closely with Capita with multiple interventions in place, and is delivering improvements. The year 2018-19 was the best for applications in five years.…20 May 2019HANSARDIcebreaker CapabilityThe report will be published shortly. I apologise to the House for the delay and ask that hon. Members do not read anything into it. Of course, my hon. Friend is quite right and…20 May 2019HANSARDIcebreaker CapabilityAs I mentioned, HMS Protector does have an icebreaking capability. However, I take the hon. Lady’s points on board. As she will be aware, we will shortly be publishing the Arctic…20 May 2019HANSARDIcebreaker CapabilityThe Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship, HMS Protector, has an icebreaking capability and can operate in the Arctic. We are aware of the importance of the high north region to our…20 May 2019HANSARDArmed Forces PersonnelIndeed; the purchase of the nine P-8s was a very welcome step that this Government have made. It will significantly enhance our capability, and the investment that we have seen in…20 May 2019