Topical Questions 2022-12-12
2022-12-12
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Concerns raised by military officers about unlawful recruitment policies, identity politics and pronouns being considered more important than operational capability.
In recent weeks, I have had several conversations with senior military officers who are becoming increasingly concerned by what they regard as unnecessary distraction within the armed forces. Could the Minister please tell me what is more important: unlawful recruitment policy, identity politics and pronouns, or operation capability?
Our advantage derives from our people; attracting, recruiting and retaining the best with diverse skills is vital to meeting threats faced. Diversity and inclusion are crucial for operational capability.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not address importance of policies over operation capabilities directly
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
Concerns over Departments using armed forces to bail out their failings and further cuts to the Army.
At today's Cobra meeting, will the Defence Secretary tell Ministers in other Departments that too often they use our armed forces to bail out their Departments' failings, especially when he is making further deep cuts to the Army? In addition to those deployed on overseas operations, whom he has mentioned, how many of our forces will be deployed or on standby over Christmas in response to requests for military assistance to which he has already agreed?
I will do the right hon. Gentleman a deal: I will raise that at Cobra if he tells his union paymasters not to go on strike over Christmas and not to ruin the lives of our soldiers and sailors.
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Assessment & feedback
Changed subject entirely without addressing the question
Response accuracy
Q3
Direct Answer
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Context
Support for British shipbuilding industry with need to use UK-made steel in projects.
I welcome the Government's steps to support the British shipbuilding industry. Those ships will require a lot of steel. Does the Secretary of State agree that, wherever possible, we should use the world-class steel we make in this country in such projects?
My hon. Friend is a fantastic champion of steel; support ship competition winner has indicated that it intends to use UK-sourced steel whenever practical and for the majority of build.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
Disagreement over defence budget figures with potential negative impacts on recruitment, training, family support, and pay.
Over the summer, much noise was made about the Government's raising the defence budget to 3% of GDP. That has now transformed into the Secretary of State's accepting a £2.3 billion real-terms cut to the defence budget. Do Ministers accept that that cut will have a negative impact on recruitment, training, family support and pay for our armed forces personnel?
First, I do not accept the hon. Gentleman's figures; between now and next year's Budget, enough to insulate from effects of inflation within current comprehensive spending review envelope.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not directly address impact on recruitment, training, family support, pay for armed forces personnel
Response accuracy
Q5
Direct Answer
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Context
Recognition of work done by cadet groups in inspiring the next generation, with specific mention to PO Mack.
Does my right hon. Friend agree that our different cadet groups do great work in inspiring the next generation? Will he join me in congratulating PO Mack on his work with the excellent Ilfracombe sea cadets?
Absolutely. Our cadet forces do a wonderful job; I congratulate PO Mack.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
A fire was caused during a British Army exercise at the Lolldaiga training camp in Kenya, leading to compensation claims by Kenyans.
Last year, during a British Army exercise at the Lolldaiga training camp in Kenya, a fire was caused, which has led to 6,000 Kenyans seeking compensation. I appreciate that the Minister may not be sighted on that, but will he ensure that the Army's investigation into it is made public, especially if firearms, explosives or drugs are involved?
I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
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Q7
Partial Answer
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Context
Welcoming the fact that air defence equipment is supplied to Ukraine, asking if it needs to strengthen its air force and considering extending security agreement with Sweden.
I welcome the fact that air defence equipment is already being supplied to Ukraine, but does my right hon. Friend agree that Ukraine also needs to strengthen its air force, as my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) suggested? Will he consider extending the security agreement with Sweden to allow it to supply its Gripen aircraft to Ukraine and to train Ukrainians in its use?
We are grateful to Sweden; Swedish personnel training Ukrainian ground forces here. Whether Sweden wishes to donate aeroplanes is genuinely a matter for the Swedish armed forces, but we need to ensure Russia's numbers are overmatched.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not directly address extending security agreement with Sweden
Response accuracy
Q8
Partial Answer
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Context
Earlier, the Secretary of State mentioned lack of long-range missiles in Ukraine.
Earlier, the Secretary of State mentioned the lack of long-range missiles in Ukraine. What drone capability has Ukraine got to take out missile sites from Belarus that illegally target civilians in Ukraine?
Ukraine has shown itself to be a master of innovation; developed several long-range drones having an effect. The real question here is scale and numbers, compared with the numbers that Russia is buying from Iran.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not directly answer drone capability, instead focused on comparison with Russia's purchases
Response accuracy
Q9
Partial Answer
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Context
Fix-it-when-it-breaks basis for defence accommodation maintenance contracts is criticised.
Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is time we looked at those contracts again?
I am sympathetic to what my hon. Friend says and he can be sure that my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement and I are looking closely at the FDIS—future defence infrastructure services—contract right now.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask was not addressed with a commitment to change contracts.
Response accuracy
Q10
Partial Answer
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Context
Charities providing career paths for ex-military personnel lack consistent national funding.
How will the Minister address the funding support that they require?
I hope that the hon. Lady will be aware of the career transition pathway, an innovation that eases people's passage from the armed forces into the veteran community. Let us be clear: most members of our armed forces transition perfectly well. Some need help, and the career transition pathway is designed to provide that.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific funding commitments were not provided.
Response accuracy
Q11
Partial Answer
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Context
Lincoln, with its RAF-linked academy and innovative defence technology firms, needs support to thrive.
What steps has the MOD taken, or will it take soon, to allow those industries, in some cases small businesses, to survive, grow and thrive in this competitive arena?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Innovation is essential and we are supporting it through initiatives such as the defence and security accelerator and the defence technology exploitation programme. We have all the plans we need to give us a competitive edge and ensure we stay one step ahead of our opponents.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific steps were not detailed, only general support mentioned.
Response accuracy
Q12
Partial Answer
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Context
According to the Department's figures, 45% of military personnel in single accommodation in Cheshire are living in substandard conditions.
Are these really homes fit for heroes and what is the Minister going to do about it?
I do not recognise those figures but I do recognise the fact that 90% of people living in service family accommodation live in homes that are at or above the Government's decent homes standards. The MOD aspires to decent homes plus and, this year alone, is investing £176 million in upgrading service family accommodation.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific figures disputed but no concrete commitment to address substandard conditions.
Response accuracy
Q13
Direct Answer
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Context
UK supports Ukraine's military efforts against the Russian forces invading the country.
What assessment has my right hon. Friend made of the effectiveness of Ukrainian defence against the evil Russian forces invading the country?
I read out earlier the losses inflicted on the Russian army by a much smaller army that is defending against an aggression that does not have any basis in international law or respect for human rights, and that is an extraordinary feat by those brave men and women. We will continue to support all the way through the next year, as will the international community.
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Assessment & feedback
null
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Q14
Partial Answer
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Context
Serving personnel potentially lose their leave over the Christmas period in support of military aid to civil authorities.
Can the Secretary of State or one of his Ministers confirm that any serving personnel losing their leave over the Christmas period in order to support MACA—military aid to the civil authorities—commitments will be properly compensated?
The hon. Gentleman will know about this because, I am afraid that, under Governments of both parties, we have been involved as former soldiers in meeting the consequences of strikes, whether the tanker strikes, fire strikes or ambulance strikes, which are potentially approaching. Yes, soldiers and sailors would prefer to be doing their day job of defending their country, but sometimes they are called upon when the unions put at risk the safety of parts of this country and do so over a festive period.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask was completely avoided.
Response accuracy
Q15
Direct Answer
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Context
Supplying increasing amounts of munitions to Ukraine may impact the replenishment of UK's own munition stocks.
Is it not impossible for us to supply ever increasing amounts of munitions to Ukraine and also to replenish our own munitions stocks without a significant increase in our current peacetime defence budget?
I was pleased to note an additional £560 million provided from the recent settlement to replenish precisely those stocks. Also, the production lines to re-procure some of the very weapons that are going to go back on to British shelves are already running, and we will continue on that path.
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Assessment & feedback
null
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Q16
Partial Answer
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Context
Recent changes to the service complaints system include separating alleged victims from perpetrators during criminal investigations.
Can the Minister explain how he plans to implement the latter in restrictive services such as the submarine service?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend who has done so much to advance the cause of women in the armed forces. She will be aware of the two current inquiries into behaviour on submarines and I am not going to prejudice their outcomes. I expect them to make their recommendations and will report on them to the House as soon as I can.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific implementation details were avoided.
Response accuracy
Q17
Partial Answer
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Context
A resolution passed by the Russian Duma requires foreign vessels to seek permission from Russia for passage through its northern waters, with conditions including on-board Russian personnel.
The Secretary of State will be aware of a resolution recently passed by the Russian Duma that no vessel whether merchant or Royal Navy should pass through the waters to the north of Russia without both permission from the Russians and Russian personnel on board. Will the Secretary of State take this opportunity to reassure me that if a Royal Navy vessel of any kind wants to transit through the northern sea route, either above the water or beneath it, we will do so without let or hindrance from the Russian Federation?
One of the international treaties with the most signatures on it is on freedom of navigation across all seas. The United Kingdom stands strongly behind that and will uphold it wherever we can, hence our transit of HMS Defender in the Black sea. We will do that wherever we are able to do so in accordance with international law, and we will not be intimidated by Russia or any other nation.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide a direct commitment regarding navigation rights through northern waters without Russian conditions.
Reliance On General Principle Of Freedom Of Navigation
Response accuracy
Q18
Partial Answer
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Context
The questioner notes challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals in meeting core competencies and physical requirements, highlighting a personal experience at Sandhurst.
It is clear to me that the armed forces will achieve their full potential only if they are as attractive as possible to neurodiverse thinkers, particularly in cyber. The need for unconventional thinkers has perhaps never been greater than it is now, but there can be challenges for them in meeting the core competencies of “soldier first” as well as in physical tasks, as I recently found out when it took me 25 minutes to put on a belt at Sandhurst as a neurodiverse individual. Will the Secretary of State outline what is being done to better attract the talents of neurodiverse individuals into the armed forces?
The services are leading in trying to look at exactly that unconventional route in. If we are to attract people to the National Cyber Force and to cyber, we are going to have to think in different terms from 20 or 30 years ago. That is incredibly important. We need to be flexible, we need to be innovative and we need to be modern.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific actions or commitments for attracting neurodiverse individuals.
Reliance On General Principles Of Flexibility And Innovation
Response accuracy
Q19
Partial Answer
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Context
The Secretary of State mentioned a Ukrainian innovation in the use of drones, prompting questions about whether UK forces have equivalent resources and regulatory frameworks.
The Secretary of State mentioned a Ukrainian innovation in the use of drones. Are Ministers confident that in this country we have the right resources and regulatory framework in place to ensure that our forces can also benefit?
No, I am not. We need to look at some of those regulations, because one of the things that holds us back too much in innovation, development and deployment is our own regulation. Too much of that holds us back. The Ukrainians obviously do not have that consideration, and they are making amazing steps forward.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not commit to reviewing or changing regulations for military drone use.
Acknowledgment But No Commitment
Response accuracy