Every parliamentary written question tabled by Neil O'Brien this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 24 · Ministry of Defence
What the cost was of (a) settlement agreements and (b) special severance payments made to departing staff in the last year.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
In the past twelve months, how many disciplinary cases were concluded against civil servants in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies broken down by (i) outcome and (ii) whether the primary allegation related to (A) performance and (B) conduct.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
How many and what proportion of staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the Hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
What the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last year; and how many formal performance warnings were issued to staff whose absence exceeded departmental triggers.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
How many and what proportion of staff were promoted (a) in-grade and (b) to a higher grade in the last year by (i) performance marking in the previous year and (ii) grade.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
Pursuant to the Answer of 26 September 2024 to Question 1555 on Ministry of Defence: Equality and with reference to the Freedom of Information Act response with reference FOI2025/21409, disclosed on 12 September 2025, if he will publish that response.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is content for this Freedom of Information request response to be published, and a copy is provided below. Request: “How many staff in the MOD have job titles that includes at least one of the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT or (f) race?How many staff in each of the armed forces have job titles that includes at least one of the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT or (f) race?” Following an internal review on 27 August 2025, this was refined to: “In your letter of 12 August you state that if I am:“willing to accept a response to your request that was based on the searchable data held in MOD’s two human resources databases: MyHR, for civilians and the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA), for military personnel, we would be able to provide this to you.”I would be happy to receive the information on that basis – thank you.” Response: In a competitive age, our advantage derives from the talent and skills of our people. We must attract, recruit, and retain the best people drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills and background. Roles flagged as LGBT are predominantly working on implementing the LGBT Veterans Review and Financial Recognition Scheme. Civil Service (data taken from MyHR):Section 1: Position TitlesNumber of People in Positions(a) Equality0(b) Diversity20(c) Inclusion3(d) Gender0(e) LGBT7(f) Race0 Section 2: Additional Related Position Titles Diversity and Inclusion4D&I10 Section 3: Job Description Diversity and Inclusion*18Total number of unique individuals in positions one of the above terms55 *7 of the 18 are also included in the position title section and/or additional related position title (section 1 and 2).Caveats/explanations as follows:Only the MOD Main and core employees were searched.Data supplied is for staff in a position as of 31 August 2025.Only personnel who are currently in a position have been counted so vacant posts are not included.MyHR position title was searched for the requested terms a-f.Additional searches were carried out in position title for known abbreviations relating to the requested terms (section 2).Additionally, the job code description field was searched and found an additional 18 positions relating to Diversity and Inclusion, 7 of which also had a position title with one of the above descriptions (section 3).The actual total number of people within a post relating to one of the descriptions is 55.Armed Forces (data taken from JPA):ServicePosition Titles and Number of People in PositionsTotalDiversityDiversity & InclusionGender RaceGender &InclusionLGBTArmy0110529Royal Navy0701008Royal Air Force2000305Total28118222 Caveats/explanations as follows:Some position names contain more than one of the above words, as shown in the table above.These details are all held under 'Position Name' and not 'Job Name'. Military job titles do not contain this information as it is held in the position title.The figures above only show personnel in a position name containing one of the words, there may be additional personnel who undertake these roles under a differently named Position.Data supplied is for staff in a position as of 4 September 2025.
How many staff in (a) Defence Equipment and Support and (b) the Submarine Delivery Agency have job titles which include the words (i) equality, (ii) diversity, (iii) inclusion, (iv) gender, (v) LGBT and (vi) race.
Staff employed by Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) and the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) have both a Success Profile and an Email Tally. Success Profiles provide outlines of roles, key responsibilities and formal qualifications needed, as well as required technical competences and behaviours, which are aligned to wider Civil Service behaviours. No DE&S or SDA Success Profile title includes the words ‘equality’, ‘diversity’, ‘inclusion’, ‘gender’, ‘LGBT’ or ‘race’. In DE&S Email Tallies comprise individual’s Profession, Skills Group and a unique number. In SDA Email Tallies are short summaries of an individual’s current team and role. In both cases these appear after individuals’ names in the MOD’s Global Address List. In total fewer than five members of staff across DE&S and SDA have Email Tallies that include either the word ‘diversity’ and/or the word ‘inclusion’, or abbreviations thereof. No Email Tallies in either DE&S or SDA include the words ‘equality’, ‘gender’, ‘LGBT’ or ‘race’.
How many staff in his Department (a) did not retain employment following the completion of their probationary period and (b) had their probationary period extended in each of the last five years.
Ministry of Defence probation policy and guidance advises managers on the steps to take to assess a new employee’s suitability for the post and to provide support to enable them to succeed. It also advises on the steps to take where performance, attendance or conduct are not satisfactory. This can include exiting the employee or extending their probation to provide further evidence for a final decision on their suitability. The table below shows the number of probations which were extended, and the number of staff who did not retain employment following the completion of their probationary period for the last five years: YearExtended ProbationsNot retained after probation2020*912021*216202284274202317532220241572382025 (up to 31 Oct)47131Total 4631272*The number of probations extended in the year 2020 and 2021 is not centrally held.
How many staff in his Department are recorded as having a (a) mental health condition and (b) physical disability by grade.
Information on the number of people declaring a disability by each Government Department is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics 2025, an accredited official statistics publication. Latest published data as at 31 March 2025 can be found at Table 29 of the statistical tables at the following web address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2025 Information on mental health conditions or type of disability is not reported as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey, however the Ministry of Defence (MOD) does record them based on voluntary self-declarations which is then recorded on the MOD’s HR systems. The tables below outline the number of recorded Physical and Mental Health disabilities within the department as at 31 October 2025. Physical DisabilityPaid Grade GroupingTotalSenior Civil Service17Senior Leadership Group6Grade 649Senior Professional35Grade 7103Professional I106Senior Executive Officer277Professional II243Higher Executive Officer365Senior Technical Specialist I160Executive Officer323Senior Technical Specialist II66Administrative Officer390Technical Specialist I70Administrative Assistant117Apprentice≤5Graduate≤5NHS Grades17Outside Banding Structure≤5Retained Grades61Skillzone 114Skillzone 258Skillzone 332Skillzone 46Total 2,522 Mental Health DisabilityPaid Grade GroupingTotalSenior Civil Service7Senior Leadership Group≤5Grade 617Senior Professional11Grade 747Professional I45Senior Executive Officer125Professional II112Higher Executive Officer164Senior Technical Specialist I135Executive Officer138Senior Technical Specialist II38Administrative Officer148Technical Specialist I42Administrative Assistant55Apprentice7Graduate≤5NHS Grades11Retained Grades24Veterans Agency≤5Skillzone 1≤5Skillzone 218Skillzone 38Skillzone 4≤5Total1,166 Please note that the data in these tables do not reflect the actual numbers of MOD employees with a mental health or physical condition, but the number of employees who have self-voluntarily recorded their condition as a disability. Where figures are less than or equal to 5, the data is shown as ‘≤5’ to avoid identifying the individuals concerned.
How many staff left his Department in each of the last five years by grade.
The table below shows the outflow of Ministry of Defence Civil Servants by grade within the last five years. Grade2020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25Senior Civil Service4673546372Grade 673140132137138Grade 7259411358551429SEO510922947993876HEO8001,2001,2071,1131,044EO7241,088969873745AO9491,5371,4531,5561,347AA309412446455478Other Grades8812045722540Total3,7585,9036,0235,9665,169
How many performance reviews were undertaken for staff in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; in how many of those cases performance was rated as unsatisfactory or below; how many staff left as a result of such a rating; and what proportion of full-time equivalent staff this represented.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
How many employment tribunal claims have been lodged against his Department by (a) unfair dismissal and (b) claims under the Equality Act 2010 in each of the last five years.
The below tables show the number of Employment Tribunal claims recorded under the categories of (a) unfair dismissal and (b) claims under the Equality Act 2010 for each financial year from 2020-21 to 2025-26. It is important to note that some cases are recorded with one claim category, such as unfair dismissal, while others are recorded with multiple claim categories, such as constructive dismissal and failure to make reasonable adjustments which is why claims under the Equality Act 2010 have increased. Figures fewer than 3 have been replaced with [c] to limit inadvertent disclosure of personal data. Number of ClaimsFinancial YearUnfair DismissalUnder the Equality Act 20102020-2021[c]42021-202210142022-20237232023-20249272024-20259272025-20261839Defence must be an environment in which everyone feels supported, valued, and confident to give their best, regardless of their backgrounds. There are a number of live intiiatives in the Department I am overseeing, designed to encourage individuals to feel safe and able to raise concerns about inappropriate behaviour and result in 100% action where it is proven, demonstrating Defence takes such concerns seriously. In addition to the MOD Raising our Standards programme, a civilian HR Casework Improvements Project is reviewing the end-to-end delivery of HR casework. It launched a new universal casework model in February 2025 which overhauled HR systems, policies and procedures to ensure they are more supportive and fair, independent and transparent, with efficiencies reducing timescales; all ultimately improving the employee experience. Further more, in response to feedback on our current Raising a Concern (Whistleblowing) Policy and Procedure, Defence has committed to a comprehensive, ministerial-led review of Whistleblowing in Defence. The final report and recommendations from this Review are to be published and laid before Parliament in April 2026.
How many serving (a) General Officers in the British Army, (b) Admirals and Flag Officers in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, (c) Air Officers of Air Rank in the Royal Air Force, (d) Commanding Officers of commissioned Royal Navy submarines and (e) Royal Air Force pilots holding frontline squadron command there are.
Parts a,b and c of the hon. Member's question are answered in the table below. Number of UK Regular Forces, OF-6 to OF-10 by Service as at 1 July 2025 Service Number Royal Navy/ Royal Marines135 Army211 Royal Air Force126 The Ministry of Defence does not routinely disclose the trained strength of individual branches or specialisations as to do so could, or would be likely to, prejudice the security of the Armed Forces. For this reason, I am withholding the answer to parts D and E of this question.
With reference to his oral statement of 15 July 2025 on Afghanistan, Official Report, column 149-152, whether the £5.5 to 6 billion lifetime cost of the Afghan resettlement schemes includes further family members coming to the UK.
Yes, the lifetime cost quoted of the Afghan resettlement schemes includes family members coming to the UK. Projected costs are based on per person costs used for planning purposes, and estimated numbers of future arrivals. The estimate is based on costs incurred including: relocation and transitional accommodation costs; Local Authority tariffs and the Local Authority Housing Fund; legal fees; and staffing costs (e.g. case workers). The cost estimates also factor in assumptions on numbers of outstanding ARAP applications expected to be made eligible, family sizes and length of stay in transitional accommodation. HM Treasury included the cost of all Afghan resettlement schemes in the spending audit in July 2024. HMT has fully funded all future costs of resettlement schemes as part of the Spending Review in June.
Pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 19002 on Ministry of Defence: Temporary Accommodation, how many Afghans are being accommodated on the defence estate.
As of 18 July 2025, there are currently 972 eligible Afghans in transitional accommodation on the Defence Estate under the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP). Use of the Defence Estate will be gradually reduced over the coming months, with a view to ceasing its use as transitional accommodation for Afghan families by the end of 2025.
If he will publish the assumptions used to generate the figure of a 5.5 to 6 billion lifetime cost of the Afghan re-settlement schemes.
Yes, the lifetime cost quoted of the Afghan resettlement schemes includes family members coming to the UK. Projected costs are based on per person costs used for planning purposes, and estimated numbers of future arrivals. The estimate is based on costs incurred including: relocation and transitional accommodation costs; Local Authority tariffs and the Local Authority Housing Fund; legal fees; and staffing costs (e.g. case workers). The cost estimates also factor in assumptions on numbers of outstanding ARAP applications expected to be made eligible, family sizes and length of stay in transitional accommodation. HM Treasury included the cost of all Afghan resettlement schemes in the spending audit in July 2024. HMT has fully funded all future costs of resettlement schemes as part of the Spending Review in June.
Whether there is CCTV coverage of the perimeter of RAF Brize Norton.
RAF Brize Norton has CCTV in operation that enables remote coverage of base areas which is part of the multilayered approach to security on site.The Defence Secretary has ordered that a full security review be conducted at pace, not only at Brize Norton, but across the defence estate.
With reference to the Answer of 5 March 2024 to Question 15748, how many staff in (a) The Ministry of Defence (b) Defence Equipment & Support and (c) the Submarine Delivery Agency have email tallies which include the words (i) equality, (ii) diversity, (iii) inclusion, (iv) gender, (v) LGBT and (vi) race.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 September 2024 to Question 1555.
How much his Department spent on Capita provided medical vetting for forces personnel in each of the last 10 years.
The requested information is provided in the following table, by Financial Year (FY): FY£ million2014-15175.7302015-16127.0582016-17134.4762017-18124.0622018-19115.4352019-20120.9612020-21132.1242021-22121.6572022-23121.0282023-24126.760
What the average length of time taken was between the point of application to join the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF and attestation in the latest period for which data is available.
The new Government inherited a crisis in recruitment. We have made it a priority to address this with a series of work streams designed to increase recruitment and renew the contract between the nation and those who serve to improve retention.Many factors affect the time taken to proceed through the recruiting pipeline. Many candidates proceed much faster than the average when they are well prepared and ready to move quickly. Others take longer, for reasons including:Delays in the receipt of primary healthcare records.Medical deferment for those requiring time to get medically fit.The need to align the start of basic of training with trade training.A candidate’s current domestic, employment and housing situation.A candidate’s choice regarding pace and level of engagement.Numerical information is provided in the table below, noting that direct comparisons between each Service should be avoided due to the different processes in use; for example, recruits to the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force must achieve a Security Check level of security clearance before joining. In the time available to answer a Parliamentary Question, it has not been possible to provide information for each requested year. Average Time of Flight (days) taken between Application and Basic Training Starts for Regular Other Ranks UK Nationals between 1 October 2018 and 30 September 2024 12 months ending 30 September:Average Time of Flight (days)201920202021202220232024Royal Navy (RN) / Royal Marines (RM)....357376301279Army262285284321254249Royal Air Force (RAF)..345448463375301Source: Analysis (Tri-Service) Table Notes: Time of Flight is defined as the time passed in days between the date of application and the date of intake to the untrained strength. The symbol “..” denotes that information is not available.Average Time of Flight is expressed as the median number of days, meaning that Time of Flight for half of all candidates is shorter than the figures provided, and half is longer. For example, half of RN/RM candidates took up to 279 days in the 12 months ending 30 September 2024, with half taking longer.Application data is taken from the Defence Recruitment System and Recruitment IT System (RN and RAF) and matched to intake data from the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system and should reflect time of entry to training.Figures may differ from information reported elsewhere by single Service recruiting teams, which are intended to support operational decision-makers monitoring operational and pipeline performance and are therefore calculated using differing methodologies.Applications from non-UK candidates are excluded, with Nationality as declared on JPA. Army figures include applications from Irish personnel but exclude applications from other countries and those applicants without a known nationality.For a small number of Navy personnel, application date is recorded as after their intake date, likely due to outflowing and re-joining the Service. These personnel have been excluded from calculations.When an individual has multiple applications to the RAF or RN/RM, the applications closest before their intake was used as the application submission date.Where an application date is not held in the data or an application cannot be matched to intake, such as where there is no corresponding service number or National Insurance number, the case is excluded.