To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what payments have been made by his Department to the Brunswick Group in each of the last five years. (104695)

Central records indicate that no payments have been made to the Brunswick Group in any of the last four financial years.

Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department has provided to the electromagnetic relativity drive design proposed by Roger Shawyer; and from what budget funding has been drawn. (103254)

[holding answer 27 November 2006]: Awards have been made to Satellite Propulsion Research Ltd from the DTI’s Small Firms and Enterprise budget.

July 2001—£43,809 paid.

A feasibility study into the application of innovative microwave thruster technology for satellite propulsion. The study involved development of an experimental thruster followed by independent tests and evaluation.

August 2003—£81,291 total grant awarded, £68,399 paid to date.

A follow-on from the above project, to design and develop a demonstration model engine. To be tested on a dynamic test rig, to demonstrate continuous thrust and the conversion of thrust into kinetic energy.

Both grants were awarded against the criteria of the DTI’s Smart scheme that was designed to help fund pioneering and risky R and D projects in small and medium enterprises. Highly qualified technical experts and academics carried out an assessment on behalf of the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will investigate the share trading in European Home Retail on the days leading up to the suspension of the company shares on 23 August. (106990)

The investigation into Farepak is wide ranging and although I cannot disclose specific lines of inquiry, the investigators are aware of this particular concern.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received on the collapse of Farepak; and if he will make a statement. (106930)

DTI Ministers have received extensive representations on the collapse of Farepak. I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I made on 30 November 2006, Official Report, columns 117-18WS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the first meeting of the Franco-British nuclear forum to take place. (103226)

The first meeting of the Franco British Nuclear Forum was on 29 November 2006 in Paris.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what volume of palm oil was imported from (a) Indonesia, (b) Brunei and (c) Malaysia in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. (107592)

The figures requested are shown in the following table. No palm oil imports from Brunei were recorded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many men in Great Britain were entitled to paternity pay in each year since 2003-04; and what estimate he has made of future take-up rates. (104737)

We estimate that around 415,000 fathers are eligible for statutory paternity pay each year.

Evidence suggests take-up is high and we expect this to continue. The Maternity and Paternity Rights and Benefits Survey 2005 found around 80 per cent. of fathers surveyed had used at least some of their statutory entitlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations his Department has received from charities on the production of Royal Mail stamps. (107711)

The Department receives occasional inquiries from individuals or organisations regarding dedicated commemorative or awareness raising stamps for charities.

Stamp designs are an operational matter for which Royal Mail has the direct responsibility and all such inquiries are forwarded to the company for careful consideration under its established selection process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings Ministers in his Department have had in the last 12 months on plans for employee share ownership of the Royal Mail. (103225)

DTI Ministers regularly meet the postal services sector to discuss the issues affecting the sector, including the Royal Mail Board’s proposal for an employee share scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much total state aid was (a) authorised and (b) refused by the European Commission for each member state since May 1997. (107109)

The European Commission has issued since 2001 bi-annual reports on state aid in the State Aid Scoreboard, which provides statistical information on authorised state aid in each member state—available at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/state__aid/scoreboard/

Statistical information on state aid authorised before 2001 is given in the Commission’s Surveys on state aid in the European Union—at:

http://ec.europe.eu/comm/competition/state_aid/scoreboard/previous.html

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the operational capacity factor of each wind power installation in the UK for which his Department has given consent under the Electricity Act 1989. (103228)

Industry figures suggest that a modern wind turbine produces electricity 70 to 85 per cent. of the time, but it generates different outputs dependent on wind speed. On average, it will generate about 30 per cent. of the theoretical maximum output over the course of a year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his Answer to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws), of 27 November 2006, Official Report, column 385W, on Parliamentary Questions, whether his Department grades or classifies written Parliamentary Questions according to their political sensitivity. (106952)

[holding answer 4 December 2006]: No.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will review the provisions of the Limitation Act 1980 in so far as they apply to victims of child sexual abuse. (104690)

Under the current law, legal proceedings seeking civil damages for child abuse are usually brought as actions for trespass against the person in relation to intentionally inflicted injuries and as actions for negligence in other cases. The limitation period for trespass against the person is six years from the date on which the cause of action arose, although this period will not start to run until the child reaches the age of majority. In relation to actions for negligently inflicted injuries, the period is three years from the cause of action or from the date of knowledge (if later) of the person injured. The court has discretion to allow certain actions for negligently inflicted personal injuries to be brought even though the limitation period has expired.

In its 2001 report “Limitation of Actions” (Law Com 270), the Law Commission recommended that the general law of limitation should be reformed. Under its proposals, a child abuse claim for trespass against the person or for negligence would have to be brought within three years from the date on which the claimant knew (or ought reasonably to have known) the facts giving rise to the cause of action, the identity of the defendant, and that any injury, loss or damage was significant. As now, time would not run while the claimant was a minor. In addition, the court would have discretion to disapply the limitation period if it would be unjust not to allow the claim to proceed.

In July 2002, the Government announced their acceptance, in principle, of the Commission's recommendations, subject to further consideration of several issues. In relation to child abuse cases, as announced in the Home Office publication “Rebalancing the Criminal Justice System in Favour of the Law Abiding Majority: cutting crime, reducing re-offending and protecting the public” (July 2006), we intend to consult on whether limitation periods are fair to people who have been injured as a result of crime. When the work on the outstanding issues is complete, we will seek an opportunity to introduce a Bill to reform the law.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much funding has been allocated to Wandsworth county court for (a) headcount-related costs, (b) administrative costs and (c) maintenance costs in each of the last five years. (104800)

Her Majesty’s Court Service (HMCS) was formed on 1 April 2005 by the merger of the Court Service and 42 magistrates Areas. Wandsworth county court was a constituent part of the Court Service.

Following the creation of HMCS the accounting records of the Court Service were archived and accessing them to provide a 5-year history would be disproportionately expensive for the Department. Full records are available since the inception of HMCS and are in the table.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many cases were handled in each court in England and Wales in each of the last 12 months; and how many (a) convictions and (b) postponed trials there were in each court in this period. (107502)

Centrally held information is not collected at magistrates court level but at area level and is collected on a quarterly basis.

Figures showing the number of disposals and ineffective trials for each area and Crown court centre have been placed in both libraries of the House. Also provided are the numbers of convictions in each Crown court centre—this information is not held centrally for the lower courts.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what her most recent estimate is of the cost of the proposed new Court House in Salisbury. (104769)

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the response given last week on 29 November 2006, Official Report, column 762W, in which I said that I expect the capital cost of the project to the developer to be approximately £14.5 million. This is the most recent estimate for the proposed new Court House in Salisbury.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans (a) her Department and (b) the Information Commissioner has to review guidance on the secondary use of personal information held for the collection and administration of council tax. (103912)

The Department for Constitutional Affairs has no plans to produce any guidance on the secondary use of personal information held for the collection and administration of council tax. The Information Commissioner is reviewing his existing guidance on the use of personal information held for the collection and administration of the council tax. He anticipates that amended guidance will be published by the end of January 2007.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many (a) marketing officers, (b) communications officers and (c) press officers are employed in her Department; and what the total expenditure on communications for her Department was on (i) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (ii) other (A) press officers, (B) special advisers and (C) staff in the last year for which figures are available. (104366)

The central communications team in DCA HQ includes 16 press officers and seven marketing officers. The Government Communication Network does not identify separate specialisms as communications or promotional officers.

While this team does not hold a centralised budget for communications programmes, it managed expenditure on external communications of around £2,450,000 between August 2005 and July 2006 on behalf of DCA HQ colleagues. It is not yet possible to provide annual figures for 2006-07.

The GICS has been replaced by the GCN.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what procedure is followed in respect of complaints against (a) her Department's (i) Permanent Secretary, (ii) ministerial correspondence unit staff, (iii) staff handling complaints, (iv) other staff and (v) consultants, (b) the Director of Judicial Offices for England and Wales, (c) other staff of the Judicial Offices for England and Wales, (d) the Chief Executive of the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, (e) other staff in the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, (f) the Chairman of the Legal Services Commission, (g) Board members of the Legal Services Commission, (h) other staff at the Legal Services Commission, (i) the Chief Executive of HM Courts Service and (j) other staff at HM Courts Service; what the timescale is for dealing with each such complaint; and what the grade should be of the staff dealing with complaints in each case. (104722)

The information about these procedures is not held centrally. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many temporary employees were contracted to work for her Department in 2005-06; and what the total cost of such employees was in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 1997-98. (106697)

My Department has contracted with Kelly Services Ltd. for the provision of agency staff since 2001. In 2005-06, the average number of agency staff supplied by Kelly Services Ltd. to my Department was 722.

(a) Expenditure with Kelly Services Ltd. in 2005-06 was £10,465,205.

(b) Prior to 2001, expenditure relating to agency staff was not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Information relating to agency staff supplied through employment agencies other than Kelly Services Ltd. is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to ensure family courts take better account of children’s interests. (100916)

We want to improve outcomes for children involved in court cases by ensuring that their wishes and interests are at the heart of the family justice system. The DCA commissioned research from Cardiff university which suggests that children involved in family court proceedings often feel excluded and unheard in the process. Our aim is to ensure that:

Young people in proceedings feel that the information given to them is clear;

They are able to understand what is happening and why;

They are told about the decisions made about them in a way which is in keeping with their age and level of understanding;

They felt that the right choices had been given to them regarding their participation in the proceedings etc. in keeping with their age and understanding; and

They are able to access information, if they choose to, when they reach 18 or thereafter, about the decisions made in their case.

We are consulting about whether and how children could ask questions, attend court and talk to the judge or the magistrates directly. We are also discussing how judges might speak to children and account to them for the decisions that they have made about them. We are considering how we might keep a record of the court's judgment, so that, if the child wishes to, they are able to find out about their case when they grow up.

We will announce in early 2007 the detail of how we intend to proceed following the consultation and we will also publish the responses to the consultation papers.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will take steps to increase the numbers of solicitors and practices undertaking work on behalf of defendants funded by legal aid. (107529)

DCA and LSC have recently published “Legal Aid Reform: the way ahead,” copies of which can be found in the House Library and on both the DCA and LSC websites. This document sets out our commitment to ensure a sustainable legal aid market is in place, with a quality assured service at the heart of our procurement strategy. The LSC continues to provide defendants in criminal cases access to legal advice and representation, thus safeguarding their right to a fair trial. I believe that the way ahead we have outlined will secure this for the future, at a price that is fair for defendants, fair for the taxpayer and fair for the practitioner.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of the introduction of changes in means testing legal aid from 1 October 2006 on the effectiveness of (a) magistrates and (b) Crown courts. (107697)

Since the implementation of the means test in the magistrates court, over 93,000 applications have been processed to date, and in many major urban areas the new scheme is being successfully implemented. On 22 November, in response to concerns raised in other areas, I announced a package of changes to improve the operational effectiveness of the new scheme. In particular, I am changing the conditions of early cover to encourage solicitors to take on first hearings and the forms are currently being reviewed. There is little evidence of any significant adverse impact on Crown court business.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if her Department will commission research into the effects on public confidence in the parliamentary process of allowing hon. Members for Scottish constituencies to vote on matters exclusively affecting England. (107672)

Because of the way the devolution settlement and the funding for the devolved institutions work, there is no such thing as a matter exclusively affecting England. Suggesting that some MPs are ‘second-class’ representatives would have more damaging effects on public confidence in the parliamentary process than the present arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests have been received at the Permanent Joint Headquarters since the beginning of the ISAF deployment in Afghanistan for (a) helicopters, (b) armoured vehicles and (c) additional forces; and what the response of (i) the commitment staff and (ii) Ministers has been. (103723)

[holding answer 27 November 2006]: The current force deployment to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, was announced on 26 January 2006, Official Report, columns 1529-33. Since then, as part of the routine process of evaluating our force structure, the Ministry of Defence and the Permanent Joint Headquarters have regularly received, and actioned, requests from theatre for changes to the military capabilities and equipment deployed. In addition, we conduct more substantial periodic Force Level Reviews which examine equipment and personnel levels.

As a result of these well-proven processes, the Secretary of State for Defence has announced: the deployment of some 130 troops of the RAF Regiment on 15 June 2006, Official Report, column 67, a force uplift of some 870 troops on 10 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1131-35, the deployment of two extra Chinook Helicopters on 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 76, a new vehicle package (Mastiff and Vector) for operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq; and the deployment of an additional Harrier on 18 September 2006, Official Report, column 136.

Any further changes to force levels that are deemed necessary will also be announced to Parliament in the normal manner.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) average and (b) shortest time has been between the completion of training and deployment to Afghanistan of pilots from the (a) Army Air Corps and (b) Royal Air Force. (105969)

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions British forces in Afghanistan have received on (a) eliminating poppy production, (b) attacking Taliban strongholds and (c) reconstruction. (106960)

As my predecessor made clear when he announced the UK deployment to Helmand province on 26 January 2006, Official Report, columns 1529-36, UK forces deployed to Afghanistan as part of a comprehensive cross-Government package in order to establish the security conditions for improved governance, reconstruction and development to take place.

The NATO Operational Plan for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) provides guidance on the range of tasks to be conducted by ISAF contributing forces, including support to counter narcotics and reconstruction. The exact nature of tasks troops undertake at any point in time is determined by the NATO chain of command.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the upgrading of (a) fire and (b) other airfield support services; and what budget has been allocated for such upgrades. (106192)

There are currently no plans for upgrades to airfield fire support equipment, but we continue to fund a number of equipment projects to maintain current standards. In September 2006, the Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation (DFRMO) was established, which brings together the various elements of the Department’s Fire and Rescue services. DFRMO provides a fully integrated and regionally based structure which ensures a more efficient and cost effective delivery of fire services.

There is a phased programme for the replacement of specialist airfield vehicles. Contracts have already been awarded for new aircraft refuellers, aircraft sewage trucks, water demineralistion trucks and large aircraft tow tractors. These will be delivered over the next two to three years. Contracts for other specialist airfield vehicles are planned. The capital budget for the entire programme is £90.1 million for the period financial year 2006-07 to 2112-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why his Department's top level budget holders have reduced the number of management groupings that produce annual accounting statements, under the Simplify and Improve initiative. (106714)

The number of management groupings has been reduced for four main reasons:

to bear down on non-value-adding transactional activity, thereby generating efficiency savings in line with Sir Peter Gershon's report on Releasing Resources to the Front Line;

to simplify the accounts’ consolidation process, thus facilitating the publication of our Annual Report and Accounts before Parliament rises for the summer recess under the Faster Closing initiative;

to reflect the removal of agency status (and, therefore, the requirement to produce separate agency accounts) for those organisations with minor asset holdings and mainly cash costs, under the Simplify and Improve initiative;

to streamline processes, deliver efficiencies and minimise the bureaucratic overhead locally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend the Armed Forces Act 2006 in the light of the European Court of Human Rights case Martin v. United Kingdom. (107225)

We are carefully considering the judgment in the Martin case, but we are confident that any arrangements required to ensure the compliance of the court martial when it deals with civilians can be made within the rule making powers already in the Armed Forces Act 2006. These will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny through the negative resolution procedure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Cougar and Vector Pinzgauer armoured vehicles are being sent to (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan; and when they are expected to arrive. (100921)

On 24 July my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced we would procure around 100 Cougar vehicles and around 160 Vector.

On current plans half of the Mastiff (the UK variants of the Cougar) vehicles will deploy to Iraq, the remaining half will be split between Afghanistan and a training pool of vehicles retained in the United Kingdom. The first batch of Mastiff vehicles is on schedule to arrive in Iraq by the end of the year.

A majority of the Vector vehicles will be deployed to Afghanistan with a small number retained in the United Kingdom for training. The first batch of Vector vehicles is on schedule to arrive in Afghanistan in January 2007.

However, final decisions on the deployment of these vehicles are a matter for operational commanders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Challenger II main battle tanks, (b) Warrior armoured infantry fighting vehicles and (c) AS 90 guns are (i) in service and (ii) available for immediate deployment. (106715)

The numbers of Challenger 2, Warrior and AS90 in service and therefore available for immediate deployment are as follows:

“In service” is defined as equipment that is not in deep maintenance, repair, storage or training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of (a) training and equipping one infantryman in the army and (b) employing that infantryman for five years. (103738)

The cost of training an Infantryman in financial year 2005-06, the latest period for which figures are available, was £27,000. These costs relate to the combined Phase 1 and 2 course at the Infantry Training Centre (ITC) Catterick, which prepares the Infantryman for their first appointment with the Field Army.

Capitation rates for the equivalent of an Infantryman, rank of Private, for financial year 2006-07 are in the region of £22,000 per annum. This covers basic pay, ERNIC and SCAPE (superannuation contributions adjusted for past experience). Capitation rates do not include allowances as these are specific to individuals and differ widely across the Army.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement. (100635)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department each year since 2001-02; and how many civil servants received bonuses in each year. (101030)

The number and value of annual appraisal related bonuses paid to members of the senior civil service (SCS), to fixed term appointees and to civil servants below the level of the SCS covered by the MOD main pay deal (excluding trading funds and agencies), over the past four years, are listed in the following tables one to three. Because MOD introduced a new bonus system for the main body of staff in 2003, we are only able to supply four years of data. The Ministry of Defence also awards special bonuses to individuals and teams for exceptional performance in a specific task or for the achievement of professional qualifications which benefit MOD and the individual; these are shown in table four. The final table (five) shows the total value of all bonuses paid: in cash terms and as a percentage of the total civilian workforce.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) manning levels are of doctors in Defence Medical Services, broken down by main specialties of practice. (106784)

[holding answer 4 December 2006]: The following table shows the trained strength against establishment for consultants in the Defence Medical Services, broken down by specialty, as at 1 July 2006.

As explained in a previous answer on 4 September 2006, Official Report, column 1692W, to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), “Establishment” is the listing of an individual unit’s funded appointments/posts. It is different to the “Requirement”, which is those posts necessary to support Defence Planning Assumptions. In light of the defence planning assumptions contained in Defence Strategic Guidance 05, revised manning requirement figures are expected to be available before the end of this year. The new requirement figures will indicate the number and type of Defence Medical Services personnel necessary to support operations and those needed in non-operational posts requiring uniformed personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future funding of the Defence Schools Presentation Scheme. (102445)

For the last three years the Department has funded Defence Schools Presentations Teams (DSPT) which tour secondary schools giving a half day interactive presentation about defence to 14 to 16-year-olds. There are five such teams covering different areas of the country, and over the last year they visited about 460 schools (about 10 per cent. of the total number in the country serving this age group). These presentations are generally well received and do allow us to get some of our messages over about the importance of defence. The investment here is about £2.1 million a year and we have reviewed our approach.

The Department will be introducing a new schools e-learning product. Through creating an educational website called “Defence Dynamics”, our main focus will be to provide Secondary School teachers of 14 to 16-year-olds with pre-packaged electronic lesson plans with Defence themes. Defence Dynamics will start with the delivery in September 2007 of 40 plus lesson plans with audio-visuals in Science, Maths and English based on scenarios that reflect the professional work of the MOD and the armed forces worldwide. The material will be developed to support the requirements of the school curriculum and across a range of subject areas in the longer term. MOD will be working closely with DfES and the devolved Government education Departments in the UK. Initially the Defence Dynamics programme will run for two years with the aim to develop this for the long-term. A similar e-learning approach has been used successfully in Australian schools for three years (“Defence 2020”).

The intention is to disband the touring DSPT in July 2007 (the end of this academic year) and launch the new schools e-learning product in September 2007. The Department will be maintaining its engagement with schools and switching to an approach that will enable us to reach many more children than are visited by the touring DSPT, and at a significantly lower cost.

The armed forces engagement with youth activities continues—each service of the armed forces has a presentation team and these remain in place. There is also a wide range of single service youth activity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors were taken into account when the original decision was made to store in his Department’s archives the two files referred to in his answer of 7 November 2006, Official Report, column 1453W. (103080)

File WO208/3548 and extract WO208/3654, were originally reviewed in accordance with the terms of the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967. They were assessed as being suitable for permanent preservation at the Public Record Office (now The National Archives) but were judged then to be too sensitive for release. They were therefore retained in the Department in accordance with section 3(4) of the Public Records Act with the approval of the Lord Chancellor. Their sensitivity would routinely have been re-reviewed every 10 years.

These items were retained with similarly sensitive material in the central Ministry of Defence archive, which, in 2003 was found to have been contaminated by asbestos. WO208/3654 has since been re-constituted, re-reviewed and released to The National Archives. Unfortunately a search of the list of material removed from the contaminated archive has shown that WO208/3548 is not recorded. Further searches will be made for this file as the scanning project to recover contaminated files proceeds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) from which companies his Department charters (a) B757s and (b) DC10s; and what the value is of each contract involved; (107209)

The MOD charters Boeing 757s and DC10s through recognised brokers who have contracts with various companies including Titan, Omni Air and Astraeus. The MOD does not hold contracts directly with the charter companies, and therefore the value of each contract is a matter between the brokers and companies. During the current financial year, the total value of charter costs with these companies, and others, has been approximately £l,531,000 for Boeing 757s and £9,772,000 for DC10s.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of his Department’s (a) Continuous Working Patterns Survey report, (b) Leave Survey report, (c) Pay Analysis—Current and Future Pay report and (d) Local Overseas Allowances Survey for each year since 1997-98. (102556)

Copies of the Continuous Working Patterns and Leave Survey reports for each year since 2000-01 are available in the Library of the House.

The earlier reports are held in very fragmented form and I will write to the hon. Member when the summaries of the reports for the previous years have been completed. I will also place copies of them in the Library of the House.

The outputs from the Pay Analyses—Current and Future Pay Report and the Local Overseas Allowance Survey are purely unrounded numerical data held in spreadsheets and no accessible reports are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff were employed through employment agencies in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies in each of the last five years for which information is available; and what the (i) average and (ii) longest time was for which these temporary workers were employed in each year. (102954)

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether people employed (a) through employment agencies and (b) on a consultancy basis are included in the calculations for the full-time equivalent staff mentioned in his Department’s annual report. (102990)

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department’s annual budget is for employing workers on a consultancy basis; and how much of this budget was used in each of the last five years for which records are available. (103032)

My Department has no single centralised budget for consultancy spending.

The MOD’s budget has a number of layers of delegated budgetary responsibility and budget holders make decisions as to their particular requirements to employ consultants on a case-by-case basis.

Summaries of MOD expenditure on external assistance, of which consultancy is a part, are available in the Library of the House for the years 1995-96 to 2005-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff have left his Department under voluntary early release schemes in each of the last four quarters; and what the financial cost of these departures has been. (103309)

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Data are held on the number of staff that have left the Department but not whether their release has been under a voluntary early release scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total expenditure on (a) agency staff and (b) consultants was in his Department for each of the last four quarters for which figures are available. (103310)

The information requested is not available on a quarterly basis and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

However, summaries of MOD's annual expenditure on External Assistance, of which consultancy is a part, are available in the Library of the House for the years 1995-96 to 2005-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many temporary employees were contracted to work for his Department in 2005-06; and what the total cost of such employees was in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 1997-98. (106690)

The information requested is shown in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) total, (b) court and (c) inter-party costs were of litigation arising from cases involving Diana Elias; and how much (i) compensation and (ii) awards have been paid to Diana Elias. (104479)

The Ministry of Defence's costs arising from legal action with Mrs. Elias regarding the Ex Gratia Payment Scheme for former Far East Prisoners of War and civilian internees have yet to be finalised. The total as at the end of October was some £159,000 excluding VAT. This does not include the claimant's costs which are not yet known but does include identifiable court fees of some £400.

As was made clear in my statement of 17 October 2006, Official Report, column 46WS, Mrs. Elias has received a £10,000 ex gratia payment under the scheme. The courts awarded Mrs. Elias damages of £3,000 plus interest; as at 27 November, work between the two sides to agree the final value of the this sum had not been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the contribution of the UK into EU defence planning institutions. (107062)

The EU does not have defence planning institutions. This activity is undertaken by the Policy and Plans Directorate of the EU Military Staff which, until very recently, was led by a UK officer.

Our most recent major input into EU's defence planning activity has been the UK’s response to the Headline Goal Questionnaire submitted in late March 2006, which sets out the capabilities which the UK might potentially be able to make available to EU-led operations. Since then, lower level activity has taken place to assist the EU with the process of scrutiny and assessment of both UK and other member states’ inputs to the Headline Goal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of military advisers to EU Special Representatives; and how many there are. (107065)

The EU Special Representative for Sudan has a Military Adviser and a Deputy Military Adviser. The EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina has two Political-Military Advisers. There are no other military advisers to EU Special Representatives.

The Military Advisers’ role in Sudan is to help to ensure the coherence of the military component of the EU supporting action in Addis Ababa and manage coordination with the African Union.

The Political-Military Advisers’ role in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is to support the EU Special Representative in ensuring the coherence, visibility and effectiveness of the overall EU action in BiH, particularly in the security area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on maintaining a UK force on the Falkland Islands in each of the last five years. (104568)

In each of the last five years the costs of the Chief of Joint Operations, who is responsible for maintaining a UK force on the Falkland Islands, are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contractors are employed at the Faslane base in Scotland. (106852)

There are some 2,478 contractor personnel from 177 contractors and subcontractors employed at HM Naval Base Clyde (Faslane and Coulport). Contractors do not work exclusively at one site so it is not therefore possible to give a figure for Faslane only.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that private organisations contracted to work (a) in his Department and (b) for non-Departmental public bodies and executive agencies for which his Department is responsible are aware of their duties under gender equality legislation when exercising public functions on behalf of public bodies. (101508)

In conjunction with its overarching Equality and Diversity Scheme 2006-09 the Department has also published a set of associated Action Plans to cover the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007, setting out our programme of proposed actions. As part of this programme there is an action to review our standard conditions of contract DEFCON 516 with representatives from the Defence Industry Trade Association, to ensure that we meet our duty obligations in respect of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation and religion or belief and in Northern Ireland, duties under the Fair Employment Legislation.

Copies of the MOD Equality and Diversity Scheme 2006-09 and its associated Action Plans are available in the Library of the House and have also been published on the Department’s website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to carry out gender impact assessments of his Department’s major policy developments and new legislation. (101538)

In order to meet the specific duties placed on the Department one of the major requirements of the MOD’s Equality and Diversity Scheme 2006-09, is to undertake diversity impact assessments (including gender) of the Department’s functions, policies, procedures and services, subject to relevance and proportionality. To assist with impact assessment an Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment Tool has been developed which enables MOD policy sponsors, and service providers to impact assess their areas of work in respect of equality and diversity issues. Progress against this requirement will be detailed in our annual reports against our Scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies for which he is responsible are taking steps to meet the requirements of the forthcoming duty on public bodies (i) to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and (ii) to promote equality between women and men. (101554)

The Ministry of Defence has adopted a unified philosophy to equality and diversity issues at a strategic level which is reflected in our Unified Diversity Strategy (UDS). The UDS ensures the development of equality and diversity action plans throughout the organisation which are relevant to and reflective of the respective requirements of the armed forces, civilians, MOD police and executive agencies. This strategy is underpinned by clear and robust equality and diversity policies covering all aspects of the Department's work.

The steps the Department has already taken to meet the requirements of the forthcoming duties are the publication of its overarching equality and diversity scheme 2006 to 2009 and associated action plans for 2006-07. A major requirement of our scheme is the obligation to undertake diversity impact assessments of the Department’s functions, policies, procedures and services, subject to relevance and proportionality. This is also supported by a Training Management Framework to ensure that our entire workforce, uniformed and civilian, are properly trained, that their awareness is raised and that they are sensitive to diversity issues. There are several levels of training from our initial induction courses through to specialist training for specific posts.

A copy of the Unified Diversity Strategy is available in the Library of the House and it has been published on the Department's website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many helicopters there are in the UK armed services, broken down by (a) type and (b) role; (106087)

[holding answer 28 November 2006]: The following table sets out the number of helicopters in the UK armed forces broken down by type and role as at 31 October 2006. Aircraft that are out of service due to reduced readiness has been taken to mean aircraft in the depth fleet, that is, aircraft on scheduled routine maintenance, repair and upgrades. Mothballed has been taken to mean aircraft placed in storage in a flying or “near flying” condition.

The fleet sizes quoted cover those aircraft expected to be flown and does not include some aircraft that are currently classified as redundant, unrepairable or in storage.

In addition to the aircraft in the previous table, the Department contracts for commercially owned helicopters and the following table shows those broken down by type and role as at 31 October 2006. These aircraft are on availability contracts and are not owned by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to establish the necessary infrastructure to recruit, train, equip and sustain (a) six new infantry battalions and (b) three additional squadrons of medium support helicopters, together with the necessary air crew and support staff. (107569)

[holding answer 4 December 2006]: We have no plans to create an additional six infantry battalions or three helicopter squadrons. As the hon. Member will be aware, the Secretary of State announced on 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 1793, the Future Army Structure which would provide an Army better balanced to conduct short notice expeditionary operations, as well as enduring operations more efficiently, allowing us to respond appropriately to a wider range of possible contingencies, including the current and future strategic environment. This structure takes account of the requirement to integrate the full range of joint effects, including medium support helicopters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is normal practice for rigid raiders to transfer personnel between bases as part of a routine boat patrol in Iraq. (101938)

Rigid Raider Craft are used regularly as part of boat patrols in Iraq. Commanders make use of all means available to them to transfer personnel, including boats on the Shat-Al-Arab waterway.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department is contributing to the cost of treatment of service personnel who are casualties of the Iraq war and its aftermath in NHS hospitals. (106317)

Yes. It was agreed in the mid-1990s on the closure of most of the Service hospitals that the Department would pay for all Service patients treated at the NHS Trusts which host the Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHUs) which were set up to train MOD medical personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the disbandment of the Iraqi army on security in Iraq; and what progress has been made in re-establishing an Iraqi armed service aimed at maintaining the rule of law. (107574)

[holding answer 4 December 2006]: The Iraqi army was disbanded, in March 2003, by the Coalition Provisional Authority. No recent assessment has been made of the impact of this decision upon the security situation in Iraq. Good progress has been achieved with the training and equipping of the Iraqi Security Forces. There are now over 322,000 personnel in the Iraqi Security Forces: over 188,000 in Ministry of Interior forces (which includes police) and over 134,000 in Ministry of Defence forces (which includes Army).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether members of the armed forces have received late payments since the Joint Personnel Administration system has gone live. (105856)

[holding answer 28 November 2006]: The vast majority of personnel have received their basic pay on time.

Although late payments of salaries have been experienced by some personnel serving overseas, these were due to the simultaneous introduction of a new system of overseas bank payments, and not the Joint Personnel Administration system.

Late payments have, almost without exception, related solely to the specialist pay and allowances components of total salary rather than the core basic pay component. These issues have now very largely been resolved.

Arrangements are in place at unit level to make up any shortfall in pay that might occur.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the first six months of the operation of the Joint Personnel Administration system for RAF personnel. (105857)

[holding answer 28 November 2006]: Joint Personnel Administration remains on track to deliver the anticipated benefits of empowering the individual, providing much improved personnel management information, and enabling financial savings through reduced costs of ownership. The system has achieved target implementation dates for both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy; implementation to the Army remains on track for March 2007.

Following resolution of initial and unanticipated speed of response issues, system performance has been good. Teething problems experienced have been within the bounds of what might be expected from a system of this size and complexity.

Basic Pay for the RAF has, almost without exception, been paid accurately and on time via the system since roll out. Initial inaccurate payments of RAF specialist pay and allowances due to technical problems with the system have largely been resolved. The remaining problems with RAF specialist pay and allowances are primarily due to self service user error or incorrect inputs by unit human resources staff.

Lessons have been learned from the roll out to the RAF, and applied to the Royal Navy roll out that happened on 23 October 2006. This includes reinforcements and additional training for enquiry centre staff, and particular emphasis has been placed upon specialist pay and allowances issues during testing. Enhanced self service user instructions have been introduced, and experienced Royal Navy pay specialists are on hand to provide additional expertise to payroll and enquiry centre teams.

Notwithstanding that the number of users logging into the Joint Personnel Administration system has significantly increased following RN implementation, good levels of system performance have been maintained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what access service personnel have to the Joint Personnel Administration system while on operations in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq. (105858)

[holding answer 28 November 2006]: In Afghanistan, access for Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel, to the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) is normally through the deployed unit’s human resource (HR) staff. In Iraq access is through the JPA self-service function.

In addition deployed unit human resource staff have access to their parent units in the United Kingdom. A fast track processes allows HR staff for deployed personnel, to directly call the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency’s JPA Operations Room with their inquiries which are given priority. Parent units in the UK are able to do the same if approached by the partners of personnel serving overseas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married armed forces service personnel posted abroad with their families have been allocated single living accommodation on arrival in each of the last three years; and what the (a) average and (b) longest period of time is which servicemen or women have had to wait to be housed with their families. (103742)

In Cyprus and the Falkland Island, between 2004-06, we are aware of no occasions whereby service personnel entitled to service families accommodation (SFA) had to occupy single living accommodation (SLA). In Gibraltar, in 2005, 10 entitled service families resided in SLA (for an average of six weeks) while waiting to take up residence in SFA.

For Germany the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reports of boilers and heating systems breaking down in living accommodation for armed forces personnel there were in each of the last three years; and what the (a) average and (b) longest time taken to replace the boiler was in that period. (103745)

Information for the years prior to the Housing Prime Contract going live is not held centrally or in a consistent form. It will take a little time to ascertain if a reply can be given without disproportionate cost. I will therefore write to the hon. Member once this has been established, together with the figures since the implementation of the Housing Prime Contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the remit will be of the futures group at the Meteorological Office; when the group is expected to be established; and how many members it will have. (102626)

[holding answer 23 November 2006]: The ‘Futures’ group now referred to as Met Office Consultancy was set up in September 2006. The team is led by two individuals with significant commercial and consultancy experience and currently comprises 10 members of staff in total.

The consultancy group is part of the commercial business area and has the specific remit to provide climate change risk management and scientific advice to existing and new business customers. Met Office Consultancy therefore harnesses the scientific expertise and reputation to address business climate change risk management needs namely: accurate assessment of customer climate change risks, their impacts and consequently the business mitigation plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Meteorological Office about an increase in their commercial activities. (102627)

[holding answer 23 November 2006]: The Met Office’s commercial activities have been discussed recently in the context of the Met Office four-year corporate plan which sets out ambitious plans for growth in commercial activities. The increase in commercial activities will have a clear role in the successful future of the Met Office by generating profitable revenue from customers to fund future investment thereby helping to deliver value to the UK taxpayer.

The Met Office was successful in meeting its commercial profit KPT for financial year 2005-06, achieving a figure of £2.9 million against a target of £2.8 million. They are also forecasting to meet their target for commercial profit of £3.6 million in the current year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military advisers are deployed for the training of the (a) Afghan National Army and (b) Iraqi Security Forces. (102593)

There are approximately 230 British military advisers currently deployed specifically to train the Afghan National Army (ANA), and approximately 80 British military advisers currently deployed specifically to train the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).

In addition, all deployed British military personnel will assist and provide support in training as required, and will act as mentors when working alongside either the ANA or the ISF, but are not deployed specifically for these tasks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rules govern the determination of recipients of the award of a military campaign medal. (104503)

The eligibility of an individual for a particular campaign medal is determined by the qualifying criteria for that medal which is decided as early as possible during the campaign by the cross-Government Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals following advice from the MOD. The criteria will include elements such as the operational area, the qualifying period of service within that area, whether that time must be continuous or aggregated and any specific exclusions.

Details of the qualifying criteria for the Iraq campaign medal were published in Cm6135 (February 2004) and supplemented by Cm6936 (October 2006).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which war correspondents accredited by his Department and deployed to Iraq in March and April 2003 do not qualify for the Iraq campaign medal. (104512)

In accordance with DCI Gen 170/04, all Ministry of Defence accredited war correspondents deployed to the qualifying Zones for the appropriate length of time during the related period (a minimum of seven continuous days between 19 March-28 April 2003 for the medal with clasp) are eligible for the award. All accredited war correspondents listed in MOD records for Operation Telic fall into this category and therefore qualify for the Operation Telic Campaign medal with clasp.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the (a) mine and (b) ballistic protection afforded by (i) the BvS10 Viking without slatted armour and (ii) the BAe Land Systems RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle. (102640)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 October 2006, Official Report, columns 186-87W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many live rounds of ammunition have been fired by UK forces in action in the last three years; (107116)

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department defines (a) trained and (b) untrained (i) officers and (ii) soldiers. (104484)

Officers are classed as trained, and are taken on to the trained strength of the Army, upon successfully passing out of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (RMAS). Prior to completing the commissioning course at RMAS potential officers are classed as untrained and counted on the Army’s untrained strength.

Soldiers are classed as trained, and taken on to the trained strength of the Army, once they have successfully passed Phase One Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) (CMS(R)) course together with Phase Two Special-to-Arm (STA) course. While undertaking training (CMS(R) and STA) soldiers are classed as untrained, and counted as part of the Army’s untrained strength.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has a traffic light system in place for processing parliamentary questions, where questions are categorised using a colour code. (103149)

No. Parliamentary questions are processed by the date they are due for answer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to extend the role of the Priory Group in treating serving and retired armed services personnel suffering from post traumatic stress and post traumatic stress disorder. (106998)

Only serving members of the armed forces or mobilised reservists are referred for treatment at The Priory Group facilities for mental health services. The MOD also provides its own community-based mental health facilities that undertake out-patient care to entitled personnel. In a few cases out-patient treatment is also provided by the Priory Group where a consultant states that a patient requires a short course of outpatient follow-up or continuation of therapy (e.g. cognitive behavioural therapy). Upon leaving the armed forces, or on demobilisation for Reservists, it is the long established practice that responsibility for medical care passes to the NHS. The MOD has no plans to extend the role of the Priory group in its treatment of serving personnel, or to extend this to retired personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for RAF Halton; and if he will make a statement. (107351)

[holding answer 4 December 2006]: The MOD estate is kept under continuous review to ensure that it is the right size and quality to support the delivery of Defence capability. There are no current plans to change the use of RAF Halton, with the exception of a small element which may be affected by the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme. A review of officer and airmen development is also under way and this may affect a number of units at RAF stations, including some at RAF Halton. No decisions have yet been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of policing at the recent demonstration at RAF Menwith Hill on 7 October; and who paid for the cost of the policing. (103126)

The cost of policing at the recent demonstration at RAF Menwith Hill on 7 October totalled £11,786.52. In accordance with the 1989 memorandum of understanding between the United Kingdom and the United States Governments, the United States Government paid for the police officers stationed full-time at Menwith Hill, the cost of which was £2,526.88. The MOD paid for officers deployed for the demonstration from the divisional support group and operational support units, the cost of which was £9,259.64.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total (a) actual and (b) establishment figures for medical personnel are in the (i) Army, (ii) Navy and (iii) RAF. (101064)

The following table illustrates the Establishment and Trained Strength of qualified medical personnel in the three single Services as at 1 July 2006.

As explained in a previous answer to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey) on 4 September 2006, Official Report, column 1692W, “Establishment” is the listing of an individual unit’s funded appointments/posts.

It is different to the “Requirement”, which is those posts necessary to support Defence Planning Assumptions. In light of the defence planning assumptions contained in Defence Strategic Guidance 05, revised manning requirement figures are expected to be available before the end of this year. The new requirement figures will indicate the number and type of Defence Medical Services (DMS) personnel necessary to support operations and those needed in non-operational posts requiring uniformed personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why he intends to increase the number of Royal Fleet Reserve (marine officers and marines) that may be maintained for service; and if he will make a statement. (105960)

There are no plans to increase the size of the Royal Fleet Reserves (RFR). Currently all naval Service personnel, on leaving the Regular Navy and Marines, have a liability for service in the RFR that automatically ceases after a fixed period of time. The actual numbers of personnel on the RFR are therefore self-regulatory and will vary from month to month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of personnel were deemed to have worked excessive hours in the Royal Navy in each year since 2001. (101058)

The results of recent surveys of working patterns, involving approximately 6,000 Naval personnel, indicate that the proportion of Royal Naval personnel working excessive hours in each year since 2001 were:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy ships are at sea (a) without key equipment and (b) with equipment which is not working; and if he will make a statement. (106636)

Royal Navy ships are permanently fitted with the equipment needed for their envisaged tasking and are adaptable for a wide range of other contingent tasks. The equipment required by ships for specific tasks, and the temporary defects that could affect their operations, would allow an assessment to be made of the operational capability of the fleet and disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department plan to visit Saudi Arabia in the next three months. (106719)

[holding answer 30 November 2006]: It is not our practice to announce travel arrangements of Government Ministers prior to the visits. The future visit programme for Defence Ministers is continuously under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which staff in his Department are seconded from organisations with charitable status; and which have (a) costs and (b) salaries met (i) in part and (ii) in whole (A) from public funds and (B) by the charity from which they are seconded. (102408)

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average pay for a sergeant in the British Army was in 2005-06. (106889)

In 2005-06, the basic pay for a sergeant in the British Army ranged between £25,973 and £31,956, depending on the seniority and the trade of the individual concerned. In addition to their basic pay, Sergeants may also receive specialist pay and allowances (eg Parachute Pay and Longer Separated Service Allowance) provided they meet the relevant eligibility criteria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made an assessment of the pay and conditions of members of the armed services of each NATO country undertaking joint operations. (106890)

The independent Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) commissioned research for its 2002 report into the military remuneration packages offered by 10 Commonwealth and NATO countries (including USA, Australia, Canada and France). This indicated that none of the countries surveyed provided a more generous package across-the-board. The research took account of basic pay, including relevant tax arrangements, allowances for operations, the disadvantages of military life, pension arrangements, accommodation charges, annual and other leave.

The AFPRB repeated the research for their 2005 report and concluded that the UK package remains broadly comparable with that offered by other nations. Data were provided on 12 countries.

Australia

Austria

Canada

Denmark

France

Germany

Ireland

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Spain

USA

Of these, only Canada offers higher base pay for certain ranks. When the total package was considered the UK was slightly less favourable than Australia and France, broadly in line with most ranks in Ireland, the USA and Canada and ahead of the other seven countries.