Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 13 March 2007
Leader of the House
House of Lords: Powers
Following the vote in the House of Lords on 14 March 2007 on composition of a reformed House, I propose to reconvene the cross-party talks, which I chair, to assess the outcome of the debates in both Houses. The Government will consider the next move and I will return to this House to make a detailed statement on the way forward.
House of Lords: Reform
(2) what estimate he has made of the (a) percentage and (b) actual change in running costs likely to arise from a reformed House of Lords under each option outlined in the Motions debated on 6 and 7 March in the House.
Detailed analysis will be provided once the proposals for a reformed House of Lords are much firmer. I propose to reconvene the cross-party group, which I chair, to assess the outcome of the debates in both Houses. I will discuss the issue within Government and will return to this House to make a detailed statement on the way forward.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
(2) how many (a) cattle and (b) herds were tested for bovine tuberculosis in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) home country and (ii) county.
I have arranged for the information requested to be placed in the Libraries of the House. Detailed county statistics for 1998-2005 are also available on the DEFRA website:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/stats/county.htm
Flood Control
(2) what area his Department added to existing (a) natural wetland, (b) restoration of natural flood plains and (c) flood defence walls to prevent flooding in populated areas in each of the last three years for which records are available;
(3) how much his Department spent on the (a) creation of natural wetland, (b) restoration of natural flood plains and (c) flood defence walls to prevent flooding in populated areas in each of the last three years for which records are available.
In 2004-05 and 2005-06 the Environment Agency spent £17.7 million on wetland habitat and species conservation in England and this included the creation of 943 hectares of Biodiversity Action Plan habitat, of which 809 hectares were floodplain habitats.
Data collation on wetland habitat creation expenditure and delivery commenced in 2004-05 and the figures for 2006-07 are not yet available.
From their records, the Environment Agency’s direct expenditure on flood walls in each of the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 in completed major capital projects was £10.5 million, £13.7 million and £35 million respectively. The total construction cost of projects which included these walls was £31 million in 2003-04, £37.3 million in 2004-05 and £81.9 million in 2005-06.
These costs relate only to major capital projects (those with a construction cost in excess of circa £250,000) undertaken by the Environment Agency that were completed during these periods.
One of the aims of “Making Space for Water, the Government's strategy for flood and costal erosion risk management”, is to work with natural processes and develop multiple objective approaches that deliver flood risk management and, where possible, other benefits such as environmental, amenity or regeneration.
“Making Space for Water” provides the policy framework for more holistic approaches to flood and coastal erosion risk management. It is drawing on the lessons learnt within the regions at numerous freshwater and saline wetland creation sites. The creation of new targets (Outcome Measures), for all operating authorities, will ensure that habitat creation and the restoration of natural flood plains form a central part of future investment decision making.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
While there is no single, national energy efficiency scheme, we do have a UK Energy Efficiency Action Plan (published in 2004). This brings together all of our separate funding streams and associated policies into a framework for improving energy efficiency across the business, public and household sectors. Energy efficiency policies deliver about half the carbon savings in our Climate Change Programme. Details on the funding for these various schemes is provided in the following table:
Carbon Trust formed 2001 Energy Saving Trust Warm front 2000 inception Climate change communication Community energy UK emissions trading scheme 1997-98 n/a 19.45 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1998-99 n/a 19 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1999-2000 n/a 22.57 n/a n/a n/a n/a 2000-01 n/a 21.97 1— n/a n/a n/a 2001-02 2— 22.396 1— n/a n/a 3— 2002-03 2— 23.696 1— n/a 0.43 3— 2003-04 2— 24.481 1— n/a 4.31 3— 2004-05 2— 27.372 1— n/a 4.9 3— 2005-06 2— 26.44 1— 412 5.24 3— 1 Total expenditure since 2000 now over £1.2 billion. 2 £207 million total expenditure from 2001-02 to 2005-06. 3 £215 million for five year programme. 4 For three year programme.
The funding information provided in the table is not the end of the story as our policies also help generate additional investment. For example, the Energy Efficiency Commitment, our key household policy lever, generated £600 million worth of energy efficiency investment in households in the first three year phase to 2005 alone. We are committed to an obligation on energy suppliers to at least 2020.
Pollution Control: Fees and Charges
The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Regulation charges quoted are the pro rata charges which the Environment Agency would apply in respect of permits for intensive livestock installations issued in August 2007 covering the period to March 2008. The annual permit charges thereafter are currently set at £2,229 and £2,794 for small and large installations respectively.
IPPC applies to intensive poultry rearing installations with places for more than 40,000 birds, and to intensive pig rearing installations with places for more than 2,000 production pigs or 750 sows. For charging purposes, any installation with places more than 10 times these thresholds is regarded as “large”.
Information on profits and turnover is held on a basis in which large farm businesses are those considered sufficient to occupy two or more standard labour requirements. Standard labour requirement (SLR) for a farm business represents the labour requirement (in full-time equivalents) for all the agricultural activities on the farm. All intensive livestock installations subject to IPPC are “large” in these terms.
For poultry installations, annual charges for IPPC permits represent on average 0.2 per cent. of turnover and 5.0 per cent. of net profits, or 0.3 per Cent. and 6.2 per cent. respectively if it is a “large” installation for IPPC purposes. For pig installations, the corresponding figures are 0.4 per cent. and 3.5 per cent, or 0.5 per cent and 4.4 per cent.
Radioactive Materials: Floods
Assessments of these flood risks are addressed as part of standard regulatory processes.
The safety of nuclear installations in the UK is regulated by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII), which is part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Nuclear installations include all UK nuclear power plants and the Low Level Radioactive Waste Repository (LLWR) near to Drigg in Cumbria. Such installations must be licensed under the Nuclear Installations Act (1965). The safety of a nuclear plant is the responsibility of the licensee, who is required to submit to the NII a written demonstration of safety, the ‘safety case’.
NII requires that operators’ safety cases address internal and external hazards, including various types of flooding. NII assesses the operators’ safety cases to establish whether they are adequate. Safety cases are ‘living documents’ which are periodically reviewed and updated to reflect changing conditions. Changes in flood risk, whether due to changes in natural phenomena or man-made, are taken into account during such reviews.
The environment agencies (the Environment Agency in England and Wales, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in Scotland) regulate disposals of radioactive waste. The environment agencies would require any applicant wishing to develop a proposed disposal facility to assess impacts from a wide range of events and processes including those such as coastal erosion. This is in order to demonstrate that risks associated with radioactivity and other potential hazards would be acceptably low. Impacts from coastal erosion were considered in some detail during a recent review of the radioactive waste disposal authorisation for the LLWR near to Drigg in Cumbria.
Solicitor-General
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Victims and Survivors
Since I last updated the House, Mr. Scott has received a further 28 lever-arch files of documentation, bringing the total to 41 files. Most of the documents comprise the files maintained contemporaneously by the two departments concerned, and require careful scrutiny to identify those which are central to the matters which Mr. Scott is investigating.
Mr. Scott has sent questionnaires to 17 potential witnesses and received responses from 14 of them to date. He expects to receive the outstanding responses by the middle of this month. There may be one or two other witnesses whom he will also want to question in due course.
When he has completed his scrutiny of the documentation, Mr. Scott will interview any witness of whom he requires further information or clarification of their statement. Some of those interviews will take place in Belfast later this month and the remainder in London, probably in April and May. He will submit his report to the Attorney-General as soon as possible after completing those interviews and taking any steps which may emerge from them and are necessary to complete his report.
Constitutional Affairs
Courts: Salisbury
We expect that construction on the new courthouse in Salisbury will commence by the end of July 2007, with the courts coming into service in the summer of 2009.
Judges: Housing
While the provision of judges’ lodgings is kept under constant review, and the comparative cost of hotels considered, there is presently no intention to provide judges with an independent accommodation allowance while simultaneously running lodgings.
A straight comparison of the cost between housing judges in hotels or accommodating them in lodgings is not easily made. Judges’ lodgings are an essential requirement for accommodating high court judges sitting outside of London. They provide a safe and secure environment and enable the judges to work in privacy and ensure confidentiality for extended periods, which hotels are unable to match except at prohibitive cost.
In the current locations where we have a requirement for less than 50 judge nights per year we do not own lodgings; instead we rent them.
The following are the major changes that have taken place since 1997:
The lodgings at Mold was closed.
The lodgings at Exeter, Lewes, Oxford and Truro have been replaced with better value accommodation.
There have been a significant number of actions to reduce running costs including the removal of the outdated butler posts.
A more cost-effective system for getting judges to court has been introduced using the Government Car and Despatch Agency.
Introduction of new finance and accounting regimes reducing the management overheads of running the lodgings.
The five judges’ lodgings with the lowest occupancy in judge nights during 2005-06 (all of which are hired, not owned) were Warwick, Caernarfon, Lincoln, Northampton and Worcester.
The highest cost per judge night during 2005-06 were Maidstone, Swansea, Winchester, St. Albans and Chelmsford.
The Maidstone lodging is being sold.
A schedule showing rights of occupation is detailed as follows.
Property name Freehold Leasehold Licence Hiring Birmingham judges’ lodgings v — — — Bristol judges’ lodgings — v — — Caernarfon judges’ lodgings — — v — Cardiff judges’ lodgings v — — — Carlisle judges’ lodgings — — v — Chelmsford judges’ lodgings — — v — Chester judges’ lodgings v — — — Exeter judges’ lodgings — — v — Kingston Upon Hull — — — v Leeds judges’ lodging — v — — Leicester judges’ lodgings — — v — Lewes judges’ lodging — — — v Lincoln judges’ lodgings — — v — Liverpool judges’ lodgings — v — — Maidstone judges’ lodgings v — — — Manchester judges’ lodgings v — — — Newcastle judges’ lodgings v — — — Northampton judges’ lodgings — — v — Norwich judges’ lodgings v — — — Nottingham judges’ lodgings v — — — Oxford judges’ lodgings — — — v Plymouth judges’ lodgings — — v — Preston judges’ lodgings v — — — Reading judges’ lodgings v — — — Sheffield judges’ lodgings v — — — St. Albans Judges’ lodgings v — — — Stafford judges’ lodgings — — v — Swansea judges’ lodgings v — — — Truro judges’ lodgings — — — v Warwick judges’ lodgings — — v — Winchester judges’ lodgings — v — — Worcester judges’ lodgings — — v —
My officials are in regular discussion with the judiciary regarding both the cost and future of judges’ lodgings.
Culture, Media and Sport
Art: Lancashire
The following table shows the Arts Council’s funding commitments to local artists in Lancashire between 2003-04 and 2005-06. Local artists are defined as individual artists living in Lancashire. Grant in aid funding information for individual artists in the years preceding 2003-04 is not available.
Grant in aid (£) 2003-04 41,021 2004-05 134,501 2005-06 83,522
The following table shows the Arts Council’s funding commitments to arts projects in Lancashire between 2001-02 and 2005-06. Arts projects are defined as time-limited activities. Grant in aid funding information for time-limited projects in the years preceding 2003-04 is not available.
Grant in Aid Lottery Total 2001-02 — 1,116,512 1,116,512 2002-03 — 424,326 424,326 2003-04 41,021 1,518,624 1,559,645 2004-05 137,511 1,251,303 1,388,814 2005-06 59,514 951,811 1,011,325
Culture: Lancashire
No Arts Council England-funded theatres have opened or closed in Lancashire in any of the last five years. Information on local authority funded museums and theatres, or independent museums and theatres, is not held centrally.
Departments: Work Permits
During the last five years, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has applied for only one work permit. The Royal Parks, which is an agency of the Department, has applied for no work permits during the last five years.
Gaming Clubs
[holding answer 12 March 2007]: Biographical details of the five individuals selected to become the Chair and members of the Casino Advisory Panel were included in the press release, issued on 30 September 2005, which announced the establishment of the Panel.
The press release is available on the Panel’s website at www.culture.gov.uk/cap <http://www.culture.gov.uk/cap>. Copies have been placed in the House Library.
Gaming Clubs: Licensing
[holding answer 12 March 2007]: The minute of the Casino Advisory Panel’s meeting of 8 and 15 November 2006, (a single meeting which lasted two days), which is available on the Panel’s website at www.culture.gov.uk/cap <http://www. culture.gov.uk/cap>, is the full record of that meeting. I am arranging for copies of the minute to be placed in the House Libraries.
[holding answer 12 March 2007]: The basis on which the Casino Advisory Panel made its assessment of willingness to license in respect of applicants in the regional casino category is set out in paragraphs 105 and 106 of its final report to the Secretary of State. The report is available on the Panel’s website at www.culture.gov.uk/cap <http://www.culture.gov.uk/cap> and copies have been placed in the House Library.
Lotteries: Licensing
The information is set out as follows:
Lotteries fees1 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 >£200,0002 454 468 487 >£50,0002 303 312 324 >£20,0002 104 107 111 >£10,0002 104 107 111 <£10,0002 104 107 111 Registration Fee (Society) 4,810 4,954 5,152 Registration Fee (Local Authority) 4,810 4,954 5,152 Renewal Fee (Local Authority and Society) 188 194 202 Lottery Manager 14,850 15,295 15,907 1 Licence fees were set under the provisions Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 and were payable for non-remote licences only. 2 Lottery with turnover (total value of tickets sold). Note: Under the Gambling Act 2005, licence fees are payable for both non-remote and remote provision.
Non-remote Remote Operating licence type A B C D E F G H Society lotteries 165 247 329 — — 165 247 329 Lottery Manager 988 1,647 2,306 — — 988 1,647 2,306
Non-remote Remote Operating licence type A B C D E F C H Society lotteries 348 692 1,392 — — 2,72 4,370 6,361 Lottery Manager 1,981 2,261 2,541 — — 12,733 34,176 66,341
Following representations from the Lotteries Council and the Hospice Lotteries Association, the Department has accepted advice from the Gambling Commission that the level of annual remote fees for society lotteries should be lowered to the same level as non-remote society operators i.e. £348, £692 and £1,392. The Department intends to lay amending regulations in April.
Millennium Dome
Information on the grants from national lottery funds which were made by the Millennium Commission to the New Millennium Experience Co. (NMEC), are set out in the following table.
£ million 1997-98 499 1998-99 0 1999-2000 60 2000-01 119 2001-02 0 2002-03 0 2003-04 0 2004-05 10 2005-06 20 2006-07 30 1 £24 million—unrequired funds decommitted from NMEC by the Millennium Commission for use on other projects. 2 £1 million—unrequired funds decommitted from NMEC by the Millennium Commission for use on other projects. 3 £3 million—unrequired funds decommitted from NMEC by the Millennium Commission for use on other projects.
In addition, English Partnerships has been meeting management, maintenance, security and other costs at the site from 1 July 2001, and will continue to do so until the redevelopment of the arena by the Anschutz Entertainment Group is completed, expected in summer 2007, at which time Anschutz takes on full responsibility for the dome structure and its immediate surroundings.
All of English Partnerships’ costs (gross total of around £32 million to date) from July 2001 to the completion of the arena’s construction, and including the costs of the entire sale process, are expected to be recovered from sale proceeds, forecast at £550 million over the period of the deal, which lasts for around another 19 years.
The year-by-year English Partnerships maintenance and other costs to date have been as follows:
£ million 2001-02 2.299 2002-03 2.952 2003-04 2.586 2004-05 1.726 2005-06 0.364 2006-07 10.294 Total 10.238 1 Figures to December 2006.
In addition, English Partnerships spent £6.7 million on decommissioning some of the dome’s contents, £0.558 million on a one-off payment for insurance and £14.5 million on the sale process between March 1999 and June 2004.
Museums and Galleries: Lancashire
As part of the ‘Best Value’ framework for assessing service delivery at the local government level, single tier and county councils report visits to/usage of museums per thousand of the population. The definitions used in Best Value Performance Indicator 170 (BV170) can be downloaded from the website of the Department for Communities and Local Government at:
<http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1136118>
and the data provided by local authorities in any given year can be downloaded from the Audit Commission’s website at:
<http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/performance/dataprovision.asp>
Museums are a discretionary local authority service and their core funding is a matter for Lancashire county council and the 12 district councils in Lancashire.
Excluding lottery funding, the Department through the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has provided the following sums to museums within the Lancashire county council geographical area that are responsible for collections of nationally significant cultural items (designated collections):
£000 2005-06 36.1 2004-05 36.1 2003-04 35.0 2002-03 35.0 2001-02 95.0
The Department also sponsors the National Football Museum in Preston and has provided them with the following annual sums:
£000 2005-06 100 2004-05 100 2003-04 100 2002-03 1n/a 2001-02 1n/a 1 The museum was not sponsored by DCMS prior to 2003-04.
The Harris Museum and Art Gallery is also one of five partner institutions in the North-West Hub of the Renaissance Programme for regional museums. In total, this North-West Renaissance Hub has received the following funding:
£000 2005-06 1,402 2004-05 820 2003-04 220 2002-03 10 2001-02 1n/a 1 Prior to the renaissance programme.
Public Buildings: Lighting
The Department has not issued guidance on the exterior lighting of public buildings of cultural significance. However, English Heritage is developing standards and guidelines on lighting historic buildings for its own properties and for general guidance, which is due to be published later this year.
Theatre: Lancashire
Government funding for the arts is distributed, within broad guidelines, through Arts Council England. The following figures supplied by Arts Council England provide a breakdown of the information requested.
£ 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Dukes Playhouse 261,330 340,000 470,000 481,752 493,796 Horse and Bamboo Theatre Company 67,486 77,609 93,131 106,331 115,960 Nuffield Theatre — 10,000 60,000 61,500 63,040 Rose Theatre — 8,000 8,000 8,200 8,408 Total 328,816 435,609 631,131 657,783 681,204
£ 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Arts Capital Programme 460,000 — — — — Regional Arts Lottery Programme 51,097 29,578 — — — National Touring Programme — 25,550 — — — Grants to individuals — — 6,581 3,370 9,330 Grants to organisations — — 92,966 149,642 135,515 Touring grants — — 69,609 5,000 4,400 Total 511,097 55,128 169,156 158,012 149,245
International Development
Developing Countries: HIV Infection
The international effort to achieve universal access has helped boost the numbers on anti-retroviral drugs (ARV) treatment. In sub-Saharan Africa, the numbers on treatment rose 10-fold from 2003 to 2006 from 100,000 to over 1 million. This is equivalent to 23 per cent. of those needing treatment. Similarly, the number of sites where people can receive treatment has increased significantly, including in Malawi and Zambia where there has been increases of 20 and 30-fold respectively. As of 1 December 2006, Global Fund-supported programmes have put 770,000 people on ARV treatment for HIV. This represents more than one-quarter of the 3 million people on ARV worldwide and is 28 per cent. greater than the Global Fund targets for 2006.
The UK has already pledged to spend £1.5 billion on AIDS programmes between 2005 and 2008: this reflects our commitment to Universal Access. Despite this progress, much still needs to be done. In addition to funding AIDS programmes, we are supporting UNITAID, the new international drug purchasing facility, to fund second-line ARV, paediatric ARVs and TB and malaria drugs predominantly to low income countries. It is hoped that this mechanism will contribute to the necessary reductions in the prices of second-line drugs such as lopinavir/ritonavir and tenofovir (Viread and Kaletra). The UK Government are also helping strengthen the World Health Organisation (WHO) medicines pre-qualification process through UNITAID, in order to speed up the availability of new second-line ARV products. WHO's pre-qualification process is a critical block for low income countries using new ARVs, with a long backlog of medicines seeking pre-approval. The additional funding will accelerate the process.
Disaster Relief: Education
The first task of responding to a disaster should be meeting the priority needs of affected communities; i.e. emergency shelter, food, and water and sanitation facilities.
Following a disaster, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator oversees needs assessments carried out by the lead UN agency for each humanitarian sector. These are used to draw up global “flash appeals” to raise funding from donors.
Under the reform of the international humanitarian system, nine sectors which are deemed to be under-serviced in humanitarian response have become “clusters”, co-ordinated by a UN cluster lead who is allocated funds from a global cluster appeal in order to fulfil their leadership role. While education is not currently formally a cluster, in December 2006, the Inter Agency Standing Committee (consisting of the key UN and non-UN humanitarian partners) agreed that the cluster approach would be applied to the education sector, under UNICEF's lead. Education will also be included in the 2007 global cluster appeal.
In countries, this means that following a disaster, UNICEF will present a request for funding for the education sector, based on humanitarian need, to the humanitarian co-ordinator to include in the flash appeal. Where education is deemed to be a priority need, the humanitarian co-ordinator will highlight this and it will be up to donors to provide adequate funding.
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
The UK has committed £359 million to the Global Fund over seven years (2002-08) including £100 million for 2006 and the same for 2007, subject to performance. The UK is now the fifth largest donor for the period 2006-07 (after the US, France, Japan and Italy) and the third largest in the EU. The UK's current share of Global Fund contributions is around 8 per cent.
Latin America: Overseas Aid
DFID’s goal is to reduce poverty and inequality in Latin America in line with the international community’s commitment to help achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs) by 2015. DFID’s main financial contributions to Latin America are through direct contributions to the multilateral institutions: the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Commission and United Nations. DFID also has a bilateral programme for Latin America (£11 million in 2006-07). The purpose of this programme is to enhance the overall impact of the international system in the region. DFID’s assistance to Latin America from 2004-07 is set out in the document entitled “Regional Assistance Plan”, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
DFID is working with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank, helping them to tackle social exclusion and to provide access to markets and international trade. Efforts are being made to provide accountable and responsive public sector management and effective political systems. DFID also works to improve donor coordination in support of government-led poverty reduction strategies and also to improve regional, analysis and lesson sharing to achieve trade policies that better reflect the impact of trade on poverty and inequality. In the health sector it focuses on improved quality and effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care drawing from regional organisations working with the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria.
DFID is also providing a further £7 million a year to British NGOs working in Latin America under Partnership Programme Agreements with DFID, and funding projects through the Civil Society Challenge Fund.
DFID’s programme in Latin America provides flexible and responsive funding and seeks to pilot innovative new approaches. It works with others, for example the UN and international NGOs, to facilitate cooperation between civil society organisations and the World Bank and IDB. It collaborates closely with the complementary programmes of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and the British Council.
Through the UK Government’s Global Conflict Prevention Pool, DFID, alongside the FCO and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), supports security sector reform and small arms and light weapons reduction. The overall aim is to reduce armed violence, establish effective and appropriate rule of law in the region, and provide the security needed to enable development.
Nepal
The information is as follows.
Humanitarian assistance
DFID monitors the humanitarian situation in Nepal jointly with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and other international bodies. In 2006-07 DFID provided £400,000 to UNOCHA to facilitate its leadership in this monitoring role, plus to support its coordination of the international response to emerging and ongoing humanitarian crises.
In November 2006 DFID funded a detailed food security assessment by the Government of Nepal and UN agencies. In response to this assessment, DFID has contributed £250,000 to WFP’s current emergency operation in the Karnali region of western Nepal.
DFID’s overall contribution to humanitarian coordination and assistance in Nepal during this financial year has been £700,000.
Economic assistance
DFID is spending £36 million on development aid to Nepal in 2006-07. This is funding several major programmes that support economic growth, either directly or indirectly. Local livelihoods and economic activity in rural areas are being supported through DFID’s Community Support Programme, the Livelihood and Forestry Programme, the Rural Access Programme and Agriculture support programme. In addition, we contribute to the cost of national government programmes in health and education, which increases spending and human development, which in turn will increase economic growth and create a better environment for investment. Finally, DFID’s support to Maoist cantonments, the re-establishment of law and order, upcoming national elections and political inclusion initiatives are helping to build the legitimacy of the state and stabilise the country, which is vital for investment and growth.
Military assistance
The UK supports the transition of the Nepal Army to a regular professional army under civilian control. We are working with the Government of Nepal to develop appropriate structures, including a strengthened Ministry of Defence, to help achieve this. We do not supply lethal equipment to the Nepal Army and have no plans to do so. We are assisting with training and equipment to strengthen the Nepal Army’s ability to undertake mine clearance.
As part of the peace process, the UK is also supporting the establishment of temporary camps for Maoist combatants, and is funding the United Nations Mission in Nepal to conduct the registration and verification of Maoist arms and combatants.
DFID Nepal has been at the forefront of Nepal's response to HIV/AIDS. In October 2005, DFID commenced a five-year, £15-million programme in support of the national HIV/AIDS programme. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) manages DFID's support in conjunction with their management of grants from the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria. DFID is currently the second major donor to the national HIV/AIDS programme, contributing 24 per cent. of the programme's resources from mid-2006 to mid-2008. DFID support is aligned to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and its corresponding Plan.
DFID supports 73 projects through 59 NGOs or community-based organisations in 27 of Nepal's 75 districts. DFID is the lead donor in support of services to: mobile populations; injecting drug users; people living with HIV/AIDS; prison populations; men having sex with men and male sex workers. The activities implemented range from information and awareness; peer education; voluntary counselling and HIV testing; harm reduction (including rehabilitation); care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS and safe blood supply.
In addition to bilateral assistance, DFID also supports prevention and treatment to Nepali migrants in Nepal and India through the Asia Regional Poverty Fund, a three-year, £2 million project which commenced in February 2006.
Over the last three years, DFID has worked closely with the Government of Nepal (GON), the UN agencies and the World Bank to develop the Three Ones: one policy and programme, one national co-ordination body and one monitoring and evaluation framework.
DFID plans to increase its policy engagement in HIV/AIDS. This will be focused on supporting the establishment of a national multi-sectoral semi-independent unit which can manage the programme, improve fund-flow to communities and attract more resources.
Overseas Aid: AIDS
DFID spent £385 million in tackling HIV and AIDS in 2005-2006, an increase of almost 30 per cent. on the 2004-05 figure of £298 million. Figures for 2006-07 are not yet available. These figures were released as part of a draft report on an interim evaluation of ‘Taking Action - the UK Government’s strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing World’ available on DFID's website at www.dfid.gov. As part of this strategy DFID remains committed to spending £1.5 billion on tackling HIV and AIDS over the three years to 2007-08.
Transport
Biofuels
We fully recognise the importance of long-term security in attracting investment to develop biofuel production capacity in the UK. We believe that the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation will provide a high degree of investor confidence in biofuels, and there are already signs that it is leading to increased investment in new biofuel production capacity, with a number of new plants due to come on stream very shortly.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Fiscal year to date figures for DVLA's local office help line shows average speed of answer is 18 seconds. The number of calls discontinued while queuing to advisors is 0.87 per cent.
Driving Offences: Cellular Phones
(2) what research he has conducted on the level of mobile telephone usage by motorists while driving according to (a) gender, (b) age, (c) region and (d) type of car owned.
A report prepared for the Department and published in 1997 reviewed the use of mobile phones by drivers. TRL Report 318, “The use of mobile phones while driving: a review” is available from TRL Ltd (www.trl.co.uk).
The Department has not needed to undertake its own further research into the risks of using any mobile phone because research by others adequately covers the subject and confirms that there is little difference in the distraction whether a hand-held or hands-free mobile phone is used. The Department’s consistent advice, for example in the Highway code and the THINK Road Safety campaign, has been that mobile phones of any type should not be used while driving.
The research is conveniently summarised in the report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones “Mobile Phones and Health”, published in 2000—see paragraphs 5.201 to 5.214, pages 86 to 90 for a summary of research worldwide—available online at: www.iegmp.org.uk/report/text.htm.
The Direct Line Insurance report published in 2002 (available at http://info.directline.com/xxx/news.nsf/64125738690474fe00256a6f003a151b/bec9c738833c 7fb180256b84002dec5f/$FlLE/Mobile%20Phone%20 Report.pdf) compares the effect on reaction times from the use of mobile phones with the effect of alcohol. The research underlying the Direct Line report is published as TRL Report 547 available from www.trl.co.uk.
Research completed in 2003 for the Department of Health’s Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research programme “Conversations in Cars: The Relative Hazards of Mobile Phones” is expected to be published shortly—available from www.trl.co.uk.
Surveys for the Department on the level of mobile phone use are undertaken twice yearly. The most recently published report “Mobile Phone use by drivers, 2004-06”—report Lf2100—can be downloaded from www.trl.co.uk/store/report_list.asp?pid=211. Surveys are not undertaken regionally but surveys sites are considered representative of the full range of conditions on British roads. They do not attempt to include gender, age and type of car because there is no need for such information.
Level Crossings: Hampshire
This is an operational matter for Network Rail. The hon. Member should contact John Armitt, the Chief Executive, at 40 Melton Street, London, NW1 2EE.
Any changes would need to be proposed by Network Rail and agreed by the Office of Rail Regulation, the health and safety regulator for the railway. All level crossings of whatever type are adequately safe when used correctly.
Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties
The £2.50 charge for using the credit card for online re-licensing transactions is calculated to cover the specific full costs of providing the credit card as a payment option and is subject to review on an annual basis. No profit element is built into the charge. The charge covers two distinct types of cost:
Credit Card company costs relating to the charges applied for processing credit card payments;
DVLA operating costs relating to the process of credit card payments, credit card enquiries and the investigation of disputed payments.
Motor Vehicles: Registration
The latest statistical series on the number of licensed cars and cars registered for the first time were published in Tables. 1b and 12b of Vehicle Licensing Statistics 2005. A copy of this report, published on 18 May 2006, was placed in the House of Commons Library and it is also available at:
http://www.dft.gov.Uk/pqr/statistics/datatablespublications/vehicles/licensing/coll_vehiclelicensingstatistics2/vehiclelicensingstatistics2005
Network Rail
(2) what work has been undertaken to upgrade the Great Western Mainline since 1997.
These are operational matters for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell should contact Network Rail’s Chief Executive for a response to his question:
John Armitt
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London NW1 2EE
Ports: Liverpool
The project to re-instate the Olive Mount Chord is being promoted by a variety of parties including the Northern Way and Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, working with Network Rail. The completion date for the scheme is a matter for Network Rail and the proposers.
Railways: Construction
In July the Secretary of State for Transport will publish a High Level Output Specification for England and Wales. This will set out the railway improvements the Government wishes to buy in terms of capacity, safety and reliability, and the funding to support this for the five-year period from April 2009. It will be for the rail industry to determine what inputs are required to deliver this.
Railways: Freight
This is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell should contact Network Rail’s Chief Executive for a response to his question:
John Armitt
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London NW1 2EE
Railways: Greater London
This is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell should contact Network Rail’s Chief Executive for a response to his question:
John Armitt
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London NW1 2EE
Railways: Overcrowding
Data to which the Department has access is limited to Passengers in Excess of Capacity (PIXC), a measure which applies to weekday commuter trains arriving in London between 7 am and 9.59 am and departing London between 4 pm and 6.59 pm.
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) publishes PIXC figures in its National Rail Trends publication. The most recent edition, covering 2005, was published on 5 July 2006.
The document is on the internet at the following address: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/294.pdf and has been made available in the Library of the House.
Road Traffic
66 Highways Agency trunk road (over £5 million) and local authority bypass schemes have been completed between 1997 and March 2007 as listed in the following table:
Scheme 1997 Parkeston Bypass Stage 1, Phase 1A, Essex Averham Bypass, Nottinghamshire A256 Whitfield to Eastry/Whitfield Bypass A413 Wendover Bypass, Bucks 1998 Werrington/Glinton Bypass, Cambridgeshire Parkeston Bypass Stage 1, Phase 1B, Essex A15/A16 Market Deeping Bypass, Lincolnshire A16 Peakes Parkway (North East Lincolnshire) A1058 Cradlewell Bypass, Newcastle A228 Hale Street Bypass, Kent A289 Wainscott Bypass, Kent Tingewick Bypass, Bucks 1999 Dudley Southern Bypass 2000 A617 Rainworth Bypass, Nottinghamshire 2001 A174 Skelton and Brotton Bypass Burntwood Bypass Phase 1 and 2, Staffordshire A151 Weston Bypass A151 Weston Bypass, Lincolnshire (part ERDF funded) C541 Addlethorpe Bypass and Bend Improvement, Lincolnshire (part ERDF funded) 2002 A143 Broome-Ellingham Bypass A131 Great Leighs Bypass A6023 Denaby Main Diversion A511 Ashby Bypass A27 Polegate Bypass A43 Silverstone Bypass JA6 Clapham Bypass A66 Stainburn and Great Clifton Bypass Wyre Piddle Bypass, Worcestershire A428 Crick Bypass (developer funded) Parkeston Bypass Stage 2, Essex (developer funded) 2003 A350 Semington-Melksham Diversion Barnsley Coalfields Link Road (aka Shafton Bypass) A6 Great Glen Bypass A53 Hodnet Bypass A5 Nesscliffe Bypass A500 Basford, Hough and Shavington Bypass A6 Rothwell-Desborough Bypass A6 Rushden and Higham Ferrers Bypass A6 Alvaston Bypass A650 Bingley Relief Road (aka Bypass) A4146 Stoke Hammond and Linslade Bypass (Northern Section) A41 Aston Clinton Bypass A527 Biddulph Inner Bypass Ashton-Under-Lyne Northern Bypass (Greater Manchester) A130 Southern Section (A132-A127), Essex (PFI) 2004 St. Clements Way, Thurrock (aka West Thurrock Marshes Relief Road) A607 Rearsby Bypass Mansfield Ashfield Regeneration Route A63 Selby Bypass A10 Wadesmill Colliers End 2005 A167 Chilton Bypass A21 Lamberhurst Bypass A47 Thorney Bypass A142 Fordham Bypass Gloucester South West Bypass (Castlemeads section) A158 Coastal Access Improvement Phase 1—Partney Bypass A428 West Haddon Bypass (developer funded) A57 Cadishead Way (Brinell Drive to City Boundary) (Greater Manchester) Burntwood Bypass Phase 3, Staffordshire A16/A158 Partney Bypass, Lincolnshire 2006 A505 Baldock Bypass, Hertfordshire 2007 Barford Bypass, Warwickshire A606 Oakham Bypass, Rutland A197 Pegswood Bypass A58 Blackbrook Diversion A421 Great Barford Bypass
Roads: Accidents
In 2005 there were 91 fatalities resulting from reported personal injury road accidents which involved vehicle defects as a contributory factor.
Contributory factor data were not collected prior to 2005, and 2006 data will be published in summer 2007.
Roads: Construction
The following table shows the number of kilometres of new road lanes that have been built since 1997.
Lane km added to HA network 1997-98. 433 1998-99 107 1999-2000 38 2000-01 117 2001-02 0 2002-03 224 2003-04 450 2004-05 191 2005-06 89 2006-07 77 Total 1,726
Roads: Noise
The Highways Agency's policy to use quieter surfacing materials as a matter of course whenever a road is resurfaced has been in place since 2001. Given this, we have no separately recorded information on quieter surfacing delivered prior to this date.
A total of 8,240 lane kilometres (lkms) of quieter surfacing were delivered between 2000-01 and 2005-06. The agency is forecasting to deliver a further 1,100 lkms during 2006-07.
Speed Limits: Cameras
The following table lists the number of safety camera sites in each highway authority in London.
Highway authority Number Barking and Dagenham 7 Bexley 14 Brent 18 Bromley 9 Camden 3 City of London 3 Croydon 23 Ealing 6 Enfield 11 Greenwich 6 HA 6 Hackney 11 Hammersmith and Fulham 7 Haringey 7 Harrow 12 Havering 10 Hillingdon 17 Hounslow 3 Islington 15 Kingston 9 Lambeth 2 Lewisham 2 Merton 6 Newham 10 Redbridge 7 Richmond 3 Southwark 14 Sutton 3 TLRN 415 Tower Hamlets 3 Waltham Forest 6 Wandsworth 1 Westminster 12 Notes: 1. The numbers shown are for sites operated within the National Safety Camera Programme. 2. The numbers include both fixed and mobile speed camera sites and red-light cameras.
The London Safety Camera Partnership holds more detailed information on these sites, including maps, accessible via their website at www.lscp.org.uk
Tolls
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 19 December 2006, Official Report, column 1760W.
[holding answer 9 March 2007]: The Government called for a national debate on road pricing in 2005 and this is now happening.
While no decision has been taken on whether in the future to establish a national scheme of road pricing, the Government are working with interested local authorities who are exploring the scope for developing local schemes as part of a wider package of transport measures, to tackle local congestion.
It is only in the light of the development of such schemes that any decision about national road pricing could be considered.
Tolls: Lancashire
It would be for Lancashire to decide whether to put forward proposals for a local road pricing pilot scheme. 10 areas have been awarded pump-priming funding to support the development of Transport Innovation Fund packages that address local congestion problems by combining demand management, including road pricing, with better public transport. Lancashire is not one of these areas.
Defence
Air Force: Calendars
A total of 1,700 calendars were produced at a VAT inclusive cost of £2,687.22. This equates to a single unit cost of £1.58.
Armed Forces: Health Services
Information on funding in the financial year 2001-02 is not readily available. For subsequent years, annual expenditure on the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre has been identified as follows:
Financial year £ million (actual costs) 2002-03 10.29 2003-04 10.43 2004-05 9.44 2005-06 10.75 2006-07 112.84 1 Current estimate of expenditure for full financial year.
The sums listed represent the bulk of the operating costs and capital expenditure for the year in question. Until the current financial year, all such funding was provided from the centre top level budget. For this financial year, funding for property management, capital works, rent and rates has been provided from the Defence Estates top level budget.
Data for some costs (medical stores and the costs of service personnel temporarily attached to the establishment) are not readily available and have not been included in the aforementioned figures.
Additional funding for a range of projects, not included in the above figures, has been generously provided by the Headley Court Trust.
Armed Forces: Manpower
The most recent data available for the nationality of Commonwealth personnel serving in the UK regular forces are shown in the following table.
Country Naval Service at 6 October 2006 Army at 1 January 2007 Royal Air Force1 at 6 March 2006 Total Commonwealth 37,990 106,130 48,650 United Kingdom 37,535 99,495 48,445 Antigua — 2— — Australia 10 70 10 Bangladesh 2— 5 — Barbados 2— 10 2— Belize — 5 — Botswana — 10 — Cameroon — 30 — Canada 20 60 20 Cyprus 2— 2— — Dominican Republic 2— 15 — Fiji 75 1,955 5 Gambia 5 100 2— Ghana 2— 750 2— Grenada 2— 50 — Guyana — 15 — India 5 50 2— Jamaica 30 940 25 Kenya 5 120 5 Malawi 2— 115 2— Malaysia 2— 2— 2— Malta 2— 5 2— Mauritius 2— 25 2— Namibia — 2— — New Zealand 5 65 5 Nigeria 2— 80 — Pakistan 2— 5 2— Papua New Guinea — 2— — Seychelles — 10 — Sierra Leone 2— 45 — Singapore — 2— — South Africa 60 795 10 Sri Lanka — 15 2— St. Kitts and Nevis — 2— 2— St. Lucia 5 230 2— St. Vincent 165 275 2— Swaziland — 10 — Tanzania — 2— — Tonga — 10 — Trinidad 25 70 10 Uganda — 55 — Zambia 2— 20 — Zimbabwe3 15 570 5 Other West Indies — 2— — Other Non-British4 — 15 85 ‘—’denotes zero or rounded to zero 1 Royal Air Force data for service personnel who are non-UK nationals have been provided on an ad-hoc basis as nationality data are not centrally held. The figure for service personnel who are UK nationals has been inferred from the total strength of the RAF at 1 April 2006. 2 Fewer than five. All other figures are rounded to the nearest five. 3 Includes personnel with nationality recorded as Rhodesian. 4 Includes personnel with nationality recorded as British Commonwealth/Foreign, Other African Country and Other Asiatic Country, and 75 RAF personnel recorded as Commonwealth by birth, but with no nationality recorded. Note: Data are for UK regular forces (trained and untrained), including nursing services and excluding full time reserve service personnel, Gurkhas, the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists.
Armed Forces: Postal Services
A free packet scheme was first introduced on 17 April 2003, as a temporary measure unique to Iraq, at a time when service personnel did not have access to the welfare facilities that are now available in theatre. When the provision of goods and services in Iraq reached the required standard, the decision was taken to end the scheme on 8 April 2004. It was later re-introduced for a period of one month before Christmas 2004, and subsequently confirmed by the then Secretary of State for Defence, prior to Christmas 2005, that the pre-Christmas free packet scheme was to become a standard element of the operational welfare package. The free posting dates for Christmas 2006 were 10 November to 8 December inclusive, for which Royal Mail Group charged the Ministry of Defence £577,000; this sum does not include the costs for additional air transport and onward distribution that were also paid for by the Department.
The Ministry of Defence makes no charge to carry postal packets through the British Forces Post Office system to personnel on operations. The cost that is payable is that charged by Royal Mail Group to carry the items from local post offices to the British Forces Post Office Depot at Mill Hill, London.
Armed Forces: Surveys
The latest Royal Navy, Royal Marine, Army and RAF Continuous Attitude Surveys are in the final stages of completion and will be available at the beginning of May. I will make arrangements to place copies in the Library of the House and on the MOD Freedom of Information Website.
Army: Recruitment
A candidate for a commission in the British Army has to complete a Potential Army Officer Information form, an Army Officer Selection Board Curriculum Vitae, an Application for a Commission in the British Army, an Army Medical Questionnaire and a MOD Security Questionnaire. If an individual is successful and takes up the offer of a Commission and place at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, they will be required to complete the following prior to arrival: Personal Details form, Medical Declaration and Pre Course Briefing form.
The Army has no evidence that the number of forms is any deterrent to applicants.
Atomic Weapons Establishment: Finance
The percentage of the planned defence budget spent on the Atomic Weapons Establishment in each of the last 10 years is as follows:
Outturn spend as a percentage of the planned budget 1996-97 1.3 1997-98 1.4 1998-99 1.3 1999-2000 1.3 2000-01 1.2 2001-02 1.1 2002-03 1.1 2003-04 1.1 2004-05 1.3 2005-061 1.8 1 Provisional.
The forecast percentage of the planned defence budget to be spent at the Atomic Weapons Establishment is 2.4 per cent. in 2006-07 and 2.7 per cent. in 2007-08. This is due primarily to the programme of additional investment in sustaining key skills and facilities announced by my right hon. Friend the Member for Airdie and Shorts (John Reid) on 19 July 2006, Official Report, column 59WS.
We will continue the programme of investment in sustaining capabilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, both to ensure we can maintain the existing warhead for as long as necessary and to enable us to develop a replacement warhead if required. This, and our plans for the maintenance of the independent nuclear deterrent were set out in the White Paper “The Future of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent” (Cm 6994), published in December 2006.
BAE Systems
Employees of BAE Systems that require access to MOD establishments are issued with a variety of security passes, depending on the nature of their business, the authorised access required and the duration of their requirement for access. Information is not held centrally on how many security passes have been issued and it would incur disproportionate cost to collate this data.
Ballistic Missile Defence
The UK/US technical co-operation programmes cover a wide range of missile defence activities. These include current and future missile threat assessment, threat launch detection, threat tracking, command and control aspects, sensors, weapon systems and the consequences of interception. The joint co-operation programmes have allowed both the UK and US to improve our joint understanding of missile defence issues, and have allowed UK-developed technology with potential missile defence applications to be demonstrated to the US.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 June 2006, Official Report, column 402W, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock).
Departmental Records
It is anticipated that the project to scan the files affected by asbestos contamination of the Old War Office basement will be completed by early 2008. The project was originally expected to finish in July 2007, but the number of pages needing to be scanned has proved to be higher than estimated, requiring a six month extension.
Freedom of Information requests frustrated by the contamination of files are being addressed in the order in which they were received as the files reconstituted by the project become available, although it will take at least nine months to process the backlog. All files scanned as part of this project will, in due course, be reviewed in accordance with established procedures. Those that The National Archives require for permanent preservation will be transferred there in accordance with the Public Records Acts.
There is no file in the asbestos contaminated archive specifically related to Bulent Ecevit’s visit to London in 1974. Although the archive contains a large number of files which have Turkey in their title, given the date in question only one of these could conceivably have covered the Ecevit visit. This file has been reconstituted and examined, but unfortunately holds no relevant information.
Departments: Public Expenditure
Since 1998, Defence spending plans have been set as part of the Government’s Spending Review process. Prior to this, spending plans were set on an annual basis. The Government accounting process has changed progressively over this period due to the introduction of Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB). The terms in which these budgets were set are therefore not directly comparable.
It is however possible to make a broad comparison between the near cash element of budgets under RAB and the cash element of the budget before the introduction of RAB1.
On this basis, the near cash/cash elements of the planned budget in real terms (2006-07 base year) and as a percentage of GDP are set out as follows:
Cash/Near cash budget in real terms (2006-07 base year) (£ billion) Cash/Near Cash budget as a percentage of GDP 1997-98 27.0 2.6 1998-99 26.8 2.5 1999-2000 26.4 2.4 2000-01 26.9 2.4 2001-02 26.9 2.3 2002-03 26.8 2.3 2003-04 27.5 2.3 2004-05 27.7 2.2 2005-06 28.3 2.2 2006-07 28.7 2.2
For the first two of these years, the Government made it clear that it would work within the existing spending plans while it tackled the structural deficit it inherited and set new policy objectives and spending priorities. Since the first two years, the average annual real increase in the cash/near cash element of the Defence budget, has been over £300 million.
The figures in the table do not include the cost of operations as these are claimed against the Reserve in-year and are reported in Departmental Expenditure figures. The most recent edition of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, available online at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk, records that total government expenditure on defence, including operations, was 2.5 per cent. in 2004-05 and estimated at 2.5 per cent. in 2005-06.
1 See www.hm-treasury.gov.uk for explanation of terms
Departments: Redundancy
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
We do hold information on a Department-wide voluntary early release scheme which was launched in March 2005, in connection with the civil service-wide reductions required under the 2004 Spending Review. Under this scheme 643 staff left in 2005-06, at a cost of £41 million; 660 staff left in 2006-07 at a cost of £43 million; a further 706 are planned to be released at an estimated cost of £80 million in 2007-08.
Hercules Aircraft
The Hercules Integrated Operational Support (HIOS) contract's primary output is to provide Fit For Purpose (FFP) aircraft available to the Front Line Command. To qualify as FFP an aircraft must be reliable, safe and capable of performing the task on a given day.
HIOS is still in its transitional phase, and is due to complete on 30 November 2007. Nevertheless, between 1 September 2006 and 31 January 2007 (the most recent period for which data is available), there was a modest increase in FFP aircraft of 3 per cent. (whilst also reducing costs) when compared with a similar time frame under the previous aircraft support arrangements. This performance is expected to improve progressively as the full benefits of HIOS take effect.
Mental Health
As stated on the 29 January 2007, Official Report, column 25W, the DMS uniformed regular requirement figures have been reviewed and the new manning requirements for 2007 for all cadres will be formally announced in the near future. The new requirement figures may cause the current number and configuration of established posts or “establishment” to change.
The following table shows the current number and location of establishment for uniformed psychiatrists and registered mental health nurses (RMHN) for each Service:
Unit Location Psychiatrist RMHN RN HMNB Clyde Faslane — 1 DCMH Haslar Gosport 2 15 DCMH Plymouth Plymouth — 6 Total RN Establishment 2 22 Army Paderbom Community Mental Health Team Paderbom — 1 BFG HS Community Mental Health Team Hohne — 1 Mental Health Services Out Patients, Wegberg Wegberg 1 4 Mental Health Services In Patients, Wegberg Wegberg — 10 Gutersloh Community Mental Health Team Gutersloh — 1 BFG HS—MRS Rhine Mil. Complex Rhinedahlen — 2 DCMH Haslar Gosport 2 — 16 Close Support Colchester Colchester 1 1 APHCS Northern Ireland Northern Ireland 1 4 APHCS HQ Camberley 1 — Wales and West Midlands (PHC Region) Donnington 1 3 Wessex (PHC Region) Tidworth 1 5 Scotland and North East (PHC Region) Scotland and Gib 1 2 Home Counties (PHC Region) DCMH Aldershot 2 5 London and South East (PHC Region) DCMH Woolwich 1 3 TPMH Akrotiri Cyprus — 1 Eastern (PHC Region) DCMH Cranwell — 1 Eastern (PHC Region) DCMH Colchester — 1 Health Care and Projects King’s College, London — 1 Scotland and North East (PHC Region) DCMH Catterick 1 4 Total Army Establishment 13 50 RAF DCMH Catterick1 Catterick 1 2 TPMH Akrotiri Community Mental Health Team Cyprus — 3 DCMH Brize Norton Brize Norton 1 9 DCMH Cranwell Cranwell 1 6 DCMH Marham Marham 1 8 DCMH Donnington Donnington — 2 Community Mental Health Clinic, Halton Halton — 1 DCMH Kinloss Kinloss — 1 RAF High Wycombe CHQ High Wycombe — 1 RAF Lyneham (TMW) Lyneham — 3 DCMH Woolwich Woolwich — 1 Scotland (PHC Region) Leuchars — 1 Total RAF Establishment 5 39 1 Psychiatrist establishment includes one rotation (tri-Service) post. Notes:APHCS—Army Primary Health Care Service BFG HS—British Forces Germany Health Service CHQ—Collocated Headquarters DCMH—Department of Community Mental Health HMNB—Her Majesty's Naval Base MRS—Medical Reception Service PHC—Primary Health Care TMPH—The Princess Mary's Hospital TMW—Tactical Medical Wing
As stated in the answer given on 7 March 2007, Official Report, 1986W, the MOD no longer employs mental health occupational therapists, but does employ civilian clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health nurses. However, the figures for their establishment are not held centrally. I will write to the hon. Member with these figures once they have been collated and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
Military Police
[holding answer 22 February 2007]: The Defence Police College opened at Southwick Park on 15 September 2005.
The post-project evaluation records the cost of establishing the facility as £7.139 million after the first year, including financial provisions to conclude building works.
Navy: Officers
The information requested is detailed as follows:
2007 1997 Rear Admiral 125 227 Commodore 58 3— Captain 221 307 Commander 831 910 1 15 are in RN/NATO posts. Others are Tri Service appointments in MOD 2 21 were in RN/NATO posts 3 Not a substantive rank. Officers in Commodore appointments are included in the figure for Captains
All senior officers have reserve liability on leaving the Service until the age of 60. This was applicable in 1997 and is the same in 2007.
Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning
Paragraph 7-5 of the White Paper: “The Future of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent” (Cm 6994) indicated that decisions on whether to acquire a replacement for the Trident missile are unlikely to be needed until the 2020s. The White Paper set out the decisions needed now to join the programme to extend the life of the Trident D5 missile and to start detailed concept work on new submarines to replace the Vanguard class.
The Ministry of Defence has made provision in its accounts for a wide range of nuclear decommissioning liabilities. The latest estimate of these liabilities is shown in the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts for 2005-06, HC1394, which were certified by the Comptroller and Auditor General. More detail is set out in the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn) on 24 July 2006, Official Report, columns 778-79W.
The estimate for the in-service costs of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, once new submarines come into operation, set out at paragraph 5-14 of the White Paper includes an allowance for the decommissioning costs of a successor system. This estimate has not been subject to external scrutiny. At this very early stage, we are not in a position to provide a breakdown of decommissioning costs in the way requested.
Investment at the Atomic Weapons Establishment has been increased in recent years primarily in order to ensure we can sustain the existing Trident warhead in-service for as long as necessary. This investment involves the replacement or refurbishment of a number of facilities related to the design and production of nuclear warheads. Proceeding with the plan to replace our Vanguard-class submarines and participate in the life extension programme for the Trident D5 missile would not have a material effect on these plans. As the White Paper makes clear, decisions on whether and how to replace or refurbish our warhead stockpile are likely to be necessary in the next Parliament.
Facilities at Sellafield are the responsibility of the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency and British Nuclear Group Sellafield Ltd.
Nuclear Weapons
As I explained to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey) on 6 March 2007, Official Report, column 1877W, the estimate of in-service support costs of the UK's nuclear deterrent set out at paragraph 5-14 of the White Paper, “The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent” (Cm 6994), includes an allowance for the decommissioning of a successor to the current system. At this very early stage, we are not in a position to provide figures in the way requested.
In 1995, the UK announced that it had ceased production of fissile material for weapons purposes. This moratorium remains in place, and we do not envisage any requirement to change this position.
The UK's current warhead design is likely to last into the 2020s, and decisions on whether and how we may need to refurbish or replace it are likely to be necessary in the next Parliament.
Proof of Identity: Ministry of Defence
[holding answer 5 March 2007]: Across the MOD central London office buildings (Main Building, Old War Office Building and St. George’s Court) there are currently 18,026 active security passes. Separate figures are not available for Main Building alone.
Smith Institute
No payments have been made by the Defence Bills Agency (DBA) or the Ministry of Defence’s Trading Funds to the Smith Institute or SI Events.
A small percentage of MOD’s contract payments are not made by the DBA or Trading Funds, but are made locally against contracts placed on behalf of other Government Departments, joint venture and NATO contracts and contracts placed through collaborative projects. However, this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Television and Play Stations
[holding answer 18 January 2007]: Information on the total number of televisions and Playstations purchased across Defence over the last three financial years is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
However, figures for expenditure on televisions and Playstations for personnel deployed on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the calendar years 2005, 2006 and 2007 to date are available. These are as follows:
Televisions Playstations 2005 56,039 8,357 2006 135,937 25,571 2007 to date 67,700 4,199
Trident
It is too early to make a reasonable estimate of the nuclear decommissioning liabilities associated with a new class of submarines built to maintain our nuclear deterrent. However, the nuclear liabilities in the Department’s annual report and accounts for 2005-06, HC1394, include a figure of £333 million for all current in-service submarines, including the Vanguard class. More detail on the MOD’s current nuclear decommissioning liabilities is set out in the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn) on 24 July 2006, Official Report, columns 778-79W.
Warships
I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 6 March 2007, to the hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr. Lewis), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Northern Ireland
Alternative Medicine
GPs attached to the selected practices within the pilot will refer their patients for treatment to one of the therapy groups included on the scheme. These are at present osteopathy, chiropractic, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage and aromatherapy. Get Well UK will receive the referral and contact the patient to make an initial appointment for them. The use of Get Well UK will remove the administration burden from the CAM therapist and allow them to focus totally on patient care. All stakeholders (patients, practitioners, GPs) will be asked for their feedback. This information will be collated by Get Well UK and will be independently evaluated.
A steering group will be established, chaired by the Department and containing key stakeholders from the health and social services boards, the various CAM therapy governing organisations, GPs and the health and social services councils. This group will monitor the service, including that provided by Get Well UK, and evaluate the feedback from GPs, patients and practitioners. The group will consider where necessary during the pilot any changes that need to be implemented to ensure that the scheme meets its aims and objectives.
Practitioners wishing to participate in the pilot scheme were required to register with Get Well UK. Practitioners are able to join the NHS register of complementary and alternative medicine practitioners for a fee, but being on the register does not provide proof that the person or organisation registered is qualified or competent. It remains the responsibility of the person or body who engages the services of any practitioner to ensure that they are properly qualified.
The recruitment and quality assurance system provided by Get Well UK on behalf of the Department is robust. As well as asking about practitioners' qualifications and training, copies of all certificates and insurance details are kept on file, references are taken and police checks conducted to comply with The Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults (NI) Order 2003. Get Well UK also conducts face-to-face interviews to ensure the suitability of practitioners to work in the health service as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Get Well UK was formed in May 2004 and has delivered five complementary medicine contracts in NHS primary care settings since that time. It was established as a not-for-profit organisation specifically to deliver complementary and alternative medicine services. Its managing director has 10 years' experience of managing and delivering complementary medicine services. The Board includes people at both chair and chief executive level within the NHS and an osteopath of 30 years' standing who was the medical director of an osteopathic school and a council member of the General Osteopathic Council.
Get Well UK was given a special award in the 2005 Awards for Good Practice in Integrated Healthcare, “Integrated Health Futures Award: recognising innovation to improve health”. This was in recognition of the specific skills, infrastructure and exacting quality standards built into Get Well UK's service delivery.
Get Well UK has not operated in Northern Ireland previously.
Ambulances
The number of ambulance service vehicles in operation in each Ambulance Division in each of the last five years are set out in the following table:
NIAS division A and E vehicles PCS vehicles Rapid Response 1 January 2007 Northern 38 27 2 Southern 30 21 1 East City 22 East total 331 1 East Country 22 1— 2 Western 28 22 3 Total 140 103 9 1 January 2006 Northern 38 27 2 Southern 30 21 1 East City 22 East total 332 1 East Country 22 2— 1 Western 28 22 2 Total 140 103 7 1 January 2005 Northern 37 27 2 Southern 30 21 1 East City 21 East total 333 1 East Country 22 3— 1 Western 27 22 2 Total 137 103 7 1 January 2004 Northern 37 21 1 Southern 30 16 1 East City 21 East total 324 1 East Country 22 4— 1 Western 27 19 1 Total 137 88 5 1 January 2003 Northern 37 21 1 Southern 30 16 1 East City 21 East total 325 1 East Country 22 5— Western 27 19 1 Total 137 88 4 Vehicle types: Accident and Emergency (A and E) Rapid Response Vehicles (RRV) Patient Care Service (PCS)
Domestic Rates
The gross collectable rate for domestic properties in NI for 2004-05 was £343,759,491.47. The net revenue collected for domestic properties in 2004-05 amounted to £328,376,655.77.
The gross collectable rate for domestic properties in NI for 2005-06 was £379,372,507.06. The net revenue collected for domestic properties in 2005-06 amounted to £367,620,688.16.
The estimated gross collectable rate for domestic properties in NI for 2006-07 is £425 million. The estimated net revenue collected for domestic properties in 2006-07 will be in the region of £383 million.
Firearms
The chief constable has provided, in the following table, details of firearms applications from 1 February 2005 (when a new computer system was introduced) to December 2006. The figures cannot be disaggregated by district command unit.
Granted Refused 2005 11,984 270 2006 27,690 147
The figures include certificates granted to both first time applicants and to persons whose previous certificate had expired. The figures for 2006 were inflated by a backlog of applications carried forward from 2005.
Housing: Waiting Lists
The Government are committed to reducing housing waiting lists and are investing in a range of measures to achieve this objective.
The main method of meeting housing need is through reallocation of existing stock supplemented by additional new build. There are also strategies in place to purchase suitable homes and to bring vacant properties back into social housing use. The private rented sector has also grown significantly and is increasingly an important source of housing supply.
The current five-year social housing development programme makes provision for 1,500 social housing units annually, subject to the availability of funding. The need for additional social housing is addressed in the current comprehensive spending review. The Semple review into affordability, which is due to be published shortly, is expected to contain recommendations to help reduce waiting lists.
Maternity Services
The planned funding allocated to maternity services (both acute expenditure and community midwifery spend) in each health board area in each of the last three years as shown in the following table.
Board 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 EHSSB 22,174 23,794 25,621 NHSSB 15,710 17,200 18,362 SHSSB 12,529 13,421 14,589 WHSSB 10,503 11,374 11,678 Note: The planned hospital spend relates to Obstetrics and does not include specialist neo-natal care, for example in a Special Care Baby Unit, that would be recorded under Acute services.
Further information would be available only at disproportionate cost.
Nurses: Pay
Nurses in the Health and Personal Social Services are paid on the Agenda for Change pay bands 5, 6, 7, 8a, 8b or 8c depending on the job undertaken. The pay band ranges at April 2006 are band 5 (£19,166 to £24,803), band 6 (£22,886 to £31,004), band 7 (£27,622 to £36,416) band 8a (£35,232 to £42,278), band 8b (£41,038 to £50,733), and band 8c (£49,381 to £60,880). All nurses have received similar percentage pay increases in the last six years; the percentage pay increases that have applied are shown in the following table:
Percentage increase 2001 3.7 2002 13.6 2003 3.225 2004 3.225 2005 3.225 2006 2.5 1 Or £400 whichever is the greater
Physiotherapy
I established the physiotherapy taskforce to address and provide workable, realistic solutions to the current situation of reported high levels of graduate unemployment among newly trained physiotherapists. It was considered important to involve representatives of the profession, the commissioners, employers and work force planners. Membership of the taskforce therefore comprises representatives of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, the trade union, HSS Trust physiotherapy management and Human Resources; a member of the physiotherapy work force and a physiotherapy student. A full list of members will be placed in the Library.
Physiotherapy taskforce membership:
Joyce Cairns, Workforce Planning Unit, Human Resources Directorate, DHSSPS
Diane Taylor, Education and Training Unit, Human Resources Directorate, DHSSPS
Catherine Elliman, Clinical Tutor (staff-side rep), Royal Hospital Group HSS Trust
Karen McMaster, Physiotherapy Manager, Causeway HSS Trust
Tom Sullivan, Policy Officer, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Linda Austin, Senior Negotiating Officer, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Nuala Doherty, Physiotherapy Undergraduate
Wendy Harpur, Lecturer in Health Sciences, University of Ulster
Fiona Crossey, Senior Consultant, Beeches Management Centre
Gloria Mills, Physiotherapy Manager, Mater Hospital HSS Trust
Deirdre Corrigan, Information and Analysis Directorate, DHSSPS
Nuala McArdie, Officer for the Allied Health Professionals, DHSSPS
Brian Beattie, Physiotherapy Manager, Craigavon Area Hospital
Michelle Tennyson, Allied Health Professional Commissioning Advisor, EHSSB
Jean Johns, Physiotherapy Manager, Belfast City Hospital
John Martin, Physiotherapy Manager, Association of Physios in Private Practice
Liz Cavan, PAMS Director, Newry and Mourne Trust
Pauline McAleese, Physiotherapy Manager, UCHT
Sue Prenter, PAMS Manager, Sperrin Lakeland Trust
Fiona Wilson, Physiotherapist, North and West Belfast HSS Trust
Dr. Jackie Gracey, Lecturer in Health Sciences, University of Ulster
Mervyn Barkley, Director of Human Resources, Belfast City Hospital
Muriel McRobbie, Secretariat, Workforce Planning Unit, DHSSPS
The information requested is presented in the following tables.
Headcount Area physiotherapist/supt physiotherapist Senior physiotherapist 1 Senior physiotherapist 2 Basic grade physiotherapist Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust/Foyle Community HSS Trust 7 17 4 12 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 4 18 6 3 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 5 19 7 15 Causeway HSS Trust 5 13 8 4 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 7 28 13 8 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 5 26 14 5 Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust 11 24 17 9 Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 1 5 3 4 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 4 13 4 4 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 4 25 4 — Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 9 33 10 22 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 1 28 7 — Sperrin/Lakeland HSS Trust 3 13 3 5 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 10 25 20 20 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 6 40 22 11 Total 82 327 142 122
Headcount Area physiotherapist/supt physiotherapist Senior physiotherapist 1 Senior physiotherapist 2 Basic grade physiotherapist Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust/Foyle Community HSS Trust 8 16 5 11 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 4 20 7 — Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 6 21 8 19 Causeway HSS Trust 6 13 9 5 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 9 27 15 9 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 6 30 15 7 Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust 12 28 15 11 Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 1 5 5 8 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 4 12 4 8 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 4 25 5 — Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 9 38 10 22 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 2 28 7 — Sperrin/Lakeland HSS Trust 3 13 5 4 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 7 28 19 20 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 5 45 22 12 Total 86 349 151 136
Headcount Area physiotherapist/supt physiotherapist Senior physiotherapist 1 Senior physiotherapist 2 Basic grade physiotherapist Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust/Foyle Community HSS Trust 8 19 4 12 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 4 21 6 1 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 5 25 11 15 Causeway HSS Trust 6 14 10 6 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 10 29 15 9 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 7 33 15 5 Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust 19 23 15 11 Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 2 4 6 6 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 5 16 3 10 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 4 25 5 — Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 9 36 11 20 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 4 25 9 — Sperrin/Lakeland HSS Trust 3 14 6 7 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 12 31 18 18 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 5 46 25 10 Total 103 361 159 130
Headcount Area physiotherapist/supt physiotherapist Senior physiotherapist 1 Senior physiotherapist 2 Basic grade physiotherapist Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust/Foyle Community HSS Trust 8 16 8 10 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 4 22 8 — Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 8 24 9 20 Causeway HSS Trust 7 18 9 5 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 15 29 16 6 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 8 36 11 8 Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust 22 23 17 15 Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 5 4 4 6 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 6 16 8 8 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 7 25 8 — Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 9 41 11 21 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 10 20 11 — Sperrin/Lakeland HSS Trust 5 19 3 3 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 13 33 15 20 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 4 56 26 11 Total 131 382 164 133
Headcount Area physiotherapist/supt physiotherapist Senior physiotherapist 1 Senior physiotherapist 2 Basic grade physiotherapist Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust/Foyle Community HSS Trust 7 18 10 10 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 4 21 8 3 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 9 26 6 17 Causeway HSS Trust 6 19 9 7 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 15 29 20 8 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 10 40 14 8 Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust 20 23 18 13 Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 6 4 4 7 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 6 18 7 8 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 8 27 8 — Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 9 41 11 26 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 14 20 8 — Sperrin/Lakeland HSS Trust 7 19 3 8 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 14 37 17 15 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 10 51 28 12 Total 145 393 171 142
Headcount Area physiotherapist/supt physiotherapist Senior physiotherapist 1 Senior physiotherapist 2 Basic grade physiotherapist Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust/Foyle Community HSS Trust 6 21 16 8 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 4 24 6 4 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 12 25 6 18 Causeway HSS Trust 6 19 9 7 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 18 26 22 11 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 10 41 15 10 Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust 21 27 17 13 Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 6 4 3 6 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 6 19 6 8 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 8 28 10 — Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 9 40 10 24 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 14 24 7 — Sperrin/Lakeland HSS Trust 6 19 3 9 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 14 38 20 17 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 13 53 30 12 Total 153 408 180 147 Notes: Area physiotherapist/supt physiotherapist contains staff at all levels within the area physiotherapist and supt physiotherapist grades. Basic grade physiotherapist includes staff at the following grades: physiotherapist, graduate entry physiotherapist and diploma entry physiotherapist. Source: Human Resource Management System.
The Physiotherapy taskforce met twice. The first meeting was held 9 November 2006 and the second on 21 November 2006, Further correspondence occurred via email. The taskforce have reported to me and I have endorsed their proposals for immediate action to fund 10 time-bound three-month placements for newly qualified physiotherapists. Copies of the minutes of both meetings will be placed in the Library.
The information requested is presented in the following table.
Trust Year Number of physiotherapy graduates employed as volunteers Number of volunteers who went on to gain employment in the trust Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 2003-04 One overseas graduate who was applying for HPC registration None 2005-06 One graduate hoping to return to employment after a long break in service 1 Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust 2005-06 One (for three months) This volunteer was offered a temporary post but declined due to being in a longer term contract in Kilkenny Causeway HSS Trust 2005-06 1 1 Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust1 2005-06 5 None however all five are now employed in NI by other Trusts 2006-07 3 One employed by another Trust in NI, two still pursuing employment Foyle Community HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — Craigavon and—Banbridge HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — North and West Belfast HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — South and East Belfast HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — Homefirst Community HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — Northern Ireland Ambulance Service 2006-07 0 — Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — Down Lisburn HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 2006-07 0 — 1 Green Park were unable to provide figures for years prior to 2005-06 within the timescale. Source: The information is not held centrally and has been obtained directly from Trusts.
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The current policy on career breaks within the Police Service of Northern Ireland was introduced in May 2006 and is due for review in May 2007. Prior to the introduction of this policy there was no formal facility or policy for career breaks. Police officers could avail of unpaid leave but no figures have been collated relating to this. The number of officers who have taken career breaks under the current policy is 12, of which one has returned to work.
Constables Inspector 2006 10 1 2007 — 1
The policy on career breaks is designed to provide a means for police officers who have completed their initial probationary period to spend a period of time away from work pursuing other activities without giving up their career, and can last for between one to five years. While on a career break, officers may not pursue a business interest or other paid employment, or full time education unless it falls within policy guidelines and regulations. Although unpaid, officers retain their salary points and rank and sympathetic consideration is given to officers with regard to returning to their previous post. Should it be necessary, appropriate training can be provided on return.
Respite Care
Information on the total number of people waiting for respite care is not available centrally. Information is, however, available on the number of adults waiting for respite care at 31 December 2006 (the latest date for which such information is available) and is shown, according to the time bands for which the information is collected, in the following table.
Health and Social Services Trust Under 1 month 1 month - under 3 months 3 months - under 6 months 6 months - under 12 months 12 months and over Total Down Lisburn 0 0 0 0 0 0 North and West Belfast 8 14 10 2 2 36 South and East Belfast 0 1 2 1 0 4 Ulster 1 0 8 4 2 15 Causeway 13 3 10 12 3 41 Home first 1 1 0 15 0 17 Armagh and Dungannon 0 0 0 0 0 0 Craigavon and Banbridge 4 3 0 0 6 13 Newry and Moume 0 0 0 6 4 10 Foyle 3 2 4 12 2 23 Sperrin Lakeland 13 0 0 0 0 13 Northern Ireland Total 43 24 34 52 19 172 Notes: 1. Figures are provisional. 2. The information applies to any adult who has been assessed to be in need of respite care, and who has not yet received their first respite break. The length of time waiting is the length of time between the identification of need for respite care and the end of the quarter. 3. Adults are defined as persons aged 18 and over.
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
Any fine imposed by a court will result in a fine notice being issued to the defendant, stipulating a period of time to pay and giving the defendant the opportunity to apply to the court for further time to pay or for an order to pay by instalments. The notice will also include a warning that non-payment will result in the issue of a warrant committing the defendant to prison and additional costs attendant upon such issue.
If payment is not received within the period allowed, a “Warrant of Commitment for Sum Adjudged to be paid by Conviction” will be automatically issued to PSNI to either collect the money or lodge the defendant in HM Prison/YOC.
Warrants are registered and sent to the District Command Unit in which the defendant is believed to reside. Management of the execution process varies across District Command Units according to available resources and competing operational demands. While the execution of some warrants will not present difficulties, others may be problematic and will necessitate a more determined effort by police.
Although not an exhaustive list, the following enquiries should be carried out:
Personal calls to the address shown on the warrant at different times of the day and days of the week.
Enquiries with neighbours, friends and family where appropriate.
Checks on ICIS and PPS Case Prep.
Enquiries with local Criminal Intelligence Officer.
Enquiries with Criminal Intelligence Officer at previous address/address last proceeded against where appropriate.
Enquiries with previous investigating officers where applicable.
All actions are logged on a warrant action sheet and attached to the warrant. This will be the original contemporaneous record of efforts made to execute the warrant. From a technical perspective, a new integrated IT application has been developed which will manage all warrants from their issue at court through to execution. This system, along with other measures under consideration, should lead to improved monitoring and accountability.
Special Educational Needs
The number of appeals to the special educational needs tribunal in each education and library board for each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 BELB 8 4 3 3 1 NEELB 6 13 12 9 9 SEELB 6 3 13 13 3 SELB 12 4 4 3 3 WELB 2 10 5 4 11
The number of special educational needs judicial reviews in each education and library board for each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 BELB 0 1 1 4 3 NEELB 2 0 2 1 0 SEELB 0 2 9 8 5 SELB 0 0 1 2 0 WELB 0 0 0 0 1
Sports: Facilities
None of the 26 district councils offer sunbeds for public use.
Trade and Industry
Balkans: Arms Trade
The Department of Trade and Industry issues licences to import firearms that fall under the Firearms Act 1968, as amended.
A total of 92 open import licences were granted from 1 January 2006 to date that would allow arms to be imported from any country other than a member state of the European Union (AY). These licences are valid for non prohibited firearms such as bolt action rifles and certain shot guns.
A total of 53 specific import licences were granted from 1 January 2006 to date that would allow the import of arms from (a) Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA), (b) Croatia, (c) Serbia (XS) and Montenegro prohibited under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended. The following table is divided into those licences that specify a specific country and those that could be used for importing arms from any country including those listed (AY).
Country of consignment Description Description on Open Import Licence for Non-prohibited Firearms AY Firearms, component parts thereof, or ammunition of any applicable Tariff Heading, other than those falling under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended by the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988, the Firearms (Amendment) Regulations (1992), the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 and the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 Description on Specific Import Licences for Prohibited Firearms AY No more than 75 in total of the following weapon types complete with sights optic/night: sub machine guns/light machine guns/medium machine guns/heavy machine guns/automatic cannon/cannon/assault rifles/carbines/self-loading rifles/carbines/automatic rifles/carbines/pump action rifles/carbines, cal 3 mm-57 mm/.17"-1"/5 x silencers AY 60 x handguns (cal. 2 mm-27 mm/.172-1") AY 5 x silencers and 45 shotguns (pump, revolver, automatic and semi-automatic) cal. .410", 28G, 20G, 12G.16G, 8G, 4G AY No more than: 10,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies/600 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Act applies/6,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/100 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ac) of the Act applies/3,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ae) of the Act applies/750 x anti-riot guns to which section 5(1)(b) of the Act applies/600,000 x component parts to which sections 5(1)(a) and 5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/700,000 x rounds of ammunition to which section 5(1A)(e) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies AY No more in total than the following: 110 x lightweight multiple launchers/500 x shoulder launch anti-armour missiles/10 x vehicle missile launchers/2,600 x close-air defence missiles/220 x air to ground anti-armour missiles/20 x disarmed sectional missiles/75 x automatic/semi-automatic rifles/carbines (modified)/25 x machine guns (modified)/15 x grenade launchers (modified)/2 x drill anti-tank weapons/5 x drill close-air-defence missiles/88 x helicopter mounted missile launchers/2,000 x anti-tank missiles/200 surface-to-air missiles/100 x air-to-air missiles/500 x shoulder launch aiming units/200 x practice missiles AY No more than 500 in total of prohibited weapons and prohibited ammunition to which sections 5(1)(c) and 5(1A)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies AY 12 x firearms to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies/12 x firearms to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies/12 x firearms to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies AY 5,000 x automatic weapons of all types AY 1,000 x semi-automatic (self-loading) rifles and carbines of all types AY 200 x short barrelled shotguns fed by slide, pump or lever action or by self loading mechanism AY 2,000 x large and small calibre pistols and revolvers (handguns) of all types AY 10 x .223 semi-automatic rifles/carbines AY No more than 10,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act1968, as amended, applies/600 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Act applies/6,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/100 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ac) of the Act applies/3,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ae) of the Act applies/750 x anti-riot guns to which section 5(1)(b) of the Act applies/600,000 x component parts to which sections 5(1)(a) and5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/700,000 x rounds of ammunition to which section5(1A)(e) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies AY 5 x silencers and no more than 45 x pump action, automatic, semi-automatic, revolver shotguns (cal. .410", 28G, 20G, 12G,16G, 8G, 4G) AY No more than 75 of the following weapons complete with sights optic/night: Sub machine guns /light machine guns/medium machine guns/heavy machine guns/automatic cannon/cannon/assault rifles/carbines/self-loading rifles/carbines/automatic rifles/carbines/pump action rifles/carbines, cal. 3 mm-57 mm/.17"-1"/5 x silencers AY 5 x silencers/10 x derringers/30 x handguns/5 x machine pistols (cal. 2 mm-27 mm/.172-1") AY No more in total than 13,000 x weapons to which sections 5(1)(a), 5(1)(ab), (ac) and (ae) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies/1,300 x weapons to which section 5(1)(b) of the Act as referred to applies (excluding electro-shock weapons)/500 x weapons to which section 5(1)aba) of the Act as referred to applies/8,000 x component parts to which sections 5(1)(a) and 5(1)(aba) of the Act as referred to applies/25,000 x items to which sections 5(1)(c), 5(1A)(d) and5 (1 A)(e) of the Act as referred to applies AY 100 x pistols to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies AY No more than 200 x prohibited weapons falling under sections 5(1)(a), 5(1)(ab), 5(1)(ac), 5(1)(ad), 5(1)(ae) and 5(1A)(c) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended/ No more in total than 150 x prohibited weapons falling under section 5(1)(aba) of the Act AY No more than the following: 10,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended), applies/600 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Act applies/6,000 x weapons to which section5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/100 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ac) of the Act applies/3,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ae) of the Act applies/750 x anti-riot weapons to which section5(1)(b) of the Act applies/600,000 x component parts to which sections 5(1)(a) and 5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/700,000 x rounds of ammunition to which section 5(1A)(e) of the Act applies AY 6,300 x 9 mm pistols/90,000 x rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition AY 90 x 12.7 mm machine guns/85 x 7.62 mm machine guns /12 x 7.62 mm sniper rifles AY 110 x lightweight multiple launchers/500 x shoulder launch anti-armour missiles/40 x vehicle missile launchers/2,600 x close-air defence missiles/220 x air-to- ground anti-armour missiles/20 x disarmed sectioned missiles/75 x automatic and semi-automatic rifles/carbines (modified)/25 x machine guns (modified)/15 x grenade launchers (modified)/2 x drill anti-tank weapons/5 x drill close-air-defence missiles/2,000 x anti-tank missiles/500 x shoulder launch aiming units/200 x surface-to-air missiles/200 x practice missiles/88 x helicopter mounted missile launchers/100 x air-to-air missiles AY 20 x 5.8x42 mm automatic rifles/20 x 5.56 mm automatic rifles/20 x 7.65 mm sub machine guns/30,000 x rounds of 7.65 mm ammunition/10,000 x rounds of 5.8 mm ammunition AY No more than 500 x prohibited ammunition to which sections 5(1)(c) and 5(1 A)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies AY 12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies/12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies/12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968. as amended, applies AY 5,000 x automatic weapons of all types AY 1,000 x semi-automatic (self-loading) rifles and carbines of all types AY 200 x short barrelled shotguns fed by slide, pump or lever action or by self-loading mechanism AY 2,000 x large and small calibre pistols and revolvers (handguns) of all types AY No more than 500 x automatic weapons of all types, semi-automatic weapons, grenade launchers, handguns and component parts for the preceding firearms AY 100 x firearms to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies AY 12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended applies/12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended applies/12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended applies AY 5 x silencers/10 x derringers/30 x handguns/5 x machine pistols AY 5 x silencers / 45 x shotguns (pump, revolver, automatic, semi-automatic in calibres .410", 28G, 20G, 16G, 12G, 8G, 4G) AY 5 x silencers/No more than 75 of the following weapons complete with sights optic/night: Sub machine guns/light machine guns/medium machine guns/heavy machine guns/automatic cannon/cannon/assault rifles/carbines/self-loading rifles/carbines/automatic rifles/carbines/pump action rifles/carbines, cal. 3 mm-57 mm/.17"-1" AY No more in total than 13,000 x weapons to which sections 5(1)(a), 5(1)(ab), (ac) and (ae) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies/1,300 x weapons to which section 5(1)(b) of the Act as referred to applies (excluding electro-shock weapons)/500 x weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Act as referred to applies/8,000 x component parts to which sections 5(1)(a) and 5(1)(aba) of the Act as referred to applies/25,000 x items to which sections 5(1)(c), 5(1A)(d) and 5(1A)(e) of the Act as referred to applies AY 6,300 x 9 mm pistols/90,000 x rounds of 12.7 mm API ammunition AY 10,000 x section 5(1)(a)/600 x section 5(1)(ab)/6,000 x section 5(1)(aba)/ 100 x section 5(1)(ac)/3,000 x section 5(1)(ae)/750 x section 5(1)(b)/600,000 x component parts under sections 5(1 )(a) and (aba)/700,000 x section 5(1 A)(e) AY 12 x firearms to which section 5(1)(a)/12 x section 5(1)(ab)/12 x section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended applies. AY 14 x Dragunov semi-automatic rifles/90 x 12.7 mm machine guns/85 x 7.62 mm machine guns AY No more in total than the following: 110 x lightweight multiple launchers/500 x shoulder launch anti-armour missiles/10 x vehicle missile launchers /2,600 x close-air defence missiles/220 x air to ground anti-armour missiles/20 x disarmed sectional missiles/75 x automatic/semi-automatic rifles/carbines (modified)/25 x machine guns (modified)/15 x grenade launchers (modified)/2 x drill anti-tank weapons/5 x drill close-air-defence missiles/88 x helicopter mounted missile launchers/2,000 x anti-tank missiles/200 surface-to-air missiles/100 x air-to-air missiles/500 x shoulder launch aiming units/200 x practice missiles AY No more than 500 x prohibited weapons and ammunition to which sections 5(1)(c) and 5(1A)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended applies BA 30 x AKM 7.62x39 rifles/50 x Dragunov 7.62x54 rifles/6 x PKM 7.62x54 machine guns/15 x RPG-7 rocket launchers/110 x RPG-7 Commando 5 rocket launchers/1 x 60 mm M90 mortar/1 x 81 mm M69B(D) mortar/1 x 120 mm M-75 mortar XS 5 x German MG42 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/3 x German MG34 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same /7 x Czech ZB30 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/2 x British Vickers medium machine guns .303 cal and 20 x spare barrels for same/5 x Belgian MAG58 light machine guns 7.62 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/5 x Danish Madsen light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same /12 x US-1919A4 light machine guns 30-06 and 20 x spare barrels for same/20 x British L4A3 machine guns 7.62 mm/8 x German MP41 sub machine guns 9mm /15 x French MAT49 sub machine guns 9 mm/30 x British Sten sub machine guns 9 mm/13 x British L1A1 Automat rifles 7.62 mm/10 x US M1 carbines .30 cal XS 8 x Czech VZ27 7.65 mm pistols/9 x Belgian 1910/22 7.65 mm pistols/1 x German7.65 mm Mauser pistol/1 x Polish Radom P-35 9 mm pistol/2 x German P-38 9 mm pistols XS 50 x .50 cal M2HB Brownings/200 x PPSH41 7.62 sub machine guns/100 x MG42 7.92 light machine guns/20 x DP26 7.92 light machine guns XS 150 x Browning .50 cal M2 heavy barrel machine guns XS 8 x Czech VZ27 7.65 mm pistols/9 x Belgian 1910/22 7.65 mm pistols/1 x German7.65 mm Mauser pistol/1 x Polish Radom P-35 9 mm pistol/2 x German P.38 9 mm pistols XS 5 x German MG42 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same /3 x German MG34 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/7 x Czech ZB30 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/2 x British Vickers medium machine guns .303 cal and 20 x spare barrels for same/5 x Belgian MAG58 light machine guns 7.62 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/5x Danish Madsen light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/12x US-1919A4 light machine guns 30-06 c. and 20 x spare barrels for same/20 x British L4A3 machine guns 7.62 mm/8 x German MP41 sub machine guns 9 mm/15 x French MAT49 sub machine guns 9 mm/30 x British Sten sub machine guns 9 mm/13 x British L1A1 automatic rifles 7.62 mm /10 x US M1 carbines .30 cal. XS 20 x DP26/28 7.92 light machine guns/200 x .30 cal. Browning 1919 light machine guns/500 x .45ACP Thompson sub machine guns/20 x Czech ZB 26/30 7.92 light machine guns/100 x MP44 7.92 automatic rifles/200 x MP40 9 mm sub machine guns XS 13 x Tokarev 7.62x25 mm Pistols XS 40 x Browning M2HB .50CAL heavy machine guns/200 x PPSH41 sub machine guns 7.62MM/100 x MG42 light machine guns 7.92mm/100 x MG34 light machine guns 7.92MM/20 x DP26 light machine guns 7.62MM
Businesses: Orders and Regulations
The Regulatory Impact Assessment which accompanied the regulations estimated one-off costs to businesses to be in the region of £150 million. Recurring costs were estimated to be in the region of £70 million to £150 million per annum to businesses. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has an agreement in place with the National Weights and Measures Laboratory to enforce the UK Regulations at a cost of £0.4 million per annum.