To ask the Prime Minister how many staff work on the Downing Street switchboard, broken down by Civil Service grade. (229052)

As at 1 April 2008 12 staff worked on the Downing Street switchboard.

To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements his Office has in place to assist officials to overcome the effects of stress experienced in the workplace. (222183)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary Cabinet Office, (Mr. Watson) today.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will direct the relevant authorities to investigate the claim made by Wouter Basson during his trial in South Africa in July 2000 that an illicit weapons cache, including chemical weapons, seized by HM Customs and Excise (HMCE) was subsequently stolen from an HMCE warehouse following information he provided; and if he will make a statement. (227353)

I have been asked to reply.

HMRC officials have reviewed their historical records and have found no evidence to support the claim that a weapons cache, including chemical weapons, was stolen from a HMCE/HMRC warehouse.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether funding is provided by his Department to counties in the Republic of Ireland which border Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. (230997)

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) can confirm that it provides no funding to any counties in the Republic of Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many citizens' juries his Department has held since 1 July 2007; what the cost was of each; what issues were discussed at each event; and how many (a) Ministers and (b) members of the public attended each event. (227471)

The Northern Ireland Office has not held any citizens' juries since 1 July 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which companies were used by his Department for providing temporary staff in each of the last five years; and what the value of contracts with each such company was in each of those years. (229077)

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), excluding its agencies, executive non-departmental public bodies and public inquiries, have made the following payments to recruitment agencies in the last five financial years:

The figures in this table include both the costs for appointing staff to the Department and the salaries paid to temporary staff members.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of (a) people in young offender centres in and (b) the population of Northern Ireland are (i) male, (ii) female, (iii) of each religion, (iv) from an ethnic minority, (v) from each socio-economic group and (vi) resident of each district council area; and if he will make a statement. (228235)

At 21 October, there were 53 female prisoners and 207 male young offenders and juveniles held at Hydebank Wood young offenders centre and prison. The other information relating to young offenders/ prisoners is detailed in the following tables. As Prison Service records do not identify residency by district council area, the information has been provided on a county basis.

The Northern Ireland Prison Service has an obligation to ensure that all of its policies and procedures are fair to all who come into contact with it and is fully committed to its statutory obligations under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, and all other relevant equality and anti-discrimination legislation and duties.

Responsibility for the provision of figures for the general population of Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved administration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are members of the (a) Classic, (b) Classic Plus, (c) Nuvos and (d) Premium civil service pension schemes. (229526)

All staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice. The Office does not maintain a central record of the pension status of staff; such records are held by the parent Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many citizens' juries his Department has held since 1 July 2007; what the cost was of each; what issues were discussed at each event; and how many (a) Ministers and (b) members of the public attended each event. (227467)

The Scotland Office has not arranged any citizens' juries since 1 July 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many vacant posts in his Department were advertised in each of the last three years; and at what cost. (230598)

All the staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from other Government Departments and the Office reimburses those Departments for the costs involved. In the last three years, the Office has directly advertised externally for one post, and contributed towards the advertising costs of a joint campaign with the Scottish Executive for other staff, at a total cost of £8,069.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many documents produced by his Department were submitted to the Plain English Campaign for approval for Crystal Mark status in each year since 2005; and how many documents achieved such status in each year. (230501)

The Scotland Office has not submitted any documents to the Plain English Campaign for Crystal Mark status.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on Plain English Campaign training courses in each year since 2005. (231238)

The main objectives for the Scotland Office set out in its annual report do not envisage the production of documents for public consumption and accordingly it has not felt necessary for staff to attend such courses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that other European Union states share responsibility for providing asylum to those from outside the EU who require it. (227836)

The Government have actively participated in the existing Common European Asylum System of directives establishing minimum standards for asylum practices and procedures, and the Dublin Regulation determining responsibility for examining asylum claims.

The Government welcome the opportunity afforded by the European Commission's Policy Plan on Asylum and the Migration Pact which was agreed at the October European Council, to develop greater practical cooperation between member states and non-governmental organisations in the area of asylum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the state of relations between the Falkland Islands and Argentina. (227030)

The United Kingdom is responsible for the Falkland Islands' foreign relations. The UK values its relationship with Argentina as an important international partner. We have a close and productive relationship on a range of bilateral and multilateral issues, including human rights, sustainable development and counter-proliferation, and continue to look for practical ways to co-operate with Argentina on a range of South Atlantic issues. However, the Argentine sovereignty claim to the Falkland Islands and the Argentine refusal to recognise the democratically elected Falkland Islands Government, casts a shadow over our relationship. The principle of self-determination, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, underlies our position on the Falkland Islands.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 September 2008, Official Report, column 2186W, on Iraq: asylum, how many of the 422 applications received by the UK Border Agency from Iraqi nationals under the Gateway Protection Programme have now been approved; how many new applications have since been received; and how many of these applications have been approved. (227906)

Of the 422 Iraqi individuals who had been referred to the UK Border Agency for resettlement under the Gateway Protection Programme before 15 September, 256 individuals (91 case applicants) have so far been approved. Since 15 September, three new case applications (nine individuals) have been received. None of these have yet been approved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 September 2008, Official Report, column 2186W, on Iraq: asylum, of those applications (a) received by the UK Border Agency from Iraqi nationals under the Gateway Protection Programme and (b) for exceptional leave to remain under the Locally Employed Staff Assistance scheme, how many have included claims for dependants; what the total number is of dependants claimed on each scheme; and how many dependants are associated with those applications which have been approved. (227907)

Information on the total number of dependants covered by applications to the locally employed staff assistance scheme is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. To date, 165 dependants have been approved for resettlement in the UK under the Gateway programme, and 51 dependants have been granted indefinite leave to enter under the scheme for serving staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he received of terrorist attacks in the State of Israel since July 2008; what discussions he has had with the Government of the State of Israel on terrorism in Israel since July 2008; and if he will make a statement. (227593)

We welcome the Gaza ceasefire which has reduced the number of attacks and brought calm to the lives of civilians in both southern Israel and in Gaza. However, the UK remains concerned by any attack against Israel.

There have been five attacks during the period in question in Jerusalem and the State of Israel. These were:

On 2 July, three Israelis were killed and 66 injured (including two infants) by a Palestinian using a bulldozer to attack cars, pedestrians, and two buses in West Jerusalem.

On 11 July, a border patrolman was shot by a Palestinian terrorist in West Jerusalem. The policeman died on 23 July from his injuries.

On 23 July, 16 Israelis were injured in an attack using a bulldozer in West Jerusalem against a bus and four other vehicles; the driver was killed by police.

On 22 September, 17 soldiers were injured in an attack by a Palestinian driving a car into a group of Israelis at an intersection in West Jerusalem; the driver was shot and killed.

On 23 September, a pipe bomb exploded outside the house of Professor Zeev Sternhell in West Jerusalem. A Jewish right wing terrorist was suspected of carrying out the attack.

There have also been a number of rocket attacks from Gaza into the State of Israel, but there has been no confirmation of any injuries or damage as a result of these attacks.

We discuss various issues, including security, with Israeli officials on a regular basis and will continue to devote our efforts to the Annapolis process with the vision of two states, living side by side in peace and security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department, (c) officials in his Department, (d) the British Ambassador to Egypt and (e) officials in the British Embassy in Egypt have had since August 2008 with the Government of Egypt on the trafficking of (i) weapons and (ii) people into Gaza from Egypt via under-border tunnels; what response was received in each case; what reports he has received on the number of tunnels between Gaza and Egypt that have been (A) discovered and (B) closed; and if he will make a statement. (227595)

The UK welcomes any appropriate action taken to reduce trafficking of weapons and people into Gaza. Earlier in the year, we pressed Egypt to act on smuggling. But this issue has not been explicitly raised with the Egyptian authorities since August 2008.

Egypt is actively addressing the issue. With the number of tunnels being discovered and closed constantly changing, we are unable to provide a definitive figure, but we continue to monitor the situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons Colonel Karuna was released from UK custody; what assessment he has made of Colonel Karuna’s status as a member of the Sri Lanka parliament given the allegations of human rights abuses against him; and if he will make a statement. (227023)

Venamoorthi Muralitharan (aka Karuna Amman) was removed from the UK on 2 July, after completing a custodial sentence for possessing false documents. At the time, the Crown Prosecution Service advised that there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction in the UK for other offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government’s policy is on Sri Lanka’s candidacy for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council; and if he will make a statement. (227026)

The UK expects every member of the UN Human Rights Council to act in accordance with the spirit of UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251 in upholding the highest standards of human rights promotion and protection and co-operating fully with the Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote freedom of movement for displaced people in the Vanni region of Sri Lanka. (227287)

On 26 September, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development stressed to President Rajapakse the need to secure the humanitarian space of some 200 to 250 thousand people affected by renewed conflict.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, Michael Foster, on the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka during the debate on 15 October 2008, Official Report, columns 240-49WH.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Sri Lankan authorities on recent events in the Vanni region of Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. (227288)

On 26 September, my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for International Development met President Rajapakse in New York and raised the issue of the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. They stressed the need to secure the humanitarian space and provide humanitarian relief in northern Sri Lanka and called for a sustainable political solution to the conflict.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Sri Lankan Government over their responsibility to (a) ensure that security forces operate under the rule of domestic and international law and (b) bring to justice those of the security forces who commit crimes, including war crimes and abuses of human rights; and if he will make a statement. (227017)

We remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian rights situation in Sri Lanka and urge all parties to the conflict to respect the rights of civilians. We continue to press for full investigation of alleged breaches of international law and action to bring perpetrators to justice. In July, my noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, raised the UK’s concerns over human rights in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan government, including with President Rajapakse, and the Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapakse.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross on the misrepresentation of its findings by the Sri Lankan Government. (227027)

We share the International Committee of the Red Cross’s concerns over the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, expressed similar concerns to President Rajapakse, his Ministers and senior officials during his visit to Sri Lanka this summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of progress in implementing a consultation process with the population of the Nuba Mountains as part of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement. (226729)

We have had no reports of progress in implementing the consultation process with the population in the Nuba Mountains. We are monitoring developments in the region because of the specific references to the Nuba Mountains in the Comprehensive Peace Agreements, which we continue to press all parties to implement in full.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reservations have been sought by the Government on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; and if he will make a statement. (204963)

I have been asked to reply.

The United Kingdom signed the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1981, and ratified with reservations in 1986. The UK reservations in 1986 were general reservations (a-d), and specific reservations on article 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 16. Since that time the Government have not sought any new reservations on the Convention and have withdrawn a number of reservations, most notably in 1995 and 1996.

The UK's sixth periodic report to the CEDAW committee on progress towards the implementation of the Convention was submitted on 1 May 2007. The report notes that the UK has withdrawn the CEDAW reservation relating to immigration and has modified the reservation relating to the throne and the armed forces. The UK currently has reservations on: general reservations (a, c, and d), and specific reservations on article 9, 11, 15(3) and 16.

The current reservations will be reviewed in 2008-09 as part of the follow up plan from the UK's examination by the CEDAW Committee in July 2008.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will provide a breakdown by main budget heading of the (a) £66 million contribution to paralympic costs and (b) £32 million allocated to the Look of London contained in the public sector funding package for London 2012. (229335)

[holding answer 23 October 2008]: The £66 million is the Government's planned contribution, within the £9.325 billion funding package, towards the hosting of the Paralympic games by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). The precise breakdown of costs will need to be agreed between LOCOG and the Government as detailed plans for the Paralympics develop.

Expenditure on the Look of London is expected to take place in the financial years of 2011-12 and 2012-13. The breakdown of costs within this £32 million funding will be determined in the next spending round, and detailed budgets agreed nearer the time.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what IT projects the Government Equalities Office is undertaking; and what the most recent estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the completion date of each is. (229171)

The Government Equalities Office is currently rebuilding its website at an estimated cost of £40,000. The project will be completed by the end of 2008. There are no other IT projects under way.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much was spent on overnight accommodation by civil servants within the Government Equalities Office since its creation. (228785)

Over the past 12 months the Government Equalities Office has spent £2,600 on overnight accommodation.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many citizens’ juries the Government Equalities Office has held since 1 July 2007; what the cost was of each; what issues were discussed at each event; and how many (a) Ministers and (b) members of the public attended each event. (227485)

The Government Equalities Office has not held any citizens’ juries since 1 July 2007.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in the Government Equalities Office since its creation. (228944)

There have been two instances of building passes being lost since the Government Equalities Office (GEO) was created. These are included in the figures provided by my hon. Friend the Member for Tooting (Mr. Khan) for the Department for Communities and Local Government London headquarters building, where most of GEO’s staff are based.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many civil servants in the Government Equalities Office were seconded to work for (a) trades unions and (b) the Trades Union Congress in each year since its inception. (229109)

No civil servants in the Government Equalities Office have been seconded to work for (a) trade unions and (b) the Trades Union Congress since its inception.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many successful prosecutions for domestic violence against women have resulted in a prison sentence for the perpetrator in the last five years. (227212)

It is not possible to identify separately domestic violence offences on the court proceedings database as the circumstances of offences are not collected centrally.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what estimate she has made of the cost of (a) establishing the National Equalities Panel, (b) running the panel in its first year and (c) the salary which will be paid to panel members. (229115)

The total cost of the Panel is likely to be £400,000 over two financial years. It will be met by a Government research grant to the London School of Economics. Payment of the grant will be dependent on completion of agreed stages in the project. The Chair and panel members, who are leading experts in their fields will be paid £1,000 per day, for a maximum of 80 days for the Chair and eight days for each member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many calls have been logged on the armed forces anti-bullying confidential support line in the last 12 months; what procedures are in place to ensure that steps are taken to address (a) allegations of bullying and (b) identify patterns of abuse and bullying blackspots; and by what means the Service Complaints Commissioner is kept informed. (230898)

The armed forces do not run an ‘armed forces anti-bullying confidential support line'. However, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association runs a ‘confidential support line' for a range of issues such as welfare, health and terms of service including concerns about bullying and harassment. The support line is available to serving personnel (of all services) together with their families and former members of the armed forces.

Calls to the support line are logged under a series of generic headings including 'equality and diversity' which includes those concerning bullying, harassment and discrimination. During the period January to December 2007, the most recent period for which figures are available, 170 calls from serving service personnel relating to equality and diversity issues were logged, together with a further 19 from family members and veterans.

The Department's unified diversity strategy makes clear that bullying and harassment are not tolerated under any circumstances and that the penalties for offenders are potentially severe.

Joint Service Publication 763 'The MOD Harassment Complaints Procedure' sets out the procedures for all MOD Service and civilian personnel making, responding to, advising on, investigating, and deciding on, complaints of harassment.

All units are required to have at least one qualified Equality and Diversity Advisor (EDA); larger units will have several. In addition to providing help and advice to individuals, EDAs are required to keep unit equality and diversity logs. The logs are regularly reviewed by unit commanders and statistical information is drawn upon by a tri-Service Evaluation Group (at commodore, colonel and group captain level) chaired by the Director Service Personnel Service Conditions along with other reports and statistics to identify trends and areas of concern.

While conducting unit visits, the independent Service Complaints Commissioner is given access to unit logs and it has recently been agreed that she will also be provided with statistics from these logs bi-annually.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days lost were recorded for service personnel in respect of (a) rest and recuperation, (b) post-operational tour and (c) annual leave in each year since 2003. (230171)

Rest and Recuperation (R&R) is not classified as an entitlement and is given at the discretion of the chain of command. Leave, including post operational leave, should be recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system. The Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) undertake an annual leave survey designed to estimate the leave taken, carried forward and lost but it does not distinguish those personnel who were not able to take forward leave from those who chose to carry it forward to the next year. The survey findings from 1997-08 to 2006-07 are available in the Library of the House but, due to JPA data migration issues, DASA have not been able to conduct the 2007-08 survey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel leaving the armed forces in each year since 2001 had completed (a) under five years service, (b) between five and 22 years service and (c) over 22 years service. (230160)

The number of service personnel leaving the trained UK regular forces¹ in each financial year since 2001-02 is provided in the table:

¹ Outflow from the UK Regular Forces includes recalled reservists on release and outflow to the Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment. The Royal Irish Regiment disbanded on 31 March 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many instructors have enrolled in and completed training at the Staff Leadership School at Pirbright; how many and what proportion of instructors have completed the Train the Trainer courses; and what target date he has set for the completion of mandatory training for all instructors on the training estate. (230789)

A total of 2,244 instructors have enrolled and completed courses at the Army Staff Leadership School (ASLS) at Pirbright since its opening in April 2007. Of those, 1,791 completed the full and accredited Defence Train the Trainer (DTTT) course and the remainder completed an appropriately tailored version for personnel working in proximity of, but not directly instructing, trainees. At 30 September 2008 the proportion of instructors trained by ASLS was 81 per cent. across the training establishments commanded by Director General Army Recruiting and Training.

The revised policy for staff delivering formal training, issued on 1 August 2008, requires all instructors to gain this qualification. This should, ideally, be achieved prior to taking up their instructional post or, where this is not possible, within three months of taking up instructional duties during which time they are to be very closely supervised. Work is in hand to ensure that all instructors in initial formal training have received the DTTT course, the current target being to ensure that, by December 2008, 95 per cent. of instructors have been trained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken by the Army to establish and maintain central records of written policy changes within the training estate. (230821)

The Army's policy for recruit training is maintained by Headquarters (HQ) Army Recruiting and Training Division (ARTD) and is derived from Defence and other Army policies. It is promulgated via the ARTD handbook, a web based document which is available to all Army training units via the Army Intranet. Each element of policy is owned by an officer within the HQ who is responsible for ensuring the published policy is kept up to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits enrolled in the Army Junior Entry Phase 1 training at (a) Army Foundation College Harrogate, (b) Army Training Regiment Winchester and (c) other establishments in 2007; and what progress has been made extending the duration of Phase 1 training at Army Training Regiment Bassingbourn. (230900)

In financial year 2007-08, 1,309 Junior Entry recruits commenced training at the Army Foundation College Harrogate and 863 at Army Training Regiment Bassingbourn.

Junior Entry training switched from Bassingbourn to Army Training Regiment Winchester in August/September 2008. This is in line with the recommendation in Sir Nicholas Blake QC’s “Deepcut Review” that those under 17 should be trained in establishments catering exclusively for this age group. Prior to this, no junior entry training was conducted at Winchester.

There are currently no plans to extend the Junior Entry Phase 1 course at Winchester beyond its present 23 weeks, which consists of 20 weeks tuition and three weeks leave.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds were recruited into each of the armed services in (i) 2002 and (ii) 2007; and how many recruits aged under 18 years of age were allocated to units for military duties. (230899)

The following table shows the number of 16 and 17-year-olds that were recruited into each service of the UK regular armed forces¹ in the financial years 2002-03 and 2007-08.

Armed forces personnel are not allocated to units for military duties until they have completed training. The number of trained UK regular armed forces¹ personnel under the age of 18 as at 1 April 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008 is shown in the following table.

¹ UK Regular Forces includes all trained and untrained personnel. Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists are excluded.

The Government have made a clear commitment to take all feasible measures to ensure that those who had not yet reached the age of 18 did not take a direct part in hostilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are in place to monitor delays in Phase 2 training in the army; how many individuals were subject to delays in (a) 2005 and (b) 2007; what record is kept of individual training plans; and how statistical information is collected on training. (230830)

The Army Recruiting and Training Division (ARTD) Headquarters do not record the total number of individuals who are subject to delays per calendar year. A monthly report is created by each Arms and Service school illustrating those recruits who have been delayed in commencing aspects of Phase 2 training. Courses start and finish all the time and so this figure should only be considered a 'snapshot' of the delays in the training pipeline at a particular point in time.

The following table gives the average number of recruits who have amassed more than a 14 day cumulative delay prior to reaching Phase 2 training. Data is collected within the first five days of each month. These snapshots of data over the months of the financial years shown have been averaged to show the general standard of delays to Phase 2 in the years requested.

Prior to the end of Phase 1, recruits receive a plan which outlines what Phase 2 consists of and they also visit their Phase 2 establishment. During their Phase 2 induction week, they are given an individual training plan which details their proposed training schedule. Delays can be caused by a number of factors, not all of which are within the Army's control. However, ARTD takes positive steps to minimise delays. Where delays are unavoidable training programmes are run so as to maintain interest, fitness and military skills. A recruit would normally have leave between courses and delays are therefore not calculated until after 14 days.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for a new defence review. (227868)

There are currently no plans for a new defence review. Defence policy and commitments are kept under continuous review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the proposed Directive (a) COM(2007) 0766 on public procurement in the fields of defence and security and (b) COM(2007) 0765 on terms and conditions of defence-related product transfers within the EC; and if he will make a statement. (230244)

We share the Commission's desire for the creation of a more effective European defence equipment market that is open, transparent and competitive. We are working positively with the Commission and other member states to reach agreement on directives which would provide benefit to the conduct of defence business for all stakeholders while protecting the UK's strategic interests. A defence and security procurement directive also has the potential to improve British industry's access to European defence markets and to improve its competitiveness worldwide. The proposed terms of the transfers directive are consistent with the way in which the UK export licensing system currently operates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what public consultations his Department has undertaken in the last month. (230170)

The Ministry of Defence had two open public consultations during the month of September. Consultation on UK Defence Spectrum Management closed on 5 September 2008, and consultation on the MOD's revised Welsh Language Scheme closed on 8 October. Documents for public consultation and the MOD's response to comments that are received can be viewed at:

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/ConsultationsandCommunications/PublicConsultations/RevisedModWelshLanguageScheme.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants in his Department were recruited through the fast stream; and what the average salary of those officials is. (229180)

The specific number of civil servants employed by the Ministry of Defence who were recruited through the Fast Stream whether into the Ministry of Defence directly, or via other Departments, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. As at 21 October 2008 there were 131 civil servants employed by the Ministry of Defence on the Fast Stream scheme. Those who joined the Department on the current pay deal will earn between a minimum of £22,960 and a maximum of £40,515 per year while on the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice Ministers had received prior to 2005 on fitting of foam suppressant on the Hercules wing-tanks. (230525)

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of training exercises have been cancelled in 2008; and for what reason each exercise was cancelled. (230169)

Of the 584 training exercises scheduled to take place in 2008, 55 have been cancelled (9.4 per cent.); reasons for each cancellation are listed as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many seaborne incidents in the Persian Gulf involving coalition forces and (a) armed gangs and (b) the Iranian navy have been recorded since January 2008. (230159)

Since January 2008 there have been no recorded significant seaborne incidents between coalition forces and non-state forces in the Persian Gulf. Coalition ships operating in the Persian Gulf regularly interact with the Iranian navy but since January 2008 there have been no reports of significant incidents of concern.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in the development of plans for the dismantling and storage of submarines at Plymouth and Rosyth. (231275)

As stated in the answer of 15 July 2008, Official Report, column 312W, to the hon. Member for South-West Devon (Mr. Streeter), the ISOLUS project team continues to take forward technical and siting issues in conjunction with stakeholder groups, with a technical options study due to conclude by the end of this year, and the project procurement strategy being developed within the context of the Defence Industrial Strategy. The project remains committed to further public consultation before major decisions are made.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department takes to check members of foreign aircrew landing in the UK for (a) immigration status and (b) criminal offences. (228673)

[holding answer 27 October 2008]: Crew members who are based in the United Kingdom and those who arrive as passengers in order to join an aircraft as a member of the crew, are subject to the same controls and checks as other passengers. In line with the Immigration Act 1971, other arriving aircrew are able to enter the UK without leave from an immigration officer, provided they are embarking as crew within seven days.

This concession is monitored through joint operations conducted by the UK Border Agency, HM Revenue and Customs and the police, on a risk-assessed, intelligence-led basis. Close liaison is maintained with the carriers regarding any criminal offences committed by those allowed to operate in this country as aircrew.

In future, e-Borders will require carriers to provide all passenger and crew data to the UK Border Agency, in advance of travel, for journeys to and from the United Kingdom. This data will be checked against watchlists and when a person of interest is identified, the relevant law enforcement agency will be notified. A comprehensive travel history will also be maintained, allowing us to record who has travelled to the United Kingdom, whether as crew or passenger, and when they have left.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will visit the Croxteth and Norris Green districts of Liverpool in the near future to discuss anti social behaviour with the police and representatives of the local communities. (229754)

My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit the Croxteth and Norris Green districts of Liverpool in the near future. However, we have provided practitioners including the police with a wide range of tools and powers to tackle antisocial behaviour, issue guidance on their use, provide information through a practitioner website and set up a free telephone advice line to provide specific support on individual problems. We also deliver regional workshops to help local practitioners make the best use of the available tools and powers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the rate of absconding was of (a) single men, (b) single women, (c) families and (d) unaccompanied child asylum seekers who were not held in detention and whose claim for asylum had (i) been refused with removal from the United Kingdom imminent, (ii) been refused and where removal from the United Kingdom was not possible on human rights or humanitarian grounds and (iii) were yet to be processed in the latest period for which figures are available. (227555)

[holding answer 21 October 2008]: The requested information is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department provides to the authorities in the country of origin of an asylum seeker without documents as part of the re-documentation process. (229278)

In cases where a travel document is required information is exchanged with embassies and high commissions, but this is limited to personal biographical data related to the individual applicant. Information relating to any asylum claim is treated in confidence and is not disclosed to the authorities, unless the claimant has given his consent for the transfer of the data.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to determine the asylum application of Phindintombi Ndlovu, Ref No N1062839. (230786)

The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 23 October 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration was given to arranging for independent interpreters to be present during all interviews that took place in March and April 2007 between Sudanese officials and Sudanese asylum seekers at her Department’s facilities. (228391)

Since 22 March 2007 independent interpreters have been used at interviews between Sudanese officials and Sudanese asylum seekers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sudanese asylum seekers were deported following re-documentation interviews in March and April 2007 were from Darfur. (229279)

Of the Sudanese nationals interviewed in March and April 2007, there have been two enforced returns of Darfuri asylum seekers and a further departure which was made voluntarily.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps were taken in response to the complaint made by a Darfuri asylum seeker against a Sudanese official as part of the re-documentation interviews of March and April 2007. (229296)

Following receipt of a complaint made by an individual regarding the interview conducted by a Sudanese official, the UK Border Agency amended the interview process. Since 22 March 2007 independent interpreters have been present at each interview; the interpreters are required to sign a disclaimer to confirm that discussions at the interview are professional and relevant to the documentation process only.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds may a work permit be refused to an asylum seeker who has been awaiting a decision upon an asylum application for more than a year. (222790)

An asylum applicant may apply for permission to take up employment if a decision has not been taken on the applicant’s asylum application within one year of the date on which it was recorded. The application to take employment will only be considered if the delay in reaching a decision cannot be attributed to the applicant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the parliamentary business unit of the Immigration and Nationality Department plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Edinburgh West’s letter of 17 July 2008 on his constituent Rangarirai Mukora. (228688)

The letter of 17 July was not received in my office however a letter from the hon. Member for Edinburgh West dated 3 October 2008 addressed to the Regional Director in Glasgow regarding the same matter was replied to on 6 October 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she takes to track the identities of individuals (a) entering and (b) leaving the UK. (229346)

[holding answer 27 October 2008]: The Government's electronic borders system—e-Borders—allows us to count all passengers and crew in and out of the UK. To date, the e-Borders system has screened over 70 million passengers travelling to and from the UK from approximately 100 carriers on over 150 routes. This has resulted in 30,000 alerts being issued and over 2,500 arrests.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on the grant of UK citizenship to Gurkhas who have served in the armed forces. (229848)

The requirements for naturalisation as a British citizen are as set out in section 6 of and schedule 1 of the British Nationality Act 1981. A person applying for naturalisation must have been lawfully present in the United Kingdom for a period of five years ending on the date of the application. Within that period he or she should not have been outside the United Kingdom for more than 450 days. For a person married to or the civil partner of a British citizen, the residential qualifying period is reduced to three years.

There is discretion to overlook periods of absence from the UK during the five or three year qualifying period. The current policy is to overlook any such absence if it was due to the applicant's (or his or her spouse's or civil partner's) service in the United Kingdom forces. However this discretion is not exercised if, at the time of consideration, the applicant is still serving as a member of the Brigade of Gurkhas.

The difference in treatment between Gurkhas and non-Gurkhas is due to the understanding between the Nepalese and United Kingdom Governments that those serving in the Brigade of Gurkhas should remain Nepalese citizens during their periods of service. Nepalese nationality law provides that any citizen of Nepal who acquires another nationality will automatically lose Nepalese citizenship. It would therefore not be right to bestow British citizenship on Gurkha soldiers since they would, as a result, automatically lose their existing Nepalese citizenship. For this reason, and in order to avoid jeopardising the special relationship that currently exists between the United Kingdom and Nepal, there are no plans to grant British citizenship automatically to serving Gurkha soldiers.

If, however, Gurkhas transfer into other units of the British army on completion of five years service in the Brigade or they become settled in the UK after discharge from service they would then be able to apply for naturalisation as British citizens under section 6 of the British Nationality Act 1981 on the same terms as other non-British service personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any officials in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies were disciplined or dismissed for (i) breaches of data protection requirements and (ii) inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data in each of the last three years for which figures are available. (205901)

The answer is provided in the following tables.

Home Office:

Identity and Passport Service

UK Border Agency

Criminal Records Bureau

Nil return.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on advertising in each of the last five years. (227603)

[holding answer 16 October 2008]: Government policies and programmes affect the lives of millions of people and in order for them to work they must be communicated effectively. This is done with cost efficiency in mind and there are strict rules to ensure value for money on Government advertising.

The following table shows how much the Home Office has spent on advertising campaigns over the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants working in her Department and its agencies have pensions with a cash equivalent transfer value of over £1 million. (229550)

It is not appropriate to disclose pension information for civil servants other than board members whose details are shown in the Remuneration Report in annual Resource Accounts. A copy of the Resource Accounts for financial year (2007-08) can be accessed electronically using the following link.

Home Office Resource Accounts 2007-08 (pages 29 to 32 refer):

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/resource-accounts-07-08?view=Binary

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which companies were used by her Department for providing temporary staff in each of the last five years; and what the value of contracts with each such company was in each of those years. (229079)

The expenditure with each of the companies that the Home Department has used for the provision of temporary agency staff for the financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08 is given in the following table.

Information for prior periods is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many seizures of illicit drugs there were at (a) Heathrow Airport, (b) Gatwick Airport, (c) Stansted Airport, (d) the Port of Dover and (e) the Port of Felixstowe in each of the last 10 years; and what the estimated street value of each such seizure was. (226648)

National seizure figures are published in the Annual reports for HM Revenue and Customs and HM Customs and Excise. Information below a national level is not disclosed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) Palestinians and (b) Israelis have been refused entry into the UK because of their links to violence, terrorism or other armed criminal acts in the last 12 months. (229901)

During the 12-month period 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008, UK Border Agency records show that 10 Israelis were refused entry to the UK at ports, on the grounds that their exclusion was conducive to the public good. This category covers, but is not limited to, the offences listed in the present question. UKBA records show that no Palestinians were refused entry for this reason, during the same period.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals have (a) been interviewed for the national identity card scheme and (b) received a biometric residence permit. (230629)

Applications for identity cards can be accepted only on and after 25 November 2008.

On 25 November 2008, foreign nationals, subject to immigration control, who are applying to extend their leave in the UK under certain student categories, as a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner under the immigration rules will be issued with an identity card if leave is granted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those arrested were identified as illegal immigrants in each of the last five years; and how many of these were (a) detained in police cells or immigration removal centres and (b) not detained but referred to a Home Office Unit. (179817)

[holding answer 17 January 2008]: Data on numbers of individuals arrested was only available from April 2005. Arrests on suspicion of being illegal immigrants during this period were:

In “Enforcing the Deal: Our plans for Enforcing the Immigration Laws in the United Kingdom's communities”, published on 19 June 2008, we set out our enforcement priorities. Our attention is centred on taking action against organised criminals, facilitators and employers who break the law. We have focussed over 1,000 additional enforcement staff on enforcement duties whose duties include issuing civil penalties against employers, compliance visits and removal of those who present the greatest harm.

Information on those detained in police cells, immigration removal centres or not detained but referred to a Home Office unit is not collated. Relevant information might be recorded on individual case files but could be obtained only by detailed examination of each record at disproportionate cost.

The data provided is based on management information and is not a national statistic. It should be treated as provisional as it may be subject to change.