To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the appropriateness of charges made by the Civil Aviation Authority to re-license planes which have had silencers fitted; and if he will make a statement. (293669)

The approval of silencers for civil aircraft is in most cases the responsibility of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). For aircraft not covered by EASA, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) would only become involved where they have not previously approved the modification to the aircraft type. In those cases the CAA will need to investigate the proposed modification as part of the approval process. The applicant will be charged for modification investigation in accordance with the CAA’s published Airworthiness Scheme of Charges. The CAA charging schemes are reviewed annually in consultation with the Secretary of State for Transport.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department plans to make mobile telephone coverage available in the Dartford Tunnel. (293858)

Mobile phone coverage is already available in both bores of the Dartford tunnel.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of time spent by vehicles waiting to cross the Dartford Crossing; and if he will make a statement. (292761)

A study commissioned by the Department for Transport in 2008 aggregated the delays for 2007 and converted them into a monetary sum using published values of time. This calculated the cost of delay at the Dartford Crossing at around £40 million per annum. The initial results of the study can be found at:

www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/capacityrequirements/dartfordrivercrossing

The aggregate dwell time at the toll facilities is used to match flows to the capacity of the northbound tunnels.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the average time taken by a vehicle to cross the Dartford Crossing; and if he will make a statement. (292762)

Between M25 junction 2 and M25 junction 30, which includes the Dartford Crossing the average journey northbound is 10 minutes 11 seconds and 11 minutes 40 seconds southbound. The data used are from August 1 to August 24 2009.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent representations he has received on waiting times for vehicles at the Dartford Crossing. (292763)

In the six months from 1 April to 30 September 2009, the Department for Transport has received 69 items of ministerial correspondence specifically categorised as being about congestion and delays at the Dartford Crossing.

In addition, the Highways Agency has dealt itself with a further 40 e-mails, 23 letters and 76 telephone calls from members of the public.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the number of unsafe heavy goods vehicles on UK roads which are registered overseas; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce this number. (293859)

[holding answer 16 October 2009]: Foreign-registered vehicles represent around 3.5 per cent. of all heavy goods vehicle (HGV) traffic on Britain’s roads. In 2008-09, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) checked 61,000 foreign-registered HGVs and found roadworthiness related concerns with 40 per cent. of them. This compares with 64,800 spot checks on UK registered HGVs where 32.6 per cent. were found to have roadworthiness related concerns.

The Government have introduced a number of measures to tackle non-compliance with the regulations. We have made an additional £24 million available to VOSA over a three-year period from 2008 to enable them to carry out more enforcement checks on HGVs on international journeys.

We have also introduced a new scheme to allow the police and VOSA to take on the spot financial deposits from offending drivers with no satisfactory address in the United Kingdom. In the first three months of operation, almost £700,000 has been collected from such drivers.

In addition, VOSA routinely informs the authorities of other EU member states about offences involving their commercial vehicle drivers.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what progress has been made in reinstating the Todmorden Curve; and what estimate he has made of the cost of that work. (294137)

Burnley borough council has commissioned Network Rail to carry out a study for the chord (and any other infrastructure changes required) which is due for completion by the end of the year. The study will confirm the expected capital cost, which is currently estimated at £5 million.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) when his Department plans to publish its response to the consultation on proposed amendments to the vehicle lighting and construction regulations, which closed on 9 October 2008; (293683)

A summary of the responses to the consultation will be published at the same time as the statutory instrument amending the lighting regulations so as to provide (among other things) for the new retro-reflective marking requirements. This is expected to be before the end of the year.

The methodology used to estimate the cost of mandatory conspicuity markings is contained in the impact assessment that accompanied the consultation. This is available at:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/archive/2008/regulationsamendments/

The cost to fit tape to a new vehicle was estimated at between £186 and £388 per vehicle depending on whether simple line marking or full contour marking is used. A seven year life span was assumed, after which the markings would need to be replaced. The total number of new vehicles to be fitted with markings was estimated at 35,821 per year. Using these figures the average cost to fit markings on new vehicles was estimated at approximately £8.8 million per year. Taking into account the additional replacement costs after seven years the estimated annual cost over twelve years was between £16 and £17 million per year depending on the implementation strategy.

Both the Road Haulage Association and Freight Transport Association (FTA) responded to the original consultation. There has also been regular contact between Department for Transport officials and the FTA to discuss how the regulations would be implemented and to answer technical queries.

No detailed analysis of the effect on tape manufacturers and fitters of postponing conspicuity marking tape requirements has been carried out. They will, as now, be free to market their products in the period leading up to the mandatory requirement for marking tape in 2011.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the Strategic Rail Authority’s Strategic Rail Freight Interchange Policy; and if he will make a statement. (293471)

Pending the publication of the National Networks National Policy Statement draft for consultation, the Strategic Rail Authority’s Strategic Rail Freight Interchange Policy remains Department for Transport policy guidance.

A short policy statement on Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges is also contained in the recent Department publication “Strategic Rail Freight Network: The longer term vision”.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many incidences of (a) marine, (b) oil and (c) other pollution have been recorded in UK waters in each year since 1990 from shipping registered in (i) the UK, (ii) the EU and (iii) other countries; what steps were taken to clean up in each case; what costs were incurred and what fines were levied in each case; by whom these were paid; and if he will make a statement. (292780)

Details of incidences of marine pollution being released from ships in the UK pollution control zone are given in annual reports produced by the Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea. Reports for the years 2001 through to 2007 are available on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s website at:

http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga07-home/emergency response/mcga-pollutionresponse/mcga-dops_cp_ environmental-counter-pollution.htm

The information with regard to the port of registry of the ships is not contained in the Committee’s annual report. This information is not available.

Comprehensive clean-up costs information is not held centrally.

To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the implications for the NATO mission in Afghanistan of the government of Canada’s decision to withdraw combat forces in 2011; and if he will make a statement. (293647)

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 14 October 2009, Official Report, column 313.

To ask the Prime Minister whether he has received a request to give evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry. (293571)

The Iraq inquiry will make announcements in due course about the hearings it will conduct and which witnesses will appear. In the event serving Ministers or Government officials are called, the Government reiterate their commitment to co-operate fully with the inquiry.

To ask the Prime Minister which Ministers have visited the United States on official business in the last 12 months. (293315)

Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the Commission has made representations to Nominet on the registration of the Red Rag website domain name using a House of Commons address. (288988)

No.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many claims were made by hon. Members under the European travel scheme in each of the last five years. (293772)

The answer is as follows. Figures prior to 2005-06 are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of procurement contracts his Department awarded to small businesses in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. (293240)

The Scotland Office does not record the information in the format requested. The Office endeavours to utilise existing contracts of other Government Departments whenever possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on first class rail travel for civil servants in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. (293096)

The Scotland Office does not separately record expenditure on first class rail travel. All rail travel is undertaken by the most efficient and cost-effective way, in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code, a copy of which is available in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) mobile telephones, (b) Blackberrys and (c) laptop computers were issued to staff of his Department in each of the last five years; and how many of these were issued to (i) new staff and (ii) existing staff following the (A) loss or (B) theft of a previous device. (290521)

Details on the specific devices are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the farming industry on the identification of areas where the requirements placed on farmers to comply with nitrates legislation exceed the minimum requirements of the Nitrates Directive. (292717)

DEFRA introduced the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008 in accordance with the Nitrates Directive 91/676/EEC following extensive consultation during 2007-08.

In addition to the formal consultation, DEFRA officials met representatives of the farming industry on numerous occasions to discuss the Action Programme measures. These represent what DEFRA considers to be the best way of fulfilling our obligations under the nitrates directive, while maintaining a sustainable agricultural industry. The measures were developed to reflect good agricultural practice and are based on best available science. My ministerial colleagues and I also frequently discuss the implementation of the nitrates directive when we meet farmers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with HM Treasury Ministers on the effect of the abolition of furnished holiday lettings tax relief on the rural economy. (293430)

Ministers and officials have discussions on a wide range of issues as part of the process of policy development.

Government will publish an impact assessment at pre-Budget report 2009 alongside draft legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether there are plans to change the responsibilities of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding conservation issues in UK Overseas Territories; (293294)

There are no plans to change the responsibilities regarding conservation issues in the UK’s Overseas Territories.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) was commissioned by the Interdepartmental Ministerial Group on biodiversity (IDMGb) to draft a Government Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories. This was done with the express intention of improving the effectiveness of co-ordination of the UK Government’s support for biodiversity in the Overseas Territories. The strategy was announced at a reception on Collaboration on Environmental and Biodiversity Issues in the Overseas Territories, hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) at the end of June.

The strategy, which is shortly to be published, establishes, inter alia, a partnership of the three participating Government Departments, with JNCC providing the secretariat. The Strategy also establishes that my Department will co-ordinate the work of the partnership with the FCO and the Department for International Development (DFID).

In addition, an Interdepartmental Group on Biodiversity in the Overseas Territories has been established following agreement of the strategy. This group, comprising the same member Departments as the IDMGb, met for the first time on 29 September and established its key principles and terms of reference, one of which will be to co-ordinate to best effect UK Government support for biodiversity in the Overseas Territories.

Turning to the Darwin Initiative’s new Overseas Territories Challenge Fund, I announced the establishment of this fund in June. It is intended to pay for up to 10 projects relating to biodiversity in the Overseas Territories, each costing up to £25,000. These will be comparable to existing Darwin scoping projects, aiming towards main-round projects, but for longer periods and involving some initial implementation work. The cost of Challenge Fund payments will come from a sum of up to £1.5 million, which I announced at the same event will be earmarked within the Darwin Initiative this year for Overseas Territories projects.

In terms of specific figures provided under the Darwin Initiative for projects in the Caribbean and South Atlantic Overseas Territories, these are as follows:

For the Caribbean Overseas Territories, since 2005, the figures are:

For the South Atlantic Overseas Territories, since 2005, the figures are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of rural parishes without a general store in each year since 1997. (293201)

The Secretary of State has made no estimate of the number of rural parishes without a general store.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimate he has made of the number of (a) newsagents, (b) fishmongers, (c) bakers and (d) butchers that have closed in (i) rural and (ii) non-rural areas in each year since 1997; (293227)

DEFRA does not collect data on the numbers of different types of shops in urban and rural areas. However, the following table shows the number and rate of insolvencies in the retail industry nationally and in rural and urban areas between 2003 and 2009. 2003 is the earliest year for which DEFRA has data.

The rate of insolvencies in rural areas has been consistently lower than the national average since 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many panel inquiries have been adjourned for consideration of evidence submitted outside the time limits set in the Rights of Way (Hearing and Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2007; and what the reasons for granting the adjournment were in each case. (294227)

The information requested regarding public inquiries is unavailable as it is not recorded by the Planning Inspectorate or published in its year-end statistics.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for compensation under the Criminal Damages (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) 1977 Order have been made in each of the last five years; and how many such applications were certified by the Chief Constable. (292759)

The following table sets out the number of applications for Criminal Damage received and the number certified with a Chief Constable’s Certificate within the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures of cooperation and training with Libya involving (a) Police Service of Northern Ireland officers and staff and (b) any other departments or agencies for which he is responsible he has authorised in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. (292159)

All requests made to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for international assistance must be approved by the Northern Ireland Policing Board, and then the Secretary of State, under section 8 of the Police (NI) Act 2000. I have provided one authorisation within my area of responsibility in the last 12 months involving co-operation and training to Libya. This related to an approval under Section 8 for a serving member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to provide training to the Libyan Police. This approval followed a request from the National Police Improvement Agency for the assistance of the PSNI, and in response to the Northern Ireland Policing Board who supported this request. The assistance involved the delivery of three weeks tactical command training in January 2009 as part of a Foreign and Commonwealth Office sponsored programme of work designed to help Libya meet their human rights obligations by fostering policing techniques that meet international standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce a code of practice for the Independent Monitoring Board. (293652)

A code of conduct for the Independent Monitoring Board was agreed by the Council of Independent Monitoring Boards in Northern Ireland on 26 November 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he plans to take to assist self-employed people to participate fully in the operation of the Independent Monitoring Board. (293662)

Vacancies on Independent Monitoring Boards are publicly advertised to encourage anyone who is interested in serving as a member of the IMB on a voluntary basis, regardless of employment status, to consider applying where they can give the required time commitment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what items of military equipment British forces in Afghanistan have (a) borrowed from and (b) lent to other coalition forces. (293622)

As part of a 42 country coalition in Afghanistan, the United Kingdom has agreements in place with the majority of members. These agreements include the capability to loan and borrow equipment. I am withholding the details of these activities as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and other participating states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) armoured personnel carriers and (b) tanks have been deployed in Afghanistan in each month since January 2006. (293792)

There have been no tanks deployed in Afghanistan. I am withholding the information about the number of armoured personnel carriers deployed in Afghanistan as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy personnel have been stationed in Afghanistan in the last 18 months. (293819)

The number of UK service personnel in Afghanistan fluctuates on a daily basis but as at 1 October 2009, approximately 5,030 Royal Naval personnel have been identified as having deployed to Afghanistan in the last 18 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force personnel have been stationed in Afghanistan in the last 18 months. (293837)

The number of UK service personnel in Afghanistan fluctuates on a daily basis but as at 1 October 2009, approximately 7,870 Royal Air Force personnel have been identified as having deployed to Afghanistan in the last 18 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements his Department has put in place to ensure Christmas deliveries to members of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan. (294113)

The Ministry of Defence will be making all possible efforts to ensure deliveries of Christmas mail to members of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan. Additional aircraft will be chartered as necessary to transport mail to theatre and there will be increased resources dedicated to mail movement within Afghanistan.

We also have plans to mitigate the impact of any industrial action by the Communications Workers Union; however, prolonged industrial action will inevitably impact on mail deliveries to armed forces.

We are also doing all we can to channel the public’s generosity away from unsolicited parcels which have the ability to overload the system and cause delays for mail from families.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of (a) all food, (b) beef and (c) lamb supplied to UK forces based in (i) the UK, (ii) Germany, (iii) Iraq and (iv) Afghanistan was sourced from UK producers in the latest period for which figures are available. (294064)

The information is not held in the format requested. However, a report on the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government Departments, and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service, was published in November 2008, covering the year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This report, and the first one covering the previous year, can be found at the following link:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/awareness.htm

Overall, the proportion of domestically produced food procured by MOD has increased from 43 per cent. in 2006-07 to 59 per cent. in 2007-08.

The third report of this nature will be published in November 2009, and will demonstrate the work being undertaken to find opportunities to source British products, while working within the legal framework governing public procurement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service families have been placed by Modern Housing Solutions in (a) Premier Travel Inns and (b) other hotels in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement. (294042)

For information related to 2005 to June 2007, the hon. Member is referred to the answer given by my predecessor on 26 July 2007, Official Report, column 1246W, to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey).

Information on the number of service families placed in Premier Travel Inns or other hotels between July 2007 and today is not held centrally. I will therefore write to the hon. Member with the information requested once it has been collated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of service families' accommodation was deemed uninhabitable in each year since 2004. (294043)

We do not use the term 'uninhabitable'. Sometimes properties are unable to be occupied for various reasons including demolition or major refurbishment. Our records do not separately identify such properties from other unoccupied Service Family Accommodation (SFA).

All currently occupied SFA is recorded as being of a habitable standard.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on substitute services accommodation in each year since 2004. (294044)

The Department is required to accommodate entitled service personnel within 10 miles of their duty station (or 20 miles with permission of their Service Commander). When no Service Family Accommodation (SFA) is available within this area, service families may be offered Substitute SFA (SSFA), which personnel are entitled to retain for the duration of their tour, to avoid disruption to family life.

Substitute Single Service Accommodation (SSSA) is granted to entitled single personnel when Single Living Accommodation (SLA) is not available at or close to their duty station.

The amount spent on SSFA and SSSA in each year since 2004 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the British Forces Postal System; and if he will make a statement. (293671)

The information was published in Defence Internal Brief, Serial 2009DIB/37 dated 6 October 2009, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on rehabilitation for wounded soldiers in each of the last 12 months. (293795)

The Defence Medical Services manage a widespread armed forces rehabilitation network that has some 180 Primary Care Rehabilitation Facilities and 15 Regional Rehabilitation Units (RRUs) as well as the flagship Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court in Surrey. Patients from all the armed services requiring rehabilitation are treated at the facility and location that is most appropriate.

The annual running costs of Headley Court are approximately £13.5 million. Responsibility for the individual management of the primary care and RRU facilities is shared between the single service commands, with oversight from the Joint Medical Command. However, each service funds its respective RRUs differently. Owing to the number of different internal budgets to which costs would be attributable, any detailed analysis of local rehabilitation expenditure would therefore incur disproportionate costs.

Where an individual requires specialist rehabilitation services or equipment that can best be provided by a non-MOD organisation (such as some aspects of neurological rehabilitation and specialised prosthetics) this will be arranged at additional cost. In the financial year 2008-09, about £1.6 million was spent on such services by the Joint Medical Command.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether his Department has refused to provide assistance to any (a) individuals and (b) units of the Colombian security forces on human rights grounds in the last five years; (293604)

[holding answer 16 October 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) on 12 March 2009, Official Report, column 621W, to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Colombian security forces personnel have received United Kingdom counter-narcotics assistance in each of the last five years. (293614)

[holding answer 16 October 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 14 January 2009, Official Report, column 737W, to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mrs. Moon).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which UK units are deployed as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus; which units will replace them on the next rotation; and if he will make a statement. (293731)

The 27 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps are currently deployed as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. They will be replaced, in April 2010, by a Territorial Army unit from 2 Division and 40 Signal Regiment. Based on current plans, the units will rotate every six months between Regular units and Territorial Army units.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength is of the UK contingent in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP) in Cyprus; what the cost was of the UK UNFICYP contingent in the latest year for which figures are available; and how much of that cost is to be reimbursed from each source of reimbursement. (293737)

As at 16 October 2009 there were 288 personnel deployed on Operation TOSCA, the UK contribution to UNFICYP. The cost for this deployment in the financial year 2008-09 was £16 million; charged to the tri-departmental (FCO, MOD and DfiD) peacekeeping budget, of which we expect around £2.5 million will be reimbursed by the United Nations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the refurbishment of the Ledra Palace to provide better accommodation to the UK United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus contingent; who paid for that work; what the cost of that work has been; and if he will make a statement. (293739)

The renovation and refurbishment of the Ledra Palace Hotel continues as part of an agreed three year programme between 2007 and 2010 between the Republic of Cyprus and the UN. All work on the external fabric of the building is complete providing a watertight structure. All roofs have now been repaired and/or replaced, the fire detection and alarm systems have been installed, asbestos removal in the boiler rooms and cellars is complete, the floor covering in the gymnasium has been replaced and the ration store refurbished. The recommissioning of rooms in the west wing is complete and a total of 35 rooms have been handed over to the UN Forces in Cyprus (UNFICYP). In addition to this the renovation of the Ledra Palace Hotel Medical Centre is nearing completion.

There is no direct cost to the UK for this work. The work is being carried out by the Republic of Cyprus in an arrangement with the United Nations and we do not have visibility of the associated costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British servicemen are stationed at the British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. (293453)

As at 1 September 2009 there were 2,550 UK service personnel stationed in the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus.

This figure has been rounded to the nearest 50 in order to provide a meaningful level of detail as there are constant service personnel movements in and out of the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fixed wing aircraft of each type are stationed at the British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. (293452)

There are no fixed wing aircraft stationed in the British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus. RAF Akrotiri does however routinely support movements of fixed wing assets through Akrotiri as part of its role as a forward mounting base for current operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed on a (a) full-time and (b) part-time basis at each of his Department’s bases in Scotland (294105)

Validated figures below the local authority level have not been compiled and can not be supplied without incurring disproportionate cost.

The table shows the number of civilian personnel in Scotland as at 1 July 2009, broken down by local authority, and full and part-time status.

The following table shows the number of military personnel (UK regular forces) in Scotland as at 1 July 2009, broken down by local/unitary authority. UK regular forces includes all trained and untrained personnel. Gurkhas, full-time reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists are excluded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of procurement contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies awarded to small businesses in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08, (iii) 2008-09 and (iv) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. (293231)

The majority, approximately 95 per cent., of MOD’s contracts with supplier companies are managed through the MOD’s central contract processes. When a new contract is placed under this system, a commercial officer is required to identify whether the company is a small and medium enterprise (SME). Within the contracts system, an SME is defined as a company with less than 250 employees. The MOD central contracts database shows the percentages of new contracts let where the company has been identified as an SME. This information is provided as follows:

Contracts for which the SME information is incomplete have been excluded, and this currently comprises approximately 4 per cent. of contracts let.

The Ministry of Defence is working with the Office of Government Commerce and other Departments to implement the recommendations of the Glover report in regard to increasing SME participation in public procurement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on first class rail travel for officials in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. (293330)

The information requested for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. With the introduction of the Defence Travel (DT) in 2008, however, visibility of rail bookings can now be captured. Rail booking is processed through an online booking tool or offline through a Travel Management Company, Hogg Robinson Group (HRG). The spend for FY 2008-09 on 1st class travel through DT was £6.497 million. This figure does not include rail warrants (which were not withdrawn until 30 April 2009) or short notice travellers paying at ticket offices and reclaiming the cost.

The entitlement to first class travel is laid down in Joint Service Publication 800, Defence Movements and Transportation Regulations. The class of rail travel in UK Mainland is based on rank or, for civil servants, grade. Officers and civil servants who are Lt Cdr, Major, Sqn Ldr, pay band C2 and above are entitled to first class travel at public expense. This includes acting rank. Standard class passengers travelling with entitled officers for essential duty reasons may also travel first class.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Elizabeth Crosses have been awarded to families of service personnel; (293826)

Since August this year, a total of 292 Queen Elizabeth Crosses and Memorial Scrolls have been issued to the eligible Next Of Kin (NOK) of deceased service personnel who have died on operations, or as a result of an act of terrorism since 1 January 1948. A further 406 awards have been prepared for presentation to eligible NOK at organised events.

It is estimated that there are currently 8,000 eligible NOK, although it is not possible for the Ministry of Defence to determine how many retrospective or future recommendations for the award of the Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll will be made within the next nine months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fixed wing aircraft of each type are stationed in the Falkland Islands. (293455)

The following fixed wing aircraft types and numbers are currently based at Mount Pleasant Airfield in the Falklands:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what fixed-wing Royal Air Force aircraft are deployed in the Indian Ocean. (293831)

There are no UK fixed wing aircraft stationed in the British Indian Ocean Territory.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent meetings have taken place between senior members of the UK armed forces and representatives of the Israeli Defence Force; what the purpose of each meeting was; and who attended each meeting. (293630)

[holding answer 16 October 2009]: There has been one such meeting: the Chief of the Defence Staff visited Israel in Sep 09. He met with his Israeli counterpart Gen Ashkenazi and other senior members of the Israeli military. He also went to the Occupied Palestinian Territories and met with senior Palestinians including the Minister of the Interior and the President's Chief of Staff. The purpose of his visit was in support of the middle east peace process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to recruit, train and retain pilots for (a) Merlin and (b) Chinook helicopters. (292326)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 430W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2009, Official Report, columns 589-90W, on military aircraft, what plans his Department has to meet the required pilot strength in the Merlin and Chinook forces. (292337)

Required and actual strengths will both vary with time due to many factors including operational requirements, the introduction of newly trained crew on completion of training courses at set times during the year, the number of trained personnel assigned to non-flying duties (as part of the necessary broader career development), injuries, and service leavers. The helicopter fleet is managed to ensure that our operational and other commitments are met.

The RAF and Royal Navy are recruiting and training sufficient personnel to ensure that the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) rotary wing training pipeline is fully stocked with trainee pilots for both Merlin and Chinook forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what fixed-wing Royal Air Force aircraft are stationed in Northern Ireland. (293830)

Two Grob Vigilant Tl aircraft operated by 664 Volunteer Gliding Squadron at Newtownards airfield are the only Royal Air Force fixed-wing aircraft stationed in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on medals for service personnel in each of the last 10 years. (293793)

Figures are only available for the last four years since the separate services medal offices joined to become the Ministry of Defence Medal Office.

The actual cost of purchasing medals is provided in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans' badges have been issued to residents of (a) Fife and (b) North East Fife constituency; and how many of those were awarded to widows or widowers of former service personnel. (293979)

This information is not held in the format that identifies how many veterans’ badges have been issued to residents of Fife and North East Fife constituency and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. We have, however, identified that a total of 3,415 veterans' badges have been issued to residents who have included Fife as part of their address.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to his Department was of hosting Navy Days 2009; how many people visited each event; and which Ministers from his Department were present at each event. (293825)

The Navy Days 2009 event was held at HM Naval Base Devonport over two days on 5 and 6 September 2009. As the final accounts have yet to be ratified, the exact cost for hosting the event is not yet available. The indicative expenditure is, however, approximately £300,000 with a marginal surplus generated as income through, for example, ticket sales, brochure sales, advertising and sponsorship. As such, the event ran at zero net cost to the Department.

Based on advance ticket sales and those purchased at the gate, in excess of 20,000 people attended the event over the two days. Both my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces and I were invited. Unfortunately, however, neither of us were able to attend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 2000W, on helicopters: Nepal, whether the Government has made any representations to the government of Nepal as a result of the investigation. (293750)

[holding answer 16 October 2009]: The UK Ministry of Defence has written to the Nepalese Defence Minister informing Nepal of the conclusion of the investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 2000W, on helicopters: Nepal, what concerns prompted the establishment of the inquiry into the gifting of two helicopters to the Royal Nepal Army in 2002. (293751)

[holding answer 16 October 2009]: Concerns over the airworthiness of the aircraft were raised by the Royal Nepalese Army during servicing of one of the aircraft. These concerns prompted the investigation into the procurement of the two aircraft and the use of UK Government funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 2000W, on helicopters: Nepal, what the cost to the public purse was of each helicopter gifted to the Royal Nepal Army; and what the purchase price of a new model M1-17 helicopter was at the time the gift was made. (293752)

[holding answer 16 October 2009]: The total cost for the two gifted helicopters was £2.5 million, £1.25 million per aircraft.

Information on the purchase price of a new helicopter at the time the gift was made is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the advisers are to his Department's interim storage of laid-up submarines (ISOLUS) programme; for what reason (a) Dr. Jane Hunt and (b) Dr. Bill Thompson are no longer advisers to the programme; how many participants in the programme have left it since the departure of Dr. Hunt and Dr. Thompson; and how much is being spent on the ISOLUS programme in 2009-10. (293623)

The Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP—formerly the ISOLUS project) Advisory Group provides independent scrutiny and advice to the MOD on SDP activities and plans. There are 25 non-MOD members, who represent a range of organisations, covering inter alia industry, academia, regulatory bodies and non-governmental organisations.

A full list of the members of the SDP Advisory Group can be found on the SDP website:

http://www.submarinedismantling.co.uk/ConsultationIAG.html

Drs. Hunt and Thompson were employed under a contract to Lancaster university to provide communications support to the project. On the expiry of that contract in March 2009, a new contractor was employed following an open competition. Lancaster university did not bid for that contract. Following a subsequent review of the group's membership, it was assessed by the MOD that the two individuals' skills were duplicated elsewhere within the group. It was therefore decided that their continued membership was not necessary and, as members' attendance is funded by the MOD, did not represent good value for taxpayers' money.

Since the departure of Drs. Hunt and Thompson in August 2009, two other members of the group have tendered their resignations.

The current forecast spend on SDP in financial year 2009-10 is £3.9 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any of his Department’s non-departmental public bodies sent representatives to attend one or more political party conferences in 2009. (293473)

None of the Ministry of Defence’s Executive, Advisory or Independent Monitoring Board non-departmental public bodies sent representatives to any of the political party conferences in 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) trained, (b) actual strength and (c) numbers fit for duty requirement is for each (i) regular and (ii) territorial infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. (293428)

Infantry manning deficits have been reduced markedly and the situation continues to improve fast due to a number of factors including the introduction of exceptional action measures, financial incentives, improved marketing and the current economic situation. However, the strength of individual battalions will tend to fluctuate naturally over time, according to their planned duties.

“Trained Requirement” has been interpreted as the maximum number of trained posts in a battalion's peace time configuration.

“Actual strength” has been interpreted as the number of personnel assigned to a battalion for its planned duties. It will also include augmentees who are temporarily assigned if needed to support the role of the battalion, for operational military tasks and events that cannot be achieved within required strengths. Similarly, the figures exclude those assigned out of the battalion to augment other units.

“Fit for duty” has been interpreted as fit for primary role, including personnel listed as having limited deploy ability, plus personnel who are unfit for deployment but who can perform a role in an alternative capacity. The difference between the actual strength and number fit for duty represents those who are medically non-effective and therefore unfit for any form of duty.

As at 1 October 2009, the figures for Royal Regiment of Scotland regular battalions are provided in the following table.

As at 1 October 2009, the figures for Royal Regiment of Scotland Territorial Army battalions are provided in the following table.

Data concerning fit for duty personnel are not collected for the Territorial Army.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made to the location of offices of the Service Complaints Commissioner for the Armed Forces in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. (294188)

The Service Complaints Commissioner has been in her independent external office (Victoria Street, London, SWl) since July 2008. We have secured an additional office within that building to accommodate recent increases in support staff and equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what British military assistance has been provided for operations in Somalia; and if he will make a statement. (293164)

The UK armed forces have provided a colonel to the UN political office in Somalia, which is attempting to co-ordinate international policy towards Somalia, and in so doing works closely with Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which directly supports the stand up of the Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu.

We are working comprehensively with other Whitehall Departments on a broad Somalia strategy. In line with this, we are providing training and support to Uganda and Burundi who are providing troops for AMISOM, and are working to build the capability of the Somaliland Coastguard. We are also engaged with international partners, including through the international Contact Group on piracy off the coast of Somalia, to deliver regional capability building projects.

Furthermore, we are currently at the forefront of three international counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia: the EU Operation Atalanta; the NATO Operation Ocean Shield; and the coalition Combined Task Force 151.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reduce the requirement for members of the Territorial Army to have qualified for bounty from nine out of 10 years to eight out of 10 years for applications for the Volunteer Reserve Service Medal. (293128)

There are currently no plans to amend the eligibility criteria for the Volunteer Reserve Service Medal. To receive this award, reserve forces men and women, regardless of rank, must be certified efficient, as required by their obligatory training commitment defined in individual service regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of (a) the cost and (b) the length of time it would take to decommission Trident and its facilities; and if he will make a statement. (289768)

When nuclear submarines leave the naval service, they will be subject to a process known as Defuel, De-equip and Lay-up Preparation, which will involve spent nuclear materials being removed for storage at Sellafield, and any remaining irradiated material being secured within the reactor compartment. In line with current practice for other submarines now leaving service, the submarines themselves will then be stored afloat at either Devonport or Rosyth, pending final disposal.

The submarines will then be dismantled, a process that will take approximately 12 months. The current budget for this process (known as the Submarine Dismantling Project) is some £1.5 billion. This covers the dismantling of 27 nuclear submarines from HMS Dreadnought through to HMS Vengeance, the 4th boat in the current nuclear deterrent fleet. At present costs of decommissioning cannot be broken down by class.

Faslane and other facilities associated with the submarine flotilla will remain in service to support the future deterrent and the Astute class submarine. There are no plans for decommissioning these facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what official visits he has made to Type 42 destroyers in the last 12 months. (293815)

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of implementation of the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance on British counter-terrorism policy. (293124)

The Government support the International Convention and believe that it will have an important role in preventing enforced disappearance and secret detention in the future. The UK played an active part in the negotiations prior to the drafting of the convention and supported its adoption in 2008 at the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly.

The UK is prepared to give its signature to treaties only when it has a clear intention to ratify within a reasonable timescale. The Government are conscious of the potentially significant impact of the convention in the domestic context, and we are therefore continuing our detailed assessment of the provisions of the convention and their effect across all areas of UK law and policy.

In particular, we are analysing the extent to which common law provisions may need to be replicated in statute law; whether any new criminal offences would need to be introduced; and whether the UK would enter any reservations or declarations on ratification.

Ratification will require primary legislation to facilitate changes to domestic law and the introduction of such primary legislation will depend on securing parliamentary time. The complexity of the issues still under consideration means that we are not setting a deadline for completion of our analysis, but work is being progressed as rapidly as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff have (a) been dismissed and (b) had their contract terminated by his Department in each of the last five years; what the primary reason was in each case; and what the severance costs in relation to (i) dismissal and (ii) contract termination were in each such year. (290250)

The number of staff dismissed and who have had their contracts terminated over the last five years together with the reason for dismissal is shown in the following table. The figures given over this period represent the Ministry of Justice (from May 2007) and its predecessor organisations.

The number of dismissals as a proportion of the Ministry’s work force (based on headcount) is 1.73 per cent. for 2007-08 and 1.48 per cent. for 2008-09.

The costs associated with these dismissals and contract terminations are not recorded centrally. In the last five years, there have been no compulsory redundancies. The severance costs related to voluntary early departures (as a result of re-organisations and restructurings) are not distinguishable from the costs of other types of dismissal, for example, compromise agreements. A manual check of each individual file would need to be undertaken to establish these figures, and this would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what employee reward schemes are offered to staff of his Department; what the primary purpose of each scheme is; how many staff participate in each scheme; and what the cost of operating each scheme was in each of the last five years. (290254)

The Ministry of Justice reward schemes exist to provide employees with remuneration relevant to their work. These schemes cover:

Basic pay (and allowances where appropriate);

Non-consolidated performance pay; and

Flexible benefits.

Arrangements for basic and non-consolidated performance pay for senior civil servants (SCS) are based on recommendations made by the Independent Senior Salaries Review Body. Reward arrangements for grades below the SCS are delegated to Departments. In the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) there are separate reward schemes in place for staff in grades below the SCS working in National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the rest of the Ministry.

Ministry of Justice (excluding NOMS)

The following table provides details of the cost of administering basic pay, allowances and non-consolidated performance pay schemes and the number of staff participating in them. The costs cover the period where there has been machinery of Government changes. The costs are associated with the Department of Constitutional Affairs from 1 April 2004 to 30 April 2007 and the Ministry of Justice since May 2007.

Flexible benefits schemes enable staff to exercise a degree of choice in respect of the way they are rewarded within the limits of their overall reward package. The following table contains information about participation in these arrangements in the MOJ since the schemes introduction in 2007.

The non-payroll costs for the administration associated with the schemes above since their introduction in 2007 is £210,000.

The National Offender Management Agency (NOMS)

Details of the number of staff participating in the NOMS reward arrangements are contained in the following table.

The NOMS Agency also offers the following flexible benefits:

Work Life Balance working patterns;

Salary Sacrifice scheme for Childcare; and

Season ticket and bicycle loan schemes

The cost of administration of the pay and reward arrangements for NOMS over the last five years are not centrally recorded. The information can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of procurement contracts (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) its agencies awarded to small businesses in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08, (iii) 2008-09 and (iv) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. (293235)

At present the size (number of people) and status of businesses is not information that is captured as standard when contracts are awarded to suppliers. To obtain the relevant information would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of legislation to protect (a) whistleblowers and (b) press freedom following the injunctions obtained in the High Court by (i) Barclays and Freshfields solicitors on 19 March 2009 on the publication of internal Barclays reports documenting alleged tax avoidance schemes and (ii) Trafigura and Carter Ruck solicitors on 11 September 2009 on the publication of the Minton report on the alleged dumping of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast, commissioned by Trafigura; (293006)

The issues raised by this and other similar cases are important and deserve to be properly explored. I intend to look into the issues raised and am ready to discuss them with my hon. Friend and any other hon. Member concerned. A meeting with representatives of the national press, senior officials of my Ministry has already been arranged.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms HM Courts Service uses to draw up rosters of duty judges for the purpose of considering time of the essence applications for the issuing of injunctions by the High Court. (293013)

All High Court judges are required to act from time to time as duty judges for the purpose of dealing with urgent court business, such as applications to issue injunctions. Separate rosters are maintained for the Chancery, Family and Queens Bench Divisions but in each case these provide for a High Court judge being available to deal with such matters for 24 hours a day and on every day of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has any plans to (a) market test and (b) contract out HM Young Offender Institution Lancaster Farms in the next 12 months. (293165)

There are currently no plans either to market test, or to contract out HM Young Offenders Institution Lancaster Farms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which magistrate courts are planned to (a) close and (b) reduce their sitting hours in the next two years. (293760)

On 13 October 2009, Official Report, columns 24-25WS, my right hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice made a written ministerial statement to the House announcing the launch of 20 consultation exercises for magistrates courts closures. These courts are underutilised and in many cases their facilities for court users, including victims and witnesses, are inadequate. The Lord Chancellor will make a decision whether to close a court after considering the responses to consultations.

HMCS regularly reviews the use and condition of its estate. Where there is an underutilised court and alternative facilities within a reasonable travelling distance we will consider holding consultations to seek views; on whether to close a court.

HMCS must keep the level of magistrates courts sitting commensurate to the amount of work—local management decisions, involving local judiciary, including magistrates, and staff will be taken regularly to ensure that that is the case.