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Legal Aid
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the net amount of legal aid paid in respect of divorce and related matters in each of the past 10 years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 7 May 1991] : The following figures are based on the costs of civil legal aid for divorce, separation, aliment and husband and wife miscellaneous, and of civil legal advice and assistance for family/matrimonial cases, all net of estimated income from contributions and expenses.
Year |£ '000 ------------------------ 1981-82 |6,014 1982-83 |7,485 1983-84 |9,482 1984-85 |7,627 1985-86 |9,584 1986-87 |10,894 1987-88 |10,995 1988-89 |10,807 1989-90 |9,533 1990-91 |10,732
Youth Training
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table of Highlands and Islands Enterprise activitiy estimates for 1991-92 in comparison with HIDB/Training Agency activity estimates for 1990 -91 in respect of youth training and adult training, in similar form to the figures published in table 3 : 7 of "Serving Scotland's Needs" for the Scottish Enterprise area.
Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 9 May 1991] : I shall write to the hon. Member.
Hospital Security
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to investigate security arrangements at the Royal Alexandra hospital in Paisley ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 10 May 1991] : Security arrangements at the Royal Alexandra hospital are a matter for Argyll and Clyde health board who have been asked for a report on the situation.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines the Scottish Office has issued regarding security in hospitals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 10 May 1991] : Security arrangements in hospitals are the responsibility of local managers. To assist them in the difficult task of providing proper security arrangements, the National Association of Health Authorities published a security manual in 1984. The manual includes practical guidance on the development of a security policy, appointment of security staff, the security of patients, staff and property, the prevention of trespass and intruder detection. It has been commended to health boards by my Department. It is being revised and copies will be re-issued later this year.
Health boards were reminded in November 1990 of the need to keep their security arrangements under review and were encouraged to establish hospital watch schemes.
DEFENCE
Territorial Army
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been (a) the establishment and (b) the actual strength of the Territorial Army in each year since 1978.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Full details for years prior to 1982 are not recorded centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost. The relevant data for the years 1982 to 1990 are given in the table.
Column 56
Strength
Year |Establishment |Numbers |Percentage
|of establishment
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982 |75,000 |70,500 |94
1983 |75,000 |70,300 |94
1984 |75,100 |68,800 |92
1985 |77,200 |70,500 |91
1986 |80,200 |73,900 |92
1987 |84,400 |74,600 |88
1988 |85,300 |71,800 |84
1989 |85,300 |71,300 |84
1990 |85,600 |70,600 |82
Note: Figures exclude the Home Service Force.
The Gulf (Reserve Forces)
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of each of the armed forces, other than regulars, served in the Gulf campaign, distinguishing between the various categories of reserves in which they served ; to what extent they were employed in medical units ; and, for Army personnel, what were the corps or regiments in which they served.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The figures given in the following tables show reserve personnel called out for service with the armed forces during Operation Granby, including those who served in the Gulf area and in the United Kingdom and Germany.
The Royal Navy called out a total of 414 personnel, no more than 399 of whom were embodied at any one time, as follows :
Trade |Royal Fleet |Royal Naval |Total at any
|Reserve |Reserve |one time
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supply and secretariat |34 |Nil |34
Cook |4 |Nil |4
Radar |70 |Nil |70
Diver |8 |Nil |8
Communications |81 |Nil |81
Electronic warfare |32 |Nil |32
Medical |11 |Nil |11
Weapons engineering |48 |Nil |48
Mechanical engineering |107 |Nil |107
Public affairs branch
officers |Nil |<1>19 |4
|------- |------- |-------
|395 |<1>19 |399
<1> Of the 19 public affairs branch officers no more than four were
embodied at any one time.
The 11 RFR medical personnel were deployed to the Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar.
The Army called out 1,075 reservists, as follows :
Corps |Members of |Individual |Total
|Territorial|Reservists
|Army
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Royal Army
Medical Corps |529 |493 |1,022
Royal Military
Police |39 |nil |39
Intelligence Corps |4 |9 |13
Royal Artillery |nil |1 |1
|------- |------- |-------
Total |572 |503 |1,705
Reservists of the Royal Army Medical Corps were deployed to medical units. The majority, 977, were deployed to the Gulf, with the balance, 45, serving in Germany and the United Kingdom.
Column 57
The Royal Air Force called out a total of 286 personnel although no more than 278 were serving at any one time. The breakdown is as follows :
Squadron/Flight |Royal |Royal Air |Total at
|Auxiliary |Force |any one
|Air Force |Volunteer |time
|Reserve
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. 4626 Aeromedical
Squadron |125 |nil |125
No. 4624 Movements
Squadron |127 |nil |127
No. 7644 Flight, Public
Relations Flight |nil |<1>11 |<1>3
No. 7006 Flight,
Intelligence Flight |nil |17 |17
Mobile Meteorological
Unit |nil |<2>6 |6
|------- |------- |-------
Total |252 |34 |278
<1>Public Relations personnel were called out on a rotational basis.
A maximum of 3 were embodied at any one time.
<2>Meteorological Officers held Civilian Component commissions in
either the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve of Officers or the Royal
Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
No. 4626 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron comprises doctors, nurses, medical assistants and support staff who were deployed to medical units in the Gulf and the United Kingdom.
Hare Coursing
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many licences have been issued to allow hare coursing to take place on Ministry of Defence land.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 8 March 1991 at column 331.
The Gulf
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops are in the region of Ahmadi in Kuwait ; from what regiments they are drawn ; who is responsible for monitoring their health ; what provisions have been made to limit their period of exposure to air pollution arising from oil fires ; and when they are expected to return to the United Kingdom.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of the British Army medical team working out of the Ahmadi hospital.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are currently some 30 medical personnel from the Royal Army Medical Corps and the RAF at Ahmadi hospital. There are also six patients from the battle group in the hospital. The medical personnel form the British medical support team, which provides surgical cover for the battle group. They are responsible for monitoring the health of the members of the battle group as well as their own. When the battle group withdraws, the medical team will remain in Kuwait to provide medical support to members of 21 Explosive Ordnance Disposal--EOD--Squadron. Face masks are available to these personnel and they are advised to avoid strenuous activity when in areas suffering heavy air pollution. The present members of the medical support team have only recently arrived in Kuwait ; current plans envisage their withdrawal, with 21 EOD Squadron, within the next four months.
Column 58
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken to inquire into the circumstances in which British soldiers in the Gulf were killed by fire from an allied aircraft ; when he expects the inquiry to be concluded ; and whether the conclusions will be published.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The British military investigation into the incident in which nine British soldiers were killed by fire from United States A10 aircraft on 26 February is being urgently pursued but has not yet been completed. Its findings will be discussed with the United States Administration to resolve any areas of uncertainty. The next of kin and Parliament will then be given as full an account of the outcome of the investigation as is possible.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long he expects that the British battle group will remain in Kuwait.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bexhill and Battle (Mr. Wardle) on 27 March at column 482.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to station United Kingdom forces in Dahuk.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Kurdish refugees have expressed concern at the security environment in Dahuk. The need for United Kingdom or other joint forces in Dahuk will be kept under review in the light of developments.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the work of military personnel for Royal Ordnance in Kuwait.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Following the liberation of Kuwait, British forces in Kuwait provided emergency assistance to the Kuwaiti Government in clearing mines and other ordnance. In the longer term this work will be carried on and completed by civilian contractors, including Royal Ordnance plc. 21 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron, Royal Engineers will be deployed to Kuwait to provide specialist advice and assistance for a limited transitional period which will enable Royal Ordnance and the subcontractors to get established. Military personnel may carry out search, location, identification and recording/surveying of unexploded ordnance, booby traps and mines. They will not be employed directly on clearance of minefields nor on the disposal of other explosive devices. The unit will, at all times, remain under direct military control and the commanding officer will have the right to refuse tasks if, in his professional judgment, he believes they might involve risk greater than would be involved during normal peacetime work and training. Royal Ordnance will meet the full costs of the deployment.
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the deployment of submarines in the Arabian Gulf during the conflict with Iraq.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Although it is not the normal practice of the Ministry of Defence to comment on the details of submarine operations, I can confirm that HMS Otus and HMS Opossum were deployed in support of Operation Granby.
Column 59
Research and Development
Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the figures for defence research and development expenditures from public funds as a proportion of all such publicly funded outlays by central Government in each of the years 1963-64, 1969-70, 1973-74, 1978-79 and 1979 -80.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Government-funded defence research and development expenditures as a percentage of all Government-funded research and development are as follows :
|Per cent.
------------------------------
1969-70 |43
1973-74 |42
1978-79 |49
1979-80 |50
Data for 1963-64 are not
available.
Sirsensk Air Base
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action United Kingdom/United States forces are taking to extend the air base at Sirsensk.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : United Kingdom forces deployed in Turkey and northern Iraq are currently being supported by helicopters based in Turkey, principally at Silopi. The requirement for forward operating bases will be kept under review in the light of developments ; Sirsensk is a possibility.
Kuwait Oil Fires
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records are kept of all personnel involved in countering Kuwait oil fires ; and whether he will make it his policy that they will be made available to civil lawyers in any future cases relative to health and safety.
Column 60
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No military personnel are involved in countering Kuwait oil fires.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what logistical support he is giving to capping and extinguishing oil wells in Kuwait.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Dumbarton (Mr. McFall) on 30 April, Official Report , column 150 .
NORTHERN IRELAND
Strangford Schools
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils there are at each primary and secondary school in the constituency of Strangford in the present academic year.
Dr. Mawhinney : This information is not yet available. However, I have arranged for it to be sent to the right hon. Gentleman as soon as it is available.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland will carry out an epidemiological survey into the incidence of myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Mr. Hanley : There are no plans at present to carry out such a survey, but it should be added that myalgic encephalomyelitis--ME--is recognised by the Government and the health service as a debilitating and distressing condition but it is not yet a clearly defined disease.
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