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Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names, dates and locations of all low-flying exercises conducted in each year since 1987, where advance notice was given to hon. Members in affected constituences.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In each year since 1987, notice of the following exercises has been given to hon. Members whose constituencies were likely to experience unusual low-flying activity :
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Exercise name |Exercise dates |Exercise location
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987
Gryphon's Gunner |6 March |Lincolnshire
Polar Dawn III |7-8 March |Norfolk
Key Lift 87 |7-15 March |North Yorkshire
Quicksand |15-22 March |Many areas with centre on Northumberland
Mallet Blow 87/1 |6-10 April |Northern England/Borders
Priory 87/1 |13-15 April |Cumbria/Lincolnshire/North East England/Eastern Scotland
Ardent/Ground |20 April to 10 May |Salisbury Plain
Grand Design |25 April to 17 May |Salisbury Plain
Hammer 87/1 |19 May |East Anglia/Northern England/Southern Scotland
Central Enterprise 87 |1 June |East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/Scotland
OSEX 14 |20-24 July |South West Scotland
Roaring Lion |24-31 July |Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain
Mallet Blow 87/2 |3-7 August |Northern England/Borders
Fast Buzzard |18-25 September |Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain
Hammer 87/2 |6 October |Northern England/Southern Scotland
Priory 87/2 |13-15 October |East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/Eastern Scotland
Mallet Blow 87/3 |2-6 November |Northern England/Borders
Puple Warrior |4-21 November |South West Scotland
1988
Key Lift 88 |5-13 March |North Yorkshire
Mallet Blow 88/1 |14-18 March |Northern England/Borders
Red Lanyard |9-12 April |Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain
Elder Forest 88 |18-21 April |East Anglia/Lincolnshire/Northern England/Eastern Scotland
Hammer 88/1 |10 May |Northern England/Southern Scotland
OSEX 15 |16-20 May |Wales
Roaring Lion |20-26 May |Many areas centred on Northumberland
Central Enterprise |6 June |East Anglia/Lincolnshire/Northern England/Eastern Scotland
Fast Buzzard |13-24 July |Many areas centred on Salisbury Plain
Mallet Blow 88/2 |25-29 July |Northern England/Borders
Green Lanyard |1-8 October |Many areas with centre on South West Wales
Elder Joust 88 |4-6 October |East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North Eastern England/South Eastern Scotland
Hammer 88/2 |11 October |East Anglia/Northern England/Southern Scotland
1989
Red Lanyard |17-23 February |Many areas centred on Norfolk
Mallet Blow 89/1 |3-7 April |Northern England/Borders
Salty Hammer 89 |9 May |Northern England/Southern Scotland
Equipment Trial |25 April-19 May |Northern England/Borders
OSEX 16 |10-19 May |Wales
Blue Lanyard 89 |1-7 June |Many areas centred on Norfolk
Roaring Lion |11-26 July |Many areas centred on Salisbury Plain
Mallet Blow 89/2 |31 July-4 August |Northern England and Borders
Elder Joust/Arc |3-5 October |Many areas of United Kingdom
Northern Crusade |11-19 October |Many areas centred on Borders
1990
Red Lanyard 1/90 |21-28 March |Many areas centred on Norfolk
Mallet Blow 90/1 |26-30 March |Northern England and Borders
Elder Forest |23-27 April |Many areas of United Kingdom
Stone Warrior |12-24 May |South West England centred on Salisbury Plain
Eagles Eye |14-25 May |East Anglia
Salty Hammer |22 May |Northern England and Southern Scotland
OSEX 90 |2-13 July |Wales
Red Lanyard 2/90 |18-27 July |Many areas centred on South West Scotland and Norfolk
Mallet Blow 90/2 |30 July-3 August |Northern England and Borders
Border fox |17-21 September |Borders
1991
Lanyard 2 |4-12 March |Wales
Elder Joust |22-25 April |Northern England
Joint Maritime Course |30 May-8 June |South West England
Highland Cardinal |24-28 June |Wales
OSEX |1-5 July |Wales
Mallet Blow |15-19 July |Northumberland
Elder Joust |10-12 September |Scottish Borders
North Star |10-12 September |Scottish Borders
1992
Elder Forest |9-13 March |Northern England
Teamwork |9-13 March |Northern England
Highland Cardinal |11-15 May |Wales
Salty Hammer |12-13 May |Northern England
Pegasus Fury |12-28 May |Salisbury Plain
OSEX |18-22 May |Wales
Joint Maritime Course |2-11 June |Northern Scotland
Lanyard 3 |8-21 July |East Anglia
Gryphon's Flight |1-10 August |Salisbury Plain
Northern Banner |7-11 September |Northern England
Winged Crusader |1-14 October |Scottish Borders
Joint Maritime Course |2-16 November |Northern Scotland
Salty Hammer |4-5 November |Northern England
1993
Joint Maritime Course |8-18 February |Northern Scotland
Lanyard 4 |17-25 February |East Anglia
Northern Banner |22-26 February |Northern England
Exercise Mini Hammer |3-4 March |Northumberland
Gryphon's Lift |21-28 April |East Anglia
Lanyard 5 |12-21 May |Northumberland
Air Accidents
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the rate of major accidents per 10,000 flying hours in each year since 1987 for (a) Royal Air Force fast jet aircraft and (b) all British military fast jet aircraft.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The information requested is as follows :
Major accident rates per 10,000 flying hours-fast jets<1> Year |RAF |All Services ---------------------------------------------------- 1987 |0.99 |1.02 1988 |0.86 |0.82 1989 |0.59 |0.77 1990 |0.72 |0.76 1991 |0.83 |0.87 1992 |0.26 |0.35 <1> Buccaneer, Harrier, Jaguar, Lightning, Phantom and Tornado.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates and locations of all air misses since 1989 in which a military aircraft breached an area notified under the civil aircraft notification procedure.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The only incident was :
Date, Location and Aircraft Involved
8 April 1992--16 nautical miles South West of Thurso-- Tornado GR1/Jet Ranger.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the date, location and type of each major accident involving British military aircraft in (a) 1991 and (b) 1992.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The information requested is as follows :
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Date |Service |Location |Aircraft type
|lost/severely
|damaged
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1991
8 January |RAF |Cyprus |Phantom
10 January |Army |Saudi Arabia |Gazelle
13 January |RAF |Oman |Tornado GR1
16 January |Royal Navy |Predannack, Cornwall |Gazelle
20 January |RAF |Saudi Arabia |Tornado GR1
13 February |Army |Northern Ireland |Lynx
19 February |Army |United States of America |Scout
24 February |Army |Saudi Arabia |Lynx
18 March |RAF |RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire |Canberra
1 May |RAF |Tern Hill, Shropshire |Gazelle
10 May |RAF |Near Bremen, Germany |Tornado GR1
10 May |Royal Navy |Near Chepstow, Gwent |Sea Harrier
29 May |RAF |Near Gutersloh, Germany |Harrier
1 June |Royal Navy |Bangladesh |Sea King
3 June |Army |Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire |Gazelle
24 June |RAF |At sea, Straits of Dover |Puma
29 August |RAF |Carno, Powys |Jaguar
10 September |Royal Navy |West of Shetland Islands |Sea King
11 September |RAF |RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire |Hurricane
12 September |RAF |Bristol Channel |Tornado GR1
25 September |RAF |Near Driffield, Humberside |Harrier
30 September |RAF |RAF Gutersloh, Germany |Harrier
15 October |RAF |RAF Odiham, Hampshire |Chinook
30 October |RAF |Falkland Islands |Phantom
30 October |Army |Northern Ireland |Gazelle
14 November |Army |Northern Ireland |Lynx
1992
15 February |Royal Navy |At sea, off North West Scotland|Hunter
12 May |Army |Germany |Lynx
12 May |RAF |Near Lossiemouth, Scotland |Tucano
14 May |RAF |RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire |Harrier
21 May |RAF |Belize |Puma
28 May |Royal Navy |At sea, near Crete |Sea Harrier
9 July |RAF |North Sea |Buccaneer
7 August |RAF |RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire |Harrier
22 September |RAF |Irish Sea |Sea King
30 September |RAF |RAF Chivenor, Devon |Hawk
16 October |RAF |Northern Ireland |Bulldog
26 November |Army/RAF |Northern Ireland |Gazelle/Puma
30 November |Army |Cyprus |Gazelle
15 December |Army |Germany |Gazelle
Note: 1991 does not include the six aircraft lost on missions over Iraq during hostilities in the Gulf.
HMS Eaglet
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of HMS Eaglet and the Royal Naval Reserve in Liverpool.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answers my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Canterbury (Mr. Brazier) on 20 April, Official Report, columns 169-70, and to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Sir K. Speed) on 20 April, Official Report, column 54 .
Hunting
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the percentage increase in the cost of licences to hunt on Ministry of Defence land in 1991-92 ; and when the cost of licences was previously increased.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Each licence issued by my Department is costed separately. The total amount received by my Department for these licences in 1991-92 was £729.85 which represent an increase of some 973 per cent. over the amount received in 1990-91. The charge for individual licences are reviewed at different times.
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those areas designated as sites of special scientific interest where his Department has issued a licence to hunt.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My Department has issued licences to hunt on the following areas which include sites of special scientific interest.
Otterburn, Northumberland
Ash Brookwood Heaths, Surrey
Broadmoor to Bagshot Woods and Heaths, Berkshire/ Surrey Thursley Hankley and Frensham, Surrey
Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire
Basingstoke Canal Eelmoor, Hampshire
Colony Bog and Bagshot Heath, Surrey
Conford Moor, Hampshire
Woolmer Forest, Hampshire
The Otterburn Training Area includes 10 sites of special scientific interest.
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Army personnel from the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham, are permitted to hunt in duty hours.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Personnel from the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham, are permitted to take part in beagling in duty hours, which is a recognised Army sport.
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Costs
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the charges for personnel from non-mounted units to use Ministry of Defence horses and equipment were last reviewed ; when they were last increased ; and whether the charges reflect the full economic cost to his Department.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The charges for personnel from non-mounted units for the use of Ministry of Defence horses and equipment were last reviewed in October 1992 following an increase in July 1991. The charges are set so as to recover the additional costs involved.
Military Bands
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what briefings were given in the first three months of last year by senior officers to military bandsmen on the effect of a change of Government on the number of military bands.
Operation Epsilon
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration was given to the security implications of releasing transcripts of the Farm Hall tapes of conversations of German atomic scientists in the second world war recorded under Operation Epsilon, prior to their release.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The documents were originally "retained by Department" under section 3(4) of the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967 on the grounds of national security. They were reviewed in 1992, and it was judged all sensitivity had lapsed and that they could be released into the public domain.
Meteorological Office
Mr. Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the chief executive of the Meteorological Office executive agency for the financial year 1993-94.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The agency has been set a range of quality and financial targets to ensure that it delivers progressive improvements in the provision of weather related services. The key quality targets set for the Meteorological Office during the period 1993-94 are to achieve 80 per cent. of all business area targets for customer satisfaction, forecast accuracy and timeliness ; produce a charter standard for public services ; provide timely and apt advice on meteorology and climate issues to Ministers and the general public ; to progress the research programme and to satisfy customer requirements to schedule and agreed standards ; and to initiate a rolling programme of reviews of scientific and technical standards throughout the agency.
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The financial targets are to reduce net operating costs to £45,700,000--a 1 per cent. reduction on the 1992-93 budget ; increase efficiency by 2.5 per cent. through improvements in quality of service, increased volume of service and reduced unit costs ; achieve an 8 per cent. increase in uptake of meteorological services to £18, 600,000, as measured by cash revenue generated from commercial services to the public, industry and commerce, excluding the Civil Aviation Authority and Department of the Environment ; achieve a 19 per cent. increase to £6,700,000 in the gross contribution of commercial services invoiced revenue to offsetting core costs and overheads.It is also planned that the output costs of all key activities using the new financial and management information system will be made available in 1993-94.
SOCIAL SECURITY
War Disablement Pensioners
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what savings he expects to make from the abolition of the lump-sum payments to war disablement pensioners with a noise-induced hearing loss assessed at less than 20 per cent ;
(2) if he will estimate the number of ex-service personnel with a noise- induced hearing loss of less than 20 per cent. who will no longer be eligible for support following changes to the war disablement pension scheme.
Miss Widdecombe : The assumption underlying the policy decision was that, in 1993-94, some 10,000 people would not qualify under the new rules who would have qualified under the old, resulting in savings of £20 million which have been used to meet the estimated cost of removing completely rank differentials in war disablement pensions from 12 April 1993.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what number of existing war disablement pensioners will receive uprating of £5 per week ; what number will receive the uprating of 84p per week ; and what number will receive the intermediate upratings of their pension.
Miss Widdecombe : As a result of the abolition of rank differentials from 12 April 1993, an increase of up to £5 a week has been paid to war disablement pensioners depending on their previous rank and level of disablement ; for example, a 100 per cent. disabled ex-private will have received an extra £5 a week, whilst a 40 per cent. disabled ex- sergeant will have received an extra £1.86. About 200,000 pensioners have benefited from this change, the most severely disabled lower ranks getting the most. These increases are additional to the general increase in war pensions of 3.6 per cent. under the normal uprating. Precise detail of the numbers in each of the many categories concerned is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The previously announced increase of 84p per week related to the war disablement pensions of non- commissioned officers only and was subsumed in the increases consequential upon the total abolition of rank differentials.
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Income Support
Ms Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the £5 earnings disregard for unemployed people who are receiving income support applies to the earnings of each individual member of a two-person household ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : The £5 disregard applies individually to each member of a couple ; where both partners undertake part-time employment, the total disregard available on their earnings is therefore £10.
Ms Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many income support claimants who were (a) unemployed people claiming income support and/or unemployment benefit, (b) lone parents, (c) people receiving a disability premium, (d) people receiving severe disablement allowance and (e) people receiving invalidity benefit declared part-time earnings ; what are the average weekly earnings declared ; and what proportion such claimants represent of claimants in the group at the latest available date and in comparable periods since 1988.
Mr. Burt : The information requested is in the tables. Information is provided for 1989--the earliest year for which income support information is readily available--1990 and 1991, the latest years available.
Income Support recipients with declared earnings
|Number of cases with|Percentage |Average declared
|declared earnings |earnings £ per week
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 1991
(a) Unemployed<1> |25,000 |2.0 |21.78
(a) Unemployed<2> |1,000 |1.1 |24.04
(b) Lone parents |78,000 |9.0 |27.53
(c) Disabled |4,000 |0.9 |14.14
(d) Severe Disablement Allowance |1,000 |0.6 |3.23
(e) Invalidity Benefit |1,000 |0.6 |14.84
Total Income Support recipients |117,000 |2.6 |25.29
May 1990
(a) Unemployed<1> |26,000 |2.5 |22.16
(a) Unemployed<2> |1,000 |2.0 |28.18
(b) Lone parents |80,000 |10.1 |25.82
(c) Disabled |6,000 |1.7 |12.31
(d) Severe Disablement Allowance |1,000 |1.3 |33.19
(e) Invalidity Benefit |- |- |-
Total Income Support recipients |124,000 |3.0 |23.65
May 1989
(a) Unemployed<1> |31,000 |2.8 |19.22
(a) Unemployed<2> |1,000 |1.4 |19.60
(b) Lone parents |82,000 |10.9 |24.71
(c) Disabled |6,000 |2.0 |5.77
(d) Severe Disablement Allowance |1,000 |1.0 |5.83
(e) Invalidity Benefit |- |-
Total Income Support recipients |130,000 |3.1 |21.73
<1>No Unemployment Benefit.
<2>With Unemployment Benefit.
Source: Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiry, May 1991, May 1990 and May 1989.
Notes: All figures rounded to nearest thousand; percentages correct
to one decimal place; average earnings correct to nearest penny.
"Lone parents" in the tables means people aged under 60 who are entitled to a lone parent premium and who do not
receive a disability premium.
"Disabled" in the tables means people aged under 60 who are entitled to the disability premium.
There will be some overlap between groups (c), (d) and (e) in the tables.
Ms Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the £15 earnings disregard for people who are receiving income support, either because they have a disability premium or are part of a long-term unemployed couple, applies to the earnings of each individual member of a two-person household ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : Where a couple qualify for this disregard, the total amount of earnings that can be disregarded is £15 for the couple.
Sickness Benefit
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were in receipt of sickness benefit at the end of each month since April 1991.
Mr. Burt : Information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table, and is obtained from a 100 per cent. count of cases by benefit offices at the end of each month, rounded to the nearest thousand. The figures include cases registered sick that are not receiving sickness benefit but are receiving income support and national insurance credits.
Date |Sickness Benefit --------------------------------------------------- May 1991 |433,000 June 1991 |421,000 July 1991 |431,000 August 1991 |430,000 September 1991 |438,000 October 1991 |434,000 November 1991 |445,000 December 1991 |449,000 January 1992 |461,000 February 1992 |474,000 March 1992 |479,000 April 1992 |465,000 May 1992 |472,000 June 1992 |472,000 July 1992 |487,000 August 1992 |489,000 September 1992 |496,000 October 1992 |505,000 November 1992 |513,000 December 1992 |521,000 January 1993 |525,000 February 1993 |535,000 March 1993 |538,000 Note: These figures are derived from a physical count and may be subject to occasional revision.
Invalidity Benefit
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he proposes to take to equalise the treatment of men and women in receipt of invalidity benefit following the ruling of the European Court of Justice on 30 March.
Mr. Scott : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow (Dr. Godman) on 26 April 1993, at columns 311 -12.
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Pension Funds
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the commission chaired by Professor Goode, currently looking into pension funds, is expected to report ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Mr. Thomason) on 30 March, at column 172.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much of the lost Maxwell pension funds has now been located ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : I understand that the liquidators of Bishopsgate Investment Management Ltd., which managed Maxwell pension scheme funds, have located and secured assets presently worth some £300 million. The Department's Maxwell pensions unit are continuing to assist where practicable with the liquidators' work.
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will meet representatives of organisations of Maxwell pensioners.
Miss Widdecombe : This month I have two meetings with hon. Members and representatives of Maxwell pensionsers. The Department's Maxwell pensions unit regularly meets the various Maxwell pensioners' action groups.
Appeals
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals are presently outstanding at each Independent Tribunal Service office ; and what additional resources have been provided to this service since April 1992.
Mr. Burt : The appeals outstanding at 31 March 1993 in each region of the Independent Tribunal Service and the disability tribunals central office are in the table. The budget for ITS for 1992-93 was £33.09 million. For 1993-94 the budget is £46.68 million. The additional resources of £13.59 million take account of increased caseloads for social security appeals tribunals, medical appeals tribunals, and disability appeals tribunals, and the establishment of child support appeal tribunals.
ITS Office/Region |SSAT |MAT |DAT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North-East |11,303 |3,578 |-
Midlands |7,088 |1,620 |-
South-East |11,594 |1,961 |-
Wales and South-West |4,504 |1,433 |-
North-West |8,276 |2,806 |-
Scotland |16,929 |932 |-
DATCO |- |- |2,301
|------- |------- |-------
Total |59,694 |12,330 |2,301
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current waiting time for (a) attendance allowance, (b) mobility allowance and (c) disability living allowance from application for appeal application to appeal hearings.
Mr. Scott : The information is not available in the form requested. However, for the quarter ending 30 June 1992,
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the latest period for which figures are available, the average time taken from an appeal application to a final hearing was :
|Weeks
--------------------------------------------
(a) Attendance allowance |26.7
(b) Mobility allowance |23.8
(c) Disability living allowance |17.9
Independent Tribunal Service
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the names and contact addresses for all Independent Tribunal Service regional chairmen.
Mr. Burt : The information is as follows :
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South-east RegionMr. R. G. Smithson--Whittington House, 19-30 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7LW
Wales and South-west
Mr. C. B. Stevens--Oxford House, Hill Street, The Hayes, Cardiff CF1 2DR
Midlands
Mr. I. Harrison--Albion House, 3rd Floor, 5-13 Canal Street, Nottingham NG1 7EG
North-east Region
Mr. J. Tinnion--Third Floor, York House, York Place, Leeds LS1 2ED North- west Region
Mr. R. Sim, 36 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 5UZ
Scotland
Mrs. L. T. Parker--Blythswood House, 200 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 4SS
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