| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
MOD Police
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Royal Ordnance paid his Department for the services of the Ministry of Defence police in (a) 1993-94 and (b) 1994-95; and if he will make a statement. [9376]
Mr. Soames: It is not the Department's practice to disclose commercially sensitive information.
Army Ambulances
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army ambulances were (a) used and (b) damaged or lost in (i) the Gulf conflict and (ii) in deployment with the United Nations in the former Yugoslavia. [9456]
17 Jan 1996 : Column: 579
Mr. Soames: Information regarding the number of Army ambulances used, damaged or lost during the Gulf conflict is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The number of Army ambulances deployed to the former Yugoslavia in support of the United Nations fluctuated throughout the period, but the average number in theatre at any one time was 17 wheeled ambulances and 13 tracked ambulances. No ambulances were lost during the deployment. Information on the number damaged is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Air Misses
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 9 January, Official Report, column 96, when he expects the study on the probability of a random mid-air collision to be completed. [9778]
Mr. Soames: The study should be completed by the end of this year.
Mr. Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the causes of the mid-air collision on 10 January involving two Tornado F3 fighters. [9693]
Mr. Soames: An RAF board of inquiry is investigating the cause of this accident. A copy of the summary of its findings will be placed in the Library of the House in due course.
Royal Marines School of Music
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) costs additional to those forecast and (b) delays in preparing the naval detention quarters are being incurred in connection with the closure of the Royal Marines school of music at Deal and the proposed move to Portsmouth; and if he will make a statement. [9681]
Mr. Soames: The contract now let for the conversion of the former RN detention quarters is at a cost of £505,000 compared with our original estimate of £450,000 contained in the consultative document. The conversion work is planned to be completed by mid-April, when the RMSM personnel return from their normal Easter leave.
Equerries
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equerries are provided by his Department; and to whom they are allocated. [8682]
Mr. Soames: Five equerries are provided by my Department to the royal households. They are allocated as follows:
HM The Queen
HM The Queen Mother
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
HRH The Prince of Wales
HRH The Duke of York.
17 Jan 1996 : Column: 580
Royal Yacht
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many days the royal yacht was used on official business in 1994-95. [8684]
Mr. Soames: In 1994, HMY Britannia was at sea for 164 days, of which 31 entailed royal duties, and 13 were devoted to trade promotion. In 1995, she was at sea for 156 days, of which 35 entailed royal duties, and 11 were devoted to trade promotion.
Brown and Root
Ms Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps he is taking and has taken to investigate Brown and Root's ability to oversee the refitting of Trident submarines; and when he will make a decision; [9356]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the suitability of Brown and Root for Trident refitting work; [9353]
(3) what assessment he made of the records of the parent company in the United States in respect of contracts when considering the suitability of Brown and Root for Trident refitting work. [9354]
Mr. Arbuthnot: Brown and Root Ltd. is a UK-based company and is a member of the consortium forming Devonport Management Ltd., with which my Department is involved in contractual negotiations for the design and build of nuclear refitting facilities at Devonport. A decision on contract award is expected in the first part of this year. Steps have been, and will be, taken to ensure that any company ultimately contracted to undertake the work is both able and suitable to do so, including the provision of appropriate guarantees and assurances from parent companies where necessary.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the powers and authority of the Home Office controllers at Doncaster prison; what are their salaries; and if he will make a statement. [8056]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 17 January 1996:
17 Jan 1996 : Column: 581
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the powers and authority of the Home Office Controllers at Doncaster.
The Criminal Justice Act of 1991 requires that "every contracted-out prison shall have a Controller who shall be a Crown Servant appointed by the Secretary of State". This function is currently carried out at Doncaster prison by a senior governor grade and his deputy. His duties include authorising the temporary release of prisoners, their removal from association, approving the use of special cells and restraints, and carrying out adjudications. He also has a general duty to keep under review and to report to the Secretary of State on the running of the prison by and on behalf of the Director as well as to investigate and report to the Secretary of State on any allegations made against prisoner custody officers performing custodial duties at the prison. The Controller is also authorised to suspend and refer for revocation the certificate of a prisoner custody officer if he considers him or her not to be a fit and proper person to carry out custodial functions.
The current salaries of the Controller and Deputy Controller are £43,000 and £32,000 a year respectively.
Prisons (Cellular Accommodation)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to provide more robust cellular accommodation within the prison estate. [8256]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 17 January 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about what plans he has to provide more robust cellular accommodation within the prison estate.
Since the late 1980s all new prisons and all new houseblocks and refurbished accommodation at existing prisons have included secure cellular accommodation to the current security standard. This standard is kept under review and revised as necessary.
The six new privately built and managed prisons which are planned will include secure cellular accommodation to accepted standards.
Holloway Prison
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional inmate places will be available for use by the end of 1996 at HMP Holloway. [8446]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 17 January 1996:
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long the mother and baby unit at Holloway prison has been closed; for what reason; when it is expected to be available for use again; and if he will make a statement. [9038]
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking how many additional inmate places will be available for use by the end of 1996 at Holloway prison.
There are no additional inmate places planned for Holloway prison in 1996.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |