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Dismissals (Drug Offences)

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have been (a) charged with drug offences and (b) subsequently dismissed for such offences in each of the last 10 years. [19486]

Mr. Soames: The information is not available in the format requested, but we are able to provide the following information for the nine-year period 1986 to 1994:

(a) The number of armed forces personnel convicted of drug offences:

1986: 131
1987: 145
1988: 105
1989: 196
1990: 339
1991: 426
1992: 612
1993: 513
1994: 296

(b) The number subsequently dismissed ¹ for such offences:

1986: 60
1987: 56
1988: 67
1989: 68
1990: 118
1991: 165
1992: 225
1993: 152
1994: 112
¹ The figures relate to those sentenced to dismissal from service at court martial, summary trial or were dismissed following a sentence of imprisonment from a service or civilian court.

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Empty Properties

Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many MOD properties in Hampshire are currently empty; and if he will indicate the number of properties in each local authority area. [19623]

Mr. Soames: No central record is maintained of the number of buildings other than married quarters which may be empty at any given time. At 7 March 1996, there were 831 married quarters in the following council areas:

	Number
East Hampshire DC	53
Fareham DC	21
Gosport BC	238
Hart DC	22
Havant DC	20
Portsmouth CC	142
Ruchmoor BC	120
Test Valley BC	101
Winchester CC	63
New Forest DC	51

Married Quarters Discounted Sale Scheme

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Luff) of 1 March, Official Report, column 766, how many personnel will be eligible for the interest-free advance scheme; and if personnel made redundant between 1 March and 1 August will be eligible for the scheme. [19833]

Mr. Soames: Some 23 per cent. of Army and RAF personnel will qualify by age for the long service advance of pay scheme, but significantly fewer personnel are expected to join the scheme because the pattern of service in the Army and RAF promotes accompanied service and this can deter home ownership in some circumstances.

The Royal Navy has enjoyed the benefits of LSAP since 1963 and, because of the pattern of family separation which is inherent in a sea-going service, it has promoted a housing policy which does not differentiate between accompanied or unaccompanied service when ashore. The historical take-up rate of LSAP in the RN is approximately 40 per cent. of all eligible personnel, and represent an annual maximum uptake of 1,500 personnel. Although take-up figures can be only speculative, the RN trends, with the differing age qualifications and accompanied service preferences of the Army and RAF, would indicate an average of 1,200 new LSAP members each year. This would represent a threefold increase over those who have annually benefited from the married quarters discounted sales scheme.

Army or RAF personnel made redundant between now and 1 August 1996 will not be able to take advantage of the scheme. They will, however, still be able to apply to purchase a home under the married quarter discounted sales scheme, which will remain in force until 1 August 1996.

Abbey Wood

Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral answer of 5 March, Official Report,

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column 141, what additional payments have been claimed by the construction contractors for the new MOD building at Abbey Wood. [20087]

Mr. Arbuthnot: We respect the commercial in confidence nature of contractual and claims issues which are between the Department and the contractors concerned. As is our normal practice, claims against the Department are reviewed and processed in accordance with the contract terms--action which has and is being taken in respect of claims submitted by the shell and core contractor. As I have said, there is a constructive dialogue going on between the Department and the contractor. Both the contractor and the Department are working positively to realise the project's programme objectives.

Future Large Aircraft

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his French counterpart concerning the future large aircraft programme. [20196]

Mr. Arbuthnot: I met Henri Conze, delegue general pour l'armement on Friday 1 March. The future large aircraft programme was discussed. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has not recently discussed the future large aircraft programme with his French counterpart.

Scott Inquiry

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes his Department will introduce in relation to defence exports following the Scott inquiry report. [20197]

Mr. Arbuthnot: My Department will participate fully in the review of the Government's existing export control powers and procedures being undertaken by the Department of Trade and Industry. In addition, my Department will take the lead in the review of the convention on the disclosure of information about defence exports.

Otterburn Training Area

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what alternative courses of action from those listed in "Improving the Training Infrastructure at Otterburn Training Area: The MOD's Aspirations for the Next Five Years" were considered in environmental appraisals undertaken by his Department; [19528]

(2) what procedures have been put in place by his Department to monitor the environmental impacts arising from the implementation of "Improving the Training Infrastructure at Otterburn Training Area: The MOD's Aspirations for the Next Five Years"; [19530]

(3) if "Improving the Training Infrastructure at Otterburn Training Area: The MOD's Aspirations for the Next Five Years" has been subject to an environmental

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appraisal using the guidance contained in "Policy Appraisal and the Environment" produced by the Department of the Environment; [19527]

(4) how "Improving the Training Infrastructure at Otterburn Training Area: The MOD's Aspirations for the Next Five Years" was modified by the results the environmental appraisals undertaken by his Department. [19529]

Mr. Soames: The Ministry of Defence document to which the hon. Member refers was produced at the request of the Northumberland national park authority. It sets out my Department's aspirations for improving the infrastructure at Otterburn training area for the next five years and describes the positive planning principles the Ministry of Defence has adopted for taking these forward. It will be used to take forward our discussions with the park authority under the normal planning arrangements in Department of the Environment circular 18/84. None of the aspirations has yet been agreed, and each remains subject to internal scrutiny, funding, and planning consent.

My Department's aim, through this forward-looking document, is to provide the national park authority with a clearer understanding of the likely trend of development, against which they will be better placed to judge the acceptability or otherwise of individual development applications. Full environmental appraisals will be undertaken as appropriate, and these will take due account of all relevant environmental considerations and where necessary draw upon Government policy and guidance as contained in documents such as the Department of the Environment's "Policy Appraisal and the Environment".

SCOTLAND

Railway Investment

Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what applications for railway investment have been (a) approved and (b) submitted for consideration to the highland and Islands development partnership since objective 1 status was announced. [19330]

Mr. Kynoch: None.

Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if railway capital investment in the highlands is eligible for EC objective 1 funding. [19331]

Mr. Kynoch: In principle, applications may be eligible, but this would depend on the precise nature of the project.

Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery

Mr. Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many orthopaedic trauma operations have been carried out in Edinburgh for each month since January 1995 to the present; how many such patients had to wait more than two days for surgery after sustaining a fracture; if he will express the numbers waiting for more than two days, as a percentage of the number of operations carried out; and if he will give the monthly budget for such operations; [19558]

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(2) what evaluation he has made of the adequacy of available theatre time to cope with demands for orthopaedic trauma surgery at peak periods. [19559]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Information on the number of orthopaedic trauma operations carried out in Edinburgh, the number of patients who wait more than two days for surgery after sustaining a fracture and the

11 Mar 1996 : Column: 454

monthly budget for such operations is not held centrally. The table sets out the number of discharges, admitted as emergencies, from orthopaedics who received an operation for each month in 1995 in Edinburgh NHS hospitals showing the percentage and number waiting more than two days. The data are provisional. The availability of theatre time to cope with demand for orthopaedic traumatic surgery is a matter for the NHS trusts concerned.

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Emergency admissions(25) to orthopaedic surgery, receiving an operation, by pre-operative stay and month of discharge NHS hospitals in Edinburgh(26), for calendar year 1995(27)

	Month of Discharge
	January	February	March	April	May	June
Pre-operative stay
0-2 days
Number	240	244	256	254	227	259
Percentage	94.5	95.7	94.5	93.7	86.6	87.8
3+ days
Number	14	11	15	17	35	36
Percentage	5.5	4.3	5.5	6.3	13.4	12.2
Total
Number	254	255	271	271	262	295
Percentage	100	100	100	100	100	100

	Month of discharge
	July	August	September	October	November	December	Total
Pre-operative stay
0-2 days
Number	228	231	283	287	245	192	2,946
Percentage	91.9	93.9	88.4	92.0	88.1	81.7	90.7
3+ days
Number	20	15	37	25	33	43	301
Percentage	8.1	6.1	11.6	8.0	11.9	18.3	9.3
Total
Number	248	246	320	312	278	235	3,247
Percentage	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

(25) Day case, out-patient and accident and emergency attendances are excluded.

(26) The hospitals included in the above table are: Princess Margaret Rose orthopaedic hospital, Royal Hospital for sick children, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

(27) 1995 data are provisional.

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