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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 1 July 1997
DEFENCE
Nuclear Test Veterans
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims by British nuclear test veterans have been made; and how many have been settled. [5447]
Mr. Spellar: It is not possible to say precisely how many claims for compensation from the Ministry of Defence have ever been made by British nuclear test veterans. However, my Department's computer records show that since 29 June 1976 109 claims for compensation for radiation linked illnesses have been made by ex-Service personnel who were involved in the British nuclear test programme. All of these cases have been repudiated because independent studies of the health of the test veterans showed that participation in the nuclear testing programme had had no detectable effect on the veterans' life expectation, or on their risk of developing cancer. However, nuclear test veterans may receive a War Pension, which is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security (Mrs. Harman).
Cyprus (Environmental Damage)
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the risks of damage to the environment through British military exercises in the Akamas peninsula in Cyprus; and what measures (a) are being taken and (b) are planned to minimise such damage. [6255]
Mr. Spellar: Every effort is made to minimise the environmental impact of military training on the Akamas peninsula. Particular care is taken to avoid starting fires, the most important potential cause of damage from training. Exercises involving live ammunition are undertaken in the wetter and cooler months to minimise the risk. Use of the area is kept to the minimum required to meet essential training requirements and we have offered to discontinue training on the Akamas altogether if the Government of the Republic of Cyprus can provide a suitable alternative site.
Royal Yacht
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy in respect of a possible replacement for the Royal Yacht. [6140]
Dr. Reid:
The Government is currently considering the requirement for a replacement Royal Yacht, and will announce its decision in due course.
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Mr. Rapson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about Defence Agency status for the Army's Recruiting Organisation. [6439]
Dr. Reid:
On 1 July the Army's recruiting function will be amalgamated with the Army Individual Training Organisation (AITO) which is an existing Defence Agency. As a result of its expanded responsibilities the AITO will be retitled the Army Training and Recruiting Agency (ATRA). The ATRA's Chief Executive, a Major General, will be known as the Director General Army Training and Recruiting (DGATR). The ATRA's headquarters will continue to be based at Upavon, Wiltshire; alongside the Headquarters of the Adjutant General who will continue as the Agency's owner. The Agency will assume responsibility for an additional 598 military and 337 civilian staff employed at various recruiting units, including the Armed Forces Careers Offices and Army Careers Information Offices throughout the country. Altogether the ATRA will employ 11,153 personnel at 178 locations.
The integration of the recruiting and individual training functions into a single Defence Agency will further improve efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of trained manpower to the Army. The ATRA's mission will be "to recruit and train young people to become the best soldiers in the world". The Chief Executive has been set the following Key Targets for the first year of operation:
Mr. Rapson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Analytical Services Agency for 1997-98. [6438]
Dr. Reid:
Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Defence Analytical Services Agency for
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financial year 1997-98. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in July 1992 and are as follows:
Delivery of customer service and quality
The majority of the Agency's business is covered by Service Level Agreements with customers, which set out the targets for timeliness and quality of work. For the parts of the business where Service Level Agreements are inappropriate, Project Agreements are in place. The Agency is committed to achieving a continual improvement in the range and quality of the services provided to customers. Key targets are:
The Agency plans to make efficiency savings in 1997-98 as well as meeting the additional demands placed upon it by a number of important studies and initiatives. The Agency is committed to continual improvement and is using the Business Excellence Model as a means of driving this forward. Key targets are:
Mr. Sedgemore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 June, Official Report, column 263, what factors underlie the differences of policy between Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary and his Department in respect of the disclosure of the name of the company whose baton gun is authorised for police use in the United Kingdom. [6296]
Dr. Reid:
There is no difference in policy between my Department and Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary in this respect. My Answer of 19 June to my hon. Friend, Official Report, column 263, related to the manufacturer of the baton rounds rather than the baton gun.
Mr. Sedgemore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 19 June, Official Report, column 262, what happened on or before 24 March to prompt his Department to advise the RUC that some 1994 plastic baton rounds were outside agreed specification when earlier tests carried out in 1995 were not considered conclusive. [6107]
Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 30 June 1997]: Following a meeting of MOD technical staff in February 1997 to discuss the baton round development programme, the MOD decided that rounds manufactured in 1994 should be withdrawn from operational use. This decision was taken in the light of the tests carried out in 1995 and
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further tests which had been conducted in 1996. The 1996 tests showed that batches of rounds manufactured in that year did not exceed the specification and were therefore to be preferred to the 1994 rounds.
Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what help he will make available to defence-related companies in the Chelmsford area to diversify into non-military activities to offset redundancies in the defence industry; [3784]
Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 16 June 1997]: I have met with the hon. Member to discuss this matter. I understand that he has also raised with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business, Trade and Industry the question of what help can be made available in the fields of retraining and assistance. The Ministry of Defence does not currently have a role in such measures. However, I hope that in the future our developing policy towards defence diversification will offer some help in similar situations. As I told the House on 16 June, the Government will be making proposals in the autumn on how best to give effect to the objectives for defence diversification as outlined in our manifesto.
I shall arrange for copies of the agency's Framework Document to be placed in the Library of both Houses.
1. To meet the Adjutant General's requirement for Commissioned Officers. 1
2. To meet the Adjutant General's requirement for officers qualified for service in a Field Force Unit following successful Special-to-Arm training. 1
3. To meet the Adjutant General's requirement for officers' professional development training. 1
4. To meet the Adjutant General's requirement for soldiers qualified for service in a Field Force Unit following successful Special-to-Arm Training. 1
5. To meet the Adjutant General's requirement for soldiers' professional development training. 1
6. To achieve efficiency savings greater than £20 million in 1997-98. During the year to develop an efficiency index that measures training output and associated costs as a baseline to achieve year on year improvements in efficiency.
1 As expressed in the Statement of Training Requirement (SOTRs) which stipulate the numbers to be trained, the standards to be achieved and when the output is required. SOTRs are published (internally within MOD) in AG's Annual Management Plan, although with the agreement of the Agency they may be updated during the year to reflect changes to the requirement.
Efficiency and business excellence
(a) To meet at least 95 per cent. of the timeliness and quality targets set in the Service Level Agreements and Project Agreements.
(b) To have at least 90 per cent. of customers saying they are at least satisfied with the timeliness, quality of work and helpfulness of staff in the annual Customer Satisfaction Survey covering all aspects of the business.
(c) To have at least 25 per cent. of customers receiving DASA services in both 1996-97 and 1997-98 report an improvement in the services provided in the annual Customer Satisfaction Survey.
(d) To demonstrate a further, independently assessed, improvement in the quality of published output.
(e) To achieve a British Quality Foundation validated score of 350 points or more against the Business Excellence Model.
(f) To deliver efficiency savings with a value of at least 2.5 per cent. of the initial running cost cash allocation.
(2) what help his Department will make available to employees of Marconi Communications in Chelmsford who have been made redundant to help them retrain and get back into work; and if he will make a statement. [3786]
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