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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 10 February 1999
DEFENCE
Task Forces
Mr. Robert Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) the (i) task forces, (ii) review panels and (iii) advisory groups his Department has, (b) the remit of each and (c) the members of each together with their principal employment and their level of remuneration. [62809]
Mr. Spellar: As far as bodies composed of independent members are concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. Chidgey) on 30 July 1998, Official Report, column 451.
While this Department has not set up any Task Forces since 1 May 1997, information on review panels and advisory groups on which external members serve and which are set up from time to time across the Department is not held centrally. Collecting this information is taking longer than expected. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is complete and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Territorial Army
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the retention of the 101 Battalion REME in Chorley since 16 December. [68157]
Mr. Doug Henderson [holding answer 28 January 1999]: Since 16 December 1998, my Department has received 22 Parliamentary Questions on this matter, all from my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley, five letters from Parish Councils and three letters from members of the public.
Trident
Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work is (a) underway and (b) planned to provide a low-yield Trident warhead able to fulfil Trident's sub-strategic role. [68836]
Mr. Dog Henderson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence to the hon. Member for Perth (Ms Cunningham) on 19 March 1998, Official Report, column 724.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the investigations which (a) have been commissioned and (b) have been circulated or recommended by medical officers in the past 20 years
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concerning the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder among serving or former serving members of HM Armed Forces. [67428]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 2 February 1999]: My Department does not maintain central records of investigations commissioned, circulated or recommended by medical officers on the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder among serving or former members of the Armed Forces. However, I am not aware that my Department has commissioned, or has been recommended by medical officers to commission, investigations specifically into the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder among serving or former members of the Armed Forces over the past 20 years.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations have been received in the past 20 years from (a) former soldiers, (b) general practitioners or family doctors, (c) prison doctors or chaplains, (d) officers of the court and (e) others, concerning the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder. [67429]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 2 February 1999]: The information requested is not available as no central records are maintained by my Department of representations received concerning post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 January 1999, Official Report, columns 460-61, on RN Base Faslane, in which year the current civilian system of monitoring started at RN Naval Base Clyde; and what proportion of Navy supervisors were qualified to City and Guilds standards prior to that date. [69087]
Mr. Spellar:
The use of civilian Health Physics Monitoring Supervisors was introduced at the Clyde Naval Base around November 1989.
Prior to this date, there were two categories of supervisors in the area of Health Physics, both were Royal Naval personnel. Monitoring Supervisors were in charge of the administration of the Monitors, while Radiological Protection Supervisors maintained an oversight of the Monitoring aspects. The latter were qualified to City and Guilds Stage 2 in Radiation Safety Practice.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he uses in establishing the preferment to be given to (a) UK only and (b) UK/European bids for procurement contracts when the competition is with non-EU contractors. [69469]
Mr. Spellar:
The MOD has a policy of open international competition whenever this is possible. A wide range of factors are considered by the MOD when making procurement decisions, including: long term value-for-money, security of supply, UK technological capabilities and the benefits to MOD of potential exports.
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Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he uses to assess the export potential for UK-designed and produced equipment when considering bids made by competitors for defence procurement contracts. [69468]
Mr. Spellar:
MOD assessments of the export potential of British defence equipment are based on a judgment of the potential requirements in the market place, the level of competition the UK company is likely to face, and the company's own assessment of its export potential, tempered by our knowledge of their previous record of export success.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what skill shortages he has identified within the UK defence industry; and what steps he has taken to address them. [69409]
Mr. Spellar:
I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish his Department's collation and assessment of responses to each of the Government's public consultations. [69774]
Mr. Spellar:
I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to public consultation conducted only by the Ministry of Defence. No single collation and assessment of all public consultation conducted by the Ministry of Defence exists. Our largest public consultation exercise to date was that conducted to inform the Strategic Defence Review. Where consent was given by the authors, copies of submissions made to the Ministry of Defence in the course of that exercise have been placed in the Library of the House. The assessment of those submissions formed part of the Strategic Defence Review, the recommendations of which were reported to Parliament on 8 July 1998, Official Report, columns 1073-96.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to fund a war memorial to service women. [70174]
Mr. Spellar:
It has been a long-standing policy of successive Governments that the cost of memorials is usually met not from public funds, but from private donations or public subscription. However, the Government have nothing but the utmost respect and gratitude for those women who served and died in the service of their country.
We are aware of a campaign to erect a memorial to Service women. Although the Government are unable to assist financially with this project, I have announced in the House on several occasions since 20 May 1997, that if the necessary funds were raised from public subscription or private donation, my Department would be more than happy to provide representation at any dedication ceremony.
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Dr. Tony Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings, (b) hold public meetings and (c) have lay or consumer representatives on their boards; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement; [69963]
(3) which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; and which are subject to investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner; [69904]
(4) which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish (a) the minutes of meetings, (b) the agendas of meetings and documents for those meetings and (c) a register of members' interests; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement; [69951]
(5) which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings, (b) hold public meetings, (c) have lay or consumer representatives on their boards and (d) operate some form of appeal or complaints procedure; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69986]
Mr. Spellar:
I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
(2) which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish (a) the minutes of meetings, (b) the agendas of meetings and documents for those meetings and (c) a register of members' interests; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement; [69837]
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