| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Departmental Cash Limits
Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Attorney-General what proposals there are to change the 1998-99 cash limit or running cost limit for the work of HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor. [71999]
The Attorney-General: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for Class VIII Vote 6 will be reduced by £411,000 from £6,257,000 to £5,846,000. The gross running costs will be increased by £771,000 from £26,763,000 to £27,534,000 whilst the running cost limit will be increased by £529,000 from £8,031,000 to £8,560,000.
The running costs limit increase is partially due to initial early retirement costs (£350,000) associated with the closure of the Government Property Lawyers' Agency which was announced to Parliament on 11 November 1998. This will be met from end year flexibility provision as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1998, Official Report, columns 131-36. The increase is also due to the residual costs of the Crown Prosecution Service Review (£227,000) and the costs associated with the extension of powers relating to Unduly Lenient Sentences (£7,000) falling on this Vote. These will be offset by PES transfers from the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office respectively. A further increase in running costs is due to classification changes of European Fast Streamers income and VAT refunds.
The reduction in the cash limit is due to the increase in running costs being more than offset by lower VAT payment to Customs and Excise (£900,000), greater than expected VAT refunds on contracted out services (£55,000) and receipts from various Government Departments for services provided by the Lawyers' Management Unit (£40,000).
The increases will be offset by transfers and charged to the Reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Mr. Fraser:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to tackle problems of overstretch, following the increase in the United Kingdom's overseas defence commitments. [70394]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Blaydon (Mr. McWilliam) and for South Ribble (Mr. Borrow) on 25 January 1999, Official Report, column 4. The matter of overstretch is very carefully considered when operational commitments are entered into.
16 Feb 1999 : Column: 611
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many press releases have been issued by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental bodies in each of the years 1990 to 1998. [71445]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The Ministry of Defence Press Office issues all press notices on defence policy matters. For the period in question it has issued the following number:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 136 |
| 1991 | 145 |
| 1992 | 306 |
| 1993 | 186 |
| 1994 | 178 |
| 1995 | 147 |
| 1996 | 170 |
| 1997 | 231 |
| 1998 | 333 |
In addition to the MOD Press Office, the various regional military public relations offices issue press notices covering routine local issues, as well as copies of centrally issued press releases which they may consider to be relevant to their region. Precise figures for those press notices issued by all of the regional offices, which take account of such "duplicate" releases, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| DERA | Met Office | |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | -- | -- |
| 1991 | -- | 32 |
| 1992 | -- | 43 |
| 1993 | -- | 62 |
| 1994 | -- | 24 |
| 1995 | 20 | 52 |
| 1996 | 23 | 54 |
| 1997 | 13 | 49 |
| 1998 | 14 | 44 |
Press notices covering appointments to MOD-sponsored non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are issued centrally by the MOD press office. NDPBs do issue their own press notices from time to time covering routine matters; complete records are not held centrally, however, for the period in question.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the conventions governing the propriety and cost of press releases issued by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental bodies; and what is the total cost of the press releases issued since May 1997. [71460]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Rules governing the work of the Government Information and Communication Service are laid down in the Guidance on the work of the Government Information Service published by the Cabinet Office in July 1997. More specific guidance on the writing and issuing of press releases is given in the
16 Feb 1999 : Column: 612
Working Guide for Government Information Officers. Copies of both documents are in the Library of the House. For the period in question, the cost to my Department of distributing press releases centrally was approximately £31,000. Figures covering the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, the Met Office and non-departmental public bodies are not separately identified within their budgets.
Mr. Galloway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the cost in each year of the enforcement of the no fly zones over the (a) North and (b) South of Iraq. [71388]
Mr. George Robertson:
Enforcement of the northern and southern no-fly-zones over Iraq began in 1991 and 1992 respectively. The annual additional costs of each operation since that time are as follows:
| £ million | ||
|---|---|---|
| North | South | |
| 1991-92 | 2.6 | -- |
| 1992-93 | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| 1993-94 | 9.6 | 6.5 |
| 1994-95 | 10.5 | 4.6 |
| 1995-96 | 5.9 | 4.7 |
| 1996-97 | 2.3 | 4.1 |
| 1997-98 | 2.3 | 3.4 |
| 1998-99 | 3.2 | 7.6 |
The figures for 1998-99 are estimates. The Southern no-fly-zone estimate in this year takes account of the deployment of RAF aircraft to Kuwait as well as Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Galloway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the legal authority for the imposition and enforcement of the no fly zones over the (a) North and (b) South of Iraq. [71387]
Mr. George Robertson:
Coalition patrols of the Northern and Southern no-fly zones in Iraq are in support of UNSCR 688. They are justified under international law on the basis of overwhelming humanitarian necessity. They prevent Saddam Hussein from using his air force against the Iraqi people in the north and south and enable us to monitor the actions of his forces on the ground. In responding to the threat from Iraqi air-defence systems, coalition aircraft have responded in self defence in a proportionate manner. This action is justified under international law on the basis of self defence.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what risk assessment he has carried out or has received from the RAF of flights over the North Cotswolds to the North East of Staverton Airport in Gloucestershire; what information he has received from the RAF regarding the precautions they are taking to avoid mid-air collisions in that air space; what information the RAF supplies about its flights to the authorities at Staverton Airport; what minimum height above ground level is permitted for (a) RAF fighters, (b) Hercules transport planes and (c) Chinook helicopters; and if he will make a statement. [71194]
16 Feb 1999 : Column: 613
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Safety in the air is a key priority in all military flying activities. No specific risk assessments have been carried out in the area north-east of Staverton Airport, but my Department has carried out a detailed study into the effectiveness of 'see and avoid', the primary means of collision avoidance in open airspace. The results of this study were published on 2 February 1998, Official Report, column 469, and copies of the report placed in the Library of the House.
There is no requirement for the authorities at Staverton Airport to receive information about military low-flying sorties outside their aerodrome traffic zone; military aircraft wishing to pass through the zone must, however, seek permission from Staverton Airport Air Traffic Control before doing so.
The minimum separation distance for RAF fighters and Hercules aircraft between themselves and the ground, any structure or any other aircraft except those in the same formation is 250 ft. Chinooks are permitted to fly down to ground level.
Dr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to modify the regulations contained in the Submarine/Fishing Vessel Interaction Code of Practice; and if he will make a statement. [66470]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 20 January 1999]: The Code of Practice is regularly improved by modifications following annual Fishing Industry Liaison Meetings of representatives from the Fishing Industry and Government Departments.
Dr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many allegations concerning a breach of the Submarine/Fishing Vessel Interaction Code of Practice have been brought to his notice in the past 15 months; and if he will make a statement. [66471]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 20 January 1999]: Two confirmed incidents have been reported to Ministers and I am aware of three further allegations, which were later shown not to be breaches of the Code. No damage or injury has resulted from any incident since the full implementation of the Code of Practice and it continues to provide an effective safety mechanism.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |