| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
ASTOR
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles in tandem with an airborne stand off radar system. [72755]
Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 25 February 1999]: The planned Airborne Stand-Off Radar, ASTOR, programme, together with the in-service Phoenix unmanned aerial
1 Mar 1999 : Column: 506
vehicle and future UAV programmes, such as SENDER and SPECTATOR, will form an important part of our integrated Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance, ISTAR, capability.
Long range surveillance and reconnaissance assets, such as ASTOR and longer range radar and UAVs, will help to cue and subsequently direct medium and short range reconnaissance and target acquisition assets, such as Phoenix, to identify, prioritise and engage enemy targets from long range before they can inflict damage on our and friendly forces. This integrated approach ensures our ground attack air assets and long range artillery assets are used to maximum effectiveness.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the Army Training and Recruiting Agency; and what was the figure at its inception. [72818]
Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 25 February 1999]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Army Training and Recruiting Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
| Military Personnel | Civilian Personnel | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97(6) | 5,832 | 4,360 | 10,192 |
| 1997-98(6) | 6,101 | 4,541 | 10,642 |
| 31 Dec 1998(7) | 6,178 | 4,410 | 10,588 |
(6) average over the year
(7) actual numbers at this date
The Agency was formed as the Army Individual Training Organisation on 1 April 1996. It was relaunched as the Army Training and Recruiting Agency with effect from 1 July 1997, although it was effectively restructured on 1 April of that year, when it absorbed the functions of the former Directorate of Army Recruiting.
Old Gym, Caerwent
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the future of the Old Gym at Caerwent military base. [73649]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 26 February 1999]: The Army is currently in discussions with Caerwent Community Council regarding the sale or lease of the Old Gym at Caerwent Training Area to the Council.
Defence Dental Agency
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to set targets for the Defence Dental Agency for the year 1999-2000. [72979]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
I aim to announce the key targets for the Defence Dental Agency in April.
1 Mar 1999 : Column: 507
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries had armed forces involved in the brigade exercise in Poland carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [72847]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Exercise ULAN EAGLE, which took place at the Drawko-Pomorskie training area in north east Poland in October 1997, was a British Army exercise undertaken by 20th Armoured Brigade. No other countries' armed forces were involved.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Defence Codification Agency published its report for 1997-98; and what was the cost of production of the report. [73035]
Mr. Spellar:
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Codification Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from K. A. Bradshaw to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 1 March 1999:
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the Defence Codification Agency; and what the figure was at its inception. [72978]
Mr. Spellar:
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Codification Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from K. A. Bradshaw to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 1 March 1999:
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the Defence Bills Agency; and what was the figure at its inception. [72839]
1 Mar 1999 : Column: 508
Mr. Spellar:
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Bills Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from I. S. Elrick to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 1 March 1999:
Ms Oona King:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department by what means members of the public may obtain access to an indexed collection of determinations by immigration adjudicators in order to find out if there is a relevant decision relating to their case. [72862]
Mr. Hoon:
No collection of indexed adjudicator determinations exists. Adjudicators' decisions are not binding on other adjudicators. Determinations are retained on tribunal files and are available to the public only with an adjudicator's permission.
Immigration Appeal Tribunal decisions are available from the Supreme Court Library on request and are available to subscribers on the Electronic Immigration Network Database via the internet.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have (i) spoken with and (ii) received representations regarding genetic modification from Mr. Stan Greenberg of Greenberg Research; [72248]
(3) on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have (i) spoken with and (ii) received representations regarding genetic modification from Cathy McGlynn of Bell Pottinger. [72059]
1 Mar 1999 : Column: 509
Mr. Meale
[holding answer 23 February 1999]: I and my officials are in regular contact with representatives of all those with an interest in biotechnology--including environmental groups, consumer groups and biotechnology companies. It is not the normal practice of Governments to give details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.
Mr. Stinchcombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations (a) he and (b) his ministers have received on genetically modified organisms and the biotechnology industry from the US Government. [72762]
Mr. Prescott:
The Department has received one representation on this subject from the US Government.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the sites in Northavon where genetically modified crops (a) are currently grown and (b) have been grown in the last three years. [73910]
Mr. Meacher:
No genetically modified crops are currently grown or have been grown in the last three years in Northavon.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will require the Health and Safety Executive to institute prosecution proceedings against Zeneca for a breach of the regulations governing the escape into the environment, through the consumption by Zeneca staff, of genetically modified tomatoes and tomato seeds. [73402]
Mr. Meacher:
HSE inspectors have sought clarification from Zeneca regarding reports in the national press that members of staff have eaten whole genetically modified tomatoes as part of taste trials. If this had taken place it would have represented a possible breach of environmental safety regulations. This is because tomatoes are a seed bearing fruit and the inadvertent dispersal of seeds from genetically modified tomatoes could have given rise to growth of genetically modified plants in the environment. The concern would have been that seeds would have dispersed through the sewage system, thereby breaching containment requirements.
Publication of the Defence Codification Agency's Annual Report for 1997-98
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about publication dates and costs associated with the Annual Report for 1997-98 of the Defence Codification Agency, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Agency.
The Defence Codification Agency published its annual report on 27th of July 1998. The cost of the publication was £2695.00.
For background information, this was the Defence Codification Agency's first Annual Report since its launch in July 96, it was published using the services of the Stationery Office and the Agency has a Treasury Direction and a clean audit opinion.
Staff Employed by the Defence Codification Agency
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about staff employed within the Defence Codification Agency, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Agency.
The Defence Codification Agency currently employs 93 staff (including nine surplus staff). At the Agency inception in July 1996 we employed 168 staff.
For background information, following the vesting of the Defence Codification Agency in July 96 a Competing for Quality Feasibility Study was conducted. This included details of plans to increase efficiency and reduce staffing levels. These measures have been implemented and a staff reduction of 50% will have been achieved once the nine surplus staff have been assigned to new posts.
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about numbers employed in the Defence Bills Agency, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Agency.
There were 699 people employed in the Agency as at 31 January 1999 and these equate to 662 full-time equivalents. The comparable figures for 1 January 1996 are 680 and 655 respectively, while the full-time equivalent figure for the base line year against which the Agency's effectiveness is measured is 716.
For a meaningful comparison of numbers employed currently against those employed at the Agency's inception, due allowance should be made for changed circumstances in the intervening period. The Service Level Agreement which the Agency has with the Department was amended on 27 June 1997, to effect a budget increase which was based on an additional 30 employees who were required to cope with changed business practices which were introduced to facilitate the introduction of Resource Accounting.
(2) on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have (i) spoken with and (ii) received representations regarding genetic modification from Dave Hill of Bell Pottinger; [72066]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |