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Correspondence
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Attorney-General what is the average time for a substantive reply to be sent to hon. Members' correspondence; what proportion takes more than (a) four weeks, (b) six weeks and (c) eight weeks; and what is his estimate of the number of letters received in a year from hon. Members. [92441]
The Attorney-General: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) on 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 403-06, which sets out performance against departmental targets for answering correspondence from right hon. and hon. Members in the 1998 calendar year. More detailed information about the percentage of correspondence replied to in the timescale specified could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Gender Impact Assessment
Jackie Ballard: To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by his Department since June 1997, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published. [92001]
The Attorney-General: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her today by my noble Friend the Minister for Women.
As part of the Government's commitment to ensuring that their policies are relevant to the lives that people live today, my Departments are working with the Women's Unit to develop good practices for carrying out gender impact assessments of their policies.
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Armed Forces (Under-18s)
Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the UK armed forces currently serving as part of the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo are under 18 years of age. [87702]
Mr. Doug Henderson [holding answer 22 June 1999]: As at 15 June 1999, there were eight Naval Service personnel under 18 years of age serving on ships in the Kosovo region.
As at 1 May 1999, there were 22 Army personnel under 18 years of age deployed in the Former Yugoslavia.
As at 15 June 1999, no RAF personnel under age 18 were deployed in the Kosovo area.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many members of the British contribution to SFOR were under 18 years of age on 23 June; and in which units; [89040]
(3) how many members of (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the RAF and (c) the Army committed to operations in the South Eastern Europe theatre were under 18 years of age on 23 June. [89043]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 30 June 1999]: Information is not available in precisely the detail requested: data on Naval Service personnel show the numbers on ships in the Adriatic; data on Army personnel show the numbers in theatre "former Yugoslavia"; data on RAF personnel show the numbers by country.
As at 15 June 1999, there were 8 Naval Service personnel under 18 years of age serving on ships in the Adriatic.
As at 1 June 1999, there were 17 Army personnel under 18 years of age deployed in the former Yugoslavia.
As at 14 June 1999, no RAF personnel under age 18 were deployed in the former Yugoslavia.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have (a) applied for and (b) been granted (i) premature voluntary retirement and (ii) purchase of their discharge, for each of the three services by rank and by length of service in each of the last five years. [91135]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
All applications for Premature Voluntary Retirement by eligible Naval Service and RAF Officers are granted. Not all applications for Premature Voluntary Retirement by Army Officers are granted, but only figures for the number of applications granted are available centrally.
All applications for Premature Voluntary Retirement by eligible Other Ranks in all three Services are granted.
I am placing details of the number of Premature Voluntary Retirements from the Armed Forces over the last five years in the Library of the House. This
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information is available by rank but not by length of service. Details of Premature Voluntary Retirements by Army Officers are not available for the years 1994-95 and 1995-96. The figures provided do not include Gurkhas, Royal Irish (Home Service) personnel, Locally Employed Personnel, Reservists mobilised for duties associated with Bosnia, and Full Time Reserve Service personnel.
Officers from all three Services are no longer required to purchase their discharge. Similarly, the Naval Service and the RAF no longer require Other Ranks to purchase their discharge. Only Army Other Ranks who enlisted on Notice Engagement prior to 1 January 1991 can apply to purchase their discharge, and details of those who have done so are not held centrally.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the Commander-in-Chief Land's paper, "Building a Career of First Choice"; and if he will make a statement; [91568]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 20 July 1999]: The paper requested is a classified document including opinion and advice about proposed establishments for Army headquarters. The document was produced to inform internal discussion and advice and so I am withholding it under exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Liz Blackman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the MOD Police Agency for the financial year 1999-2000. [92082]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The following Key Targets have been set for the Ministry of Defence Police Agency.
22 Jul 1999 : Column: 614
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms of reference are for the Adjutant- General's Army Retention Study; and when it will be completed. [91590]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 19 July 1999]: The Army's Retention Study is a 6 month strategic review to examine the effectiveness of present policies, which will include carrying out field research, and making recommendations for any improvements. The study is being carried out by Hay Management Group and the Institute for Employment Studies. The work is scheduled to be complete by 30 November 1999.
Mr. Jenkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the location of the permanent headquarters of the Defence Logistics Organisation. [93064]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
As I announced on 5 May, we have decided to base the headquarters of the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) at Ensleigh in Bath, subject to consultation with the Trades Unions. We have now completed this period of formal consultation. Having fully considered the Trades Unions' representations, which included no major objections, I have decided that the collocation proposal should proceed. The permanent headquarters will therefore, be based at Ensleigh with a progressive move to be completed by 1 April 2000. The headquarters will be small and strategic and the vast majority of the DLO's staff will not be directly affected. The Trades Unions will continue to be continue to be consulted during the implementation of the transition to the new headquarters.
(2) how many members of the British contribution to KFOR were under 18 years of age on 23 June; and in which units; [89042]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the Land Command paper on district restructuring reference number Land G3 (O and D) 3031/12, dated 9 July. [92021]
To achieve 38 per cent. MDP patrol activity from those officers devoted to patrolling.
To achieve a compliance rate 5 per cent. above the average Home Department Police Force compliance rate set for the submission of Crown Prosecution Service files.
To achieve at least a 38 per cent. solving rate against all reported crime.
To maintain at least a 90 per cent. satisfaction rate from victims of crime in the service provided by the MDP.
By 31 March 2000 to develop and implement a corporate index of efficiency that will then form the baseline for year on year improvements.
To increase to 95 per cent. the customer satisfaction rate with the service provided by Area Policing Teams.
To monitor the scale and incidence of crime within the Defence Estate, and relate this to the pattern of MDP deployment and activity in order to develop an analysis of trends to inform the setting of targets and the matching of resources to needs in future years.
To recruit 15 per cent. of women and 1.5 per cent. of ethnic minorities within overall MDP recruitment; and to deliver by 31 December an action plan on the Forces' response to the Macpherson Report, including the recruitment and retention of officers from ethnic minorities.
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