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Departmental Reports
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the titles of official departmental reports being prepared for publication in (a) 1999 and (b) 2000, indicating in each case the planned date for publication. [98016]
Mr. Spellar: Under current plans, the following are the official departmental reports being prepared by the Ministry of Defence for publication in 1999 and 2000, and their planned dates for publication:
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The Defence White Paper 1999 (December 1999)
Ministry of Defence Performance Report 1998-99 (December 1999)
The Government's Expenditure Plans 2000-01 to 2001-02: Ministry of Defence (spring 2000)
The Defence White Paper 2000 (during 2000)
The Annual Report of Defence Activity 1999-2000 (July 2000)
Ministry of Defence Performance Report 1999-2000 (autumn 2000)
RAF Locking
Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the efficiency savings made as a result of the closure of RAF Locking and the transfer of personnel to RAF Cosford. [98123]
Mr. Spellar: Efficiencies arising from the transfer of RAF training activities from RAF Locking to RAF Cosford are in the region of £6 million annually. These are derived largely from reduced manpower and operating costs.
Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) civilian and (b) military personnel were made redundant following the closure of RAF Locking. [98122]
Mr. Spellar: There have been 35 civilian redundancies as a result of the transfer of RAF training activities from RAF Locking to RAF Cosford. Alternative employment is being sought for a further four civilians. No military staff redundancies are involved.
Cadets
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those schools in the United Kingdom which run (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force cadet training centres, indicating which are comprehensive schools. [98189]
Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Colchester Garrison
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department held with English Heritage in respect of proposed developments and disposals of buildings at Colchester Garrison. [98161]
Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Departmental Waste
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to set targets for the recycling of waste (a) paper, (b) cardboard, (c) glass, (d) metal, (e) plastic and (f) other products created by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make a statement. [98221]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
MOD is implementing a corporate Environmental Management System (EMS) based on ISO 14001 principles which will develop policies and set objectives to reduce the environmental impact of the activities of the Department and its agencies. An integral part of the EMS will be a waste management system to measure baselines for waste streams to enable recycling targets to be set. The framework of the corporate EMS will be produced by March 2000, and the EMS will be implemented by March 2001. Current MOD guidance on recycling is detailed in JSP 418, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.
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Mr. Baldry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Cherwell District Council will receive a reply to the letter sent to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State earlier this year concerning the joint venture agreement between his Department and the North Oxfordshire Consortium. [98044]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
I have replied today.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of vehicles used by his Department and its agencies fuelled by (a) petrol, (b) diesel and (c) liquid petroleum gas; and what plans he has to increase the rate of conversion of those vehicles to liquid petroleum gas. [98209]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings he has had with health authority managers regarding the use of NHS personnel in a military emergency; and if he will make a statement. [98316]
Mr. Spellar:
I recently met with my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, Lord Hunt, and the Director of the NHS Executive South East Region. Our discussions covered a range of issues of common interest. Officials in my Department and at the Department of Health are working closely together on the implications for the NHS of deploying substantial numbers of medical Reservists on military operations and possible requirements for the NHS to treat significant numbers of casualties returned to the UK in the event of a major overseas conflict. Current Defence planning does not include the call up of civilians other than members of the Volunteer Reserves Forces or former Regular personnel with a Reserve liability.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the medical services of the Territorial Army. [98314]
Mr. Spellar:
The Territorial Army (TA) medical services provide excellent medical care. The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) placed increased importance on the use of medical reserves and recommended an additional 2,000 personnel for the TA medical services. Currently, they have a manning shortfall of some 40 per cent. against the post-SDR requirement. Urgent measures are being taken to address this shortfall, including a major recruiting campaign which was launched on 23 September 1999.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reorganise the career structure of the Territorial Army Medical Service. [98315]
Mr. Spellar:
We have no plans to reorganize the career structure of the Army Medical Services Territorial Army (AMS TA) although its expansion, as a result of the
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Strategic Defence Review, will provide increased career opportunities. The Terms and Conditions of Service of the AMS TA are constantly monitored with a view to making appropriate and reasonable changes in support of recruitment and retention.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the involvement of the Gurkhas in the Remembrance Day commemorations. [98328]
Mr. Spellar:
As in every year since 1920, the Armed Forces will take part in the annual cenotaph ceremony on Remembrance Day. Each Service will be represented by their Chiefs of Staff and troops currently on ceremonial duties. This year the Army presence will include one officer and two soldiers from the Gurkhas currently serving in this country.
Mrs. Mahon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Serbs, Roma, Bosniaks and other minorities have been abducted in Kosovo since the K-FOR occupation; and how many have been rescued. [96102]
Mr. Vaz:
I have been asked to reply.
I will write to my hon. Friend shortly.
Mrs. Mahon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) churches and (b) other historic buildings have been destroyed since the K-FOR occupation of Kosovo. [96103]
Mr. Vaz:
I have been asked to reply.
We do not have confirmed figures of damage or destruction of churches and other historical buildings. Unconfirmed reports suggest that up to 40 may have been destroyed.
K-FOR now, if possible, guard patrimonial sites around the clock. 285 soldiers are on permanent guard at 35 Serbian churches or patrimonial sites. We recognise the importance of these sites to the Serb community and hope that the steps taken by K-FOR, and the improving deployment of an international police service, will stop further damage.
Mrs. Mahon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many murders have been committed against each of the minorities in Kosovo since the K-FOR occupation; [96100]
Mr. Vaz:
I will write to my hon. Friend shortly.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral answer of 8 November 1999, Official Report, column 679, concerning night patrols by the Irish Guards in Kosovo, when the hon. Member for Linlithgow will receive the letter promised. [98137]
Mr. Hoon:
Following the announcement by my predecessor on 19 July 1999, Official Report, column 783, the Irish Guards battle group withdrew from Kosovo in
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October. However, while they were in Kosovo, the Irish Guards were not the only unit to undertake night patrols. Night patrolling is a routine operation for KFOR troops.
(2) how many Serbs, Roma, Bosniaks and other minorities have left Kosovo since the K-FOR occupation. [96099]
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