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MOD Property
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 March 2000, Official Report, column 638W, and his oral answers of 21 February 2000, Official Report, column 1219 and 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 10, concerning future use of MOD property, what the relationship is between the confidentiality requested by developers and the requirement to provide information to local and national elected representatives. [114417]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 13 March 2000]: There is no relationship between the confidentiality requested by developers and the requirement to provide information to local and national elected representatives.
It is my Department's policy to inform all purchasers of surplus Ministry of Defence property that the final sale price will be made known to any party who requests that information. A purchaser can, however, refuse consent to the sale price being made public on the grounds of commercial confidentiality and in these instances exemption 7 of the Code on Access to Government Information is invoked.
Discussions on the future use of MOD property take place with local authorities at a much earlier stage and I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces on 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 60W, on this point. If a purchaser subsequently refuses consent for the final sale price to be made public, this does not affect these early discussions in any way.
Caroline Flint:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what child care provision was made available in the financial year 1998-99 for use by (i) his departmental staff and (ii) employees of executive agencies under the control of his Department; what was the cost to parents of this child care; and how many parents used the facilities. [108833]
Dr. Moonie:
The Civil Service, as a whole, is striving for an improved balance between work and family life. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 15 February 2000, Official Report, columns 518-19W, which provides further details about the importance of family life policies to the Civil Service Reform programme.
During 1998-99, there were a total of 15 workplace nurseries available to my Departmental staff, with a further two in operation for staff employed in executive agencies. These facilities, together with a number of places purchased in off-site private nurseries, provided some 700 full-time places for children of civilian and, occasionally, Service personnel working in Ministry of
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Defence establishments. The monthly cost to parents of a full-time place ranged from approximately £242 to £411 (depending on the location and level of departmental subsidy) for Departmental staff, and from approximately £320 to £340 for staff employed in executive agencies, giving an average monthly cost of £308. In addition, my Department subsidises a number of places in holiday play schemes for children of school age. Information about the number of personnel who used these facilities during 1998-99 is not kept centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Caroline Flint:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in the last five years, what proportion of women employees in (i) his Department and (ii) executive agencies under the control of his Department, (a) returned to work after childbirth, (b) returned to work after childbirth before the end of maternity leave, indicating the (1) time-range and (2) mean time, (c) returned to work after childbirth on reduced working hours, indicating the average hours worked and (d) returned to work after childbirth full-time and subsequently reduced their hours. [109237]
Dr. Moonie:
The Civil Service, as a whole, is striving for an improved balance between work and family life. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 15 February 2000, Official Report, column 519W, which provides further details about the importance of family life policies to the Civil Service Reform programme.
In respect of my Department, I regret that information on maternity leave and working patterns following maternity leave is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Tyrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been (a) killed and (b) injured in Kosovo as a result of unexploded ordnance in the form of bomblets within cluster bombs used by UK forces in Kosovo since the cessation of the campaign there. [112362]
Mr. Spellar:
It is not always possible to identify accurately which nation's munitions have been the cause of casualties arising from incidents involving cluster bomblets. Nor is the precise type of munition always identifiable.
The most recent figures provided by NATO assess that cluster bomblets have killed 22 civilians in Kosovo with a further 27 injured. Additionally, a further three military personnel have been killed, with four injured.
KFOR has now cleared more than 8,870 unexploded bomblets from Kosovo. All unexploded ordnance sites in the UK-led sector of Kosovo have now been marked, and 90 per cent. of unexploded cluster bomb munitions cleared.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what types of precision guided weapons are in service with the Royal Air Force. [113746]
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Dr. Moonie:
There are currently nine guided weapons in service with the RAF: Sidewinder, ALARM, Skyflash, Harpoon, Rapier, Stingray, AMRAAM, PAVEWAY II and PAVEWAY III. All these weapons are capable of being guided precisely to their target.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many striker helmet-mounted sighting systems his Department plans to acquire; at what cost; if they will be used in the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement. [113910]
Dr. Moonie:
Forty-six helmet mounted sighting systems have been procured for Royal Air Force Jaguar GR3A aircraft at a cost of some £3.5 million. There are currently no plans to install the system on Royal Navy aircraft.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the outcome of the meeting of the Equipment Approval Committee on 21 February regarding Air Foyle's plan to use two Antonov AN-24-100 airliners for short- term strategic airlift requirements; and if he will make a statement. [113953]
Dr. Moonie:
The Ministry of Defence Equipment Approvals Committee's consideration of the short-term strategic airlift project constitutes advice to Ministers and I am therefore withholding details under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take account of (a) the likely effect of the number of aircraft ordered on the overall share of business for British companies generated by the A400M aircraft and (b) the risk that United Kingdom firms might be excluded from future European collaborative ventures when reaching a decision between the A400M and the C17 aircraft. [113907]
Dr. Moonie:
In reaching conclusions on our future air transport requirements, we will take into account a range of factors, including the industrial and international factors you mention, while at the same time seeking value for money for the taxpayer.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the threat posed by anti-personnel mines to members of British armed forces deployed in relief efforts in Mozambique. [114369]
Mr. Spellar:
My Department has made an assessment of the mine threat to our forces supporting relief operations in Mozambique based on information from a variety of sources, including the UN and Non- Government Organisations dealing with the mine threat left over from the civil war. Based on such information, we have taken a series of steps to make all our forces in Mozambique aware of the hazards, and to advise them on appropriate precautionary measures to minimise the risks.
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Mr. Duncan Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the amount of training ammunition expended by the (a) Army infantry, (b) Royal Artillery and (c) Navy, expressed as a percentage, in each of the last five years, taking 1995 as 100 per cent. [114254]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in the current year's Defence Housing Executive upgrade programme (a) what percentage of contractors underbid significantly, (b) if he will list the contractors who (i) underbid and (ii) were subsequently dismissed and (c) by what percentage retendered prices were higher than the original bids. [113751]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Defence Housing Executive is not aware of any contractors who have significantly underbid for contracts in the current year's upgrade programme. There have, however, been instances of such problems relating to sub-contractors for response repair work in some locations. I am obtaining data on these and will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the reduction in this year's Defence Housing Executive budget for upgrades will be restored in the next financial year. [113753]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: Budget allocations for the coming financial year have yet to be decided, but it is the intention to achieve or better the target date for completion of the upgrade programme by the end of 2005.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the review of the Defence Housing Executive prepared jointly by his Department and the Treasury. [113755]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: A joint Treasury/MOD review of Service housing has recently completed and the report is in the final course of drafting. My Ministerial colleagues in the Treasury and I have not yet had an opportunity to consider its recommendations. There are no plans to publish what is an internal document. However, I would expect the outcome of the review to be announced in due course.
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