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Family Quarters
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what price will be charged to service families for the Defence Housing Executive's contract cleaning scheme on vacating property; where it will be trialled; when it will be available universally; and if he will make a statement. [113757]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The charges for cleaning Families' Quarters on vacation have yet to be determined and are likely to vary according to location and property size. The trial will be run in all areas where the Defence Housing Executive has managerial responsibility; that is to say, throughout the UK mainland.
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The trial, which will run from autumn 2000 for 12 months, is designed to identify and iron out any procedural difficulties in order that a cost effective long term contract can be put in place on its completion. Use of the scheme by occupants will be entirely optional. They may, if they choose, continue as now to make their own arrangements for cleaning on moving out.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the return rate for the defence housing executive's customer satisfaction slips; and if he will make a statement. [113752]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: Between June and November 1999 (the latest available figures) the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) had a 15.7 per cent. response rate from customers in Families' Quarters who had requested repairs to their properties. Of these, 91.2 per cent. indicated that they were satisfied with the repairs made.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married quarters in each grade are available to the Defence Housing Executive; how many service families are entitled to quarters in each grade; and if he will make a statement. [113758]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The breakdown of family quarters by type is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Officers: | |
| I | 73 |
| II | 370 |
| III | 1,986 |
| IV | 3,962 |
| V | 5,629 |
| Other ranks | |
| D | 3,842 |
| C | 28,807 |
| B | 17,034 |
| A | 0 |
All married personnel in the Armed Forces are entitled to a quarter near their place of duty and the allocation of quarters is based partly on rank and partly on family size. Entitlement to a type of quarter changes whenever either of those variables alters. It is therefore not possible to break down the figures to indicate how many Service families are entitled to quarters in each grade.
When seeking to identify demand for future housing stock levels, current demand (which is a reflection of family requirements) is used as an indicator. DHE would not, for example, seek to retain or replace quarters of a type for which current demand was low.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards service families left living in service quarters after divorce or separation from the serviceman or woman to whom those quarters had been allocated. [114207]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: In the event of marital breakdown, the Marital Category of the Service person changes from married to single. At this point, unless the Service person has custodial responsibilities for a child, they are no longer entitled to occupy a family quarter and are consequently required
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to move into single living accommodation. The estranged family is also required to vacate the family quarter but is given a 93 day notice period in which to do so. The Service person continues to be liable to pay the entitled rate of accommodation charges for the duration of the notice period.
DHE issues a Notice to Vacate at the beginning of the 93 day period and advises the estranged spouse to contact the local authority to inquire about housing. If the estranged spouse remains in the family quarter after the 93 day notice has expired, they become liable to pay Damages for Trespass. This charge is calculated on the basis of prevailing market rents in that particular area. At the 93 day point, DHE will review the particular circumstances and decide whether to apply for a Possession Order.
If the quarter is required for another, entitled, Service family or if the local authority will not consider the estranged family for local authority housing unless they can demonstrate impending homelessness, the DHE will seek a Possession Order.
DHE officials liaise with local authority staff on such cases and it is usually possible for local authorities and DHE to agree a mutually convenient move out date for the family.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the review of married quarters estates produced by Professor Ian Cole of Sheffield University. [113754]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: Copies of Professor Cole's study on the Ministry of Defence Mixed Estates were placed in the Library of the House in 1998.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many quarters at (a) RAF Halton and (b) RAF High Wycombe are the subject of repossession proceedings; how many of those cases involve households with dependent children; and if he will make a statement. [114206]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: There are no extant possession orders--nor are any being sought at RAF High Wycombe. At RAF Halton, there are four extant possession orders and a further ten are being sought. Thirteen of these 14 cases involve dependent children. Evictions from Service Family Quarters are very rare. Issue of a possession order is often, however, a pre- requirement by local authorities to accept responsibility for re-housing families. DHE officials are in regular contact with the local authorities and the Station Welfare representatives to help rehouse these families.
Ann Keen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to callout members of the reserve forces to support United Nations operations in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. [114880]
Mr. Spellar:
A call-out order has been made under section 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 to permit members of the reserve forces to be called out for service with the UN monitoring and observer forces in Sierra
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Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Only a small number are expected to be called out, as and when suitable posts arise, and all will be volunteers for this work.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the European Staff Requirement on strategic airlift. [113934]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The European Staff Requirement for the Future Large Aircraft (now A400M) includes the specific requirements of all seven countries involved in the programme and has security and commercial sensitivities attached to some of the information it contains. I am therefore withholding this information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how long the London Underground escalators to the Victoria Line from Kings Cross railway station will be out of commission. [113077]
Mr. Hill:
These are operational matters for London Underground. They have informed me that in addition to temporary repairs, agreed with HMRI, to bring some of the recently discovered defective escalators back into service quickly, they will start a full programme of work to repair or replace the defective escalators in late May, once redesigned shafts have been manufactured. The programme will be completed in the autumn. Kings Cross is high on London Underground's priorities along with Oxford Circus and Walthamstow Central.
Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the total number of deaths from asbestos-related diseases in the UK for each of the last five years for which figures are available broken down by (a) region and (b) occupation. [113328]
Mr. Meacher:
The figures available are set out in the tables. These detail the deaths from mesothelioma and asbestosis in Great Britain between 1993 and 1997 by region and by occupational group. Occupational information is only available for people aged under 75 at the time of death and has only been recorded in the Health and Safety Executive's register of asbestosis deaths since 1995. No information is available for asbestos-related lung cancer because it cannot be medically distinguished from lung cancer from other causes.
A more detailed breakdown of the figures on mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain by occupation and by geographical distribution, published by the Health and Safety Executive, will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
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| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | 114 | 112 | 119 | 118 | 145 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 91 | 120 | 120 | 130 | 106 |
| North West | 111 | 128 | 127 | 121 | 152 |
| West Midlands | 74 | 82 | 84 | 85 | 99 |
| East Midlands | 70 | 58 | 79 | 76 | 71 |
| South West | 103 | 93 | 96 | 116 | 105 |
| East Anglia | 39 | 38 | 50 | 57 | 50 |
| South East excluding Greater London | 228 | 297 | 298 | 291 | 282 |
| Greater London | 140 | 134 | 138 | 137 | 154 |
| Wales | 51 | 51 | 53 | 50 | 53 |
| Scotland | 122 | 128 | 150 | 123 | 113 |
| Overseas | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- |
| Great Britain | 1,143 | 1,241 | 1,317 | 1,304 | 1,330 |
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| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | 35 | 41 | 29 | 36 | 33 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 17 | 21 | 17 | 9 | 14 |
| North West | 32 | 28 | 30 | 46 | 32 |
| West Midlands | 6 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 8 |
| East Midlands | 4 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| South West | 21 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 23 |
| East Anglia | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| South East excluding Greater London | 15 | 14 | 12 | 22 | 21 |
| Greater London | 23 | 21 | 18 | 38 | 25 |
| Wales | 4 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 8 |
| Scotland | 14 | 12 | 22 | 5 | 16 |
| Overseas | 1 | 1 | -- | 1 | 1 |
| Great Britain | 173 | 174 | 166 | 196 | 189 |
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| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and related supporting management; senior national and local government managers | 27 | 20 | 27 | 26 | 23 |
| Professional and related in education, welfare and health | 24 | 27 | 32 | 21 | 25 |
| Literary, artistic and sports | 5 | -- | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| Professional and related in science, engineering, technology and similar fields | 39 | 42 | 48 | 44 | 50 |
| Managerial | 75 | 64 | 82 | 70 | 80 |
| Clerical and related | 44 | 60 | 57 | 52 | 44 |
| Selling | 18 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 18 |
| Security and protective services | 8 | 25 | 15 | 16 | 20 |
| Catering, cleaning, hairdressing and other personal service | 31 | 34 | 34 | 31 | 39 |
| Farming, fishing and related | 5 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
| Materials processing; making and repairing (excluding metal and electrical) | 79 | 99 | 94 | 110 | 75 |
| Processing, making, repairing and related (metal and electrical) | 259 | 244 | 261 | 260 | 272 |
| Painting, repetitive assembling, product inspecting, packaging and related | 43 | 37 | 41 | 42 | 32 |
| Construction, mining and related not identified elsewhere | 46 | 81 | 79 | 74 | 90 |
| Transport operating, materials moving and storing and related | 58 | 70 | 68 | 65 | 77 |
| Miscellaneous | 37 | 46 | 49 | 46 | 41 |
| Occupation not stated on death certificate | 59 | 61 | 55 | 52 | 47 |
| All occupations | 857 | 937 | 972 | 933 | 940 |
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14 Mar 2000 : Column: 113W
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