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Scottish Regiments
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) establishment strength, (b) actual strength and (c) bases of all Scottish regiments. [117666]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 5 April 2000]: The current UK trained strength, the establishment strength and location of each Scottish regiment, as at 1 March 2000, are shown in the table.
11 Apr 2000 : Column: 91W
| Regiment | Trained strength | UKTAP (2) liability | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 SG (Scots Guards) | 555 | 620 | Ballykinler |
| F COY SG (Scots Guards) | 120 | 108 | London |
| 1 RS (Royal Scots) | 493 | 620 | Colchester |
| 1 RHF (Royal Highland Fusiliers) | 626 | 670 | Fallingbostel |
| 1 KOSB (Kings Own Scottish Borderers) | 563 | 620 | Cyprus |
| 1 BW (Black Watch) | 516 | 620 | Fort George |
| 1 HLDRS (The Highlanders) | 515 | 667 | Catterick |
| 1 A&SH (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders) | 608 | 620 | Edinburgh |
| Scots Dragoon Guards | 432 | 511 | Fallingbostel |
(2) The figures are for UK trained army personnel only, and exclude locally employed personnel, Royal Irish (Home Service) personnel, full time reserve service personnel, and Gurkhas.
11 Apr 2000 : Column: 93W
Aircraft Carriers
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many refits the three Invincible Class carriers will have before they leave service; and if he will estimate the cost of each refit. [118266]
Mr. Spellar: HMS Ark Royal is currently undergoing refit at Rosyth. On current plans for the introduction of replacement carriers, there will be a further two refits of Invincible Class carriers.
The cost of the refits will depend on the scope of work to be undertaken, for which planning work has only recently commenced. The refit of Ark Royal is due to complete in late 2001 at a planned cost of about £116 million, subject to any additional unforeseen work.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the operating cost of each of the Invincible Class carriers in each of the past three years. [118267]
Mr. Spellar: The operating costs of Invincible Class carriers, over the last three financial years, were in the order of:
| HMS Invincible | HMS Illustrious | HMS Ark Royal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 46.9 | 35.8 | 3.8 |
| 1998-99 | 41.5 | 42.4 | 5.0 |
| 1999-2000 | 51.8 | 37.5 | 63.8 |
11 Apr 2000 : Column: 94W
These costs include manpower, fuel, port and harbour dues, maintenance and maintenance stores and, in the case of HMS Ark Royal, refit costs, but not the cost of the Air Group when embarked. HMS Invincible and HMS Illustrious have each undergone extended docking/ maintenance periods, which largely account for year on year variations. HMS Ark Royal was in a period of extended readiness prior to commencing her refit in May 1999.
Random Drug Tests
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date random drug tests were introduced for service personnel; if he will set for out each regiment the number of positive test results for each major category of illegal drugs; how many (a) soldiers and (b) officers have been subjected to disciplinary action; and how many have been discharged from the services as a result. [117254]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 10 April 2000]: Random compulsory drug testing (CDT) was introduced fully in the Army on 2 May 1995, in the Naval Service on 1 April 1997 and in the RAF on 1 November 1998. The Services regard drug taking as a matter of the utmost seriousness and a positive test will, in most cases, lead to an administrative discharge from the Service. The table shows, by category of illegal drug, the number of positive drug test results, following a compulsory drug test, recorded by other ranks in each of the three Services. No officer has tested positive in any of the Services since CDT was introduced. The second table also records those who have been subsequently administratively discharged.
11 Apr 2000 : Column: 93W
| Class of drug | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RN | Army | RAF | |||||||
| A | B | C | A | B | C | A | B | C | |
| 1995 | -- | -- | -- | 11 | 118 | 0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1996 | -- | -- | -- | 15 | 281 | 0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1997 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 35 | 483 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1998 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 40 | 401 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 107 | 364 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| 2000(3) | 4 | 6 | 0 | 37 | 100 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
(3) To date
Note:
It should be noted that some individuals have tested positive for more than one type of drug.
11 Apr 2000 : Column: 93W
| RN | Army | RAF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | -- | 104 | -- |
| 1996 | -- | 178 | -- |
| 1997 | 13 | 426 | -- |
| 1998 | 13 | 336 | 1 |
| 1999 | 30 | 255 | 7 |
| 2000(4) | 9 | 111 | 1 |
(4) To date
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Welsh Committee Costs
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much was spent in the last year for which figures are available on (a) the Welsh Grand Committee and (b) the Welsh Affairs Committee. [117821]
11 Apr 2000 : Column: 94W
Mr. Kirkwood: The costs of meetings of the Welsh Grand Committee at Westminster are not separately identified. In 1998-99 the Committee met once away from Westminster, at Aberaeron, in February 1999. Additional costs to the House of that meeting were £6,417.12.
In respect of the Welsh Affairs Committee, the Committee incurred the following costs during the financial year 1998-99:
| Costs incurred | £ |
|---|---|
| Overseas visits | 12,646.22 |
| UK visits | 21,426.20 |
| Specialist Advisers' Fees and Expenses | 10,375.83 |
| Work commissioned, specialist publications, interpretation | 884.20 |
| Transcription of evidence | 26,224.24 |
| Witnesses' expenses | 802.79 |
| Total | 72,359.48 |
Staff costs are not separately identified. Details of the work of the Committee may be found in the Sessional Return for 1998-998, HC 1.
11 Apr 2000 : Column: 95W
House Sittings
Mr. Radice: To ask the President of the Council how many times the House has sat after (a) 10.30 pm, (b) 11 pm and (c) midnight (i) in the current session and (ii) in each of the last two sessions. [118757]
Mrs. Beckett: The information requested is as follows:
| Number of occasions on which House rose | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Session | between 10:31 and 11.00 pm | between 11:01 pm and midnight | 00:01 or later |
| 1999-2000 to date | 13 | 8 | 16 |
| 1998-99 | 29 | 19 | 23 |
| 1997-98 | 55 | 26 | 34 |
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Libraries (Shropshire)
Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list for each constituency in Shropshire, the branch libraries which were (a) downgraded, (b) closed and (c) opened (i) between 1979 to 1997 and (ii) since May 1997. [118538]
Mr. Alan Howarth: Information about the annual number of libraries opened or closed is not collected centrally. However, data about the number of libraries operated by each library authority are set out in the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's annual publication "Public Library Statistics", which can be consulted in the House Library, and from which year-to-year changes can be established.
WALES
Employment
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of people who have moved from benefits into work in Wales since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [116235]
11 Apr 2000 : Column: 96W
Mr. Paul Murphy: In Wales, the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance leaving the claimant count and known to have found work as the reason for ceasing their claim was 281,940 between 8 May 1997 and 10 February 2000, the latest date for which figures are available.
Lawyers
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many lawyers are employed by his Department; and how many were employed in 1995. [117805]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Following devolution, the Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999, and employs one lawyer who works four days per week.
In 1995 the former Welsh Office employed 23 lawyers in established posts, excluding trainees and probationers.
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