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Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered (a) citing disproportionate cost, (b) stating that the information is not available, not held centrally, or not held in the form requested and (c) citing commercial or other confidentiality. [132468]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 26 July 2000]: The Ministry of Defence cited disproportionate cost on 73 occasions between 19 October 1999 and 20 April. The information requested at (b) and (c) cannot be provided as it is not held by the Ministry of Defence in the form requested. That information might be available to the hon. Member through the Library of the House.
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 July 2000, Official Report, column 182W, on parliamentary answers, in which answers his Department has used the mechanism of a pursuant answer. [132567]
Dr. Moonie: The three pursuant answers given by the Ministry of Defence can be found in the Official Report as listed:
- Reply to the hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), 7 July 2000, Official Report, column 340W.
- Reply to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field), 10 July 2000, Official Report, columns 381-82W.
- Reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth (Mr. Wright), 12 July 2000, Official Report, column 574W.
Military Police
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the differences in the (a) legal powers and (b) effectiveness of (i) his Department's police and (ii) the military police of the three Services. [124932]
Mr. Spellar: The roles and responsibilities of the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) and the Service Police are different (though complementary) and this is reflected in their powers. Both have a high level of expertise in their respective areas.
27 Jul 2000 : Column: 749W
HMS Wilton
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the disposal of HMS Wilton; what response he has made to the representations from the Maritime Preservation Society on this ship; and if he will make a statement. [125962]
Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Personnel
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) men and (b) women serving in the UK armed forces on 1 July were from ethnic minorities. [132842]
Mr. Spellar: Figures for 1 July 2000 are not yet available. As at 1 June 2000, the ethnic minority strength of the armed forces was as follows:
| Males | Females | Total | Percentage of total strength | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Service | 357 | 26 | 383 | 0.9 |
| Army | 1,579 | 154 | 1,733 | 1.6 |
| RAF | 554 | 51 | 605 | 1.1 |
| Total Services | 2,490 | 231 | 2,721 | 1.3 |
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel, in each service, are unfit for duty due to ill health; and what percentage this represents of the manpower in each case. [132472]
Dr. Moonie: I will write to the right hon. and learned Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Chinook Crash
Mr. O'Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will provide a detailed description of the simulator used by Boeing as part of the Board of Inquiry investigation into RAF Chinook ZD576; [133034]
(2) if he will provide a detailed description of the simulator used by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency during the Board of Inquiry investigation into RAF Chinook ZD576; [133035]
(3) if the Boeing simulation undertaken as part of the Board of Inquiry investigation into the crash of RAF Chinook ZD576 was able to determine the precise (a) speed and (b) height of the aircraft prior to the last five seconds before impact. [133038]
Mr. Spellar: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Efficiency Savings
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list of the efficiency savings measures taken in financial year 1999-2000 that resulted in over £100,000 savings per annum with a brief explanation of each measure. [132817]
Mr. Hoon: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
27 Jul 2000 : Column: 750W
Ministerial Duty Roster (Summer)
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the daily ministerial duty roster for his Department during the summer adjournment. [133075]
Dr. Moonie: It is not normal practice of Government to publish ministerial duty rosters. This Department will ensure that it has sufficient cover through the summer recess in line with the requirements of the Ministerial Code.
Accommodation
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Armed Forces have cited poor accommodation as among the reasons for their decision to return to civilian life. [133417]
Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
HEALTH
NHS Pensions Agency
Mr. Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the Annual Report and Accounts of the NHS Pensions Agency. [133739]
Mr. Denham: We have approved the Report and Accounts, which have today been laid before both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the requirements of Sections 5(2) and 5(3) of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921.
Copies have been placed in the Library.
Ministerial Duty Roster (Summer)
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the daily ministerial duty roster for his Department during the summer recess. [133074]
Ms Stuart: It is not normal practice of Government to publish the daily ministerial duty roster. The Department will ensure that it has sufficient cover through the summer recess in line with the requirements of the Ministerial Code.
EU Food Hygiene Regulations
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has for requiring the registration of food outlets under the new EU food hygiene regulations; if these will apply to charity events; and what level of (a) charges for licences and (b) fines for transgressions he proposes to apply. [132822]
Ms Stuart: Food premises are already required to be registered under the Food Premises (Registration) Regulations 1991, as amended. The regulations exempt, subject to certain conditions, voluntary and charitable organisations from the requirement to register. There is no charge for registration. Fines for offences on conviction may not exceed either level 3 or level 5 on the standard scale, depending on the offence.
27 Jul 2000 : Column: 751W
The European Commission has presented five inter-linked proposals for regulations on food safety rules and associated animal health controls. These are intended to replace some 16 commodity-specific EC directives and the general food hygiene directive that applies to all other foodstuffs. The initial drafts of these regulations show a proposed coming into force date of 1 January 2004. The first meeting of experts took place on 25 and 26 July where the Commission presented the proposals and laid down its intended plans for tackling the wide range of issues. Regarding registration requirements for food premises, the United Kingdom will seek to ensure continuity with current domestic requirements.
It is likely that, following the summer break, meetings will take place in Brussels on a monthly basis. In the meantime, we are in the process of consulting with interested parties and stakeholders to seek their views.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the question tabled on 11 July by the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent on non-executive directorships of National Health Service trusts (ref. 130534). [133140]
Ms Stuart: I replied to the hon. Member on 25 July.
GM Crops
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if the Government plans to trace the food products which may contain oil produced from British oil seed rape affected by the contamination of Advanta rapeseeds by GM rapeseeds; [124154]
- (2) if the Government plans to publish advice to consumers wishing to avoid food containing ingredients produced from crops grown from conventional Advanta rapeseed contaminated with GM rapeseed. [124162]
Ms Stuart: No decision has yet been taken as to how crops grown from the contaminated rapeseed will be disposed of but the genetically modified element of the crop does not have the necessary authorisation under the Deliberate Release Directive (90/220) to enable it to be commercially marketed in the EC.
I am however, advised by the Food Standards Agency that while there is a possibility that some rapeseed containing a very low level of GM seed may have been grown in the UK last year, there is no information available on where this might have occurred. There is thus no way of being able to trace any oil from this source that may have entered the food chain as the oil cannot be distinguished from conventionally produced rapeseed oil by analytical means. This will in any case have been mixed with oil from other sources and dispersed widely.
The amount of oil from GM rapeseed in any single food product is likely to be extremely small, if it is present at all, but for the reasons given, there is no obvious way for consumers to be able to identify products which might contain traces of the GM derived oil.
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