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Ships Support Agency

Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Ships Support Agency for the financial year 2000-01. [133929]

Mr. Spellar: Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the SSA for financial year 2000-01. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in December 1996 and are as follows:

Key Target 1--Upkeep Timeliness

To keep variation of actual to planned Upkeep time to within 7 per cent.

Key Target 2--Upkeep Cost

To keep variation of actual to approved Upkeep cost to within 3 per cent.

Key Target 3--Unplanned Unavailability (Quantity)

To keep Unplanned Vessel Unavailability to less than 5 per cent. of Fleet Time.

Key Target 4--Operational Defects (Quality)

To limit to less than three the average number of operational defects outstanding per vessel in Fleet Time.

Key Target 5--Available Force Element Days (Quantity)

To provide more than 95 per cent. of Available Force Element Days.

Key Target 7--Efficiency

Pounds per Available Force Element Days to be less than £28,800.

Key Target 8--Stockholding (Efficiency)

To reduce the ratio of value of stocks held to stocks issued to less than 2.9:1.

Cannabis

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if (a) GW Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and (b) the Medicinal Cannabis Research Foundation have cannabis growing facilities at the Porton Down establishment; and if he will make a statement. [132806]

Dr. Moonie: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 28 July 2000:

I am replying to your parliamentary question about tenancies on the Porton Down Science Park since the Porton Down site is part of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).

The Medicinal Cannabis Research Foundation is not a tenant at Porton Down. GW Pharmaceuticals Ltd does, however, maintain an office on the Porton Down Science Park. The relationship between

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the company and DERA is a commercial one, that of tenant and landlord. If DERA is to continue to attract tenants to its Science Parks, then companies must be able to feel confident that information about their business will be treated as confidential. I am, therefore, obliged to refuse your request under exemption 7, effective management and operations of the public service, of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

I can, however, assure you that significant checks are carried out on both staff and companies applying to occupy space on our Science Parks. DERA would not consider any potential tenant whose business was likely, in any way, to infringe the law.

I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful on this occasion.

Service Personnel (Medical Treatment)

Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel are unavailable for full duties for medical reasons in the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Marines, (c) Army and (d) Royal Air Force; how many of these have postings which would require them to be operational or on rapid reaction duties if fit; and how many of these in each category are (i) awaiting an initial medical consultation, (ii) awaiting treatment following an initial medical consultation and (iii) receiving treatment. [132553]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

MOD Police

Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many MOD police officers normally based at (a) AWE Aldermaston and (b) AWE Burghfield are working at other sites; [133444]

(2) what was the average number of sickness hours, per officer, per month, among MOD police (a) in total, (b) at AWE Aldermaston and (c) at AWE Burghfield in each month since November 1999; [133442]

(3) what was the average amount of overtime worked by MOD police officers at (a) AWE Aldermaston and (b) AWE Burghfield each month from November 1999 to the latest month for which figures are available; [133445]

(4) if he will make a statement on the extent to which MOD police officers based at AWE Aldermaston and AWE Burghfield are covered by the European Working Time Regulations; [133443]

(5) what was the longest amount of overtime worked by any MOD police officer at (a) AWE Aldermaston and (b) AWE Burghfield in any period of (i) one month and (ii) six months since June 1999. [133446]

Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Medical Services

Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many doctors and nurses in each specialty are serving in the armed forces; how many were serving in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999; and how many of those now serving have given notice of their intention to retire from the armed forces; [132552]

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(2) how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses have joined the armed forces since the announcement of a recruiting drive in early 1999. [133390]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Disposal Sales Agency

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Disposal Sales Agency for the Financial Year 2000-01. [133928]

Dr. Moonie: Since its launch in October 1994 the Agency has positioned itself as the market leader in the disposal sales of surplus equipment and goods in the public sector. The Key Targets which have been set for the Chief Executive of the Disposal Sales Agency for this financial year are aimed at securing disposal receipts from the sale of surplus capital assets and inventory items from both the Ministry of Defence and a range of public sector organisations. The Chief Executive of the Agency has been set the following key targets for the financial year 2000-01.

Key Target 1:

To achieve disposal sales gross income from sales of surplus Government owned equipment and stores of £40 million.

Key Target 2:

To achieve a unit cost of generating £1 million of sales of £87.5K.

Key Target 3:

To agree Customer Supplier Agreements (CSAs) based on the transfer to DSA of ownership of assets declared for disposal.

Key Target 4:

To establish performance measures for DSA based on added value and to set targets for 2001-02.

Key Target 5:

To refine Agency's website and establish the feasibility of e-commerce for disposal business.

Military Bases (Foreign Personnel)

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 6 June 2000, Official Report, column 172W, regarding foreign nationals stationed at UK military bases, if he will make a statement on the stationing at UK military bases of nationals of countries which are not members of NATO. [133727]

Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Military Bases

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military bases outside the United Kingdom where UK nationals are based, indicating in each case the number of UK nationals based there. [133550]

Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

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Electronic Communications Act 2000

Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what orders he (a) has made and (b) intends to make using section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [133370]

Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office.

Retired Ex-servicemen

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many retired ex-servicemen have their level of pension affected by pay restraint policies in force in 1976 and 1977; [133162]

(2) what would be the annual cost of raising with effect from 1 April 2001 the pension payable to members of the Armed Services who retired between 1 April 1977 and 31 March 1978 so that it is the same as the pension of those who retired immediately prior to 1 April 1977. [133161]

Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

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