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Fleet Air Arm Sea Harrier
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Fleet Air Arm Sea Harriers are potentially fully operational; and how many Fleet Air Arm Sea Harrier pilots are combat ready. [140126]
Mr. Spellar: The requirement for Sea Harrier operational aircraft is 24 aircraft. As of 20 November 2000, all 24 aircraft were available at the required readiness including 14 in front-line squadrons as planned. On the same date, there were 18 combat ready Fleet Air Arm Harrier pilots in front-line squadrons as planned. A further 13 pilots were at planned lower states of readiness.
Fleet Air Arm Pilots
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries under consideration for a possible training role for Fleet Air Arm pilots operating from full-size aircraft carriers in future. [140130]
Mr. Spellar: There are no countries under consideration for training of Fleet Air Arm pilots to operate from full size aircraft carriers.
Cluster Munitions
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the failure rate was of BL755 cluster munitions deployed in the Falklands conflict. [139764]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 24 November 2000]: British forces dropped a total of 107 BL755 cluster bombs during the course of the Falklands conflict. A further four failed to release. The Department does not hold records of the rate of failure of individual bomblets.
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of cluster bombs against modern main battle tanks. [139766]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 24 November 2000]: While the cluster bombs currently in service with the RAF have limited effectiveness against modern main battle tanks, they do remain effective against lighter armoured vehicles, soft skinned vehicles, artillery and mortar positions, surface to air missile sites and area targets such as fuel or logistics storage depots. We are taking steps to enhance our air launched anti-tank capability with the introduction of Maverick precision guided missiles in early 2001 and Brimstone in 2002.
Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the UK Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment programme; and if he will make a statement. [140018]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 24 November 2000]: The Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment Programme (TRRAP) is examining the characteristics of ballistic missiles, the performance of radars and other sensors, the guidance of interceptors and their potential for defeating
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ballistic missile warheads. Good progress is being made and the study is now expected to complete in the autumn of 2001.
Joint Strike Fighter
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with what weapons the UK version of the Joint Strike Fighter will be armed; and if he will make a statement. [140015]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 24 November 2000]: The UK is participating in the Concept Demonstration Phase of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme which has recently seen the successful first flights of demonstrator aircraft from both competing prime contractors. While JSF remains a strong contender to meet our requirement for a Future Carrier Borne Aircraft, no decision has yet been taken on its procurement. The Government are now considering whether to continue as a full collaborative partner in the next phase of the programme, Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD). The aircraft will allow for the internal and external carriage of a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons, including those meeting UK-specific requirements. Further progress in this area will depend upon our continued participation in the programme.
Defence Attaches
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the overall (a) salary and (b) associated costs were of defence attaches in the latest year for which figures are available. [140453]
Mr. Spellar: The overall salary cost of officers deployed as attaches in 1999-2000 was £10.2 million and the associated cost was £13.7 million.
Training (Foreign Armed Forces)
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give a breakdown of the (a) income and (b) expenditure derived from UK training of personnel from foreign armed forces in each of the last three years. [140461]
Mr. Spellar: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 14 November 2000, Official Report, column 576W, to my hon. Friend the Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Todd). The amount of receipts recovered for the provision of education and training in general for the last three years are as set out.
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 62 |
| 1998-99 | 51 |
| 1999-2000 | 58 |
MOD Police (RAF Innsworth)
Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with (a) staff at RAF Innsworth and (b) Gloucestershire constabulary, before deciding to reduce the number of his Department's police at RAF Innsworth; and if he will make a statement. [140025]
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Dr. Moonie [holding answer 24 November 2000]: The proposal to reduce the Ministry of Defence Police complement at RAF Innsworth was discussed with the Gloucestershire Constabulary as part of my Department's assessment of the policing needs at that location. There have been no direct discussions with the staff of RAF Innsworth but the Defence Police Federation has been fully involved in the consultation process.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Benefit Fraud Inspectorate
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people worked for the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in each of the last three years. [139008]
Mr. Rooker: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) was launched in November 1997. The numbers of staff in post, at the end of each financial year since then, are as follows:
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 86 |
| 1998-99 | 133 |
| 1999-2000 | 147 |
Minimum Income Guarantee
Mr. Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in each parliamentary constituency are eligible for the Minimum Income Guarantee; and if he will make a statement. [139103]
Mr. Rooker: The information is not available.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 20 November 2000, Official Report, column 69W, concerning the Minimum Income Guarantee, when he expects to announce his conclusions. [140003]
Mr. Rooker: Administration issues will be considered as part of our detailed programme to take forward the Pension Credit. Any announcements will be made in the normal manner.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much has been spent by his Department on promoting applications for the Minimum Income Guarantee. [139990]
Mr. Rooker: The TV campaign to encourage pensioners to claim the Minimum Income Guarantee and to promote the new Minimum Income Guarantee teleclaims centre will cost around £4 million.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what his estimate is of the number of pensioners who are eligible to apply for the Minimum Income Guarantee. [139976]
Mr. Rooker: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths) on 13 November 2000, Official Report, column 519W.
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Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the latest available figures on (a) the number of applications for Minimum Income Guarantee, (b) the number of applications rejected, (c) the number of applications accepted and (d) the average amount awarded in applications accepted. [139984]
Mr. Rooker: The effect of the Minimum Income Guarantee take up campaign will not be known until it comes to a conclusion. We will provide further details of the campaign in due course.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if pensioners were involved in designing the claim form for the Minimum Income Guarantee. [140421]
Mr. Rooker: The Minimum Income Guarantee claim form, SP1, has evolved from a series of postal claim forms introduced in the early 1980s. Pensioners have expressed their views on this form to Ministers on several occasions during the eleven "Listening to Older People" events last year and this has prompted us to look at the design again. We will ensure that pensioners will be fully involved in the design of future forms.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the annual cost of administration of applications for Minimum Income Guarantee. [139991]
Mr. Rooker: The total estimated expenditure on administration costs for the Minimum Income Guarantee for 2000-01 is around £250 million. An estimated 2 million pensioners are gaining on average £40.17 per week.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 2 November 2000, Official Report, column 572W, on the relationship between pensioners' incomes and the Minimum Income Guarantee, if he will update the table assuming a MIG level of £90 for single pensioners and £135 for married couples and to include pensioners with savings between £20,000 and £25,000. [137608]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 9 November 2000]: The information is in the table. On the basis that next year pensioners with savings of up to £12,000 will be eligible for the Minimum Income Guarantee, and cases with up to £30 above the Minimum Income Guarantee were nearly all negligible, I have confined the answer to pensioners with less than £12,000 savings for ease of comparison.
| Thousand | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savings (£) | ||||
| Income for MIG calculation | 0 | 0-3,000 | 3,000-8,000 | 8,000-12,000 |
| Below MIG | 900 | 550 | 200 | 50 |
| £0-£10 | 150 | 150 | 50 | -- |
| £10-£20 | 100 | 100 | 50 | -- |
| £20-£30 | 100 | 100 | 50 | -- |
| £30 and above | 550 | 850 | 650 | 350 |
| Total | 1,850 | 1,800 | 1,050 | 450 |
Notes:
1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 50,000 cases. No figure is shown where the underlying case load is less than 25,000. Totals may not tally due to rounding.
2. The proposed MIG rates for 2001-02 of £92.15 for single pensioners and £140.55 for couples, detailed in the pre-Budget Report have been used. The figures have been calculated using the Policy Simulation Model for Income Related Benefits. This models the benefits system in 2001-02 and is based on data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS) for 1997-98, uprated to 2000-01 prices.
3. Figures exclude Residential Care or Nursing Home cases.
4. These figures are not calibrated to administrative records of capital levels and as with all survey data may be subject to survey errors.
5. Figures exclude Entitled Non Recipients.
6. Income is defined according to the amount used for the calculation of a benefit award and therefore may differ from actual pensioner income.
27 Nov 2000 : Column: 432W
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps the Government are taking to ensure an increase in the take up of pensioner benefits. [140523]
Mr. Rooker: We are examining a numbers of measures, which will reduce the complexity of the current system and encourage pensioners to claim their correct entitlement. As a first step we have launched an intensive national campaign to increase take-up of the minimum income guarantee.
The campaign started on 30 May and includes: data matched screening to identify those pensioners most likely to be entitled and using this information writing to over two million pensioners to encourage a claim; a national high profile TV advertising campaign headed by Dame Thora Hird and, as a focal point for the programme, a national minimum income guarantee Teleclaims centre allowing pensioners to make a claim without leaving their home.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide the evidence to support the statement on page 11 of the pension credit consultation paper (Cm 4900) that early results from the Minimum Income Guarantee take-up campaign suggest there will be 100,000 successful new claims. [139119]
Mr. Rooker: The effect of the Minimum Income Guarantee take up campaign will not be known until it comes to a conclusion. We will provide further details of the campaign in due course.
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners have applied (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully for the Minimum Income Guarantee, expressed as a percentage of (i) the total numbers and (ii) each benefit area. [137771]
Mr. Rooker: The effect of the Minimum Income Guarantee take up campaign will not be known until it comes to a conclusion. We will provide further details of the campaign in due course.
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