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Broadsword
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of repairing and refitting the Joint Services Adventure Sail Training vessel Broadsword in the past year; and what would be the cost of purchasing an equivalent new boat. [99931]
Mr. Spellar:
The Joint Services Adventure Sail Training vessel Broadsword completed an extensive package of work in May 1998 to extend her life for a further 15 years. The total cost of this work was £256,000. Since then, the only costs incurred on Broadsword have been for repair work associated with her participation in the Transglobe Inter-Savings global yacht race, which has not yet completed. It is estimated that the repair work undertaken to-date will cost about £14,000. No refit work is planned for 1999-2000. The cost of purchasing an equivalent new boat is estimated to be about £700,000.
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Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) for what reason Territorial Army financial systems administrators have each received substitution pay of £10 per day; and what has been the total cost to his budget; [99929]
Mr. Spellar:
The post of Financial Systems Administrator (FSA) was civilianised with effect from 1 July 1999, and this will affect some 78 non-regular permanent staff (NRPS). The executive officer (EO) grade civil servants who will fulfil this function in future will each undergo a maximum of 18 weeks training at the School of Employment (SET) Training at Worthy Down before taking over the job fully. One additional member of staff has been temporarily employed to assist in running courses at SET at a cost of some £35,000 to minimise the impact of this surge in requirement on existing courses.
The travel and subsistence costs for EOs attending these courses depend on an individual's circumstances. Where EOs stay in the Officers' Mess at Worthy Down, they will receive daily subsistence of £5 in addition to the cost of accommodation. If they stay in a hotel, the rate is up to a maximum of £25 in addition to the cost of accommodation. It is not possible to provide a meaningful figure for travelling expenses because each individual's circumstances are unique. Executive officer FSAs will be entitled to claim overtime.
Until such time as the executive officers take over these responsibilities, the NRPS staff sergeants who are currently filling the posts are entitled to substitution pay which equates to £10 a day. In order to provide an overall cost, it would be necessary to refer to individual records and this has not been possible in the time available.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what motor mileage allowance rates his Department offers to (a) ministers and (b) civil servants using their own vehicles for official business; and what has been the cost of each in each of the last five years. [98699]
Mr. Straw:
Home Office Ministers, when travelling on official business, may use a private car instead of an official car, and claim mileage allowances in the same circumstances and on the same terms as Home Office civil servants. However, all five Ministers use the Government Car Service. The vehicles available to me, while purchased by my Department, are operated by the Metropolitan Police.
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The Motor Mileage Allowance Rates offered to Ministers and civil servants using their own vehicles for official business are as follows:
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(2) how many Territorial Army financial systems administrator posts are being civilianised; what is (a) the average and (b) the maximum number of training weeks required to train executive officers as FSAs; what is the cost of that training; what is the cost of (i) subsistence and (ii) travelling expenses per person per day for that training at Worthy Down; and whether overtime will be payable to civilianised FSAs. [99933]
Home Office (excluding Prison Service)
Motor Vehicle Rates
Public Transport Rate
23.8p per mile
Standard Rate Mileage
Engine capacity up to 1500cc
35.7p for first 5,000 miles
19p for over 5,000 miles
Engine capacity 1501-2000cc
43p for first 5,000 miles
23p for over 5,000 miles
Engine capacity over 2000cc
46p for first 5,000 miles
31p for over 5,000 miles
Motor Cycle Rates
Public Transport Rate
Engine capacity up to 125cc
12.9p per mile
Engine capacity over 125cc
23.8p per mile
Standard Rate Mileage
Engine capacity up to 125cc
16.2p for first 4,000 miles
6.2p for over 4,000 miles
Engine capacity over 125cc
26p for first 4,000 miles
9p for over 4,000 miles
Prison Service
Motor Vehicle Rates
Public Transport Rate
24.9p per mile
Standard Rate Mileage
Engine capacity up to 1000cc
28p for first 4,000 miles
17p for over 4,000 miles
Engine capacity 1001-1500cc
35p for first 4,000 miles
20p for over 4,000 miles
Engine capacity 1501-2000cc
45p for first 4,000 miles
25p for over 4,000 miles
Engine capacity over 2000cc
63p for first 4,000 miles
36p for over 4,000 miles
Motor Cycle Rates
Public Transport Rate
Engine capacity up to 125cc
13.4p per mile
Engine capacity over 125cc
24.9 per mile
Standard Rate Mileage
Engine capacity up to 125cc
17.5p for first 4,000 miles
6.5p for over 4,000 miles
Engine capacity over 125cc
27.2p for first 4,000 miles
9.7p for over 4,000 miles
Expenditure
| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 1,116,202 |
| 1997-98 | 1,039,917 |
| 1998-99 | 930,237 |
Unfortunately, data are not available for the earlier two years: 1994-95 and 1995-96. Also these figures exclude expenditure in the United Kingdom Passport Agency and the Prison Service because these data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Passport Agency
Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from organisations representing tourism and the travel industry (a) supporting and (b) opposing an increase in fees charged by the Passport Agency for issuing passports. [99401]
Mrs. Roche: Representations expressing concern about increases in passport fees have been received from The Association of British Travel Agents Ltd., The Council of Travel and Tourism, the Passenger Shipping Association and the Federation of Tour Operators.
The Agency has taken careful account of their representations in its review of passport fees.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he plans to publish the Passport Agency's business plan 1999-2000 and its corporate plan 1999 to 2002. [100210]
Mr. Straw:
The Passport Agency's Corporate and Business Plans 1999-2002 will be published shortly.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date his advisory board considered the Passport Agency's business plan 1999 to 2000 and its corporate plan 1999 to 2002; and if his advisory board has now approved those plans. [100208]
Mr. Straw:
The Passport Agency's revised Corporate and Business Plans were considered by the Advisory Board on 27 September. The plans, which were held back pending the publication of the National Audit Office
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report, have now been approved. They will be issued shortly, together with a recovery plan which sets out the action the Agency is taking to prevent a recurrence of this year's problems.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the Board of the United Kingdom Passport Agency considered its business plan 1999-2000 and its corporate plan 1999 to 2002; and if the plans have been approved. [100209]
Mr. Straw:
The Passport Agency's revised Corporate and Business Plans were considered by the Agency's Management Board on 20 September. The plans, which were held back pending publication of the National Audit Office Report, have now been approved. They will be published shortly, together with a recovery plan which sets out the action the Agency is taking to prevent a recurrence of this year's problems.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in his review of the future level of passport fees. [100214]
Mr. Straw:
We are looking at various options for a possible increase in passport fees and an announcement of the outcome will be made shortly.
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