6 Apr 2001 : Column: 289W
Written Answers to Questions
Friday 6 April 2001
PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Peerages
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council how many applicants for a people's peerage are under (a) 25 and (b) 30 years. [157254]
Mrs. Beckett: I understand from the House of Lords Appointments Commission that there were (a) 22 and (b) 77.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council how many applicants for a people's peerage are over (a) 65, (b) 70, (c) 75 and (d) 80. [157255]
Mrs. Beckett: I understand from the House of Lords Appointments Commission that there are (a) 696 of whom, (b) 309 are over 70, (c) 121 are over 75 and (d) 31 are over 80.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council if she will list the regional backgrounds of aspiring people's peers who appear in the column 'other' on the Commission's website. [157253]
Mrs. Beckett: I understand that those listed as 'other' in the House of Lords Appointments Commission website are nominees not resident in the UK at present. They are either British citizens currently living abroad, Commonwealth citizens or Irish citizens. They do not therefore have a regional background.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council if she will list the questions for answer by her which she has not answered on the grounds of disproportionate cost in the 2000-01 session. [157169]
Mrs. Beckett: Two. Questions answered on 16 March 2001, Official Report, column 764W, and 22 March 2001, Official Report, columns 314-15W.
PRIME MINISTER
Wal-Mart
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister on what dates between 1 January and 31 July 1999 he met representatives of the Wal-Mart company; and whom he met from the company on each occasion. [157325]
The Prime Minister: I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations it is not my practice to provide details of all such meetings.
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Foot and Mouth
Mr. Cash: To ask the Prime Minister if he will hold a public inquiry following the elimination of foot and mouth disease into the causes of the disease and the Government's handling of its consequences. [157612]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir J. Stanley) on 5 April 2001, Official Report, column 251W.
Identity Cards
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what studies are being undertaken by the Performance and Innovation Unit into the possibility of a national identity card; [157349]
- (2) what consultations have been carried out in the past 12 months by the Performance and Innovation Unit about the possibility of a national identity card. [157346]
The Prime Minister: The PIU have not carried out any formal consultation about the possibility of a national identity card.
In September last year, I asked the PIU to undertake a project looking at privacy and data issues. Lord Falconer, Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, is the Sponsor Minister for the project.
The project is analysing a broad range of issues involved in privacy and the use of personal data, including current government, private sector and international practices, structural and technological issues, public attitudes and the current legal framework. The project is also examining a range of issues to do with identification and authentication, including identification numbers and smartcards.
Meetings
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Prime Minister on what occasions and where since 3 May 1997 he has met the creators of charitable foundations; what the purposes of such meetings were; and what their outcomes were. [157258]
The Prime Minister: I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations it is not my practice to provide details of all such meetings.
DEFENCE
Reservists
Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the call-out of reservists for operations in the Balkans and the region of Iraq. [157797]
Dr. Moonie: Since NATO operations commenced in the former Yugoslavia, the reserve forces have historically provided some 10 per cent. of the total manpower in theatre. A further call-out order has been made under section 54 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 to allow members of the reserve forces to continue to be called out to support operations in Yugoslavia and in the region of
6 Apr 2001 : Column: 291W
Iraq. As in previous years, only volunteers for these duties will be called out. The new call-out order has effect until 31 March 2002.
Joint Strike Fighter
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what representations he is making to the US Administration to ensure that the US maintains its commitment to the Joint Strike Fighter project; [156335]
- (2) what recent discussions he has had with the US Defense Secretary on the Joint Strike Fighter project; [156334]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of UK jobs which will be created by the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft project; [156336]
(4) what assessment he has made of the prospects for continuing with the Joint Strike Fighter project without US support; [156337]
(5) what alternatives to the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft project his Department has assessed. [156338]
Mr. Hoon: The importance that the UK attaches to the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme has been raised regularly with the United States Administration in UK/US ministerial meetings. I took the opportunity to reinforce this message with Secretary Rumsfeld during my recent visit to the US.
We estimate that up to 5,000 jobs may be created or sustained as a result of the UK's involvement in the next phase (Engineering and Manufacturing Development) of the JSF programme.
The alternative options considered by the UK to meet its future requirement were the US F/A18E, the French Rafale, a navalised version of the Eurofighter and an advanced Harrier variant.
The JSF is a US led project. I would not expect it to continue should the US Government decide to cancel it.
Weapons Training
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many places were available in (a) March 2000 and (b) March 2001 on courses for HM forces on (i) improvised explosive device disposal, (ii) explosive ordnance device driver courses and (iii) biological and chemical munition disposal; and how many (A) applied for, (B) were accepted to and (C) completed each course. [156215]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 30 March 2001]: This type of training is carried out at three Army Training and Recruiting Agency (ATRA) Schools: the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal School (DEODS) at Chattenden in Kent, The Army School of Ammunition (ASA) at Kineton, Warwickshire and the Defence School of Transport (DST) at Leconfield, Yorkshire. Biological and chemical munitions disposal is taught as part of other courses at the ASA. Similarly, IEDD training forms part of courses run at both DEODS and ASA. Driver training for EOD Van Drivers is taught at the DST.
Courses run throughout the year and information for courses running at any point during March each year is given in the table.
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| Course title | March 2000 | March 2001 |
|---|---|---|
| Place available | ||
| ASA EOD (IEDD) Army Courses(1) | 28 | 28 |
| ASA EOD (IEDD) Joint Service Courses(2) | 0 | 28 |
| ASA Courses with BCMD content(3) | 18 | 18 |
| EOD Van Driver | 8 | 8 |
| DEODS courses with IEDD elements | 40 | 44 |
| Places taken | ||
| ASA EOD (IEDD) Army Courses(1) | 25 | 30 |
| ASA EOD (IEDD) Joint Service Courses(2) | 0 | 24 |
| ASA Courses with BCMD content(3) | 18 | 18 |
| EOD Van Driver | 7 | 8 |
| DEODS courses with IEDD elements | 39 | 39 |
| Successful passes | ||
| ASA EOD (IEDD) Army Courses(1) | 17 | 10 |
| ASA EOD (IEDD) Joint Service Courses(2) | 0 | (4)-- |
| ASA Courses with BCMD content(3) | 17 | 15 |
| EPD Van Driver | 7 | 7 |
| DEODS courses with IEDD elements | 34 | 39 |
(1) These courses are four and five weeks in length. Start dates were in February 2000 and January 2001. Places available and taken are those on the course finishing in March.
(2) These courses are of similar duration to the Army courses. In 2000, no courses started or finished in March, in 2001 the courses are still under way and will not finish for another week.
(3) There are two courses, one four months and one 10 months. Numbers shown are for the courses finishing in March.
(4) Not known
However, it may be helpful to have the overall position for the training years ending in March 2000 and March 2001, which is given in the table.
| Course title | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 |
|---|---|---|
| Places available | ||
| ASA EOD (IEDD) (Army) Courses | 80 | 100 |
| ASA EOD (IEDD) Joint Service Courses | 80 | 80 |
| ASA Courses with BCMD content | 30 | 30 |
| EOD Van Driver | 80 | 80 |
| DEODS courses with IEDD elements | 288 | 276 |
| Places taken | ||
| ASA EOD (IEDD) (Army) Courses | 80 | 90 |
| ASA EOD (IEDD) Joint Service Courses | 75 | (5)83 |
| ASA Courses with BCMD content | 19 | 26 |
| EOD Van Driver | 75 | 72 |
| DEODS courses with IEDD elements | 253 | 259 |
| Successful passes | ||
| ASA EOD (IEDD) (Army) Courses | 46 | 62 |
| ASA EOD (IEDD) Joint Service Courses | 40 | 29 |
| ASA Courses with BCMD content | 19 | 26 |
| EOD Van Driver | 75 | 72 |
| DEODS courses with IEDD elements | 236 | 229 |
(5) Two courses ran with additional personnel
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