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Departmental Promotions
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on information literature, advertising and campaign material in the financial years (a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97, (c) 1997–98, (d) 1998–99, (e) 1999–2000 and (f) 2000–01; and if he will make a statement. [12274]
Dr. Moonie: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I am therefore unable to provide a substantive answer under the terms of exemption 9 (voluminous and vexatious requests) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
However, a breakdown of the Ministry of Defence's public relations' expenditure is published in the annual departmental performance report, broken down into categories of Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and civilian recruitment, PR, marketing and business support services, chief of PR, sales promotion, scholarships and national employers' liaison committee.
Medical Preparedness
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in full the Three Services Board of Inquiry report into medical preparedness prepared by the Surgeon General's Department; and if he will make a statement. [11621]
Dr. Moonie: [holding answer 1 November 2001]: I assume the hon. Member is referring to the reports of the three Service Boards of Inquiry into medical preparedness for Op. Palliser. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 February 2001, Official Report, column 262W and to the comprehensive information which has already been provided on the conclusions and recommendations of the three Service Boards of Inquiry. Board of Inquiry reports are internal documents and, given their confidential nature, it is not the practice of the Ministry of Defence to publish them in full.
Defence Diversification Agency
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list Scottish firms that have had negotiations with the Defence Diversification Agency since its inception. [12187]
12 Nov 2001 : Column: 519W
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 2 November 2001]: Defence Diversification Agency contacts with Scottish firms are listed. The list includes companies and private sector organisations where discussions are active, assistance has been provided, or discussions have been held but assistance could not be provided. The list covers the period from January 2000 (the agency having been established in the previous year) to date.
| Company | Location |
|---|---|
| Clariant | West Lothian |
| Gemini | Tayside |
| Ferranti Photonics | Tayside |
| ESL | Renfewshire |
| Kogg Caledonia | Tayside |
| MacTaggart Scott | Midlothian |
| Enfocast | London/Scotland |
| Reign of Sound | Livingston |
| NMT | Livingston |
| Motech | Livingston |
| Tannoy Ltd. | Lanarkshire |
| New Product Technologies | Lanarkshire |
| Meiklewall | Lanarkshire |
| Linn Products | Lanarkshire |
| REVIVO | Highlands and Islands |
| Weatherford | Grampian |
| Stenmar Sonavision | Grampian |
| Prosyst | Grampian |
| Leading Edge Advantage | Grampian |
| IES | Grampian |
| Westica | Glasgow |
| Realise | Glasgow |
| Q1 Biotech | Glasgow |
| Diagnostic Potentials | Glasgow |
| Buchanan International | Glasgow |
| Ascom IT | Glasgow |
| Adenco | Glasgow |
| Magnetic Mirror Energy | Fife |
| ZED Vu | Fife |
| Viscotest | Fife |
| Simclar International | Fife |
| Optima Enclosures Ltd. | Fife |
| Movi-mail | Fife |
| Mission Technology | Fife |
| Mine Ordance | Fife |
| Miller (Methil) | Fife |
| Milestone International | Fife |
| Logistic Systems Ltd. | Fife |
| IDS Ltd. | Fife |
| ICM Fortronic | Fife |
| HCS Fluid Power | Fife |
| Freeform Technologies | Fife |
| Forth Ports | Fife |
| Easy Park | Fife |
| DNA | Fife |
| Cyber Frontiers | Fife |
| Co-drive Technologies | Fife |
| Cipher Solutions | Fife |
| Calluna | Fife |
| Bonnybrae Ltd. | Fife |
| Babcock | Fife |
| Alcan | Fife |
| McGregor Traders | Edinburgh |
| Image Fusion | Edinburgh |
| Footle | Edinburgh |
| Dovetail | Edinburgh |
| Amey Vectra | Edinburgh |
| Acuid | Edinburgh |
| Biotrix | Borders |
| Vesion 7 | Ayrshire |
| Provan Engineering | Ayrshire |
| Orcam | Ayrshire |
| Evolvon | Ayrshire |
| Chilton | Ayrshire |
| Alan West Wallacetown | Ayrshire |
12 Nov 2001 : Column: 520W
Consultation Documents
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many consultation documents were issued by his Department from (a) 15 October to 14 January, (b) 15 January to 14 April, (c) 15 April to 14 July and (d) 15 July to 14 October in each year from 1996. [12898]
Dr. Moonie: Since January 2001, the Ministry of Defence has co-ordinated its written public consultation in line with the Cabinet Office's "code of practice" issued in November 2000. The Ministry of Defence issued six consultation documents during the period January 15 to April 14 and one document between April 15 to July 14. No documents were issued between July 15 to October 14. Prior to January 2001 these statistics were not held centrally and to establish accurate figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Defence Medals
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the criteria for determining the award of a defence medal for service personnel. [13178]
Dr. Moonie: There are no plans to review the qualifying criteria for the defence medal which recognised non-operational service for armed forces personnel and certain specific categories of civilians during the Second World War.
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will instruct the Adjutant General's Office to instigate a review of the rules covering the issue of the defence medal. [13543]
Dr. Moonie: I do not believe there is a requirement for a review of the regulations surrounding the defence medal. In 1946, the Committee on the Grants of Honours, Decorations and Medals discussed the awards, and their qualifying criteria, that should be instituted to reward service in the campaigns, operations and defence commitments during the Second World War. Members of the Committee included senior military and Government officers who had first hand experience and thorough knowledge of the events throughout the war. The regulations governing the qualification requirements for all Second World War medals were finalised in 1948, following approval from His Majesty King George VI, and were announced on 11 June 1948. These regulations have been strictly adhered to ever since.
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will create an accessible Board of Appeal for the award of defence medals, in order that evidence that is acceptable to a Court of Law is not disregarded. [13544]
Dr. Moonie: I do not believe there is a requirement for a Board of Appeal. The authoritative source of an individual's medal entitlement is properly their service record. If an individual disputes the official record then the onus is on that individual to provide official contemporary documentary evidence as proof of entitlement.
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he delegates to the Officer-in-Charge, Army Medal Office, full authority for the decision making process for medal applications. [13542]
12 Nov 2001 : Column: 521W
Dr. Moonie: The proposed qualifying criteria for medals are submitted to the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (HD Committee) for consideration, after which their recommendation is passed to the Sovereign for approval. Following Royal assent the Officer-in-Charge of the Army Medal Office is responsible for ensuring that all applications for Army and Home Guard medals fulfil the relevant qualifying criteria by checking eligibility against official service records. The Navy, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines have their own medal offices with the appropriate delegated authority.
Golden Jubilee Medals
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received to grant the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal to service men who were injured during World War Two; and if he will make a statement. [13225]
Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence has not received any representations requesting an amendment to the qualifying criteria for the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal to include those service men who were injured during the Second World War.
War Pensions
Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 28 June 2001, Official Report, column 132W, on war pensions, if he will state (a) how many expert caseworkers there are and (b) whether all the caseworkers are qualified medical doctors. [13745]
Dr. Moonie: There are currently five expert caseworkers employed by the War Pensions Agency. All are medically qualified and hold full registration with the General Medical Council.
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