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Fridges
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps the Government are taking to ensure that local authority schemes for recycling and disposing of fridges comply with EU regulations. [16404]
Mr. Meacher: I have been asked to reply.
The Department has written to all local authorities informing them of the requirements of EC Regulation 2037/2000 regarding the recycling/disposal of fridges. A further letter will be issued shortly to remind local authorities of their obligations to receive and collect waste refrigeration equipment from householders. Guidance on
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storage of waste refrigeration equipment has been issued in draft and we are currently considering funding options for local authorities.
DEFENCE
Defence Academy
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the job specification drawn up for the appointment of the head of the Defence Academy. [15345]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 16 November 2001]: The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom is to be a national and international centre of excellence, providing
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civilian and military personnel with high quality education, primarily at postgraduate level, and conducting research in fields related to defence. It will bring together, inter alia, the existing Joint Service Command and Staff College, the Royal College of Defence Studies and the Royal Military College of Science (RMCS). It is intended to exert increasing influence with national and international military and academic institutions and to provide a focus for the research effort of the existing colleges in support of defence objectives, including the development of policy and doctrine by the policy director and the joint doctrine and concepts centre. The role of the head of the academy is to establish the academy, and to develop and run it in such a way as to achieve these aims.
The head will have overall responsibility for the academy's collective performance in delivering its outputs. While delivery of these outputs will be delegated to the heads of the component organisations, he will remain accountable for them. In particular, he/she will:
- Provide a clear vision for the academy and ensure that the teaching and research it provides are coherent and responsive to customer needs and to developing national and international circumstances.
Create and develop links with national and international military and academic bodies and institutions, in order to establish the academy as a major influence on thinking worldwide on defence issues.
Develop a strategic plan for the future development of the academy and the Shrivenham site, including future arrangements for academic provision and future contractual and support arrangements, to ensure coherence and cost-effectiveness of teaching and research activities.
- Establish and maintain effective arrangements for the management of academy business and the development of synergies and relationships within and beyond the academy, and give broad policy guidance.
Establish and maintain a focus for research in support of defence objectives, including the development of policy and doctrine by the policy director and joint doctrine and concepts centre.
Encourage the fullest international and inter-agency participation in the academy's courses, in support of policy and defence diplomacy objectives.
Oversee the establishment of the defence leadership centre, the joint service warrant officers' school, the defence sixth-form college, the defence technical undergraduate scheme and the defence finance training cell.
Manage a single budget incorporating those of the component organisations.
The head of the academy will report to the vice chief of the Defence staff (VCDS). The second reporting officer will be the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS). The academy budget will form part of the central top level budget.
A policy board, chaired by CDS, and comprising key stakeholders and external members, will deal with strategy, high-level tasking and funding issues. This will subsume the role of the existing policy boards of the individual colleges but each college will retain
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arrangements for providing access to senior figures from academia and industry through an advisory board. An academy advisory board, chaired by the head, on which key stakeholders and customers would be represented, will agree outputs and match requirements between customers in line with capacity in the academy. The membership of the academy level boards will be determined by the head, in consultation with the Chiefs of Staff and other interested parties. The head will direct academy business through a management board, which will comprise the heads of the component organisations.
The head of the academy will be consulted on decisions on the most senior staff and academic appointments within the academy, and on the provision of academic advice and support.
By April 2002, he is to have put in place the academy's unified management structure. As part of that process, he is to:
- Review the reporting and customer liaison arrangements and make changes where appropriate to ensure that they are fully streamlined, eliminating duplication and applying best working practices.
Review and rationalise the senior management structure within the academy, define the structure and roles of the academy's central organisation, and make proposals for improvement to performance across the academy, particularly in the area of enhanced coherence.
He is to carry out a post-project evaluation of the new organisation and its constituent parts after 12 months of implementation, beginning in April 2003.
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the charter of the Defence Academy and list the members of the advisory board and constituent parts of the Academy. [15350]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 16 November 2001]: The Defence Academy will comprise the Joint Services Command and Staff College, the Royal College of Defence Studies (which will remain in London), the Royal Military College of Science, the Conflict Studies Research Centre and three new elements: a defence leadership centre, a joint services warrant officers' school and a school of finance management.
The Defence Academy will be established on 1 April 2002 as a national and international centre for postgraduate education and research in defence fields.
A charter, or similar, for the Defence Academy, including a constitution for an advisory board, will follow further detailed implementation work.
RAF Bases
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian staff are employed at (a) RAF Lyneham and (b) RAF Brize Norton. [17040]
Dr. Moonie: There are 269 Ministry of Defence civil servants and approximately 490 contracted and sub-contracted staff employed at RAF Lyneham, and 555 MOD civil servants and approximately 60 contracted
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and sub-contracted staff at RAF Brize Norton. Numbers vary from day to day depending on the requirement to use sub-contractors to carry out specialist tasks.
September 11
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has made to the Energy Review Group regarding security at nuclear power stations following the events of 11 September. [16794]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 22 November 2001]: None. The security of nuclear power stations is a matter for the Department of Trade and Industry. We are in close contact with the DTI and other Government Departments concerning any contribution the armed forces could make in this area.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has made to the Nuclear Inspectorate regarding security at nuclear installations following the events of 11 September. [16795]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 22 November 2001]: None. The security of the Ministry of Defence nuclear installations is an MOD responsibility. However, close contact is maintained with the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate for health and safety matters at MOD licensed nuclear sites.
Royal Marines
Mr. Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits there were to the Royal Marines this year; and how many of these were (a) invalided out and (b) discharged for disciplinary reasons, before completing their course. [17345]
Mr. Ingram: In the last 12 months, 1,180 recruits joined the Royal Marines Commando training centre at Lympstone. Of these, 51 were medically discharged and one was discharged for disciplinary offences before the end of the course.
Mr. Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were recruited this year to the Royal Marines, by rank, at (a) 16 years old, (b) 18 years old and (c) 21 years old. [17340]
Mr. Ingram: Information for this year is available from 23 April to 12 November. The number of recruits to the Royal Marine Corp is set out in the table:
| Ratings | Officers | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18s | 219 | — |
| 18–21 | 358 | 21 |
| Over 21s | 151 | 40 |
| Total | 728 | 61 |
All ratings join as a Marine Second Class and officers as a Second Lieutenant. The ages of officers recruited cannot be broken down.
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