| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
DEFENCE
Military Spectrum (Spare Capacity)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the spare capacity in the military spectrum for commercial use; and if he has valued that spare capacity. [14420]
Mr. Ingram: I assume that this question refers to commercial use of the electromagnetic spectrum.
We work closely with the Radiocommunications Agency to assess continuously where spare capacity can be made available for new commercial services from within the radio spectrum that is managed by the Ministry of Defence to meet current and planned operational and training commitments.
The Ministry is currently engaged in releasing the majority of the 410 to 430 MHz band for use by digital public mobile radio services. The value placed on the spectrum already released to the Radiocommunications Agency is £3.5 million per annum. The remainder should be released in 2003 and has a current value of £4.3 million
10 Jun 2002 : Column 730W
per annum. About 36 MHz of currently MOD managed spectrum is also to be made available for the extension of the 800/900 MHz bands for digital mobile phones and other digital personal mobile radio services. This would be valued at £4.3 million per annum. Spectrum for fixed wireless services in the 3.4 GHz band has very recently been released, with a value of £80,000 per annum. These valuations are based on current spectrum charges that apply equally to civil and military users.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason he has not answered the question from the hon. Member for Buckingham tabled on 12 November 2001 asking what assessment he has made of the spare capacity in the military spectrum for commercial use; and if he has valued that spare capacity. [47793]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I replied to the hon. Member today.
Defence Medical Services (Afghanistan)
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) regular and (b) reserve personnel of the Defence Medical Services broken down by specialty have been deployed to Afghanistan in support of (i) Operation Fingal and (ii) Operation Jacuna; what percentage of UK forces deployed on each operation this represents; and if he will make a statement. [51422]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 24 April 2002]: The details of the personnel from the Defence Medical Services (DMS) deployed in Afghanistan are contained in the table. The majority of these personnel are members of 34 Field Hospital, which serves all United Kingdom personnel in Afghanistan, although 59 are dedicated to Operation Fingal. DMS personnel account for between 6 and 7 per cent. of the total UK forces in Afghanistan.
| Speciality | Regular | Reserve | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Officer | 6 | — | 6 |
| Surgeon | 4 | — | 4 |
| Consultant Accident and Emergency | 2 | — | 2 |
| Consultant Anaesthetist | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Consultant Physician | 1 | — | 1 |
| Medical Officer | 15 | — | 15 |
| Registered General Nurse | 39 | 2 | 41 |
| Combat Medical Technician | 30 | — | 30 |
| Medical Assistants | 19 | — | 19 |
| Health Care Assistant | 4 | — | 4 |
| Operating Department Practitioner | 10 | — | 10 |
| Dental Officer | 3 | — | 3 |
| Dental Surgery Assistant | 2 | — | 2 |
| Environmental Health Officer | 1 | — | 1 |
| Environmental Health Technician | 5 | — | 5 |
| Radiographer | 2 | — | 2 |
| Laboratory Technician | 2 | — | 2 |
| Pharmacy Technician | 2 | — | 2 |
| Physiotherapist | 2 | — | 2 |
| Community Psychiatric Nurse | 4 | — | 4 |
| Others | 11 | — | 11 |
| Total | 168 | 3 | 171 |
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements exist for the medical treatment of UK personnel undertaking (a) Operation Fingal and (b) Operation Jacuna, stating in each case the level of support from (i) the UK Defence Medical Services in Afghanistan, (ii) the Defence Medical Services of other
10 Jun 2002 : Column 731W
nations deployed in Afghanistan, (iii) medical services based in the UK and (iv) medical services based in other countries; and if he will make a statement. [51423]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 24 April 2002]: There is a robust medical infrastructure in place to support United Kingdom forces in Afghanistan. Primary health care facilities are available at the unit level and are supported by 34 Field Hospital at Bagram airfield.
Where individuals require evacuation from theatre they are moved using tactical and strategic RAF aeromedical evacuation assets to a UK field hospital in the region and then on to the Centre for Defence Medicine, in Birmingham or other specialist hospitals in the UK, as required.
As a means of making sensible use of international medical facilities in Afghanistan, UK forces deployed in the country may also use the Czech Field Hospital. UK personnel serving with the International Security Assistance Force may additionally have access to the German Field Hospital and French Dressing Station in Kabul. German and French tactical aeromedical aircraft are also available for evacuation from Afghanistan. In certain circumstances, the United States may provide medical care or aeromedical assistance to Operation Jacana forces.
Other nations may also make their medical facilities available to us from time to time.
Private Sector Hospitals
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the MOD has contracted private sector hospitals to provide medical services in each of the last 12 months; and what the total cost to the MOD budget of contracting private sector hospitals to provide medical services was in each of the last five years. [53870]
Dr. Moonie: Figures are not readily available which break down the numbers of referrals made to private sector health care in each of the past 12 months. The cost to the Ministry of Defence budget of contracting private sector hospitals to provide medical services in each of the last five years is as follows:
| Financial Year | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 0.19 |
| 1998–99 | 0.12 |
| 1999–2000 | 0.17 |
| 2000–01 | 3.05 |
| 2001–02 | 1.88 |
| Total | 5.41 |
10 Jun 2002 : Column 732W
The referrals were made to a number of private sector health care providers, under a number of separate schemes.
Correspondence
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answers of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 343W and 28 February 2002, Official Report, column 1462W, on correspondence, when he intends to provide a substantive reply. [56605]
Dr. Moonie: I wrote to the hon. Member on 15 May. A copy of my letter has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many letters were received by each Minister in his Department in each month since June 1997. [59316]
Dr. Moonie: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the volume of Members' correspondence received by Departments. The report for 2001 was published on Friday 24 May 2002, Official Report, columns 674–76W. Copies of previous reports are available in the Library of the House.
Details of other correspondence received by Ministers is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Medical Categories (Armed Services)
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 May 2002, Official Report, column 181W, if he will list the medical categories used by the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF; and if he will make a statement. [56170]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 15 May 2002]: The medical condition of personnel in the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force is assessed on the basis of a common set of medical categories which range from P2 to P8. A holding category of P0 may also be used for individuals who are in hospital or on hospital sick leave. From this medical grading category each service applies a system of employment categorisation related to its particular operational environment to ensure that individuals are not employed on duties for which they are medically unfit. In all three tables, category refers to their medical category and PES/MES refers to their employment category.
The main concern of the Royal Navy is to ensure that individuals are fit to deploy to sea. The following table summarises the system used:
| Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| P0 | Holding category—used when the individual is either in hospital or on hospital sick leave. |
| P2 | Fit for world wide service without restriction. |
| P2U3 | Leadership course restriction only—otherwise fit for world wide service without restriction. |
| P2L3 | Leadership course restriction only—otherwise fit for world wide service without restriction. |
| P3R | Fit for world wide service, which may include sea service, but with a specific caveat, eg no small ships due to sea sickness. |
| P3P | Fit for world wide service, which may include sea service, but with a specific caveat, eg no small ships due to sea sickness. |
| P7RA | UK service only. Ship in harbour or shore service only. Fully employable ashore or in ship in harbour in own trade/skills. |
| P7RB | UK service only. Ship in harbour or shore service only. Fully employable ashore in own trade/skills. |
| P7RC | UK service only. Ship in harbour or shore service only. Employable in restricted duty ashore or in ship in harbour in own trade/skills. |
| P7RD | UK service only. Ship in harbour or shore service only. Employable in restricted duties ashore only. |
| P8 | Permanently unfit naval service. |
10 Jun 2002 : Column 733W
Categories suffixed "R" are temporary categories. Categories suffixed "P" are permanent categories.
Personnel designated "P8" will remain on naval strength for a variable period of time following boarding depending on entitlement to leave etc.
10 Jun 2002 : Column 734W
In areas of active operation, the combat zone is referred to as the forward area (F). Between the forward area and the base area are the lines of communication (L). PES is PULHHEEMS employment standard.
Category
| P grade | PES | Definition
| P2 | FE (Forward everywhere) | Employable in full combatant duties (in any area) in any part of the world.
| P3 | LE (Lines of Communication everywhere) | Normally employed in the line of communication in or behind A2 echelon or base in any part of the world, but may be employed in a combat zone in any role which is not primarily a fighting one. (Clearance is required from a medical officer prior to deployment to an operational area).
| P3 | RE(PP) | Pregnant personnel.
| P7 | CPND—(Geo) (Caveated Posting Non-Deployable) | An individual who is graded P7 and does not meet the criteria for PES LE may be posted to areas in addition to those listed against HO by the APC, having taken advice from the Army Occupational Health Physician APC, to a unit in a specified geographical area but may not deploy from that geographical area without clearance from the Army Occupational Health Physician APC. On unit moves the CO is to obtain clearance from the APC before the individual changes location.
| P7 | HO (Home Only) | Employable in UK, Germany or Belgium or, Gurkha personnel, employable in Nepal, provided adequate and suitable medical facilities are available to treat the condition for which they have been downgraded.
| P7 | HO (UK) | Employable in the United Kingdom only.
| P7 | HONNI | Employable in UK, Germany or Belgium but not in Northern Ireland. Not applicable to R Irish (HS) personnel.
| P7 | HO(UK)NNI | Employable in UK only but not in Northern Ireland. Not applicable to R Irish (HS) personnel.
| P8 | None | Unit for military duties.
| | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Although the primary role of the RAF is flying, most of its personnel are employed on non-flying duties. To indicate the duties on which an individual may be employed both in the air and on the ground, and the climates in which they are fit to service, each individual is assigned a medical employment standard (MES). The MES is indicated by the letters A, G and Z, relating to duties in the air, on the ground and in various geographical locations and climatic zones.
| Category | ||
|---|---|---|
| P grade | MES | Definition |
| P2 | A1 | Fit for full flying duties of their branch/trade, or restricted employability only because of anthropometric limitations. |
| P2 | A2 | Fit for full flying duties of their branch/trade but awarded to aircrew who would be A1 but for: |
| A refractive error. | ||
| A hearing standard reduced to H2. | ||
| P2 or below | A3 | Fit for limited flying duties (limitations to be stated). |
| P2 or below | A4 | Fit to fly as a passenger in a normal passenger carrying aircraft or as a patient on an aeromedical evacuation flight. |
| P3 or below | A5 | Unfit to be taken in to the air. |
| P8 | A5 | Unfit for service. |
| Category | ||
|---|---|---|
| P grade | MES | Definition |
| P2 | G1 | Fit for full ground duties of their branch/trade, including all general service duties and meets the minimum profile for their branch/trade. |
| P2 | G2 | Fit for full ground duties of their branch/trade, including all general service duties but: |
| Requires a medical marker. | ||
| Does not meet minimum profile in their branch/trade. | ||
| Has a limitation to non-essential duty. | ||
| P3 or below | G3 | Fit for full ground duties of their branch/trade but fit for limited essential general service duties only. |
| Generally P7 | G4 | Fit for limited ground duties within their branch/trade. |
| P8 | G5 | Unfit for service. |
| Category | MES | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| P2 | Z1 | Fit to serve anywhere in the world with no climatic restriction. |
| P3 | Z2 | Fit to serve anywhere in the world except in environments of low temperature. |
| P3 | Z3 | Fit to serve anywhere in the world except in environments of high temperature. |
| P3 | Z4 | Fit to serve in temperate climates only. |
| P7 | Z5 | Fit to serve in UK only. |
10 Jun 2002 : Column 735W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |