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Ministry of Defence Police

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the bases where a US station commander exercised day-to-day operational control over the Ministry of Defence police at (a) 1 May 1997 and (b) 1 June 2002. [61410]

Dr. Moonie: US Station Commanders are responsible for security at their Stations and exercise day to day operational control over the Ministry of Defence Police in respect of site security duties. The Senior Police officer is responsible to the Chief Constable MDP in respect of the exercise of constabulary powers. MDP officers are currently deployed at RAF Alconbury, RAF Fairford, RAF Hythe, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Menwith Hill, US Navy London (Eastcote) and RAF Welford. These sites also had a MDP detachment on 1 May 1997.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of Ministry of Defence police serving on US bases in the UK are provided accommodation free of rent. [61184]

Dr. Moonie: Eight MDP officers stationed at bases made available to US Forces currently occupy housing made available by the Department. Although the officers are not paying rent, the accommodation has been made available in lieu of the payment of housing allowance.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is paying the costs of the Ministry of Defence police on detached duties at Menwith Hill Station and Fylingdales, including indirect costs incurred through their presence. [61183]

Dr. Moonie: All costs connected with MOD Police at RAF Fylingdales are met from the Defence Budget. The cost of the authorised complement of MDP at RAF Menwith Hill and related costs are recovered from the US Authorities. The complement was increased with effect from 1 February 2002. Until officers are posted in on a permanent basis to fill the newly completed posts, cover is maintained using officers on temporary detachment. Costs are recovered as though all posts were filled on a permanent basis, enhanced to cover the additional costs associated with the detached duty while it continues.

13 Jun 2002 : Column 1350W

Accommodation Costs

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) of 11 March 2002 Official Report, column 654W, on accommodation costs, what the cost was from April 2001 to March 2002 of hotel accommodation for departmental staff working away from home; how many members of staff were so accommodated in the year in question; and what the average cost was per paid-for night of these stays. [61416]

Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence does not hold data on hotel bookings and costs in the format requested. However it is possible to give the following figures for MoD civil servants who were required to be away from their homes on official business during the period April 2001 to March 2002:

	#
Total cost of hotel accommodation (B+B terms)	15,035,034
Total number of nights accommodated in a hotel on duty	246,003
Total number of bookings	79,655
Average cost per night (B+B terms)	61.12

The total cost of #15 million quoted above differs from that given in my previous response. This is because the earlier figure was for the period May 2001 to April 2002 and was only a projected figure based on incomplete data.

HMS Invincible

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Indian Government concerning a possible sale of HMS Invincible. [61162]

Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence have had no discussions with the Indian Government concerning the possible sale of HMS Invincible.

Mr. Shaun Rusling

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons officials of his Department altered the medical appeal papers of Mr. Shaun Rusling, submitted to the Pensions appeal Tribunal; and if he will make a statement. [60331]

Dr. Moonie: Officials did not alter the medical appeal papers of Mr Shaun Rusling. Evidence was prepared for a Pensions Appeal Tribunal hearing on 10 September 1999. At that Tribunal further diagnoses for appeal were identified. This required preparation of a new set of papers for the further Tribunal hearing on 19 April 2002.

Empty Service Property

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent in each of the last three years on (a) rent and (b) maintenance of empty service family properties; and if he will make a statement. [60718]

13 Jun 2002 : Column 1351W

Dr. Moonie: An accurate breakdown of rental and maintenance costs between occupied and empty Service Families Accommodation (SFA) is not available. Because of Service mobility, turnover of occupancy tends to be high and some properties may have several occupants over a relatively short period and various empty spells between occupants. However, on a proportionate basis, the current vacancy rate would indicate expenditure in the broad order of #20 million per annum in rent and #9 million in maintenance. Corresponding figures for a year ago would be #23 million rent and #11 million maintenance, and two years ago when #27 million rent and #14 million maintenance.

Of the current 8,600 empty properties in mainland UK, some 2,400 are in the course of disposal, 2,500 are held for future unit deployments and some 1,000 are empty awaiting modernisation. Others are available to incoming occupants or already under offer to them. Since January 2000, over 10,000 surplus properties have been disposed of.

Nuclear Test Veterans

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the legal action against his Department being taken by the New Zealand Nuclear Test Veterans Association. [60952]

Dr. Moonie: Although the Ministry of Defence is aware of previous press articles reporting that the New Zealand Test Veterans Association intended to mount a class action against HM Government, to date no such legal action has been taken.

Deysbrook Barracks

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with other Government Departments about possible future uses of Deysbrook Barracks, near Liverpool; and if he will make a statement. [61276]

Dr. Moonie: Officials in Defence Estates have recently met with Government Office North West in connection with the disposal of the site and the planning application for residential and mixed-use development which is currently being considered by Liverpool City Council.

An official from Defence Estates has also visited the site twice, once in March and once in April, with officials from the Home Office.

No other discussions have taken place.

Media Relations Manager

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when James Clark is to start work in his Department as a media relations manager. [61163]

Dr. Moonie: Following an open competition run in accordance with Office of the Civil Service Commissioners' rules, Mr. Clark took up his appointment as a Communications Adviser working for the Director General Corporate Communications on Monday 10 June 2002.

13 Jun 2002 : Column 1352W

TRANSPORT

Committee Mandates

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the EC-Poland Joint Transport Committee is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58411]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

This Committee is established under the provisions of an Agreement between the European Community and Poland establishing certain conditions for the carriage of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport. The remit of the Committee is to ensure that the proper implementation of the Agreement. The Committee would be made up of representatives appointed by the Community and Poland. But I am not aware that it has met in recent times or that there are any plans for it to meet in the immediate future.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the EC-Slovak Republic Joint Transport Committee is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58409]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

This committee is established under the provisions of an Agreement between the European Community and the Slovak Republic establishing certain conditions for the carriage of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport. The remit of the Committee is to ensure the proper implementation of the Agreement. The Committee would be made up of representatives appointed by the Community and the Slovak Republic. But I am not aware that it has met in recent times or that there are any plans for it to meet in the immediate future.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the Joint Committee on the carriage of goods and passengers by inland waterway (EC-Czech Republic–Republic of Poland-Slovak Republic) is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58407]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

I have not been able to identify the Committee referred to by the hon. Member.

13 Jun 2002 : Column 1353W

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the EC-Czech Republic Joint Transport Committee is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58408]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

This Committee is established under the provisions of an Agreement between the European Community and the Czech Republic establishing certain conditions for the carriage of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport. The remit of the Committee is to ensure the proper implementation of the Agreement. The Committee would be made up of representatives appointed by the Community and the Czech Republic. I am not aware of recent meetings or that there are any plans for it to meet in the immediate future.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the EC-Romania Joint Transport Committee is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58410]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

This Committee is established under the provisions of an Agreement between the European Community and Romania establishing certain conditions for the carriage of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport. The remit of the Committee is to ensure the proper implementation of the Agreement. The Committee would be made up of representatives appointed by the Community and Romania. I am not aware of recent meetings or that there are any plans for it to meet in the immediate future.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the Regulation establishing an instrument for structural policies for pre-accession (ISPA) is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [56769]

Clare Short: I have been asked to reply. The mandate of the ISPA Committee is to oversee the implementation of Council Regulation EC Number 1267/1999, which established ISPA. This determines the strategy framework for ISPA, and approves annual and multi-annual allocations to country and regional programmes.

13 Jun 2002 : Column 1354W

The ISPA Committee has met three times in the last year. The UK is represented by the Department for International Development (DFID) and the UK Permanent Representation to the European Commission.

The annual cost to public funds of the Committee's work principally comprises the work of DFID officials in assessing and discussing with the EC strategy and programme proposals, as well as the costs of attendance at meetings of the Committee. The precise amounts concerned are not readily available.

The ISPA Committee recently considered a range of 19 environment and seven transport projects across the range of Candidate countries.

Pre-accession programmes and/or work related to them are subject to scrutiny by Select Committees of Parliament. Under Council Decision 1999/468/EC the EC has undertaken to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first such report was deposited in the libraries of both Houses on 26 February (Commission Document 5685/02). We have encouraged the EC to make available on its website a record of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions.

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