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Staff Numbers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister how many staff were employed by his Office on (a) 2 May 1997 and (b) 31 May 2002. [60929]
The Prime Minister: As of the start of the financial year, at 1 April 2002, there were 190 staff on the No. 10 payroll.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 5 November 2001, Official Report, column 8W.
Iraq
Harry Cohen: To ask the Prime Minister what evidence he has received of Iraqi involvement in the anthrax mail attacks in the United States; and if he will make a statement. [62012]
The Prime Minister: We have no evidence linking Iraq with the recent anthrax attacks in the United States.
Investigations into who was responsible for the anthrax attacks and into the source of the anthrax itself are still continuing in the United States. We await the outcome of these investigations.
Unpaid Advisers
Mr. Willis: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 620W, on unpaid advisers, if he will list the steps that were taken to ensure no conflicts of interest arose as a result of these appointments. [62968]
The Prime Minister: Paragraph 51 of the Ministerial Code sets out the processes for appointing unpaid advisers, including the handling of any conflict of interests.
DEFENCE
Performance Targets
Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the performance targets that his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet, apart from those set out in the public service agreements for 1999 to 2002 and 2001 to 2004; and if he will specify for each target (a) who sets it and (b) who monitors achievement against it. [60467]
Dr. Moonie: The performance targets that the Ministry of Defence is required to meet are those contained in the Department's Public Service Agreement and its underpinning Service Delivery Agreement. These targets
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are captured in the MOD's performance management framework—the Defence Balanced Scorecard. The scorecard also tracks high-level internal objectives on which PSA performance depends. The Defence Management Board reviews the scorecard annually, and monitors performance against it on a quarterly basis.
Key targets for the 36 Defence Agencies are still being finalised for financial year 2002–03, and are being announced to Parliament as and when they are agreed. Defence Ministers approve all agency key targets, taking into account past performance. Agency performance is monitored during the year by the agency's nominated "owner" within MOD, and is published in the agencies' annual reports. More information on performance can be obtained from the appropriate agency chief executive.
Information on the performance of the MOD's seven executive non-departmental public bodies is published in their annual reports.
Armed Forces (Suicides)
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 May 2002, Official Report, column 473W, on armed forces personnel (deaths on military premises), (a) how many and (b) what proportion of the suicides involved a person below (i) 18 and (ii) 21. [61389]
Mr. Ingram: The data detailed in the table represent the number of armed forces personnel, whose deaths were recorded as suicides, which involved personnel below 18,21 and over 21 years respectively.
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Figures for reported suicides are subject to revision as further coroner's verdicts are reported to the Defence Analytical Services Agency.
Verdicts of suicide are determined by Her Majesty's coroner.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 17 April 2002, Official Report, column 942W, on firearm deaths, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of the members of HM Forces whose deaths were recorded as a result of firearms incidents were (i) also recorded as suicide or self-inflicted deaths and (ii) below (A) 18 and (B) 21 years old. [61386]
Mr. Ingram: Those members of the armed forces whose deaths, as a result of firearm related incidents, were recorded as suicide and those who were below and over 21 years of age respectively, are shown in the table:
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In total, 33 of the 96 firearm related deaths have been recorded as suicide. Cause of death can by determined only by Her Majesty's Coroner, therefore, deaths due to firearms excluding suicides may include deaths where a coroner's verdict is awaited. There have been no confirmed suicides in personnel aged under the age of 18 years in the years specified.
Pakistan Ordnance Factories
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2002, Official Report, column 175W, on Pakistan ordnance factories, if he has ascertained the exact amount of training provided under the technology transfer and training arrangements with Pakistan ordnance factories for the manufacturing of the 105mm L64 Tungsten core Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot tank ammunition. [62181]
Dr. Moonie: As previously stated, arrangements between the Royal Ordnance Factories (ROF) and the Pakistani Ordnance Factories (POF) related to assistance with the production of 105mm and L64 tank ammunition. As part of this assistance
- "suitable periods of training . . . in the United Kingdom on manufacturing, inspection and proof techniques"
for that ammunition were available to the POF. Despite extensive searches of Defence archives, and the archives of Royal Ordnance Defence plc (ROD), it has not been possible to find definitive information relating to the exact nature or quantity of the training provided.
Licence Production Agreements (Iran)
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what licence production agreements have been signed with the (a) Ammunition Industries Group
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(Iran) and (b) Defence Industries Organisation of Iran for the production of L2A2 rubber or plastic baton rounds since 1972; [62183]
- (2) what licence production agreements have been signed with Iran for the production of (a) rubber and (b) plastic baton rounds since 1972. [62182]
Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence does not hold systematic records of commercial licence agreements. A more detailed search in files going back to 1972 could be provided only at disproportionate cost and any commercially confidential information would be protected under third party's commercial confidences in Part II Section 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Defence Costs
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the total cost in the current financial year of providing and maintaining the Royal Navy's ballistic missile submarine fleet. [62041]
Mr. Ingram: The estimated total cost for the current financial year of providing and maintaining the Royal Navy's ballistic missile submarine fleet including the costs of manpower and facilities is expected to be about 3 per cent. of the total defence budget.
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost in the current financial year of maintaining the capability to research, design, produce, store, move and carry out decommissioning of the British stock of nuclear weapons. [62042]
Mr. Ingram: The estimated cost for these items in the current financial year is about one per cent. of the total defence budget.
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