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Ethnic Monitoring

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what ethnic monitoring is conducted by the Army. [63199]

Mr. Ingram: The Army monitors its equal opportunities climate through the use of both quantitative and qualitative data. It is currently looking at recruitment progress of ethnic minority personnel in relation to their non-ethnic counterparts and the representation of ethnic minorities in the Army. In addition, the armed forces are currently undertaking a full re-survey of the ethnic origin of all personnel in line with the revised categories contained in the 2001 census.

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of soldiers in each of the guards regiments are members of an ethnic minority. [63214]

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Mr. Ingram: The data detailed represents the proportion of soldiers, trained and untrained, in each of the Guards Regiments that have been recorded as members of an ethnic minority. Due to the current ethnic re-categorisation survey being undertaken within the Ministry of Defence the figures are as at 1 October 2001, which is the latest available data.

Regiments	Percentage
Grenadier Guards	3.0
Coldstream Guards	0.8
Scots Guard	1.3
Irish Guards	3.3
Welsh Guards	1.3
Total	1.9

The figure does not include those with unspecified ethnic origin. Guards in an unspecified regiment have not been included.

Colchester Garrison

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the original estimate was for (a) the gross cost and (b) the consequent annual rental in respect of the redevelopment of the Colchester Garrison; and what his latest estimate is in each case. [63351]

Mr. Ingram: The detailed figures are commercial in confidence, and at this stage I am therefore withholding the information under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the key milestones for the public finance initiative in respect of the re-development of the Colchester Garrison, stating the (a) given, (b) 90 per cent. and (c) 50 per cent. probable timetable in each case. [63352]

Mr. Ingram: On current plans, the project should reach financial close by October 2004. A risk programme with percentages is still subject to negotiation with RMPA Services.

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers are living in temporary accommodation at Colchester Garrison; and when new single living accommodation will be available to replace the temporary accommodation. [63353]

Mr. Ingram: There are some 130 soldiers living in temporary accommodation in Colchester Garrison. Under the private finance initiative, some single living accommodation would be available, on current plans, in mid-2007, and the remainder in 2009. We are investigating whether there is any scope for bringing forward these dates.

Sikhs

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Sikhs are serving in the armed forces. [63614]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 21 June 2002]: There are currently 63 regular armed forces personnel who have recorded their religion as Sikh.

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Ordnance (Kenya)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2002, Official Report, column 263W, on ordnance (Kenya), when he expects the information described to be made available. [63758]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 21 June 2002]: I hope to be in a position to provide the information before the summer recess.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Scottish HQs

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many global companies have headquarters in Scotland. [59377]

Mr. Wilson: It is not possible to provide this information from the Register of Companies.

All limited companies with a registered office in Scotland are registered at Companies House in Edinburgh. The register does not hold separate information on the global or national nature of the company. Companies who are not protected by limited liability do not have to register at all.

Arms Exports

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of debt to the Export Credits Guarantee Department as a result of arms sales (a) was created in each of the last five years and (b) remains unpaid for each of the last five years. [62039]

Ms Hewitt: The table indicates ECGD claims payments in respect of exports of defence equipment in the last five years for which audited figures are available. Most of these claims have been rescheduled through the Paris Club, thus deferring the debtor country's obligations.

Year/market	Claims payments (£000)	Recovery status
1996
Algeria	28,295	Rescheduled in Paris Club
Egypt	6,565	Rescheduled in Paris Club
Jordan	14,865	Rescheduled in Paris Club
Kenya	2	Rescheduled in Paris Club
1997
Algeria	12,585	Rescheduled in Paris Club
Egypt	1,402	Rescheduled in Paris Club
Jordan	24,742	Rescheduled in Paris Club
Kenya	48	Rescheduled in Paris Club
1998
Indonesia	20,899	Rescheduled in Paris Club
Jordan	10,141	Rescheduled in Paris Club
Kenya	14	Rescheduled in Paris Club
1999
Indonesia	151,216	Rescheduled in Paris Club
Zimbabwe	973	Recovered in full
2000
Indonesia	180,169	Rescheduled in Paris Club
Zimbabwe	890	Awaiting recovery

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Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level was of export credit guarantee coverage for arms sales in each of the last five years. [62038]

Ms Hewitt: According to ECGD's last five published annual report and accounts, guarantees in support of exports of defence equipment were provided for the following amounts:

Year	£ billion
1996–97	0.37
1997–98	0.76
1998–99	1.7
1999–2000	1.58
2000–01	2.73

Sub-post Offices

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria are used in the granting of the right to sub-post offices to issue vehicle licences where there is strong local demand. [62797]

Mr. Timms: Acting as an agent, Post Office Ltd. is dependent on the level of service required through post offices by the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency. I am informed by Post Office Ltd. that criteria used to place the motor vehicle licensing (MVL) facility include availability of office space, car parking, local customer demand and the need to maintain a geographical spread. Currently 4,091 offices offer MVL services.

Current figures also indicate that 90 per cent. of people are within one mile of a post office which offers these MVL services.

Architectural Businesses

Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what help is provided to small and medium sized architectural businesses to facilitate their involvement in (a) Government funded building projects and (b) urban regeneration projects; [62789]

(2) what assistance is given to small and medium sized architectural businesses to enable them to make successful bids for urban regeneration funded projects. [62788]

Mr. Wilson: The Department of Trade and Industry is working with the construction industry (including architects) to promote and embed the principles of rethinking construction. This initiative emphasises the need to integrate the construction team (including suppliers, contractors, professional advisers and clients) in order to deliver a high quality product that adds value to the client's activities. As part of this initiative, the Department has helped to fund the development of Design Quality Indicators which provide a means to assess the quality of a design as seen by architects, suppliers, clients and end users. These indicators will be launched jointly by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and the Construction Industry Council on 8 July. I, along with my Ministerial Design Champion colleagues, have also committed to the production of action plans to ensure that construction

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projects taken forward by this Department adhere to the principles of rethinking construction and take fully into account the need for high quality design.

The Department is also working very closely with CABE to promote understanding within both the public and private sector of how fundamental good design is both to the delivery of value for money and to the delivery of buildings which add to the quality of life of those using the building or living in the community around it. CABE undertakes a wide range of activities to encourage and facilitate improved design that are aimed at architects, suppliers and clients. These include: grants to develop and maintain architecture centres throughout the UK which provide a source of expertise and advice for both architects and clients; provision of training for both architects and clients to improve skills and improve understanding by clients of the sort of service they need from architects; design competitions to encourage small and new practices to develop projects and to showcase their skills; and the development of a digital website to showcase regeneration projects and projects covering a variety of different types of public buildings both to provide advice on how to deliver a good project and also to showcase the talents of architects.

The Office of Government Commerce, with CABE, has met with the Royal Institute of British Architects to discuss the issue of access of small and medium sized architectural firms to Government contracts. This dialogue is ongoing. In addition, CABE is working with individual Government Departments to promote a diversity of design firms on specific projects, most recently with the Department for Education and Skills on Neighbourhood Nurseries and SureStart.

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