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Akrotiri
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what environmental impact assessments were conducted at Akrotiri prior to antenna construction. [69646]
Mr. Ingram: An assessment of the likely environmental impact of the project to build new antennas at Akrotiri was undertaken by a firm of consultants in 1997 and its results were reviewed by the company in 2001.
Last year the British and Cypriot Governments agreed that these environmental impact assessments should be reviewed by an independent panel of international environmental experts. This review was co-ordinated by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. The panel found that there were significant deficiencies in the original assessments, when judged against today's best practice standards and that there was not sufficient information on which to base a decision to proceed with the second phase of the project. The Ministry of Defence therefore commissioned further studies to fill the information gaps identified by the panel and to address their criticisms of the approach to mitigating the potential environmental impact. The panel confirmed in May that this additional work satisfactorily addressed the deficiencies in the original assessments.
Civil Servants
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out for each Civil Service grade within his (a) Department and (b) Department's executive agencies the (i) total number of staff employed, (ii) number aged (A) 16 to 25, (B) 26 to 35, (C) 36 to 45,
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(D) 46 to 60 and (E) over the age of 60 years, (iii) number of registered disabled and (iv) number of ethnic minorities. [39150]
Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 1072W, by my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie).
Digital Television
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the number of subscriptions to (a) digital terrestrial, (b) digital satellite and (c) digital cable television held by his Department for services in any departmental building from which Ministers work, stating for each subscription its (i) cost and (ii) purpose; [48345]
- (2) if he will list the (a) number and (b) total cost of television licences paid for by his Department. [48344]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Female Staff
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the staff of his Department are women; and what the percentage was in June 1997. [66910]
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Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 5 July 2002, Official Report, column 622W, by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Alexander).
Low Flying
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours were booked for low flying broken down by (a) day flights, (b) night flights and (c) by NATO air force within low flying areas 16 and 20T since 1995. [70325]
Dr. Moonie: The number of hours of military low flying training booked in the United Kingdom Low Flying System (UKLFS) is published annually. Figures quoted are in respect of hours booked by day and by night, with the night Low Flying Areas (LFA) mapped to the day system in order to produce the final total.
Tactical Training Area (TTA 20T), when activated for Operational Low Flying (OLF), partly overlays LFA 16, approximately two-thirds of LFA 13 and a small area within LFA 12.
The raw data prior to training year 2000–01 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Night data mapped to the day system does not distinguish between United Kingdom and foreign forces and therefore cannot be shown. Foreign military aircrew do not undertake OLF.
| Year—calendar/training | Hours low flying booked in LFA 16 | Hours OLF flown in LFA 20T | Hours low flying booked by foreign aircrew in LFA 16 and surrounding overseas areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 4,715 | 555 hours | — |
| 1996 | 4,440 | 310 hours 31 minutes | — |
| 1997 | 4,023 | 199 hours 45 minutes | — |
| 1998 | 3,680 | 221 hours 2 minutes | — |
| 1999–2000 | 3,408 | 280 hours 59 minutes | — |
| 2000–01 | 3,735 | 205 hours 59 minutes | 100 hours 43 minutes |
| 2001–02 | 4,080 | 297 hours 33 minutes | 32 hours 12 minutes |
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations and dates of periods of covert monitoring of low-flying operations conducted by Royal Air Force police (a) with and (b) without Skyguard deployment since 1993 within Low Flying Area 16 and 20T. [70324]
Dr. Moonie: Covert monitoring of low flying military aircraft is only undertaken using mobile Skyguard radar equipment by teams from the Defence Flying Complaints Investigation Team of the RAF police. Deployments of the Skyguard radar in Low Flying Areas 16 and 20T since 1993 are identified in the table. Full dates are quoted where this information is held centrally and I shall write to the hon. Member with supplementary information and place a copy in the Library of the House when this is to hand.
| Year | Day/month | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 6–9 February | Castle Douglas, Galloway and Upper Nithsdale |
| 2001 | 23–25 October | East Fortune, Gifford and Torness, East Lothian |
| 2000 | 4–7 April | Duns, Berwickshire |
| 2000 | 3–6 October | East Fortune and Torness, East Lothian |
| 1999 | 6–8 September | Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway |
| 1998 | February | St. John's Town of Dalry, Dumfries and Galloway |
| 1998 | June | Dunbar, East Lothian |
| 1997 | February | Biggar, Strathclyde |
| 1996 | June | Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway |
| 1995 | April | Galashiels, Scottish Borders |
| 1995 | September | Maybole, Strathclyde |
| 1994 | March | Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway |
| 1994 | November | Galashiels, Scottish Borders |
| 1993 | October | Churnside, Berwickshire |
Monitoring of low flying training without the Skyguard mobile radar is accomplished on an informal basis when members of the Defence Flying Complaints Investigation Team visit or pass through an area, for example, in connection with an investigation of a complaint.
Aircraft Carriers
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilians are deployed on aircraft carriers; and how many were deployed in 1987. [70164]
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Dr. Moonie [holding answer 16 July 2002]: In general terms there are approximately 10 civilians who deploy with each aircraft carrier, of these are six employed in the laundry and four in the NAAFI. The numbers of civilians on board may vary depending on the type of deployment. Information on civilian numbers deployed on aircraft carriers in 1987 is not available.
Public Relations
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the public relations firms his Department has employed since 1997; and if he will list total moneys paid to each firm since 1997. [69652]
Dr. Moonie: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
In recent years, information on expenditure and publicity which incorporates public relations has been included in the Ministry of Defence's annual Departmental Performance Report. Copies of these reports are available in the Library of the House.
Defence Munitions
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of munitions will be stored in (a) DM(N) and (b) DM(S); and what the percentages will be if DM Dean Hill closes. [70177]
Mr. Ingram: Currently the Defence Munitions distribution of stock by volume is as follows:
| Stock | Percentage |
|---|---|
| DM (North) | 19.5 |
| DM (Central) | 68.5 |
| DM (South) | 12 |
Should DM Dean Hill close as proposed and stock from there dispersed to other DM locations the resultant stock distribution by volume would be as follows:
| Stock | Percentage |
|---|---|
| DM (North) | 21 |
| DM (Central) | 69 |
| DM (South) | 10 |
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage decrease in DM's operating costs has been achieved since its inception. [70175]
Mr. Ingram: At inception the Defence Munitions (DM) set a challenging strategic goal to reduce total operating costs by 20 per cent. by financial year (FY) 2003–04 ie by 31 March 2004. By the end of FY 2001–02 delivery towards the target stood at 9.3 per cent. The inclusions of Defence Munitions Rationalisation Study 2 reductions (including savings arising from the proposed closure of DM Dean Hill) will, if implemented, deliver operating cost reductions of 16.7 per cent. by the end of FY 2003–04 with the full 20 per cent. being delivered in the course of the following year FY 2004–05.
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Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions over the last two years the storage capacity of DM Gosport has been exceeded; and where the excess munitions were stored on each occasion. [70179]
Mr. Ingram: For safety reasons the volume of explosives that can be stored at any particular location at any one time is very strictly controlled by licence. Defence Munitions (DM) has an obligation to operate within these licensed limits. Steps (including dispersal to other locations if necessary) are taken to ensure that all DM establishments do not exceed their licensed limits. As a result the storage capacity at DM Gosport has not been exceeded at any time over the last two years.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which unions were represented during the consultations on the Defence Munitions rationalisation study 2; and which areas of the country they represented. [70178]
Mr. Ingram: The proposal to close Defence Munitions Dean Hill has the potential to affect more than 25 staff. Therefore, in accordance with Ministry of Defence regulations, formal consultation with the trade unions is being carried out at departmental level ie with the MOD Council of Civil Service Unions (MOD CCSU) and the MOD Industrial Whitley Council (MOD DIWC). This includes the following: Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), Amicus (previously Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU) and Manufacturing, Science and Finance (MSF), General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union (GMB), Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT), Prospect, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Association of First Division Civil Servants (FDA), Defence Police Federation, the Chief Police Officer's Association and the Retired Officers Association.
The formal trade unions consultation period is due to complete on 16 August 2002.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account has been taken of the whole life assessment of munitions, and increased travel times, in the event of the recommended closure of DM Dean Hill proceeding. [70174]
Mr. Ingram: The process of weapon design addresses, inter alia, the issue of transportation. Where necessary to maintain the integrity and reliability of a weapon, customised packaging is provided to protect and preserve it during movement by whatever transportation medium is used, whether by road, rail or sea. Movement in approved packaging and by approved modes of transport has no impact on overall weapon life.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate has been made of the increase in munitions carried by road and rail if the recommended closure of DM Dean Hill proceeds broken down by (a) volume carried and (b) increase in length of time during which munitions will be transported. [70176]
Mr. Ingram: If the closure of Defence Munitions Dean Hill proceeds as planned the munitions currently stored at the Depot would be transferred to other Defence Munitions Establishments. As part of this dispersal
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activity it is planned to work together with customers and stakeholders to ensure that the resultant distribution of munitions stock more readily lines up with the required outload points for the munitions themselves. Once this re-positioning is completed, the overall planning assumption is that there would be no increase in the volume of munitions carried by road or rail. Likewise there would be no increase in the length in transportation time for the munitions stockpile as a whole.
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