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6 Nov 2002 : Column 283W

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 6 November 2002

DEFENCE

Army

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Army indicated when last questioned that they have been a victim of (a) harassment, (b) discrimination and (c) bullying in the Army; what percentage of those responding this represents; what percentage of actual strength this represents; and if he will make a statement. [78635]

Mr. Ingram: In response to the latest Army Continuous Attitude Survey, those members of the Army that indicated they had been the victim of harassment, discrimination and bullying in the last 12 months are shown in the table.

QuestionNumber of Army Personnel who alleged:Percentage of RespondentsPercentage of those Surveyed
Racial Discrimination422.01.0
Racial Harassment361.80.9
Sex Discrimination643.11.6
Sexual Harassment331.60.8
Bullying1105.42.8

The latest survey was undertaken in March–April 2002 and sent to a 4 per cent. random sample of the trained Army (excluding Gurkhas and Full Time Reserve Service personnel); 3,978 questionnaires were sent out and 2,037 were returned.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) how many and (b) what percentage of army recruits (i) went absent without leave and (ii) left the Army within the first six (A) weeks and (B) months of training in the last year for which figures are available. [79717]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Army indicated when last questioned the preference that unmarried partners should be granted the same support and allowances as the spouses of officers and soldiers; what percentage of those responding this represents; what percentage of actual strength this represents; and if he will make a statement. [78639]

Mr. Ingram: In response to the latest Army Continuous Attitude Survey, 842 members of the Army indicated they believed that partners should have the same support and allowances as the spouses of married officers and soldiers. This represents some 41 per cent. of those who responded and 21 per cent. of those surveyed.

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The latest survey was undertaken in March–April 2002 and sent to a 4 per cent. random sample of the trained Army (excluding Gurkhas and Full Time Reserve Service); 3,978 questionnaires were sent out and 2,037 were returned.

Army Equipment

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimates his Department has made of how much, on average, individual members of the Army spent on purchasing additional or replacement clothing and equipment to supplement standard issue kit over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [78637]

Mr. Ingram: None. Service personnel are provided with all the equipment they require to do their jobs. The clothing and equipment with which they are issued is designed to be fit for purpose in a range of circumstances.

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the forces have indicated that they (a) have and (b) have not purchased additional replacement (i) clothing and (ii) equipment supplementing kit issued by the Army in the last 12 months; what percentage of actual strength this represents in each case; and if he will make a statement. [78636]

Mr. Ingram: In response to the latest Army Continuous Attitude Survey, 1,037 individuals indicated that they had purchased some item of equipment or clothing in the last 12 months. This represents some 26 per cent. of those surveyed. Seventy four per cent. of individuals indicated that they had not. The survey does not ask the individual to make the distinction between clothing or equipment, and purchases may include items which are not issued by the Army. The survey was administered to a 4 per cent. random sample of the trained Army (excluding Gurkhas and Full Time Reserve Service personnel); 3,978 questionnaires were sent out.

Operation Sandcastle

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost was of Operation Sandcastle. [79549]

Mr. Ingram: We estimate that the cost of Operation Sandcastle was around #364,000 at 1991–1992 prices.

No-fly Zones

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what offensive operations were conducted by the Royal Air Force against military installations in Iraq on (a) 21 September 1999, (b) 21 September 2000, (c) 21 September 2001, (d) 20 September 2002 and (e) 22 September 2002. [79159]

Mr. Ingram: RAF and other coalition aircraft conducting legitimate patrols of the No-Fly Zones over Iraq are regularly threatened by Iraqi air defences. When this occurs they may respond in self-defence, against air defence sites.

On 21 September 1999 and 21 September 2001 RAF aircraft responded against, respectively, air defence radars and a surface-to-air missile site in southern Iraq, using laser-guided bombs.

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No responses took place on 21 September 2000, or 20, 21 or 22 September this year.

Apache Helicopter

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) for what reasons the organisations training pilots for the Apache helicopter have experienced delays in providing equipment and facilities; [79580]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Animal Experiments

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many animals covered by the Sixth Report of the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee were bred, for the period in question, for possible use in procedures but subsequently (a) destroyed and (b) passed on to other bodies without so being used. [79048]

Dr. Moonie: The sixth report of the Independent Animal Welfare Committee covers the period from 31 October 2000 to 28 February 2002. Animal figures are compiled on the basis of the calendar year. In 2001 Dstl Porton Down bred two different types of rodents and two types of non-human primates. Of these, 21 mice and six rats were humanely destroyed without use. 916 mice, 2,624 rats and 10 rhesus macaques were issued dead to other organisations.

TREASURY

Split Capital Investment Trusts

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations his Department has received regarding a compensation package for investors who have lost money due to market abuses relating to split capital investment trusts. [79106]

Ruth Kelly: Treasury Ministers receive a wide range of correspondence relating to financial service matters.

Landfill Tax

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations his Department has received regarding the optimum level for landfill tax. [79098]

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John Healey: Treasury Ministers have received a variety of representations about the rate of landfill tax.

Charities (Tax Relief)

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been contributed annually to the charitable sector (a) overall and (b) through the Gift Aid scheme, since the scheme's introduction; what these sums are as proportions of the total turnover of the charitable sector; and what the total cost is to his Department of the tax refunds resulting from the Gift Aid scheme. [79111]

John Healey: Figures on Gift Aid are published in the income tax section of Inland Revenue Statistics at: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/index.htm. Consistent and reliable estimates for total donations to charities are not available centrally, nor are figures on turnover. However, a survey by NCVO/NOP estimates that the value of individual donations was #6.8 billion in 2001. In addition charities benefit from donations from companies. The Charity Commission shows that at the end of the second quarter of 2002 the annual income of registered charities in England and Wales was #28.5 billion.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his estimate is of the amount of tax forgone as a result of tax allowances granted to charities in England and Wales in (a) the last financial year and (b) each of the previous six financial years; [79135]

John Healey: The available estimates, which relate to the United Kingdom, for the total cost of tax forgone are about #2 billion in each of the last six financial years. This includes income tax, inheritance tax, business rates and VAT. Figures for the first two categories were published in various issues of the FSBR and in Table 1.5 of Inland Revenue Statistics at: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/index.htm. These figures will be updated in the Tax Ready Reckoner published at the time of the Chancellor's Press Budget Report. Estimates for relief on corporation tax, capital gains tax and stamp duty are not available.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has for the Payroll Giving scheme providing tax relief for charitable donations; and if he will make a statement. [79093]

John Healey: In April 2000, the Government abolished the maximum amounts that could be given under Payroll Giving. To boost the scheme, the Government announced a three-year publicity campaign to promote the scheme to more employers and their employees and a 10 per cent. supplement on all Payroll Giving donations until April 2003. The cost of the supplement is met from public expenditure. The amount given under Payroll Giving has increased from #29 million in 1998–99 to about #73 million in 2001–02.

Mr, Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the level of charitable donations since the abolition

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of the minimum limit on donations through the (a) Payroll Giving scheme and (b) Gift Aid scheme. [79110]

John Healey: In April 2000, the Government set a target to raise the amount given through Payroll Giving to #60 million by April 2003. The total given in the year 2001–02 was around #73m. In 2001–02 nearly #450m was repaid to charities under Gift Aid. The Government looks forward to the continuing success of both schemes.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to prevent suspended shares being given as part of the Gift Aid scheme. [79104]

John Healey: The Gift Aid scheme only covers gifts of money. The relief for giving listed shares, introduced in April 2000, allows individuals and companies to deduct the market value of gifts of listed shares from their income or corporation tax calculation. Where shares are being actively traded, the value will normally be easily ascertained by reference to published prices. However, where trading is suspended, the value will be the price which might have been paid in a transaction at arm's length. Any relief would therefore reflect the suspension of trading in the shares. The shares would still, of course, be of value to the charity, when trading resumed.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the Gift Aid scheme tax relief for charitable donations; and if he will make a statement. [79094]

John Healey: In April 2000, the Government abolished the minimum donation of #250, so that every donation, no matter how large or small, can come within the Gift Aid scheme, providing the donor meets the scheme's conditions. From April 2003, donors will be able to carry back Gift Aid donations made before they make their self assessment tax returns into the previous tax year, thereby obtaining any higher rate relief earlier. From April 2004 taxpayers will be able to nominate a charity to receive part or all of a tax repayment that is due to them.

The Government continue to support The Giving Campaign, a charity sector-led body, which has done a great deal to raise awareness of the Gift Aid scheme among both charities and donors.

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