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7 Nov 2002 : Column 482W—continued

Radio Spectrum

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 917W, on the radio spectrum, if the review has reported to Ministers; if he will publish the review and any conclusions he has made as a result; and what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding his findings. [47739]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Entertainment

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by Ministers in his Department on food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for entertainment purposes in each of the last five years. [47052]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost was of the Department's 2001 staff Christmas Party; and how many people attended. [61667]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Special Advisers

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times special advisers have accompanied Ministers on overseas visits in each of the last five years; which countries were visited; and what the total cost of each individual visit was. [47142]

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Dr. Moonie: [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by departmental special advisers on food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for entertainment purposes in each of the last five years. [46838]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many special advisers were employed by him (a) between 1 May and 31 December 1997 and (b) in each year from 1998 to 2001 inclusive; and what the total amount spent on special advisers by the Department was for each of those years. [41248]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number and expected cost to his Department of special advisers in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [43283]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions between 31 March 2001 and 31 March 2002 (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost; [58730]

(2) when he will answer the question from the hon. Member for Chichester, tabled on 22 May, on the official travel of departmental and non-departmental special advisers; [72682]

(3) on how many occasions between 31 March 2001 and 31 March 2002 (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost. [80363]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Accommodation

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel are paying (a) nothing or (b) a discounted rate for accommodation on the ground of its being below standard; and if he will provide the information for each service. [80330]

Dr. Moonie: [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) service family accommodation and (b) single living accommodation units were of

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(i) grade one, (ii) grade two, (iii) grade three and (iv) grade four standard in each year between 1997 and 2001; and if he will make a statement. [80283]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Reserves

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the latest figures are for both establishment and strength for each service and their respective reserve forces. [48326]

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

Departmental Staff

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the cost in 2001–02 was of the pay increase to staff in his Department, agencies and the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible; and what the cost of the forthcoming increase will be in 2002–03; [50412]

(2) how many staff have been employed by his Department in each of the last 10 years; [42463]

(3) how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are (a) job sharing, (b) term working and (c) engaged in another form of flexible working. [42414]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his departmental budget he estimates is spent on staff pay; and if he will make a statement. [66366]

Mr. Ingram: [holding answer 4 July 2002]: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces (Health Care)

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many armed forces personnel have been treated in the private sector under (a) the ATRA secondary health care initiative, (b) the Waiting List Initiative, (c) the Rapid Treatment Initiative and (d) psychiatric care in each month in 2002; and what the total cost was of that treatment; [80296]

(2) how many (a) officers and (b) personnel from other ranks received medical treatment in the private sector in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2002. [80297]

Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

32 (The Royal) Squadron

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much per hour the RAF charges other Government departments for flying with 32 (The Royal) Squadron;

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and what proportion of this charge represents the operational costs of the Squadron at Northolt. [79464]

Dr. Moonie: The hourly charge for 32 (The Royal) Squadron aircraft for the current financial year is:

BAe 146	#1,574 (VAT not applicable)
BAe 125	#740 (plus VAT for United Kingdom internal flights)
Twin Squirrel	#988 (plus VAT for United Kingdom internal flights)

It has been assumed that by ''operational costs'' the hon. Member is referring to the operating cost of 32 (The Royal) Squadron. As such I can confirm that the charges quoted comprise entirely of the variable cost of operating the aircraft and no fixed operating costs of the Squadron are included. The charges include engineering and airframe support costs, costs incurred for handling and landing at civil airports, fuel and travel and subsistence. Unlike the BAe 125 and 146, the Twin Squirrel is a wholly leased aircraft and the charge applied represents the contracted cost of the aircraft.

I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him yesterday by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Alexander).

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Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flight hours Government ministers have flown during each year since 1997–98 using the jets of 32 (The Royal) Squadron based at Northolt; and how many flight hours each Government department has utilised each year with the jets of 32 (The Royal) Squadron since 1997–98. [79465]

Mr. Ingram: For information relating to Ministerial use of RAF aircraft, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him yesterday by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Alexander).

The information requested regarding flight hours is set out in the table.

Departments	1997–1998	1998–1999	1999–2000	2000–2001	2001–2002	2002–2003*
FCO	2	6	10	34	35	2
Treasury	0	0	2	0	0	2
Ministry of Defence	2,317	1,991	1,602	1,831	2,006	881
Home Office	0	0	8	6	0	0
Culture Media and Sport	0	1	2	6	0	0
Total	2,319	1,998	1,624	1,877	2,041	885

Notes:

1. Government Department figures do not include Ministers travel.

2. Ministry of Defence use reflects the fact that MOD personnel of all ranks/grades (as necessary) utilise these aircraft in times of crisis and war for operational purposes. Additionally, in peacetime, when not engaged in these tasks, MOD personnel use the resultant irreducible spare capacity for other communication flying tasks.

* Figures to 30 September.

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