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12 Dec 2002 : Column 410W—continued
Ammunition
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the stocks of stockpiled ammunition have changed since 1997; and what measures there are to ensure that the armed forces have adequate reserves of ammunition in case of a crisis. [86300]
Dr. Moonie: Details of stockpiled ammunition are withheld under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. However, it can be confirmed that stockpile planning is subject to continuous review in order to ensure that the derived liabilities for munitions are robust and reflect current Defence Planning Assumptions.
Armed Forces Personnel (Scotland)
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Marines, (c) Army and (d) RAF personnel are stationed in Scotland, (i) in total and (ii) in each location; and if he will make a statement. [86383]
Dr. Moonie: The number of United Kingdom Regular personnel as at 1 April 2002 is given as follows. These figures include both trained and untrained personnel. They exclude FTRS, Gurkhas, Reserves mobilised for duty, and members of the Royal Irish Home Service. From these figures it is not possible to separate the Royal Marines from the Royal Navy figures.
(2) These figures include both Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel
(3) Figures under 5 have been suppressed and all other figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
— denotes figure is 5 or under, and has therefore been suppressed to avoid disclosure.
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Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency
Mr. Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on the PFI contract for the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency; whether the contract is on schedule; and if he will make a statement. [85866]
Dr. Moonie: Details of the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency's contract costs and performance against Key Targets for financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01 inclusive appear in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are held in the Library of the House.
The Annual Report and Accounts for the financial year 2001–2002 should be published early in the New Year and will indicate that all Key Targets were met. Contract costs for the same period were some 64 million.
Armed Forces Widows (Northern Ireland)
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) UDR and (b) RIR widows have been created as a direct result of terrorist activity in Northern Ireland since 1973; and how much money has been distributed by the Army Forces Pension Scheme to each class of widow since 1973. [86653]
Dr. Moonie: Between 1973 and 1992 there have been 103 UDR widows, two UDR widowers and six RIR widows as a direct result of terrorist activity in Northern Ireland. Information is being collated to determine the level of payments made through the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. I will write to the hon Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial assistance the widow of a soldier killed on duty will receive from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. [86655]
Dr. Moonie: The widow of a soldier killed on duty as a result of his service will for the first three months receive a short-term pension at annual rate equal to her husband's annual rate of pay. After this period she
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receives a long-term attributable pension for herself and any children reflecting her husband's rank and linked to his rate of pay. The resulting benefits equate to around 90 per cent.of the members full career pension. From 31 October 2000, attributable widows' pensions have been paid for life, regardless of whether the widow remarries or cohabits with a man as her husband. In addition to the short and long-term pensions, she would receive a death-in-service gratuity equal to amount that would have been payable to the soldier on invaliding grounds, or if greater, twice the full career rate of the invaliding pension. An additional attributable gratuity is payable which is set according to the rank of the soldier. Benefits would also be paid under the War Pension Scheme.
Arrangements are currently under review as part of an examination of pension and compensation arrangements for the Armed Forces, and widows' provisions are one area where we are considering improvements. We expect to make an announcement on this work early next year.
Armed Services (Fatalities)
Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service men under the age of 18 years have suffered accidents involving firearms in each of the last five years. [82928]
Dr. Moonie: Information on accidents involving firearms and casualties is not held centrally by the Army and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In the Royal Navy (RN), records of casualties indicate that one 17-year-old Royal Marine (RM) died as a result of a gunshot wound in training in 2000, but no other RN (or RM) personnel under 18 have been injured by firearms over the last five years. No RAF personnel under the age of 18 have suffered accidents involving firearms over the last five years.
Army Welfare Service
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) civilian and (b) military female members of staff of the Army Welfare Service are based in each of the agency's offices in Scotland. [86129]
Dr. Moonie: The Army Welfare Service currently employs three female members of staff in its offices in Scotland. One civilian and one military female member of staff are employed in Edinburgh. One further military female member of staff is employed in Inverness.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what routes of appeal are available to (a) civilian and (b) military members of staff of the Army Welfare Service who are dissatisfied with the outcome of the agency's internal complaints procedure. [86132]
Dr. Moonie: There is no specific internal complaint procedure for staff employed within the Army Welfare Service, further to that which is available to all military and Ministry of Defence civilian staff. Complaint procedure for military personnel is detailed within Army General Administrative Instructions Volume 2 Chapter 70—Management and Resolution of Complaints; further guidance is provided in Army General Administrative Instructions Volume 2 Chapter 75—Equal Opportunities Policy, Guidance and Instructions.
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Complaint procedure for civilian personnel is detailed within the Ministry of Defence Personnel Manual, Volume 13.
Battalion Strength
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on what occasions in the past five years units have been detached from a battalion of the foot guards and attached to another battalion to bring that latter battalion up to strength for the purposes of operational deployment, giving in each case (a) the length of the period of detachment and (b) the date of the detached unit's return to its own battalion; [85229]
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- (2) when in the past five years battalions of the foot guards have been deployed for operational purposes; [85227]
(3) on what occasions in the past five years battalions of the foot guards have been brought up to strength for operational deployment by the attachment of units from other battalions, identifying for each occasion (a) the deployed battalion and (b) the source and size of the attached unit. [85228]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 3 December 2001]: Units which have, within the last five years, been detached from a battalion of the Foot Guards and attached to another battalion to bring mat battalion up to strength for the purposes of an operational deployment are detailed in the following table:
| Battalion detached from | Battalion detached to and reason | Period of detachment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Grenadier Guards | Detached 26 men to 1 Scots Guards for a Northern Ireland tour | May 2001-November 2001 |
| 1 Coldstream Guards | Detached 1 Platoon of 30 personnel to 1 Scots Guards for a Northern Ireland tour | March 1998-October 1998 |
| Detached 1 Platoon of 30 personnel to 1 Irish Guards for a tour in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia/Kosovo | February 1999-September 1999 | |
| Detached 17 men to the Household Cavalry Regiment for a Bosnia tour | May 1999-November 1999 | |
| Detached 26 men to 1 Grenadier Guards for a Northern Ireland tour | June 1999-December 1999 | |
| Created a company to reinforce a resident Battalion in Northern Ireland | October 2000- April 2002 | |
| 1 Scots Guards | In common with other Residential Battalions in Northern Ireland detached individual reinforcements to meet various operational commitments | March 1998-April 2000 |
| 1 Irish Guards | Have only detached personnel for routine procedures in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia/Kosovo. | |
| 1 Welsh Guards | Detached 1 Platoon of 30 personnel to 1 Scots Guards for a Northern Ireland tour | March 1998-October 1998 |
| Detached 1 Company to 1 Devonshire and Dorset Regiment for a Northern Ireland tour | October 2000- April 2001 |
Details of battalions of the Foot Guards which have, in the last five years, been deployed for operational purposes are show in the following table:
| Battalion | Period of operational deployment | Area of operational deployment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Grenadier Guards | March 1996-March 1998 | As a residential battalion in Northern Ireland |
| June 1999-December 1999 | Northern Ireland | |
| November 2001-May 2002 | Northern Ireland | |
| 1 Coldstream Guards | September 1999-March 2000 | Northern Ireland |
| April 2000-now | As a residential battalion in Northern Ireland | |
| 1 Scots Guards | March 1998-April 2000 | As a residential battalion in Northern Ireland |
| June 2000-July 2000 | Northern Ireland | |
| March 2001-November 2001 | Northern Ireland | |
| 1 Irish Guards | February 1999-September 1999 | Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia/Kosovo |
| 1 Welsh Guards | October 2000-March 2001 | Northern Ireland (one company only) |
| March 2002-September 2002 | Bosnia |
Details of Foot Guard battalions which have been brought up to strength for operational deployment by the attachment of units from other battalions, within the last five years, are shown in the following table.
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| Deployed battalion | Source and size of attached unit and deployment details |
|---|---|
| 1 Grenadier Guards | Received 13 personnel from The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, 26 personnel from 1 Coldstream Guards and 26 personnel from 1 Duke of Wellington's Regiment from June 1999 to December 1999 for a Northern Ireland tour |
| 1 Irish Guards | Received 30 personnel from 1 Coldstream Guards from February 1999 to September 1999 for a tour in Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia/Kosovo |
| 1 Scots Guards | Received 1 Platoon of 30 personnel from 1 Coldstream Guards and 1 Platoon of 30 personnel from 1 Welsh Guards from March 1998 to October 1998 for a Northern Ireland tour |
| Received 26 personnel from 1 Grenadier Guards from May 2001 to November 2001 for a Northern Ireland tour | |
| 1 Welsh Guards | While in Bosnia (March-September 2002), the battalion was reinforced by 84 reservists and Territorial Army personnel for Bosnia specific jobs. The battalion itself was at full strength |
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