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8 Jan 2003 : Column 225W—continued

MOD Contracts

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the ROF sites that supply his Department; and what the length of contract is at each site. [88572]

Mr. Ingram: The former Royal Ordnance Factories (now owned by RO Defence, within BAE Systems), which are involved in the supply of munitions to the Ministry of Defence are: Birtley, Bridgwater, Chorley, Glascoed and Radway Green. The MOD has a variety of contracts for the supply of munitions with RO Defence, most of which are covered by the MOD/ROD Framework Partnering Agreement. These contracts are not site specific, and it is for RO Defence to decide on the point of assembly and manufacture of components.

RAF Fairford

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms of agreement are between his Department and the US Air Force in the use of RAF Fairford. [88320]

Mr. Ingram: The presence of the United States Air Force at RAF Fairford is, as with all bases made available to United States visiting forces in the United Kingdom, governed by the NATO Status of Forces Agreement 1951 and additional confidential arrangements.

8 Jan 2003 : Column 226W

S-type Contracts

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving members of (a) the armed forces and (b) the infantry are employed on an S-Type contract having been manning controlled. [89280]

Dr. Moonie: As explained in the answer given on 27 November 2002, Official Report, columns 332–34W, only the Army uses Manning Control Point reviews. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force have their own manning policies that are designed to meet their different requirements.

There are 351 serving members of the Army who are employed on an S-Type engagement following termination of their notice or open engagement after a Manning Control review. Of these, 291 are Infantry personnel.

Soldier Discharges

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers in the last five years signed an AFB120A form under QR 9.413; and how many soldiers who were discharged under QR 9.413 applied for a war pension after discharge. [89275]

Dr. Moonie: I assume the hon. Member is referring to AFB 130A form, which is completed when soldiers are to be discharged for a number of reasons, including Queen's Regulations 9.413, 'Not required for a full Army career'. For consistency with the period covered in the answer of 16 December 2002, Official Report, column 507W, the number of such forms signed by soldiers discharged under Queen's Regulations, paragraph 9.413 in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.

	Number of AF103As discharged under QR 9.413
1997	231
1998	175
1999	93
2000	66
2001	47
2002	3
Total	615

An AFB 130A form may have been signed in some cases in which discharge action was terminated. Figures for such cases are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Veterans' Agency does not collate data on the reason for discharge of veterans who claim a war pension. Therefore, the number of soldiers who were discharged under Queen's Regulations, paragraph 9.413, and who applied for a war pension after discharge, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

UBS Warburg

Syd Rapson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department was informed that the Department of Trade and Industry had hired UBS Warburg to advise it about the relationship between

8 Jan 2003 : Column 227W

BAE Systems and his Department; which MOD officials met officials from UBS Warburg; and when these meetings took place. [88665]

Mr. Hoon: UBS Warburg were retained in early December 2002 to provide specialist financial advice to the Government as a whole, not to individual Departments. Ministry of Defence officials, representatives of the MOD Equipment Capability Customer Organisation, the Defence Procurement Agency and the MOD Press Office have been involved in a number of meetings at which USB Warburg representatives have been present.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Union Learning Funds

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance has been given by his Department to union learning funds; and if he will make a statement. [88808]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 7 January 2003]: Trade unions have a key role to play in promoting the development of learning and skills in the workplace. To help them do this, my Department has provided financial support through the union learning fund since 1998. Between 1998 and March 2002, #16.5million was made available; #9 million is available for 2002–03 and a further #33. 6 million has been allocated for the next three years up to 2005–06.

The union learning fund is a highly successful scheme and has become an established part of the lifelong learning agenda. Regular evaluation of this initiative has taken place and copies of the reports are available in the House of Commons Library.

Christmas Expenses

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many departmental Christmas cards he and his Ministers intend to send in 2002; how much these cards will cost (a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he has sent this year. [88109]

Mr. Stephen Twigg [holding answer 19 December 2002]: This year Ministers at the Department for Education and Skills sent around 1,550 official Christmas cards. These cards cost #1,659. The cards were sent via the governmental inter-departmental Service or the Royal Mail. No breakdown of the delivery methods is available which would enable an accurate assessment to be made of the postage costs. Equally no record is available of the staff time involved to sign, address and place cards in envelopes. A copy of the official Christmas card has been made available to the Library.

All expenditure incurred in the purchase and despatch of official Christmas cards is made in accordance with the departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in XGovernment Accounting".

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Connexions

Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time employees were employed by Connexions in each region (i) this year and (ii) last year. [88993]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 7 January 2003]: The following table gives the number of full-time and part-time staff employed by Connexions during the current year. The figures are taken from an annual staff survey undertaken by 27 partnerships that were operational by August 2002. The Connexions Service is expected to be operational in all 47 areas by April 2003.

Comparable information is not available for 2001. Another survey of all Connexions partnerships is planned for the end of April 2003.

Connexions partnerships operational by August 2002

	Full-time staff	Part-time staff
England	5,023	2,021
South-east	230	204
Milton Keynes, Oxon and Bucks	230	204
London	790	315
Central London	176	55
North London	143	50
South London	184	93
East London	287	117
East of England	431	172
Cambs and Peterborough	214	74
Hertfordshire	107	66
Suffolk	110	32
South-west	599	288
Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole	97	25
Cornwall and Devon	244	102
Somerset	84	51
West of England	174	110
West Midlands	846	335
Black Country	225	75
Coventry and Warwick	182	112
Hereford and Worcester	102	60
Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin	109	51
Staffordshire	228	37
East Midlands	314	94
Lincolnshire and Rutland	148	41
Nottinghamshire	166	53
Yorks and Humber	479	265
Humberside	226	155
South Yorkshire	253	110
North-west	968	265
Cheshire and Warrington	204	61
Cumbria	134	49
Greater Merseyside	368	81
Lancashire	262	74
North-east	366	83
County Durham	118	33
Tyne and Wear	248	50

Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of people who have received advice through the Connexions service were (a) under 19 and (b) defined as socially excluded in the latest 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by region. [88996]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 7 January 2003]: The table shows the number and proportion of young people receiving individual advice through operational Connexions Services for the period April 2002 to

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November 2002—the latest period for which this information is available. The table also shows the numbers of those identified as needing intensive support from the service.

Intensive support is defined as integrated and specialist support for those facing substantial multiple problems which prevent them from engaging with

8 Jan 2003 : Column 230W

learning. These young people are likely to be involved with a number of different professionals engaged in education, social welfare, health and housing.

Young people also receive advice and guidance in a variety of group activities, through targeted mail shots and via Connexions websites, however this information is not collected by age group.

	All young people advised by Connexions in a one to one situation(2)	Number of under 19s advised by Connexions in a one to one situation	Number identified as needing intensive support	Percentage
England	1,799,647	1,726,652	448,254	24.9
South East	100,432	96,838	29,287	29.2
London	154,167	144,920	32,056	20.8
East of England	106,796	102,548	16,959	15.9
South West	238,711	225,097	68,832	28.8
West Midlands	263,257	252,377	35,055	13.3
East Midlands	150,312	145,069	36,811	24.5
Yorks and Humber	235,772	226,669	95,222	40.4
North West	431,343	416,597	102,000	23.6
North East	118,857	116,537	32,032	27.0

⁽²⁾ Connexions Services cover 13 to 19-year-olds and young people up to the age of 25 with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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