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27 Jan 2003 : Column 642W—continued

Turkey

Harry Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what numerical restrictions there are under the CFE Treaty on deployments of armed forces to Turkey. [92532]

Mr. Ingram: The Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty limits the numbers of conventional armaments and equipment in Europe in five categories:

armoured combat vehicles


artillery pieces


combat aircraft, and


attack helicopters.

Numerical limits for the armaments and equipment apply within the area of application of the CFE treaty, which covers the entire land territory of the States Parties in Europe from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains. In the case of the Republic of Turkey, an area in the south-east of Turkey bordering the non-CFE states of Syria, Iraq and Iran is excluded from the area of application.

Furthermore, the Republic of Turkey lies within a specifically defined CFE zone, commonly known as the flank zone. Within this zone additional numerical limitations apply with regard to temporary deployments of conventional armaments and equipment. In the area of application of the CFE treaty these are:

153 battle tanks


241 armoured combat vehicles, and


140 pieces of artillery.

27 Jan 2003 : Column 643W

Deployments of combat aircraft and attack helicopters are not numerically limited, nor is the number of personnel. There are also no restrictions on naval forces under the CFE treaty.

UN Peacekeeping Missions

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact on the operational effectiveness of British contingents in UN peacekeeping missions of the deployment of forces to the Gulf. [92953]

Mr. Ingram: We do not expect the deployment forces to the Gulf to affect the operational effectiveness of British contingents in UN peacekeeping missions.

Urgent Operational Requirement Orders

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what orders in excess of £500,000 his Department has placed for urgent operational requirements in the last three months. [92508]

Mr. Ingram: About 90 Urgent Operational Requirements for in excess of 500,000 have been approved in the last three months. These will, inter alia, accelerate already funded programmes, address many of the lessons identified in Exercise SAEF SAREEA II (including Challenger 2 and AS90 desertisation), enhance medical support, maximise interoperability with coalition allies and improve our secure communications capability.

Vaccines

Dr. Murrison : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the take-up of anthrax vaccination among troops preparing to deploy to the Middle East. [91821]

27 Jan 2003 : Column 644W

Dr. Moonie: Immunisation against anthrax is just one component of the range of defensive capabilities available to our Armed Forces which protect them against, and enable them to respond to, chemical and biological threats. These include detectors, warning and reporting systems, physical protection including respirators, decontamination equipment and procedures, and other medical counter measures such as antibiotics. We have assembled a package of information and education materials which we hope will encourage Service personnel to take advantage of the additional protection that immunisation against anthrax provides. We are confident that the majority of personnel now deploying to the Gulf will opt to receive immunisations against anthrax, and expect take-up to improve further as the programme expands.

Wheeled Support Vehicles

Mr. Hancock : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what problems have arisen in the evaluation of the bids for the contract for the new wheeled support vehicles; how near these are to resolution; and if he will make a statement. [91872]

Mr. Ingram: No problems have arisen, but evaluation of the tenders received in June 2002 for the Support Vehicle contract concluded that more information was needed on some aspects of the solution put forward by the bidders to enable a decision to be taken on which proposal represents best value for money. All four bidders have been invited to participate in a further round of tendering and responses are due on 22 January 2003. A further period of evaluation will then take place. An announcement on the award of a contract is planned for late 2003.

27 Jan 2003 : Column 645W

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Benefit

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on child benefit for 16 to 19-year-olds in each year since 1997. [90915]

Malcolm Wicks: Entitlement to child benefit between the ages of 16 and 18 is dependent on the child staying on in full-time education—up to and including GCE 'A' level or equivalent. Entitlement ceases when the child reaches 19 years of age or when the child leaves full-time education, if earlier.

Estimated expenditure on child benefit, including the higher rate payable to some lone parents, for 16 to 18-year-olds since 1997 is as follows:

Estimated child benefit expenditure (inc. lone parent addition) for 16 to 18-year-olds£ millions

1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03
750	780	960	1,020	(24)1,060	(25)1,100

⁽²⁴⁾ Estimated outturn

⁽²⁵⁾ Plans

Notes:

1. Because sample data have been used to obtain the age split the quoted figures are subject to sampling variability. The true figures are likely to lie in a range around those quoted.

2. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million.

Source:

DSS/DWP accounts and sample administrative data

Final Salary Pension Schemes

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with business representatives concerning the provision of final salary pension schemes [92828]

Mr. McCartney: My right hon Friend met with representatives of the Confederation of British Industry in September and November last year to discuss pensions.

As part of the consultation exercise on the pensions Green Paper Simplicity, Security and Choice, my right. hon Friend and ministerial colleagues will be attending a number of events to which employer organisations are being invited.

Mr. Flight : To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of closing a final salary pension scheme upon a firm's financial risk. [92829]

Mr. McCartney: When employers close their defined benefit schemes, they are seeking to put a limit on the long term liabilities of the company. Given the nature of these liabilities, however, closure is unlikely to have an immediate or even necessarily a short term impact. This is because the existing liabilities will still have to be met for the continuing life of the scheme irrespective of whether new members are being accepted. The Green Paper 'Simplicity, security and choice: working and saving for retirement' (Cm5677) sets out the Government's view that, for this and other reasons, closing or winding up pension schemes are not in the interests of either employers or employees. The Green Paper, therefore, sets out a range of proposals to

27 Jan 2003 : Column 646W

simplify the regulatory regime for pensions, which could save employers £150 to £200 million a year in administration, and thus make it easier for employers to continue to provide final salary schemes and other types of pension arrangements for their employees. We have launched a wide ranging consultation in which we are seeking views on this approach including its impact on employers.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures he is taking to strengthen the rights of employees in relation to final salary pension schemes. [91942]

Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to my written answer of 13 January 2003, Official Report, volume 397, columns 361–62W.

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of proposals in the Pensions Green Paper on the rate of closure of final salary schemes. [93055]

Mr. McCartney: The Green Paper 'Simplicity, security and choice: working and saving for retirement1 (Cm5677), published on 17 December 2002, sets out the Government's strategy to encourage and support employers providing and contributing to good quality pension schemes through provision of a regulatory framework. The Green Paper,, therefore, sets out a range of proposals to simplify the regulatory regime for pensions, which could save employers £150-£200 million a year in administration, and thus make it easier for employers to continue to provide final salary schemes and other types of pension arrangements for their employees. We have launched a wide ranging consultation in which we are seeking views on this approach including its impact on employers.

Guaranteed Minimum Pensions

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of commuting all entitlements to guaranteed minimum pensions to entitlements to SERPS at the rate used to make such commutations in 1997. [92184]

Mr. McCartney: This information is not currently available. However, relevant work on the costs of guaranteed minimum pensions is currently being undertaken as part of the follow-up to the Green Paper "Simplicity—Security and Choice: Working and saving for retirement" published (Cm5677) on 17 December 2002. I will place the information in the Library once this is available.

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