You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

28 Jan 2003 : Column 826W—continued

Transitional Care Beds

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many transitional care beds have been created in each of the last three years in (a) each trust and (b) England; [92991]

Jacqui Smith: In previous years, a number of health and social care partnerships have used additional winter funding to create extra capacity in so-called transitional care. Essentially, this is short-term, temporary or "step down" care where people are cared for before they move on to the setting where they will receive any long-term care they need. The Department does not collect data on the number of transitional care beds.

Waiting Times

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the latest available waiting times are to receive a first consultant appointment following referral by a GP in each Trust area. [88163]

Mr. Hutton: Information on the number of outpatients waiting, following a general practitioner written referral who have yet to be seen at national health service trusts in England as at 30 September 2002, has been placed in the Library.

DEFENCE

Paper Supplies

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who are the suppliers of (a) paper and (b) paper products used by his Department. [91827]

28 Jan 2003 : Column 827W

Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence uses a wide range of paper and paper products. Our current principal suppliers are:


















Afghanistan (Armed Forces)

Mr. Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength is of British armed forces in Afghanistan. [93146]

Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom contributes around 300 United Kingdom Service personnel to the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul.

28 Jan 2003 : Column 828W

Aircraft Crash (Mehamn)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the opening by the Norwegian Government of a new inquiry into allegations that an RAF Harrier was involved in the crash of a civilian Twin Otter aircraft near Mehamn in Norway in 1982. [93836]

Dr. Moonie: Earlier inquiries in 1982 and 1987 into this civil air accident were both satisfied that no fighter aircraft were in the vicinity at the time of the accident. We will offer every assistance to the new inquiry set up by the Norwegian Government if requested to do so. No terms of reference for the inquiry have yet been announced.

Animal Welfare

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many animal experiments, broken down by (a) recorded category and (b) species, were carried out at Porton Down in each year since 1997. [93290]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 27 January 2003]: Dstl Porton Down submits annual returns to the Home Office detailing the number of procedures undertaken which involve the use of animals as defined in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

For the years 1997 to 2001 the returns broken down by the recorded category of primary purpose, as defined by the Home Office are detailed in the table:

Year
Primary purpose19971998199920002001
Fundamental biological research6,0526,7027,2657,1937,074
Applied studies—human medicine4,7634,1994,1474,6415,674
Protection of man, animals or environment by toxicological or other safety or environmental evaluation(53) 0090108
Education23730
Training20020
Direct diagnosis1371877314699
Total10,95611,09111,50111,98512,955

(53) Excluding medical or veterinary products or appliances

In the years 1997 to 2001 the annual returns to the Home Office, broken down by species are detailed below:

Species19971998199920002001
Guinea pig1,1091,039636636727
Ferret030000
Hamster396222144240
Mouse8,5697,47710,14410,85611,944
Pig85968410623
Rabbit3148101923
Rat7171,999410350125
Goat222000
Sheep173013945
Primate30128603468
Total10,95611,09111,50111,98512,955

The figures for 2002 are expected to be available in late February.

Annual Report

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge. [90879]

Dr. Moonie: Production of the Ministry of Defence's annual Performance Report 2001–02 (Cm 5661) drew on performance management information collected within the Department for a variety of purposes. Its production involved a large number of people across the Department, and it is not therefore possible to calculate the cost without incurring disproportionate expense.

Decisions on print runs are a commercial matter for The Stationery Office Limited (TSO), who handle publication of the Report and who meet the costs of printing and publication.

28 Jan 2003 : Column 829W

The Ministry of Defence bought 650 copies and an electronic version from TSO at a cost of £8,536.25. All of the MOD's copies are distributed free of charge, the majority within the Department, but about 175 to other Government Departments, other nations, Parliament or the Press. ISO inform me that, as at 21 January 2003, they had sold a further 234 copies. The Report is also available on the MOD website (www.mod.uk).

Armed Forces (Deployments)

Mr. Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the 10 largest current deployments of British armed forces broken down by country. [93148]

Mr. Ingram: The 10 largest deployments of the British armed forces on operations or involved in military tasks outside the United Kingdom are currently in (largest first) Cyprus, Kosovo, Bosnia, Falkland Islands, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Gibraltar and Turkey. There are also sizeable numbers of British Army personnel permanently based in Germany and deployed on operations in Northern Ireland.

Asset Tracking

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what improvements have been made to (a) his Department's asset tracking capabilities since April 2002 and (b) its ability to measure the re-supply targets for orders placed by units. [92667]

28 Jan 2003 : Column 830W

Mr. Ingram: Since April 2002, the Department has taken a number of steps to improve both the ability to track consignments and to measure the performance of our re-supply systems including the procurement of an interim system which will improve our consignment tracking capability and ability to measure the achievement of delivery targets, and facilitate better operations with coalition partners. In the longer term we are developing a programme which will consolidate the information from individual systems through the Department and further improve consignment tracking within the supply chain.

Combat 95 Clothing

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces indicated when last questioned that they were satisfied with their Combat 95 clothing; what percentage of respondents this represents; and if he will make a statement. [85013]

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers indicated when last questioned that they were (a) satisfied and (b) unsatisfied with Combat 95 clothing; what percentage of respondents this represents; what comments were made about the clothing; and if he will make a statement. [92145]

Dr. Moonie: The numbers of Army personnel indicating in their answers to the Continuous Attitude Survey (CAS) published in August 2002 that they were either satisfied or dissatisfied with their Combat 95 clothing was as follows:

Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied
NumberPercentageNumberPercentageNumberPercentage
Officers2527057155315
Soldiers674462671853136

The CAS contained no question asking for specific comments about Combat 95 clothing.

Next Section Index Home Page