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30 Jan 2003 : Column 950W—continued
Sickness Absence
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in her Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for her Department; and if she will make a statement. [93509]
Dr. Howells: Cabinet Office publishes an annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service". The most recently published figures for the calendar year 2001 were announced by Ministerial Statement on 19 December 2002, and copies placed in the Libraries of the House.
For DCMS and the Royal Parks Agency the 2001 average working days sickness absence per staff year figures were:
| Certified sickness | Self-certification | Total | Staff years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCMS | 3.8 | 2.1 | 5.9 | 420 |
| Royal Parks Agency | 2.5 | 11.0 | 13.5 | 229 |
The 1999, 2000 and 2001 reports are available on the Cabinet Office website www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/civilservice/publications/sickness/index.htm The sickness absence figures for 2002 will be announced in due course.
DCMS and its Agency have no recorded cases of any unauthorised absenteeism.
The targets set for DCMS and its Agency were:
| 2001–02 | 2002–03 | |
|---|---|---|
| DCMS | 7 days | 6 days |
| Royal Parks Agency | 10 days | 9 days |
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DCMS, its Agency and each of its non-departmental public body (NDPB) are committed to managing sickness absence effectively, and in meeting the 2003 target for reduced sickness absence as set out in the Service Delivery Agreements (SDA) and NDPB Funding Agreements.
DCMS does not hold central absenteeism and sickness records for NDPBs. To provide this information could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.
Tote
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have to sell the Tote (a) to a racing trust to allow it to compete commercially with all long-term profits invested in the sport and (b) to a profit-making company with interests in the gambling sector. [93794]
Mr. Caborn: The Government's policy in this area is well established. The intention remains to sell the Tote to a consortium of racing interests and that is the basis we are working on. We would only consider other alternatives if that model proved to be unviable.
DEFENCE
Helicopters
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters are in service with (a) 847 NAS, (b) 846 NAS and (c) 845 NAS, and what the serviceability rate is of the aircraft of each squadron. [93648]
Mr. Ingram: The numbers of aircraft and overall serviceability rate for 847 NAS, 846 NAS and 845 NAS are as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 847 Naval Air Squadron | |
| Lynx Attack Helicopter Mark 7 | Six Aircraft; 100 per cent. overall serviceability rate |
| Gazelle Attack Helicopter mark 1 | Eight aircraft; 83 per cent. overall serviceability rate |
| 846 Naval Air Squadron | |
| Sea King Helicopter Mark 4 | 10 aircraft; 60 per cent. overall serviceability rate |
| 845 Naval Air Squadron | |
| Sea King Helicopter Mark 4 | 10 aircraft; 90 per cent. overall serviceability rate |
Serviceability is defined as the number of aircraft within the Actual Operating Fleet (AOF—the actual aircraft allocated to the Operating Commander to complete the mandated task) that are fit to fly at the time of reporting expressed as a percentage of the AOF. The figures provided are accurate as of 27 January 2003.
Iraq
Mr. Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on British involvement in military strikes on targets in the Iraqi no-fly zones since
30 Jan 2003 : Column 952W
11 September 2001; what the cost of this involvement has been to Britain; and what (a) military and (b) civilian casualties have resulted. [93217]
Mr. Ingram: Our records do not separately identify expenditure incurred in maintaining the no-fly zones, nor can they be broken down from specific dates. However, the table sets out the overall estimated additional expenditure incurred as a direct result of operations in the Gulf during financial year 2001–02 and 2002–03.
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 22(1) |
| 2002–03 | 26(1) |
(1) Denotes figure calculated on a resource basis.
I will write to the hon. Member with further details concerning expenditure in 2001–02 and 2002–03.
We are not aware of any civilian casualties resulting from responses made in self-defence by coalition aircraft patrolling the no-fly zones since 11 September 2001. It is not possible to confirm whether military casualties have occurred.
Minimum Wage
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year. [90609]
Dr. Moonie: Based on the net working hours of Ministry of Defence staff, increasing the minimum wage by any of the rates at (a) to (e) will have no impact on the cost of salaries for the MOD.
Rifles
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rifles have been supplied for use by (a) front-line troops and (b) support forces. [94103]
Mr. Ingram: The information to distinguish between the number of rifles of all types held by front line troops and support forces is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Troops being deployed as part of Operation Telic are to be equipped with the modified SA80 rifle. To date, 50,000 modified SA80 rifles have been issued to United Kingdom Armed Forces personnel.
SA-80 A2 Rifle
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops being deployed in the Gulf as part of Operation Telic are to be equipped with unmodified SA-80 A2 rifles. [93991]
Mr. Ingram: None. Arrangements are in place to ensure that all troops deployed on Operation Telic will be equipped with the modified SA-80 A2 rifle.
30 Jan 2003 : Column 953W
Service Personnel (Cancelled Holidays)
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much compensation has been paid to service personnel for cancelled holidays in the past six months; and how many service personnel have been compensated. [93652]
Dr. Moonie: During the period June—December 2002, approximately 46 Service personnel claimed a total of about £1IK in refunds under the Nugatory Holiday Expenditure scheme. This scheme reimburses Service personnel for otherwise irrecoverable expenses incurred through having to cancel or curtail holidays at short notice due to unplanned and unforeseen military commitments.
Services' Protective Clothing
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) gas masks and (b) protective suits have been issued to service personnel. [93568]
Mr. Ingram: All service personnel receive a personal issue of one respirator, to be retained at all times, and protective suits are made available for operational requirements. Protective suits are bulky items so whilst one suit is given as a personal issue, the others would normally be held by Quartermasters and issued as required. Thereare sufficient stocks of gas masks and protective suits to meet our contingency plans.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
EU Food Production
6. Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the change in the amount of food which will be produced in the EU after the expansion of the organisation. [94163]
Margaret Beckett: Accession to the EU will promote restructuring and improved productivity in the new member states. We welcome that. But it makes the need for reform of the common agricultural policy all the more critical in order to avoid stimulating artificial and uneconomic production in both the new and the existing member states.
Sugar Production
16. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she next expects to meet British Sugar to discuss the development of new technology in sugar beet refining. [94173]
Mr. Meacher: Defra maintains regular contact with British Sugar at all levels. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, (the Lord Whitty), visited the Wissington Sugar Factory as recently as 17 January.
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