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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 31 January 2003
CABINET OFFICE
Terrorism
Mr. Swire: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what preparations have been made outside large urban conurbations for responses to a terrorist attack; and what procedures are in place to cope and assist with the likely exodus of people from large cities in the event of an attack taking place there. [93380]
Mr. Alexander: The UK has robust plans in place for the protection of the public and of national security interests. The Government's preparations include a series of classified contingency plans for responding to a wide range of terrorist threats. These plans are regularly tested, reviewed and updated as circumstances change. Much of the response is based on generic, multi-agency, local emergency arrangements, developed within the clear guidelines set out by the Home Office.
Evacuation planning is currently undertaken at local level, by the police and local authority emergency planners. This includes ensuring routes to and from the site of the incident remain viable, and planning for the reception and re-housing of evacuees. We are also taking steps to strengthen the regional level of co-ordination, to ensure compatibility and cohesion of local evacuation and reception plans for large-scale incidents.
Departmental Communications
Mr. Allen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to to improve the quality of English used by departments in their communications with the general public. [93390]
Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office has issued guidance for departments on the Handling of Ministerial and Other Correspondence which emphasises that appropriate arrangements should be in place to ensure that the quality of all replies is high. It has also issued guidance on Plain Written English.
In addition, the Centre for Management and Policy Studies (Civil Service College) located in my department offers a comprehensive suite of courses in writing. These aim to help civil servants to write clearly, concisely and correctly, and to tailor their writing to particular circumstances.
Fraud and Theft
Mr. Laws : To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much money has been lost by his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies through (a) fraud and (b) theft for each year since 1996–97. [92429]
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Mr. Alexander: The cost of theft and fraud to my Department, its agencies, and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years, is shown in the table. Figures for 1996–97 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
| 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department | 15 | 48 | 32 | 34 | 35 |
| Agencies | — | — | — | — | — |
| NDPBs | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Total | 15 | 49 | 32 | 35 | 35 |
Government Car Service
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent in each year since 1997 towards the running of a car for Lord Sainsbury. [94993]
Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
Lord Sainsbury runs and finances his own car. But on a few occasions he uses cars from the Government Car Service for official engagements.
Special Advisers and Press Officers
Mr. Laws : To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers have been employed by his Department in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and at what cost in each year. [92428]
Mr. Alexander: As has been published on previous occasions, the overall number and cost for Special Advisers across all Departments is:
| Number | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 38 | 1.5 |
| 1996–7 | 38 | 1.8 |
| 1997–8 | 70 | 2.6 |
| 1998–9 | 74 | 3.5 |
| 1999–2000 | 78 | 4.0 |
| 2000–01 | 79 | 4.1 |
| 2001–02 | 81 | 5.1 |
In order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned it would not be appropriate to break down the cost by Department. As at 21 January 2003 there were 81 special advisers across all Departments. The cost for 2002–03 is not yet available.
The number of press officers employed from 1997–98 to 2001–02 and their costs in each of these years are as follows:
| Number of press officers(1) | Cost per financial year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 11 | 453,636 |
| 1998–99 | 14 | 512,255 |
| 1999–2000 | 20 | 752,560 |
| 2000–01 | 16 | 781,817 |
| 2001–02 | 18 | 798,015 |
(1) Employed in the Cabinet Office press office in January of each year.
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Financial and Human Resource information for periods prior to, and including 1996–97 is not held on the Cabinet Office's new databases and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The figure for 1999–2000 includes press officers specifically employed to manage the genetically modified foods communications unit which operated from the Cabinet Office from July 1999 to March/April 2000.
The Cabinet Office currently has nine press officers. The relocation of resource on reduction in numbers is due to the creation of the new Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The cost for Cabinet Office press officers in 2002–03 is not yet available.
DEFENCE
Friendly Fire
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what techniques and procedures are in place to reduce friendly fire incidents among the allied forces currently being deployed; and if he will make a statement. [94607]
Mr. Ingram: Standard techniques and procedures have been developed in consultation with coalition partners and would be used by deployed forces to reduce the risk of friendly fire incidents. They include the management of friendly assets in both time and space and the widespread dissemination of orders, such as the Air Tasking Order, in order to ensure that all friendly assets are aware of the location and movement of own forces. As I stated in my answer to the hon Member on 18 December 2002 Official Report, column 807W, tactics, techniques and procedures complement situational awareness and target identification to form a triad of measures designed to achieve Combat Identification and minimise the risk of fratricide.
Gulf Task Force
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the task force sent to the Gulf includes a capability to help deal with (a) a major oil spill and (b) other environmental damage. [95025]
Mr. Ingram: All Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels have the capability to deal with small and localised oil spills. HM ships are not however, equipped to respond to major oil spills or after significant environmental damage.
Iraq
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the names of British-registered companies found by UNMOVIC or the IAEA inspection teams in Iraq to have provided proscribed military equipment and material to Iraq. [93906]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
I am advised neither UNMOVIC nor the IAEA have informed us of any such discoveries to date. It is up to UNMOVIC and the IAEA to decide on the level of detail to be provided publicly about any goods that they uncover.
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Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of military action against Iraq. [94427]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 30 January 2003]: The information requested is not yet available. I shall write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Royal Navy and Royal Marines
Operational Welfare Package
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the facilities which will be available to Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel on deployment to the Gulf as part of the Operational Welfare Package. [94538]
Mr. Ingram: The facilities which form the Operational Welfare Package available to Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel deployed to the Gulf are as follows:
- Personnel will be entitled to 20 minutes worth of free phone calls each week.
All units will have access to satellite TV in port.
Ships have been fitted with as much operational fitness equipment as economically feasible.
Ships have a selection of magazines which will be delivered on stopovers.
Ships have a selection of videos and DVDs.
E-mail facilities will be available to personnel at sea.
Personnel will receive double the usual laundry allowance.
Personnel will be entitled to free airmail during the deployment.
A combined services entertainment show will be arranged for as many personnel as possible if the deployment lasts longer than four months, and if operationally feasible.
NAAFI services will be provided by the naval canteen services.
Books are being provided by the Fleet Libraries Office.
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