| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
7 Apr 2003 : Column 12W—continued
Military Activities (Animals)
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cetaceans, broken down by species, have been used by the Navy in each of the last 10 years; if he will list the activities carried out by such species; how many cetaceans have been killed while in the service of British forces as a result of military activity in each of the last 10 years; and if he will list the causes of death. [107242]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has no programme utilising cetaceans to undertake any military activity.
Operation Fresco
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the recent announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister that troops taking part in Operation Fresco have been stood down, whether these troops are available for alternative deployment overseas. [106995]
Mr. Ingram: The announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister made clear that Armed Forces personnel assigned to Operation Fresco were being stood down only until 15 April, at which point they would be held at five days' notice to move. Consequently, they are not available for operations overseas as they continue to be committed to providing essential fire and rescue cover, should there be another strike.
The Ministry of Defence does, however, keep the operation under constant review to ensure that emergency fire cover is provided effectively and with the minimum impact on the Armed Forces. Based on the experience of the last 15 days of strike action, it has been agreed with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association (CACFOA), the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and HM Fire Service Inspectorate (HMFSI) that a reduction in the number of Armed Forces personnel committed to Operation Fresco from some 19,000 to around 16,000 can now be made. This reduction is made possible by revising shift patterns, reducing manning levels on fire appliances and amalgamating a number of Joint Operational Control Centres.
7 Apr 2003 : Column 13W
There will be no reduction in the effectiveness of the emergency cover arrangements or the total number of vehicles as a result of these changes. Nor will there be any increased risk to the public or the servicemen involved.
Armed Forces personnel released by these measures will be able to undertake normal military training and other duties. The largest group will be the personnel who make up 20 Armoured Brigade who will deploy to the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Canada to conduct normal high readiness training.
Royal Navy
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial resources are allocated to the Royal Navy to patrol the waters between Haiti and Turks and Caicos. [107281]
Mr. Ingram: The Royal Navy undertake a regular deployment to the Caribbean under the auspices of the Atlantic Patrol Task (North). The primary task for APT(N) is to provide a tangible United Kingdom presence in the Caribbean region to support our overseas territories and UK interests in the region while also being available to assist in the provision of Emergency Disaster Relief during the hurricane season. APT(N) also undertakes a range of additional tasks including Defence Diplomacy and Counter Drugs operations. These tasks may, from time to time, provide a Royal Navy presence in waters between Haiti and Turks and Caicos. No specific funds are however allocated to that task.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether possible ship losses are taken into account in his Department's policy on the requirement for Royal Navy warship and submarine numbers. [107118]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence's policy on the requirement for Royal Navy warships and submarines is based on a number of factors including the planned level of availability. This does not, however, include assumptions about potential complete losses.
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
Refrigeration
Jane Griffiths: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what coolant is used in the new House of Commons chillery. [106620]
Sir Archy Kirkwood: The coolant used in the new chillers is HFC 134a. This is a hydrofluorocarbon gas, which has zero Ozone Depletion Potential and low Global Warming Potential, unlike chlorofluorocarbons or hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
ARBRE
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the latest situation regarding the future of ARBRE. [107036]
7 Apr 2003 : Column 14W
Mr. Wilson: Officials are in discussion with the Liquidator, who is speaking further with the preferred bidder. An announcement on the outcome of these discussions is expected soon.
The Government will work with the successful bidder to build on the early successes of ARBRE and ensure the long-term future of the project. The Government will consider proposals to reduce the technical risk of taking the project through to commercial operation.
Many lessons have already been learnt as a result of ARBRE that can be applied to future high efficiency biomass plant, which are likely to be required if dedicated biomass plant are to be available in the medium term.
Arms Exports
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent estimate she has made of the cost of (a) establishing and (b) administering an end-use arms control system. [106074]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
The Government do carry out end-use monitoring. This includes pre-licensing checks where information is obtained from a wide range of sources. Desk Officers have standing instructions to advise overseas posts of any approved arms licence that it is felt should be monitored post-export. Overseas posts have standing instructions to inform the UK of any suspected mis-use, or diversion, of UK arms exports. The Government are committed to carrying out post-export monitoring where this will genuinely add value to our efforts to minimise the risk of misuse and diversion.
It is not possible to establish the cost of administering the system. A large proportion of end-use monitoring does not uncover mis-use, or diversion, of an export and the monitoring activity is therefore not recorded. In addition there are a high number of officials involved in the process, but they also have other responsibilities.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent estimates her Department has made of the number of deals concluded each year in military and paramilitary equipment by UK nationals outside the UK; which countries were party to these deals; and in which countries these deals were completed. [106083]
Nigel Griffiths: None. We are consulting on the proposed secondary legislation to be made under the Export Control Act 2002. A copy of the consultation document is available from the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arms export licences have been approved for the sale of weapons to Ethiopia in the last year. [105621]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 31 March 2003]: Between 17 March 2002 and 17 March 2003, no Standard Individual Export Licence and one temporary Open Individual Export Licence had been issued, for the proposed export of items on the Military List to Ethiopia.
7 Apr 2003 : Column 15W
Business Assistance
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many individuals and businesses have been assisted in Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [107154]
Alan Johnson: Business Link, the national business advice service provided by the Small Business Service an agency of the Department for Trade and Industry, has assisted the following number of established small and medium enterprises (sole traders or businesses with up to 250 employees) within the Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire areas:
- (a) 2001–02: 7,077;
- (b) 2002–03: 10,000 (estimate as final numbers for Q4 still being collated).
- (a) 2001–02: 2,300;
- (b) 2002–03: 3,200 (estimate as final numbers for Q4 still being collated).
Credit Agencies
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the licensed money credit agencies in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [101284]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Consumer Credit Act licensing provisions cover a number of credit activities in addition to lending, for example, credit brokerage and debt collection.
The number of traders in possession of a current licence to lend money under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 is 102,476. The total number of current licences is approximately 215,000. (Traders can hold more than one category of licence). Since 1996, traders have been permitted to apply for a licence covering all the six categories licensable activity and, therefore, the figure I have just given will include traders who, although licensed to do so, do not actually lend money. In addition, the Consumer Credit Act licensing provisions do not apply to traders who only lend amounts in excess of £25,000.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |