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28 Apr 2003 : Column 60W—continued
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the expected saving to public funds from the Private Finance Initiative schemes due to become operational in 2003. [105729]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 10 April 2003, Official Report, column 400W.
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The Department will pursue the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) wherever it delivers the value for money quality services that we require. There are a number of projects that are likely to be signed within 2003 and others that are already signed that will commence service delivery. Information relating to projects in procurement is available on the Department's PFI database: http://www.mod.uk/business/PPP/database.html
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many PFI contracts his Department or its agencies (a) have with and (b) are being tendered for by (i) Amey plc and (ii) consortia involving Amey plc; what the total value is of those contracts; what the average length is of the contracts or proposed contracts; and what assessment his Department has made of the financial position of Amey plc and the implications for his Department. [108332]
Mr. Ingram: Amey is involved with the signed PFI deal for the Main Building Redevelopment, which is a 30-year deal worth a total of £746.1 million (net present value). The contract is with Modus Services plc. Amey provides services as a sub contractor to Modus. Responsibility for meeting the contract therefore rests with Modus who are ensuring that the Ministry of Defence's requirements are met.
Amey is also part of consortia on the short lists of bidders for the Allenby Connaught project (the redevelopment of the major garrisons in the Salisbury Plain area and Aldershot) and the C Vehicles project (earthmoving and specialist plant, engineer construction plant and materials handling equipment). The length of these contracts will be 30 and 15 years respectively, with a combined value in excess of £2.4 billion (net present value).
The procurement process for PFI includes an assessment of the financial robustness of bids and in most cases, these involve more than one party, thereby adding to their financial strength. Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence makes an assessment of the financial capability of many companies before placing contracts with them. As a result of such an assessment, the Department may require financial indemnities or guarantees before awarding contracts. The results of such assessments are commercially sensitive and are being withheld in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. It would be inappropriate to comment on the financial position of particular companies, which is a matter for the shareholders concerned.
Property Portfolio
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated value is of the property portfolio held by his Department. [108378]
Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to Note 8 of the Consolidated Departmental Resource Accounts 2001–02 (HC47) published on 21 November 2002. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House and the document is available on the Ministry of Defence website.
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For ease of reference, the value disclosed in Note 8 of the Accounts was £14,348 million for Land and Buildings and those in the course of construction was £1,577 million.
Smart Technology Weapons
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has commissioned on the effectiveness of smart technology weapons which has factored in combat identification; and what the findings were. [109222]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 14 April 2003]: Combat Identification capability contributes to military success by enabling commanders to distinguish rapidly and effectively between friend, foe and neutrals in complex modern military operations. This would normally happen before a decision was made to engage a target and the role of a weapon system would be to translate the decision into effect.
A key element of Combat Identification is Target Identification. Research on Target Identification relating to smart weapons systems is currently focused on the ability to distinguish, for example, between classes of vehicles—such as whether a vehicle is tracked or wheeled.
Working Hours
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policy on (a) core hours and (b) flexible working hours is operated by his Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible. [107646]
Dr. Moonie: In the Department full-time non-industrial civilian staff below the Senior Civil Service are conditioned to 42 hours gross, 37 hours net per week (41 hours gross and 36 hours net in London). Full time industrial staff are conditioned to 37 hours net per week (36 hours in London). Staff working a standard working week normally will attend for five days of the same duration.
It is the Department's policy to encourage civilian staff, at all levels, to adopt flexible working hours as part of our work life balance strategy. A variety of policies are in place to achieve this. In this context, the new statutory right for those with young children to request flexible working has been publicised. The responsibility for authorising these alternative working patterns has been delegated and records are not held centrally. As it will take time to collate the relevant information I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Asylum Seekers
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Afghans with (a) exceptional leave to remain in Britain and (b) awaiting a decision on an asylum application on appeal have received a resettlement grant in each month since August 2002. [108049]
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Beverley Hughes: The table details the number of individuals who travelled under the Return to Afghanistan Programme (RAP) each month between 20 August 2002 (when the Programme commenced) and 31 March 2003. In total there were 39 returnees and each received a resettlement grant (£600 per individual, up to a maximum of £2,500 per family). Three families travelled during this period, and each family received the maximum £2,500 grant. Current available records do not distinguish between returnees who had exceptional leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom and returnees who were awaiting either a decision or an appeal outcome following their asylum application. Enforced returns will begin later this month (April 2003).
| Number of persons returned individually | Number of personsreturned aspart of a family | Total number of persons returned | |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2002 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| September 2002 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| October 2002 | 2 | 1(6) | 8 |
| November 2002 | 3 | 1(7) | 10 |
| December 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2003 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| February 2003 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| March 2003 | 7 | 1(5) | 12 |
Source:
Local management information provided by the Home Office Assisted Voluntary Return Team.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many former residents of Sangatte Refugee Centre admitted to the UK with work permits following closure of the camp (a) are still being provided with accommodation at public expense and (b) have obtained employment and are self-supporting. [108917]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 11 April 2003]: Of the 1,023 people admitted from Sangatte, 148 remain in the temporary hotel accommodation originally provided and are being found longer term accommodation as the initial period of the programme winds down. Information on job entries is being collected and will be made available in due course.
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum have been received by persons arriving at Stranraer and Cairnryan ports in each of the last three years. [108969]
Beverley Hughes: The figures are not available for all of the period in question but the number of new applications for asylum lodged at Stranraer is as follows:
| Month | |
|---|---|
| 1 January–31 December 2000 | 10 |
| 1 January–31 December 2001 | 36 |
| 1 January–30 November 2002 | 130 |
Child Abuse
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will respond
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to the fourth report of the Home Affairs Committee, on the conduct of investigations into past cases of abuse in children's homes, HC836, session 2001–02. [107303]
Hilary Benn: The Government's response to the Home Affairs Committee report HC836 was published on 11 April 2003. Copies have been placed in the Library.
Departmental Costs
Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was to his Department of the case of R (on the application of Pretty) v. DPP 2001. [107506]
Hilary Benn: The Home Office was represented as an interested party in the case. The cost of legal representation was £36,161.06.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the running costs in 2002 were of (a) his Ministers private offices, separately identifying expenditure on staff, and (b) his Department. [105987]
Mr. Blunkett: The running costs for the whole of Private Office—including non Ministerial Offices in 2001–02 comprised £3,442,740 in pay costs and £1,049,964 in other running costs. Changes in financial recording systems from 2001 mean that it is no longer possible, without disproportionate cost, to separate the cost of Ministerial from non-Ministerial offices. Consequently this figure is not directly comparable with those provided in previous years, which did not include the cost of the offices of the Permanent Secretary, the Director General, Resources and Performance, Special Advisers, as well as the Typing Centre and the Ministerial Briefing Unit, which was largely created by bringing together existing staff in other Directorates.
Departmental running costs for the period ending March 2002 are published in the Home Office Resource Accounts which were presented to Parliament on 31 January.
Corresponding figures for 2002–03 are not yet available.
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