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1 May 2003 : Column 451W—continued
Part-time Workers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of the part-time Workers Directive on staff in his Department. [109265]
Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence is committed to the work/life balance of its civilian staff. A range of flexible working patterns including part-time working, flexible working hours, home working and job share is available to civilian staff by agreement with their management.
The number of civilian staff employed part-time has increased steadily during the last five years from 4,055 in April 1998 (4.5 per cent. of total work force excluding trading funds) to 5,323 in March 2003 (7 per cent. of total work force excluding trading funds). There has, however, been no attempt to assess the specific impact of the Part-time Workers Directive on this increase as MOD's policies to ensure equal treatment of part-time workers were largely in place well before the European Directive came into force.
Reservists Standard Awards
Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether increases to maximum levels for Reservists Standard Awards will continue to be fixed to (a) inflation levels and (b) an earnings index; [110466]
- (2) whether reservists serving in the Gulf will be able to backdate any increase in the Reservists Standard Award that is agreed on in the next year to include the time spent in the Gulf at any point in 2003; [110465]
(3) when his Department will be implementing increases to the Reservists Standard Award under SI 1997/309. [110464]
Dr. Moonie: The current regulations covering Reservist Standard Awards, as set out in SI 1997/309 (The Reserve Forces (Call-out and Recall)(Financial Assistance) Regulations), do not contain a provision to increase the maximum levels of the banded rates. A consultation paper with proposals for revising the financial assistance available to reservists under SI 309/97 when called out into permanent service will be issued shortly. Such a consultation is required under the Reserve Forces Act 1996, prior to any changes being implemented.
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Royal Irish Regiment
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future use of the three home battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment. [110791]
Dr. Moonie: The Royal Irish Regiment comprises three Home Service battalions, the General Service battalion which has been serving in Iraq, and a TA battalion.
Until there is agreement on Security Normalisation in Northern Ireland, it would be premature to come to any conclusions on the final composition of the Northern Ireland garrison. Current planning is addressing the implications of security normalisation for the Home Service battalions. The role of the Home Service element is Military Aid to the Civil Power; as the security environment improves we expect the need for this role will decline.
Service Personnel (Gulf)
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been put in place to provide support to families of armed forces personnel who have been killed or injured serving in the Gulf; and if he will make a statement. [110418]
Dr. Moonie: The Service authorities take very seriously the need to ensure adequate welfare support for personnel and their families and have well-established procedures in place to cater for instances of injury or death.
Where Service personnel are, for whatever reason, classified as very seriously ill or seriously ill, up to two family members will be eligible to visit them at public expense for up to seven days, extendable to 10 days on medical advice. Unit Welfare Officers will assist families as the need to do so arises.
Following a death, be it through natural causes, as a direct result of peacetime Service, e.g. an accident, or on the battlefield, the Services have detailed guidelines for Commanding Officers on the procedures to be implemented. In the first instance, the next of kin or other nominated person will be advised of the death through a visit by an officer from the deceased's unit. Following initial notification, an officer is appointed to assist the family in the ensuing days and months and will do so through emotional or administrative support, including matters relating to housing and finance. This support will continue for as long as necessary according to individual circumstance and needs.
Where families are housed in Service Family Accommodation (SFA), bereaved families can retain their SFA for as long as they feel they need in order to assess their longer term housing requirements.
Financial support is provided in accordance with the terms of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme and the War Pension Scheme, as detailed in my answer of 3 April 2003, Official Report, columns 781–82W to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley). I also explained that, where a Service person dies as a result of Service related to conflict, ex-gratia payments equivalent to benefits paid to a
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surviving spouse under the AFPS may be awarded to their unmarried partner where there is a substantial relationship.
Sickness Absence
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department were on long term sick leave in each of the last five years. [109245]
Dr. Moonie: The number of non industrial staff in the Ministry of Defence who were on long term sick leave in each of the last five years are as follows:
| Year | Number of staff |
|---|---|
| 1998 | — |
| 1999 | 3,304 |
| 2000 | 3,411 |
| 2001 | — |
| 2002 | 3,993 |
Long term sickness is defined as staff who have been on sick leave for a spell of 30 calendar days or more. Due to data inaccuracies, the figures for 1998 and 2001 cannot be given. Figures are not currently available for industrial staff.
A programme of measures is being implemented to help meet the target in MOD's Service Delivery Agreement to reduce sickness absence to 7.0 days by the end of 2003 (target adjusted following the reorganisation of Government Departments in 2000). This includes a regular audit of long term sick cases. MOD is committed to improving the health of its staff and managing sick absence more effectively.
MINISTER FOR WOMEN
Domestic Violence
14. Andrew Selous: To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on the Government's plans to tackle domestic violence. [110646]
Ms Hewitt: As a Government, we are consulting with a view to bringing forward legislation to tackle the issue of domestic violence, we are putting funding into refuges, and establishing a new helpline for women fleeing violence. My own Department is developing initiatives to raise awareness, and my right hon. Friend the Solicitor-General is working with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to change the way the police and prosecution services work on domestic violence.
Regional Development Agencies
16. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women what action she is taking to promote the appointment of women to the boards of Regional Development Agencies. [110649]
Ms Hewitt: Nearly one in three of RDA board members are women. This includes the first woman chair of an RDA whom I appointed in December 2002.
I am committed to increasing the diversity of the boards of all public bodies sponsored by my Department. I have spoken at events to encourage
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women to apply for public appointments and specifically mentioned the RDA appointments. My officials run awareness raising events and distribute leaflets to women's groups and other interested bodies in the regions. The material for these posts stresses that appointments are made on merit and that applications from women, ethnic minorities and the disabled are particularly welcome.
Corporate Social Responsibility
17. Linda Perham: To ask the Minister for Women how her work on Corporate Social Responsibility has affected women. [110650]
Ms Hewitt: Our approach to Corporate Social Responsibility is to encourage companies to make environmentally and socially responsible practices an integral part of their business operations, to the benefit of both society and business.
Where companies do so, women will benefit as employees, customers and citizens. Women, especially in developing countries, are disproportionately affected by bad working conditions and environmental damage. The Government's policies to tackle these issues will directly benefit women both in the UK and overseas.
Business Start-ups
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Minister for Women what measures she is taking to help women to set up their own businesses. [110651]
Ms Hewitt: I will shortly launch a national strategic framework for women's enterprise, which has been developed by the Small Business Service, in conjunction with Prowess (Promoting Women's Enterprise Support) and a cross-Government policy group. This framework will provide a cohesive, co-ordinated and long-term approach to the development of women's enterprise across the UK.
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