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13 May 2003 : Column 150W—continued
Water Companies
Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to encourage (a) greater competition between water supply companies, (b) customer choice between water supply companies and (c) a choice of tariffs for customers; and if she will make a statement. [113123]
Mr. Morley: The Government consulted in July 2002 on its proposals to extend opportunities for competition in the water industry in England and Wales. In the light of comments received, proposals were included in the Water Bill, now before Parliament.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Bullying
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on measures to combat bullying in the Church. [112597]
Mr. Bell: A number of Church of England dioceses have produced their own guidelines for clergy on bullying and harassment and the Convocations of Canterbury and York will publish guidelines on professional conduct later this year.
In addition, the National Church Institutions are committed to an equal opportunities policy containing a formal investigations and complaints procedure. The institutions require every member of their staff to attend an equal opportunities course, and harassment advisers are available to provide independent support and advocacy to anyone making a complaint.
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DEFENCE
Iraq
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms of reference are of the Committee appointed by Major General Robin Brims to run Basra; how many people have been appointed; how many of these are women; and if he will list their names. [109214]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 14 April 2003]: United Kingdom Forces under the command of the General Officer Commanding 1st (UK) Armoured Division, are establishing interim consultative groups across the provinces of Basra and Maysan. These groups have no formal terms of reference. Their purpose is to help restore public administration and services. The number of appointees is increasing as the groups are established. Membership of the groups is open, to date there are no women representatives but we are actively seeking their participation. Because the status of the groups has yet to be formalised, I do not intend to list the names of their members, who may in any event not wish their involvement to be publicised.
Mr Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what latest estimate he has had of the death toll from current hostilities in Iraq amongst (a) UK forces (b) US forces (c) Iraqi forces (d) Iraqi civilians and (e) other civilian non-combatants. [110267]
Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the number of non-combatants killed in Iraq since 19 March. [111460]
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilians are estimated to have been killed in Iraq by British armed forces in the recent conflict. [112007]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 7 May 2003]: As of 6 May 2003, 34 United Kingdom Service personnel had died during coalition military operations against Iraq.
The number of fatalities suffered by US forces is a matter for the US authorities.
We make every effort to minimise any impact on the Iraqi civilian population. We have no means of ascertaining the numbers of Iraqi military personnel or civilians, or other civilians who were killed or injured during the coalition's military action.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the book value is of ordnance, ammunition and missiles used up in the course of the conduct of operations in Iraq; how such book cost is calculated; what categories of munitions were used; and to what extent supplies will need to be replenished. [112087]
Mr. Ingram: The cost for 2002–03 is being calculated. Once it has been audited and approved by the National Audit Office I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House. I will also cover 2003–04 estimates.
Aircraft Carriers
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many escort vessels (a) he expects will be
13 May 2003 : Column 152W
needed to accompany each new aircraft carrier when it enters service and (b) are needed to accompany each existing aircraft carrier on deployment. [111313]
Mr. Ingram: The size and shape of any escort group supporting an aircraft carrier on deployment is dependent on the circumstances existing at the time. Various factors have to be considered, such as the nature and scale of a potential threat, the operating environment and whether the Task Group is deployed as part of a national or coalition force. We are introducing the modern and more capable Type 45 from 2007, fitted with the highly capable Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS), which will support the existing and future aircraft carriers.
Anti-nuclear Protests
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was to his Department of additional security at the Faslane base caused by anti-nuclear protests in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [112258]
Mr. Ingram: Additional security costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence as a result of anti-nuclear demonstrations at Faslane, which includes Her Majesty's Naval Base at Clyde and the Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport are:
- 2001–02: £311,000
2002–03: £169,000
Armed Forces Accommodation
Mr. Keith Simpson To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what his Department's disposal targets are for married quarters estate stock in each of the next five years; [112886]
- (2) what his Department's targets are for reducing the void rate levels in the married quarters estate; and if he will make a statement; [112888]
(3) how many of his Department's married quarters were empty at 31 March 2003. [112890]
Dr. Moonie: 8,161 Service family properties in Great Britain were empty at 31 March 2003. The relevant targets set for the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) are expressed not in terms of numbers of houses for disposal but as the progressive reduction of void rates in order to achieve, by 2005, a management margin of 10 per cent. (The management margin is the proportion of working stock vacant).
Some 12,000 properties have been passed by DHE for disposal since January 2000. Further disposals will be set in hand this year, but the Services have requested DHE hold back from disposal about another 2,000 vacant properties which may or may not be needed in future, depending on the resolution of Service deployment uncertainties.
13 May 2003 : Column 153W
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new build units in the married quarters estate are planned by his Department in each of the next three years; and how many houses this will replace from the existing married quarters estate. [112887]
Dr. Moonie: The numbers of new build service family houses planned in Great Britain for the next three years, through both capital projects and Private Finance Initiative are as follows:
| Year | |
|---|---|
| 2003–04 | 415 |
| 2004–05 | 476 |
| 2005–06 | 315 |
| Total | 1,206 |
It is difficult to specify how many existing family houses these new builds will replace. New build is often at locations where the requirements for service housing are new or increasing, and therefore the new houses are not intended as replacements, but they may indirectly replace housing at other locations where requirements are declining.
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department's upgrade programme for the married quarters estate will be completed by 2005; how many units are part of this upgrade programme; how many units have been upgraded so far; and if he will make a statement. [112889]
Dr. Moonie: Good progress has been made with the upgrade programme for Service family housing in mainland United Kingdom. Since the establishment of the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) in 1995, the number of properties at Standard 1 For Condition has increased from only about 1,000 to about 21,000. About half the families housed by DHE are now in Standard 1 properties and some 90 per cent. in Standards 1 or 2. The upgrade programme will not be completed by 2005, but it will continue to progress towards the services' long-term requirement for family housing, currently estimated at around 41,000 properties. Demanding targets will be set for DHE each year depending on funds available.
Defence Review
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the foreign policy base line for his Department's defence review. [112562]
Mr. Hoon: There is no defence review. I presume that the hon. Member is referring to the Defence White Paper issued each Parliament. I intend to publish this in the autumn. It is likely to include a description of the strategic environment in which our Armed Forces operate.
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