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3 Jun 2003 : Column 302W—continued
Sickness Absence
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in the Department have been on long-term sick leave in each of the last two years. [115867]
Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 May 2003, Official Report, column 453W.
Tasking and Co-ordinating Group
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what level his Department was represented on the Tasking and Co-ordinating Group in October 1987; which officers of which Army units attended; and how many times this body met between April and December 1987. [116363]
Dr. Moonie: I am withholding this information under Section la of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information.
Territorial Army
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role played by the TA training facility at Chilwell in briefing and preparing TA personnel for service in Iraq. [116607]
Dr. Moonie: All Regular Army Reservists and Territorial Army personnel called out under the Reserves Forces Act 1996 for Op TELIC 1, have been mobilised through the Reserves Training and Mobilisation Centre (RTMC) at Chilwell in Nottingham. To date, a total of 3,762 officers and soldiers have been processed for service in the Gulf.
The briefing and preparation process at RTMC Chilwell provides reservists with medical and dental examinations, additional operation-specific equipment and information on pay and allowances.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of Altcar training camp in the training of Territorial Army staff dispatched to Iraq. [116662]
Dr. Moonie: No specific pre-deployment training was undertaken by Territorial Army personnel at Altcar training camp prior to mobilisation to the Gulf. A few individual members of the TA would, however, have undertaken routine training at the camp prior to deployment.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are made for debriefing Territorial Army personnel returning from Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [116666]
Dr. Moonie: On arrival back in the United Kingdom, all Territorial Army (TA) personnel proceed to the Reserves Training and Mobilisation Centre (RTMC) at
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Chilwell in Nottingham. At RTMC, they receive a number of briefings, covering issues such as resuming civilian employment, returning issued equipment, and arranging pay, leave and allowances. In addition, they undergo a medical examination. The entire process of releasing TA personnel through RTMC should take no longer than 24 hours. They are then entitled to post-operational tour leave commensurate with the period of their mobilised service. Following release from RTMC, aftercare of TA personnel becomes the responsibility of their parent unit.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have applied to become members of the Territorial Army in each of the last 12 months; how many of the applicants were rejected, broken down by gender; and what the primary reasons for rejection were in each case. [116667]
Dr. Moonie: This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Trained Personnel (Early Leavers)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trained personnel have left each of the services by (a) premature early release and (b) retirement in each of the last five years. [115099]
Dr. Moonie: For the last five financial years, the trained outflow to civil life from the United Kingdom Regular forces 4 4 is as follows:
| 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVR(45) | 1,920 | 1,870 | 1,910 | 1,490 | 2,190 |
| Retirements(46) | 1,480 | 1,430 | 1,330 | 1,180 | 1,010 |
| Other(47) | 660 | 760 | 870 | 830 | 780 |
| Total Trained Outflow | 4,060 | 4,060 | 4,120 | 3,500 | 3,980 |
| 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVR(45) | 6,200 | 6,460 | 5,760 | 5,840 | 5,520 |
| Retirements(46) | 2,020 | 2,190 | 2,140 | 2,050 | 2,010 |
| Other(47) | 1,910 | 2,030 | 2,000 | 2,110 | 2,400 |
| Total Trained Outflow | 10,130 | 10,670 | 9,900 | 10,000 | 9,940 |
| 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVR(45) | 1,770 | 1,980 | 1,970 | 1,930 | 2,020 |
| Retirements(46) | 1,970 | 1,920 | 1,630 | 1,740 | 1,600 |
| Other(47) | 380 | 290 | 340 | 330 | 290 |
| Total Trained Outflow | 4,120 | 4,200 | 3,940 | 4,000 | 3,910 |
4 4 UK Regular forces include both trained and untrained personnel. They exclude Gurkhas, full time Reserve Service personnel, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, mobilised reservists and Naval Activated Reservists.
(45) Figures are for the number leaving early on Premature Voluntary Retirement (Officers) and Premature Voluntary Release (Other Ranks).
(46) Defined as personnel leaving at the end of an agreed period of service.
(47) All other outflow of trained personnel. This includes redundancy, medical, death, disciplinary and services no longer required.
Due to rounding methods used, the totals may not equal the sum of the parts.
3 Jun 2003 : Column 304W
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Arrest and Trial (Waiting Times)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the average length of time between the arrest and the trial of a person in courts in the United Kingdom was in the last 12 months. [113355]
Yvette Cooper: Information is not available in the exact form requested and is instead provided from charge or laying of information, for defendants in indictable and triable either-way cases.
In 2002, for cases tried in magistrates courts, the average time between charge or laying of information and start of trial was 46 days for England and Wales.
In 2002, for those cases tried at the Crown Court, the average time taken for the initial period from charge or laying of information to committal for trial was 56 days for England and Wales. The average time taken from committal to start of trial in the Crown Court was 140 days in 2002 in England and Wales. These figures provide only a broad indication of the total time taken from charge or laying of information to start of trial for defendants who are tried in the Crown Court, as the data from magistrates courts and the Crown Court will not relate to exactly the same defendants.
CAFCASS
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans CAFCASS has to establish protocols on information sharing with the Department of Health, the Department for Education and Skills, the National Probation Service and the Police. [115654]
Ms Rosie Winterton: CAFCASS is committed to working effectively with all agencies with responsibility for vulnerable children. Work has begun on protocols on information sharing with organisations including the Department of Health, the Department for Education and Skills, the National Probation Service and the Police. These are expected to be completed in April 2004.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many consultants have been recruited by CAFCASS over the last 12 months; and what their function was. [115656]
Ms Rosie Winterton: One consultant, a Diversity Adviser, has been recruited.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many training initiatives are planned by CAFCASS over the next 12 months; and what effect these initiatives will have on (a) waiting lists and (b) time taken to complete reports. [115657]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Training initiatives planned include; induction training for all new family court advisers and a practice development programme to enable practitioners to undertake both private and public law cases. There are also training programmes planned for managers in the regions and Wales. These
3 Jun 2003 : Column 305W
initiatives will support other action to increase capacity and reduce delays and in partnership with the family justice system, reduce the length of care proceedings.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans CAFCASS has to employ additional managers at both regional and head office level; and what their function will be. [115658]
Ms Rosie Winterton: CAFCASS carried out Service Reviews to assess staff capacity in terms of projected demand and equity of resources across the CAFCASS Regions and Wales. These identified the need for more managers, who are currently being put in place, in particular areas to support service delivery. Headquarters is also being strengthened to provide more effective management and development of the service in areas such as policy and procedure requirements and the training and development of practitioners.
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