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26 Jun 2003 : Column 944W—continued
Special Advisers
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many special advisers are employed in the Scotland Office, within the Department for Constitutional Affairs. [121148]
Mr. Darling: No special advisers are currently employed in the Scotland Office.
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DEFENCE
Asbestos
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the actions his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are taking to comply with the requirements of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002; whether he has made an estimate of the cost of compliance; and if he will make a statement. [117708]
Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence has always managed asbestos in MOD buildings in accordance with legislation and has strict procedures for ensuring compliance. These are contained in the MOD Health and Safety Handbook (JSP 375) leaflet 54. Additional guidance is contained in the Defence Estates, Design and Maintenance Guide 16—Asbestos Based Materials. Copies of the publications
mentioned have been placed in the Library of the House.
Actions taken by the department include:
- Policy on Asbestos has been revised to reflect the changes in the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.
Design and Maintenance Guide 16—Asbestos Based Materials, is being revised to incorporate the requirements of the new Regulations.
A programme of non-invasive assessments is to be carried out on all MOD buildings in order to establish whether or not asbestos may be present. Further more intrusive surveys may be undertaken and management plans generated depending on the results of the survey.
Defence White Paper
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes he plans to make to the number of infantry battalions as part of the Defence White Paper. [121761]
Mr. Ingram: There are currently no plans to make changes to the number of infantry battalions. The White Paper that we intend to publish in the autumn will provide an updated statement of Defence Policy and explain our plans for the delivery of enhanced capability.
Drugs
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many convictions there were for drug-related offences among armed forces personnel in the latest year for which data are available. [121332]
Mr. Caplin: The number of convictions under the Service Discipline Acts for drug related offences in each of the three Services for the calendar year 2002 is as follows:
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| Number | |
|---|---|
| Naval Service | 9 |
| Army | 11 |
| RAF | 5 |
It is not possible to determine whether drugs misuse played an aggravating factor in other criminal offences without examining each individual case file. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of each of the armed forces tested positive for the use of controlled substances in the latest year for which data are available (a) as a proportion of those tested and (b) by substance. [121333]
Mr. Caplin: The details are as follows.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| The Naval Service | |
| Numbers tested | 12,901 |
| Numbers positive | 43 |
| Percentage positive | 0.33 |
| Substance detected | |
| Cocaine | 9 |
| Ecstasy | 8 |
| Cannabis | 29 |
| Amphetamine | 2 |
| Benzos | 1 |
| Total | 49 |
| Army | |
| Numbers tested | 88,946 |
| Numbers positive | 534 |
| Percentage positive | 0.60 |
| Substance detected | |
| Cannabis | 278 |
| Ecstasy | 141 |
| Cocaine | 107 |
| Amphetamines | 44 |
| Others | 16 |
| Total | 586 |
| RAF | |
| Numbers tested | 10,569 |
| Numbers positive | 10 |
| Percentage positive | 0.095 |
| Substance detected | |
| Ecstasy | 3 |
| Cannabis | 8 |
| Cocaine | 1 |
| Total | 12 |
It should be noted that the number of substances detected is greater than the number of individuals due to positive tests for more than one substance.
Submarines
Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the (a) work, (b) progress and (c) timetable for the interim storage for laid-up submarines. [121465]
Mr. Ingram: Outline proposals from industry, for undertaking the work to store intermediate level waste from our decommissioned nuclear submarines, have now been received and evaluation work has started. An exercise to determine the most effective procurement strategy will also begin shortly. Further consultation
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with the public is due to commence in August and will inform our own evaluation work, and lead to the selection of potential bidders to be invited to undertake more detailed negotiations from early next year. This is expected to take up to three years to complete and will result in the selection of a preferred bidder and solution.
Tank Transporters
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what make of tank transporter was being used to transport the Scimitar armoured vehicles involved in the accident on the M1 on 11 June; and whether this vehicle was owned by his Department. [120878]
Mr. Ingram: The vehicle being used was not a tank transporter and was not owned by the Ministry of Defence. It was a commercially operated tractor and flat-bed trailer combination, contracted by the Department, specifically for the move from Marchwood to Catterick.
The armoured vehicles being moved comprised two Spartan and one Samaritan Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked).
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the number of armoured vehicles that can be carried safely by (a) individual heavy goods vehicles and (b) specialised tank transporters; and what advice is given to personnel and contractors. [120879]
Mr. Ingram: When a commercial road haulier is tasked to move armoured vehicles, the company is provided with details of their numbers, type and weight. The contractor is then responsible for determining the appropriate number of large goods vehicles required and must operate under Road Vehicle regulations.
Where Army specialist tank transporters are used, the unit commander will allocate the requisite number in accordance with the Ministry of Defence regulations.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
English Teaching
16. Helen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the standards of English teaching in secondary schools. [121710]
Mr. Miliband: Ofsted reports that English teaching is good in about seven secondary schools in ten at each key stage.
Last year attainment in English at Key Stage 3 and GCSE was at the highest level ever.
Higher Education
17. Mr. McLoughlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of reaching his Department's higher education participation target. [121711]
Alan Johnson: "The Future of higher education", and in the annual grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Assessments of the costs
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for increasing and widening participation beyond 2005–06 will be made as part of the 2004 Spending Review, work on which will commence shortly.
Mr. Khabra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of students in higher education are from social classes D and E; and what the proportion was in 1997. [121708]
Alan Johnson: The latest information shows that in 2001 10 per cent. of students accepted for entry to higher education courses were from Semi-skilled (social class D) or Unskilled (social class E) family backgrounds. The corresponding figure for 1997 was 11 per cent.
Teachers' Work Load
18. Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary for Education and Sills what steps he is taking to reduce the workload of teachers in schools. [121712]
Mr. Miliband: The National Agreement, signed by Government, employers and school workforce unions in January, sets out our shared strategy for raising standards and reducing teacher workload. The signatories have now agreed draft changes to the teachers' contract. The first phase of changes, including the removal of administrative and clerical tasks from teachers, will, subject to Parliament, come into force in September. We have also established a National Remodelling Team and a network of LEA facilitators to provide schools with practical advice and support in implementing the Agreement.
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