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7 Jul 2003 : Column 583W—continued
University Funding
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect he estimates the proposed funding system for universities in England will have on the funding criteria for assessing payments under the Barnett Formula. [124132]
Mr. Boateng: The student funding system for Scotland is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive within the overall funding announced for Scotland in the 2002 Spending Review.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Diocesan Financial Performance
Mr. Burstow: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what data is (a) collected and (b) published by the Church Commissioners concerning the financial performance of each diocese. [123298]
Mr. Bell: None. However, the Archbishops' Council receives copies of the published financial statements of each diocese. The council, in line with its responsibility to monitor the overall financial needs and resources of the Church, is in regular dialogue with dioceses about a wide range of financial issues and the Commissioners take part in this dialogue as appropriate.
ADVOCATE-GENERAL
Supreme Court
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General what plans she has to meet with (a) Scottish Law Lords, (b) the judiciary in Scotland, (c) the Law Society of Scotland and (d) the Faculty of Advocates to discuss the proposals for a Supreme Court. [122717]
The Advocate-General for Scotland: The policy responsibility for a Supreme Court rests with my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs. He has stated that he intends to publish a consultation paper on 14 July 2003 containing proposals for a Supreme Court. The consultation period will run into November 2003 and the Government will be consulting very widely. I routinely meet many lawyers qualified in Scots law as well as English law in the course of my work and discuss current issues.
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DEFENCE
Afghanistan
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British special force troops remain in Afghanistan. [123594]
Mr. Ingram: It is Government policy not to comment on the United Kingdom Special Forces, therefore I am withholding this information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which covers defence, security and international relations.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Afghan heroin production levels (a) before and (b) since the invasion by coalition forces; what steps are being taken by British forces to reduce heroin production; and how effective these steps have been. [123198]
Mr. Ingram: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which conducts an annual survey into the level of opium poppy production in Afghanistan, has reported levels of production as follows:
| Tonnes | |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 3,300 |
| 2001 | 185 |
| 2002 | 3,400 |
We are engaged in helping to train the Afghan Transitional Administration's security forces. By doing so, we help to create the structures by which the Afghans themselves can implement more effectively President Karzai's commitment to deal with the drugs trade in his country.
Armed Forces Personnel
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 9 June 2003, Official Report, column 649W, on armed forces personnel, what percentage of (a) Naval Service, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force personnel are immediately available for operational duties. [123659]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 4 July 2003]: "Immediate availability" for operational duties is subject to the same factors that I set out in my answer to the hon. Gentleman of 9 June 2003, Official Report, columns 648–49W, including particularly the nature of the operation and the severity of the threat. It is, therefore, impractical to refer to a specific percentage.
Civilian Aircraft
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times each month in the past three financial years civilian aircraft have been chartered by the MOD; what types of aircraft were involved on each occasion; from which companies they were chartered; and what the cost of each of these charters was. [117189]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 16 May 2003, Official Report, column 442W, the answer I gave on 20 May 2003, Official Report, columns 673–74W to the hon. Member
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for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin), the answers I gave on 2 June 2003, Official Report, columns 285–86W and 1 July 2003, Official Report, columns 198–99W to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch) regarding commercial air charter. The further details now sought could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Euro Roadshow
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the events he plans to attend as part of the Government's euro roadshow. [121403]
Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 June 2003, Official Report, columns 458–59W by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard).
Defence Logistics Organisation
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Defence Logistics Organisation spent on preparations for the war in (a) Kosovo and (b) Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [122044]
Mr. Ingram: The Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) was launched in April 2000. Therefore, figures for preparations for the war in Kosovo are not available in the format requested. The figures for DLO expenditure for continuing operations in Afghanistan are as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 83 |
| 2002–03(6) | 135 |
(6) These figures reflect resource accounting principles and comprise mainly running costs. Figures for Financial Year 2002–03 are provisional pending finalisation of the Departmental Resource Accounts.
Emergency Airlift Capacity
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements his Department has in place with civilian airlines to provide emergency airlift. [123550]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has no standing arrangements for the use of civilian airlines to provide emergency airlift. In the event of an emergency, Royal Air Force military aircraft would be considered first. There could also be occasions where other nations' military aircraft could be used. Where civilian aircraft were required, they would be acquired from the commercial market place.
34 Field Hospital
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests were made during the recent conflict in Iraq by 34 Field Hospital for (a) paediatric modules and (b) pralidoxime for use against chemical poisoning; when the requests were made; what the response was to the requests; and if he will make a statement. [115551]
Mr. Caplin: 34 Field Hospital made a request for pralidoxime on 23 March 2003, which was turned down as the drug was already available in Chemical Warfare Treatment Modules issued on 22 March 2003. 34 Field
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Hospital made in the region of 11 requests for paediatric modules during the recent conflict, of which only one was denied because the module requested did not exist.
Iraq
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the coalition's estimate is of the number of deaths of Iraqi military personnel as a consequence of the war. [123428]
Mr. Ingram: We have no means of ascertaining the numbers of military or civilian lives lost during decisive military operations in Iraq, and have therefore made no such estimate.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money has been paid to UK forces personnel who have served on Operation Telic in respect of Local Overseas Allowance and Longer Separated Service Allowance payments. [123548]
Mr. Ingram: The majority of personnel deployed on Operation Telic benefited from the Operational Welfare Package (OWP), as opposed to LOA, and were also paid either the Longer Service Separated Allowance (LSSA) or in the case of Royal Navy personnel the Longer Service at Sea Bonus (LSSB). The current tiered rates of LSSA are Basic rate £5.39, Middle rate £8.43 and Higher rate £11.49 per qualified person per day, taxable. The current tiered rates of LSSB are £4.05, £7.74 and £10.32 per qualified person per day, taxable. LSSB has different qualifying criteria and hence the different tiered rates.
Full rates of LOA are not paid when personnel are in receipt of the OWP. However, those individuals deployed from permanent overseas bases which attract LOA (such as Germany) retained residual rates of LOA for their permanent duty station throughout the operational deployment. The specific rates of residual LOA paid to each entitled Serviceman or woman are based on his/her rank, marital status and permanent overseas duty station.
Accurate total cost data is not held centrally in a readily available format and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the contraction, spread and treatment of (a) severe diarrhoea and (b) cholera among the troops in Iraq. [123595]
Mr. Caplin: There have been no cases of cholera among United Kingdom personnel in Iraq. Diarrhoeal diseases have occurred at a level commensurate with a large-scale deployment to a country such as Iraq. Most incidents have been viral and caused by a number of factors such as flies, personnel living in close proximity to each other and lapses in individual personal hygiene. Systems are in place to ensure food safety and to promote personal hygiene.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he is taking to ensure that evidence of human rights abuses in Iraq during Saddam's regime is (a) protected and (b) collected. [114319]
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Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom Government continue to believe that those who have been responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Iraq should be brought to justice.
UK forces have been tasked with securing and protecting evidence of legacy crimes as they encounter it; to hand over to the relevant prosecuting authority at the appropriate time. The forum for these prosecutions has yet to be determined.
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) provisional budget in September 2002, (b) the finalised budget and (c) final expenditure of the Defence Logistics Organisation for Operation Telic was; and if he will make a statement. [122043]
Mr. Ingram: There was no budget set for the Defence Logistic Organisation for operations in Iraq.
It will be some time before we are able to assess fully the condition of all the equipment used and the consequent need for repair and overhaul, and so ascertain the full logistic expenditure.
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