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11 Jul 2003 : Column 1028W—continued
Wood
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate has been made of the numbers of employees in the wood panel and related industries who would lose their jobs if the wood panel industry fails. [125115]
Nigel Griffiths: We have made no estimate of the numbers of employees in the wood panel and related industries who might loose their jobs should the sector fail, but a recent study of the timber industry indicates that, of a total of 89,000 people employed in the timber sector, 7,000 are directly employed in wood panel and board production.
DEFENCE
Deepcut Barracks (Drugs)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of drug overdoses have been recorded at Deepcut barracks since 1995; how many arrests have been made relating to the use or supply of illegal drugs since 1995; how many random drug tests have been made, and what results they have shown, in each year since 1995; what investigations the police has conducted into the use of illegal drugs at Deepcut barracks; what conclusions they have drawn; and if he will make a statement. [124175]
Mr. Caplin: Since 1995 there have been 24 incidents of self-harm overdose, involving either prescription or non-prescription drugs, recorded at Deepcut barracks. None of these involved illegal drugs. The Army does not make 'arrests' in relation to the use or supply of illegal drugs; instead, cases are investigated and reported to the chain of command for disciplinary action. Since 1995 eight possible cases were recorded at Deepcut as a result of which five military personnel were charged with drug offences under the Army Act.
Although Compulsory Drug Testing (CDT) was introduced throughout the Army at the end of 1995, it is not possible to break out data for individual units prior to 1999 due to the format in which the data is held. Data from CDT tests conducted at Deepcut since 1999 are as follows:
| CDT tests | Personnel testing positive | Percentage rate of personnel testing positive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 479 | 2 | 0.42 |
| 2000 | 1,003 | 13 | 1.30 |
| 2001 | 475 | 6 | 1.26 |
| 2002 | 985 | 5 | 0.51 |
There have been no specific police investigations, either civil or military, regards the use of illegal drugs at Deepcut Barracks.
Missile Defence
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for City of York (Hugh Bayley), of 23 June 2003, Official Report, column 698W, on missile defence, if he will list the names and qualifications of the relevant scientific and
11 Jul 2003 : Column 1029W
medical authorities; and if he will place in the Library copies of the documents on which his comments on potential risk from phased-array radar emissions are based. [123819]
Mr. Hoon: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Nuclear Weapons
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list Joint Working Groups conducted under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement since 1973. [124742]
Mr. Caplin: Joint Working Groups conducted since 1973 under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement have exchanged technical information on the following subjects:
- Neutron Sources
Radiation Simulation and Kinetic Effects Technology
Energetic Materials
Compatibility of Materials
Test Diagnostics
Nuclear Materials
Warhead Electrical Components and Technologies
Non-nuclear Materials
Nuclear Counter Terrorism Technology
Facilities
Nuclear Weapons Engineering
Nuclear Warhead Physics
Computational Technology
Aircraft, Missile and Space System Hardening
Laboratory Plasma Physics
Manufacturing Practices
Nuclear Warhead Accident Response Technology
Nuclear Weapon Code Development
Nuclear Weapon Environment and Damage Effects
Methodologies for Nuclear Weapon Safety Assurance
Resettlement Training Centre (Aldershot)
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the criteria that must be met by training organisations seeking preferred supplier status to the Resettlement Training Centre at Aldershot; and which independent assessor awards that status. [123861]
Mr. Caplin: The Resettlement Training Centre (RTC) at Aldershot lies within Aldershot Garrison, and is wholly owned by the Ministry of Defence. The RTC is however being leased to Right Management Consultants Ltd. during the currency (October 1998 to September 2005) of a contract it holds from the Department to provide Career Transition services (CTS) to eligible members of the armed forces during the last two years of their service.
In accordance with the contract the RTC provides some training direct to Service leavers through courses run at the centre. It also operates the preferred suppliers' list in order to advise Service leavers on different types of external training from providers which have been vetted, and in which the service leavers can be confident of the standard of training provided.
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The requirement for the contractor to run a preferred suppliers list has been part of the contract since inception.
Training organisations seeking preferred supplier status must provide training which, among other things, fits the transferable skills Service leavers have, provides training which will lead to jobs in the civilian market, have the capability to provide training in the longer term (by having the right facilities, financial and staff resources), and have policies in place promoting quality, equal opportunities and health and safety.
The Contractor is wholly responsible to the Department to run the preferred suppliers list and to vet applications from prospective training providers. Advice is sought as necessary from Lead Bodies, National Training Organisations, Sector Skills Councils and other Government Agencies. Comments are also sought as necessary from such agencies as Regional Resettlement Centres, the Regular Forces Employment Association, and Ministry of Defence's second line Resettlement Advisers to confirm local requirements. The contractor ensures that the process is managed in accordance with ISO 9001:2000 and its Quality Management Operating Procedures, which are externally assessed by Det Norske Veritas, an accredited UKAS accreditation body.
Service Accommodation (Colchester)
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the average price paid by Annington Homes for each dwelling at Colchester Garrison was; [124936]
- (2) how many dwellings at Colchester Garrison were purchased by Annington Homes; [124935]
(3) how many former Ministry of Defence dwellings at Colchester Garrison have been sold by Annington Homes; how many more are proposed to be disposed of; and if he will make a statement. [124934]
Mr. Caplin: The sale, in 1996, of 57,428 properties in England and Wales raised £1.662 million for the Exchequer. The average price per dwelling, nationally, was approximately £29,000, and in the Colchester area, approximately £25,000.
Some 1,400 properties in the Colchester area were included in the 1996 sale and leaseback agreement with Annington Homes Ltd. Of these, all but 46, which were surplus to requirements at the time, were leased back by the Ministry of Defence to house Service families. 180 properties have subsequently been handed back to Annington Homes Ltd. and it is intended that a further 40 will be handed back during the current financial year. MOD wishes to reduce vacancy levels in Service family accommodation and significant disposals are needed to progress towards the target of reducing the vacancy rate to 10 per cent. of working stock. The Defence Housing Executive (DHE), the MOD agency that manages the properties, decides which properties to return to the owners (Annington Homes Ltd.) in consultation with unit commanders. The subsequent use or disposal of those properties is a matter for Annington Homes.
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Trained Personnel
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trained personnel have gone absent without leave in each of the services in each of the last five years. [115098]
Mr. Caplin: The information available is shown in the following tables. Data are captured using different methods for each of the three services, therefore the figures are not directly comparable on a Tri-Service basis. Figures are based only on trained personnel.
| 1 January to 31 December | Number reported AWOL |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 25 |
| 1999 | 35 |
| 2000 | 50 |
| 2001 | 85 |
| 2002 | 90 |
(5) These figures relate to Royal Navy only.
(6) A warrant is issued on the 7th day of absence unless it is known that an individual will be absent before the 7th day, in which case a warrant is issued sooner. Once a warrant is issued the individual is classed as AWOL.
| Financial Year | Number reported AWOL |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 1,410 |
| 1999–2000 | 1,665 |
| 2000–01 | 1,845 |
| 2001–02 | 1,630 |
| 2002–03 | 1,535 |
(7) Only one officer was found to be AWOL during the period in question, consequently the table only shows other ranks.
(8) A person is classed as AWOL if he/she does not report for duty on a particular day. If the person has still not reported for duty after 21 days, a Board of Inquiry will meet to investigate the absence, it will then decide whether to class the person as AWOL. This will then be backdated to start from the first day of absence.
| Financial Year | Number reported AWOL |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 20 |
| 1999–2000 | 20 |
| 2000–01 | 20 |
| 2001–02 | 15 |
| 2002–03 | 25 |
(9) An individual who is reported AWOL on more than one occasion within the same calendar year is counted once in the year they were reported absent.
(10) An individual who reported AWOL in one calendar year and is still absent in the following year is counted in the year they were reported absent.
(11) The table does not address specific categories within AWOL. A person is classified as AWOL if they did not report for duty on a particular day. However after they have failed to report for duty for 23 days, a Board of Inquiry can declare the individual "illegally absent" (there has been only one illegal absentee in each of the financial years and they are included in the figures). Service personnel do not become deserters until either it is known they are not going to return voluntarily and/or are subsequently arrested and found guilty of desertion at court martial.
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