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Naval Procurement

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in establishing the Maritime Afloat Reach and Sustainability Project; what will new design ships will be procured; what capabilities this will bring; and if he will make a statement on how they will improve flexibility and responsiveness. [128120]

Mr. Ingram: The Military Afloat Reach and Sustain (MARS) project is now reaching the end of its Concept Phase, in which the Support Requirement is defined and a plan for procuring it in the most cost-effective and efficient way is established. It is anticipated that the project will progress to its Assessment phase before the end of this year. During the Assessment phase the

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project team will invite industry to provide solutions to this requirement, including ship designs, and will establish how new technologies, vessel designs and logistics concepts can deliver the increases in flexibility and responsiveness our future forces will require.

The afloat support capability provided by the MARS programme is essential if the United Kingdom is to maintain the ability to deploy joint forces worldwide to engage in operations where Host Nation Support cannot be guaranteed. As an enabling capability, its effectiveness will be measured by its ability to support our future forces and concepts of operation.

Recruitment

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were recruited to the armed forces since January for (a) each of the recruitment posts in Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [129220]

Mr. Caplin: Statistics for officer recruitment are not broken down by region. The numbers of other rank enlistments for all three Services in each month since January 2003 are detailed in the following table.

	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September(1)	Total
RN/RM
Scotland:
Aberdeen	5	4	8	0	9	5	8	2	0	41
Dundee	10	10	21	10	14	19	7	4	0	95
Edinburgh	11	12	25	6	11	15	8	9	0	97
Glasgow	11	10	19	4	11	19	12	4	0	90
Inverness	4	5	7	0	2	2	4	0	0	24
England	459	423	469	150	355	428	282	164	0	2,730
Wales	29	26	21	6	21	26	16	10	0	155
Northern Ireland	9	9	8	6	9	5	3	10	0	59
Army
Scotland:
Aberdeen	20	14	3	4	4	1	6	11	11	74
Dundee	69	20	15	19	13	7	20	40	37	240
Edinburgh	51	19	13	14	16	8	14	28	26	189
Glasgow	153	86	49	49	44	21	58	68	95	623
Inverness	20	12	5	10	8	2	8	10	17	92
England	2,178	925	817	714	767	687	779	1,045	1,382	9,294
Wales	178	80	61	70	66	50	38	66	105	714
Northern Ireland	53	19	24	13	12	12	8	28	11	180
RAF
Scotland:
Aberdeen	0	2	5	4	3	1	4	5	4	28
Dundee	6	8	10	13	6	7	3	8	3	64
Edinburgh	7	7	9	4	9	1	9	5	3	54
Glasgow	10	18	9	14	9	9	12	10	4	95
Inverness	2	5	7	9	5	2	5	2	3	40
England	140	332	305	273	250	172	279	201	83	2,035
Wales	13	28	29	44	36	12	42	20	17	241
Northern Ireland	1	5	9	4	2	2	6	3	1	33

⁽¹⁾ Figures give the position as at 12 September 2003. No figures available for RN/RM.

War Pensions Agency

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the proposal to redefine the eligibility criteria for disablement through the War Pensions Agency. [130518]

Mr. Caplin: There are no plans to change the eligibility criteria used for decisions under the War Pensions Scheme. I refer my hon. Friend to the details of my statement to the House of 15 September 2003, Official Report, columns 39–40WS. I can confirm that there will be no effect on existing war pensioners. Decisions on whether a condition was caused or significantly aggravated by service will be evidence-based, using a 'balance of probabilities' standard of proof. This is in line with the approach of the civil courts and other modern compensation arrangements. All decisions will be appealable to a fully independent tribunal.

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CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Civil Compensation Cases

Mrs Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many civil compensation actions have been brought against the employer of the abusing child carer in the UK in each of the past five years. [128397]

Mr. Leslie: The information requested is not collected centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Community Legal Service

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of the population living in (a) rural and (b) urban areas has access to services provided by Community Legal Service Partnerships. [129360]

Mr. Lammy: To date, Community Legal Service Partnerships cover over 99 per cent. of the population of England and Wales and so include nearly all rural and urban areas. Although the provision of services within the Community Legal Service (CLS) falls to individually contracted providers, each CLS partnership has responsibility for advising on the co-ordination and planning of local service delivery. Data produced by the CLS partnerships, particularly in relation to priority legal needs, helps to inform the allocation of CLS resources through the contracting system. Along with policy developments, such as the Partnership Initiative Budget (PIB) and the Method of Delivery Pilots, the Legal Services Commission ensures that there is both adequate and improving service provision across all regions in England and Wales.

Court Attire

Lady Hermon: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many responses were received to the Court Working Dress Consultation Paper; and if he will make a statement on the responses received. [129828]

Mr. Leslie: The consultation period for comments closed on 14 August and 3,406 responses were received.

The responses are currently being analysed and the Government will make a statement in due course.

Mental Incapacity Bill

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations he has received regarding the length of the consultation for the draft Mental Incapacity Bill. [129630]

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Mr. Lammy: My Department has received four letters to Ministers about the length of the consultation period set up by the Pre-legislative Committee which is examining the draft Mental Incapacity Bill.

Sheriffs

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many claims for negligence, errors or omissions have been made against under sheriffs in each of the last three years; what was (a) the highest claim, (b) the average claim and (c) the total value of claims; what was the total paid in settlement of claims for each of the last three years; what plans he has to indemnify sheriffs against liability for claims against under sheriffs; and if he will make a statement. [129317]

Mr. Lammy: The information requested is not available. The courts do not maintain statistics on the identity or role of defendants; nor does the Department employ or have direct responsibility for under sheriffs.

We do, however, consider the responsibility for enforcement of High Court writs as an onerous one for sheriffs to undertake, as their position is a voluntary one, and that responsibility extends for up to six years following their term of office. Therefore we are relieving them of this responsibility through measures contained in the Courts Bill. Present insurance arrangements made by under sheriffs cover the possibility of litigation for the duration of a high sheriffs responsibility. The matter of continuing cover once new measures are brought in is under careful consideration by the representatives of those who undertake this work and wish to continue to do so as well as those who represent under sheriffs and high sheriffs. We have no plans to indemnify sheriffs from public funds.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the duties of the office of sheriff consist of (a) formally and (b) informally; and if he will make a statement. [129319]

Mr. Leslie: High sheriffs are technically responsible for the enforcement of High Court writs, but this is, in practice, carried out on their behalf by under sheriffs, and this duty will be removed from high sheriffs by legislation currently before Parliament. The traditional role of the high sheriff is to escort to court and offer hospitality to High Court judges who visit their area. Informal duties are entirely a matter for individual sheriffs, who also have an informal representational role for their county. The office is unpaid, and the expenses are borne personally by the incumbent. High sheriffs receive no public funds, other than a small allowance for days when they attend judges in court.

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