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DEFENCE

Iraq

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his written Ministerial Statement of 7 July 2003, Official Report, column 41–42WS, on Iraq, whether the full report on operations in Iraq to which he referred will include estimates of the numbers of British and Iraqi military and civilian casualties resulting from recent military operations in Iraq. [125285]

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Mr. Hoon: The full report on operations in Iraq will contain details of British fatal casualties only. We have no viable means of ascertaining the numbers of Iraqis killed or injured during the conflict. As of 10 October, 50 United Kingdom armed forces personnel and one member of the Defence Fire Service had died since the start of coalition military operations against Iraq. 12 of these deaths were non-battle fatalities.

Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps were taken during the recent conflict in Iraq to encourage mutiny amongst Iraqi armed service personnel. [132291]

Mr. Ingram: In an attempt to keep the conflict short and minimise casualties on both sides, the Coalition encouraged surrender and desertion, though not mutiny, within the Iraqi armed forces. Throughout the conflict daily broadcasts were made and leaflets dropped, peaking on 21–23 March with Iraqi ex-military commanders and clerics making appeals to the Iraqi forces to surrender or desert.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the results of the investigations into the cause of Marine Maddison's death in Iraq on 30 March; and if he will make a statement. [125986]

Mr. Ingram: The Service Police investigation into the death of Marine Maddison is continuing. No conclusions have yet been drawn and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.

Nuclear Submarines

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place to ensure safety systems are followed at HM naval bases where private enterprise is involved in the maintenance and repair of nuclear submarines. [131551]

Mr. Ingram: Standards of safety in the maintenance and repair of nuclear submarines are ensured by the appointment of Radiation Protection Supervisors as defined by the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (IRRs99). These Radiation Protection Supervisors ensure that the legally mandated local rules, written by the MOD or site operator as appropriate, are adhered to. The Naval Base Commanders employ Radiation Protection Advisers and Radiation Safety Officers to provide assurance and advice that these safety systems are being observed. In addition, MOD's internal regulatory body provides assurance on nuclear safety to senior functional safety boards and the independent Defence Nuclear Safety Committee. The Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installation Inspectorate (NII) also regulates MOD activities under IRRs99.

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether personal monitors of the IPM7 type are mandatory for all nuclear submarine radiation workers; [131547]

(2) what plans he has to improve the safety of workers on nuclear submarines; [131548]

(3) when the equipment used to monitor personnel leaving reactor compartments of nuclear submarines was last updated; and if he will make a statement. [131549]

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Mr. Ingram: IPM-7 type detectors are not suitable for use onboard submarines due to space constraints. Alternative procedures are therefore in place to ensure all personnel are thoroughly monitored for contamination on completion of their work before going ashore.

The safety regime for workers on nuclear submarines complies fully with legal requirements. Safety arrangements are regularly audited and inspected by naval base assurance personnel and regulated by both MOD's internal nuclear propulsion programme regulator and the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII). As a responsible employer the MOD acts immediately on any advice or findings from these audits and inspections. The Department strives to adopt best industry practice and continues to invest in improvements in all forms of personal radiation monitoring equipment in order to ensure that all workers exposures are kept as low as is reasonably practicable.

A programme to replace the existing equipment used to monitor personnel leaving reactor compartments of nuclear submarines is currently under way. It is planned to start issuing the new equipment to submarines from October this year. This adds to the modern monitoring equipment that was introduced by the naval bases during the 1990s.

Qualifications

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what qualifications are required of (a) civilian and (b) Navy radiation safety personnel working on nuclear submarines. [131550]

Mr. Ingram: Both civilian and Royal Navy radiation safety personnel are required to be qualified to at least City and Guilds Stage 1 in Radiation Safety Practice, which is recognised as the required standard by the UK nuclear industry.

Personal Injury Claims

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sums have been made in settlement of personal injury claims filed concerning Army personnel in each year since 1990. [132178]

Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence does not generally record the details of the settlements of personal injury cases brought by members of HM forces by individual service. This information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. However, the information sought in relation to members of HM forces since 1990 is shown as follows. The increase in compensation payments reflects the fact that prior to May 1987, service personnel were prevented from pursuing claims for compensation from the MOD by section 10 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947. The increase in the value of settlements in recent years is mainly attributable to changes in the level of general damages recommended to the courts by the Judicial Studies Board and a change in the multiplier used to calculate future losses as directed by the Lord Chancellor and set out in the Damages Act 1996.

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	Value of settlement (£ million)
1990–91	1.67
1991–92	2.39
1992–93	6.52
1993–94	8.29
1994–95	12.0
1995–96	12.6
1996–97	16.2
1997–98	26.8
1998–99	26.7
1999–2000	31.0
2000–01	36.6
2001–02	32.3
2002–03	40.0

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Academies

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for each school which was a city technology college or city college for the technology of the arts on 1 September 2002, whether (a) he has agreed under section 68 of the Education Act 2002 that the institution shall be known as an academy, (b) an application has been made to him that the school be known as an academy and (c) no application has been made to him for the school to be known as an academy; and in the case of (a), when the decision takes effect. [131226]

Mr. Miliband: Section 68 of the Education Act 2002 allows a city technology college (CTC) or city college for the Technology of the Arts (CCTA) to convert into an academy, where the governors agree that the college should take on the characteristics of an academy. To date one CTC, Djanogly in Nottingham, has converted into an academy with effect from August 2003. The Department has also received an expression of interest from Haberdashers CTC in Lewisham to convert into an academy with effect from September 2005. Other CTCs are involved in the academies nine programmes as sponsors or in federation with academies, but have not formally expressed an interest in conversion.

Asbestos

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent by his Department and its agencies on (a) asbestos surveys and (b) the management and removal of asbestos since 1st January 2001; and what budget is available to (i) commission asbestos surveys and (ii) manage and remove asbestos from buildings in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004. [130913]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: My Department has spent an estimated £40,000 on asbestos surveys since January 2001.Costs for the management and removal of asbestos are not available. There is no set budget for future surveys, asbestos management or associated works. However, any remedial and control activities identified in the future as a requirement under the existing and new Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations will be undertaken. As I have said previously in replies to questions on asbestos from the hon. Gentleman,

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measures in place already and planned, will result in my Department fully complying with the new regulations by May 2004.

Free School Meals

Mr. Mike Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) boys and (b) girls receiving free school meals reached the required standards in (i) English and (ii) maths at key stage (A) 1, (B) 2, (C) 3 and (D) 4 in each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority. [131466]

Mr. Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

The tables show, for each local education authority, the number and percentage of boys and girls by free school meals eligibility who reached the expected level in English and Maths in each year available since 1997. The figures shown are based on:

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Pupils achieving level 2 or above at Key Stage 1

Pupils achieving level 4 or above at Key Stage 2

Pupils achieving level 5 or above at Key Stage 3

Pupils achieving grades A*-G) at GCSE

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