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13 Jan 2004 : Column 678W—continued
Depleted Uranium Oversight Board
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has to reconfigure the Depleted Uranium Oversight Board. [146988]
Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence has no proposals to reconfigure the Depleted Uranium Oversight Board (DUOB).
Flying Hours (RAF Marham)
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many hours on average were flown by RAF pilots based at RAF Marham in each month over the past two years [141295]
Mr. Ingram [pursuant to the answer, 4 December 2003, Official Report, column 127W]: The information provided was incorrect.
The information in the following table shows the correct number of hours flown on average by pilots based at RAF Marham, by month. These figures include hours flown by exchange pilots from foreign air forces serving with RAF Squadrons based at the station, as these are not recorded separately. On average there are two such pilots at the station, and they would normally fly at the same rate as RAF pilots. The figures also include hours flown by Marham-based pilots deployed on Operation TELIC, hence the increase in April 2003.
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Future Army Structure
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Future Army Structure. [147726]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the Defence White Paper, 'Delivering Security in a Changing World', published on 11 December 2003, and in particular Chapter 4 'Armed Forces Capabilities', which sets out the latest position on the Future Army Structure.
Iraq
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are being taken to ensure the safety of civilian contractors working for the allied forces in Iraq. [145278]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 November 2003, Official Report, column 758W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Rosindell).
IT Contracts
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list information technology contracts in his Department with a value of above £20 million in each of the last 10 years; what the inception date for each system was; when it became fully functional; when it became fully debugged; and what the cost of over-runs has been. [146189]
Mr. Ingram: This information is not held centrally and could be answered only at disproportionate cost.
Jaguar
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to withdraw the RAF's Jaguar aircraft from service. [147282]
Mr. Ingram: Based on current predictions it is expected that the RAF's Jaguar fleet will be retired around the end of this decade.
King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the operational role is of the King's Troop, the Royal Horse Artillery; [142712]
- (2) what the cost to public funds in 2003–04 is of the King's Troop, the Royal Horse Artillery; [142713]
(3) what his plans are for the future of the King's Troop, the Royal Horse Artillery. [142714]
Mr. Ingram: In addition to its ceremonial role, the King's Troop, the Royal Horse Artillery provides personnel to support the Royal Artillery Corps and other units. Most recently, members of the King's
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Troop deployed with Close Support and Depth Fire Artillery units on Operation Telic. No changes are currently planned to this role.
The cost to public funds in the last financial year (2002–03) was £5.78 million. This includes expenditure on pay, building works, food and clothing.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many parliamentary questions to his Department have waited more than four sitting weeks for a reply in Session 2002–03. [140792]
Mr. Hoon: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, as a guide, officials have calculated a figure based on the number of parliamentary questions tabled between 8 September to 18 September 2003 and 7 October to 20 November 2003. According to our records, 898 parliamentary questions were tabled during this period and of this number, 34 questions were answered more than four sitting weeks later.
Defence Ministers aim to answer named day written questions on the day named and ordinary written questions within five sitting days.
Recruitment (Security Clearance)
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were refused security clearance for entry to (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) the Army in each of the last five years. [147259]
Mr. Ingram: Electronic records capable of showing those refused security clearance for entry to the Services were started during 2001. There is no practical means of obtaining and collating this information for the years prior to 2002. In 2002, six potential Royal Navy recruits, two potential Royal Air Force recruits and 38 potential Army recruits were refused security clearance. In 2003, 11 potential Royal Navy recruits, five potential Royal Air Force recruits and 40 potential Army recruits were refused security clearance.
Sea Harrier
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the first Sea Harrier Squadron will be withdrawn from service; and what plans he has for the disposal of the squadron's aircraft. [147281]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 June 2003, Official Report, columns 879–80W, to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin).
The first Sea Harrier Squadron will be withdrawn from service on 31 March 2004.
Service Pensions
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many ex-service personnel who are entitled to a preserved pension are not claiming that to which they are entitled. [146957]
Mr. Caplin: The total number of pensions currently in payment under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme is in the region of 342,000 (this includes pensions in payment
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to former Service personnel, their spouses and dependants). As at 30 November 2003, 504 ex-service personnel across the three Services have not claimed a preserved pension award to which they were entitled at age 60.
Tornado
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the RAF's last Tornado GR4 aircraft are expected to be retired; what aircraft type is earmarked to replace the Tornado GR4 in its role; and if he will make a statement. [147548]
Mr. Ingram: We currently expect the Tornado GR4 to leave service around the end of the next decade.
The Future Offensive Air System is planned to replace the offensive air capability currently provided by the Tornado GR4. No final decision has been taken on how the Future Offensive Air System requirement might best be met. We are currently looking at a potential mix of platforms including Long Range Cruise Missiles, Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicles and manned aircraft.
Unexploded Cluster Bombs
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much compensation is paid to families of (a) adults and (b) children under 16 years of age, who are (i) killed and (ii) injured as a result of unexploded British cluster bombs in (A) Kosovo, (B) Afghanistan and (C) Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [146168]
Mr. Ingram: When compensation claims are submitted, they are considered on the basis of whether or not the Ministry of Defence has a legal liability to pay compensation. Where there is a legal liability to pay compensation, we do so. The amount of compensation paid is calculated on the basis of the severity of the injury together with any financial loss. The amount payable for financial loss to an adult would likely exceed that payable to a juvenile.
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Judges (Appeals)
27. Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the number of successful appeals made against individual judges. [147123]
Mr. Leslie: Judicial decisions are not a matter in which the Government should become involved, and the Department for Constitutional Affairs does not routinely monitor the outcome of appeals in relation to decisions made by particular judges. The fact that an appeal has been successful does not in itself entail any criticism of the original judge.
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