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23 Feb 2004 : Column 7W—continued

Armed Forces Personnel (Medical Services)

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the availability of (a) general practitioner services and (b) NHS dental services to families of armed forces personnel located in the UK. [153830]

Mr. Caplin: Issues of concern to Service families are monitored regularly through continuous attitude surveys and meetings with the Service family associations. We are aware that some families can find it difficult to find a GP but we are not aware of families not being able to register with a GP. Service families are in the same position as other member of local communities in relation to NHS dentists. However, the MOD is continuing to look at ways we can reduce these problems through local discussions.

Armoured Vehicles

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many FV432 series vehicles were deployed to the Gulf during Operation Telic. [153000]

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Mr. Ingram: Approximately 480 FV432 and FV432 variant vehicles were deployed to the Gulf during Operation Telic.

Aviation Noise

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has (a) published and (b) commissioned into helicopter noise. [153968]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Civil Servants

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants, broken down by grade, there are in the Department and the agencies for which the Department is responsible; and what the figures were in January 1997. [150254]

Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 10 February 2004, Official Report, columns 1293–98W, by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office.

Civilian Staff

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 273W, when his Department last compiled reliable data for civilians at individual defence installations; and if he will make a statement. [155188]

Mr. Caplin: There are no centrally held reliable data on the number of civilians at individual defence installations.

Defence Estate Organisation

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Defence Estate Organisation's Annual Report and Accounts for 1997–98. [155206]

Mr. Caplin: No publication exists for the period stated. The Defence Estates Organisation was not directed to produce qualified accounts during the first year as an Agency.

Defence Fire Service

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the Defence Fire Service was of Operation Fresco, broken down by main budget. [155215]

Mr. Ingram: Information on the discrete costs incurred by the Defence Fire Service during Operation Fresco could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However the overall additional costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence during Operation Fresco are charged to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Defence Spending (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much of the personnel budget of the (a) United Kingdom Hydrographic

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Office, (b) Defence Export Services Organisation, (c) Defence Medical Services Department and (d) Army Base Repair Organisation was spent in Scotland in financial year 2002–03 (i) in monetary terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total; what the figures were in the previous year; and if he will make a statement on the figures for each agency; [155085]

(2) pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2003, Official Report, columns 133–36W, how much of its total personnel budget the (a) Defence Estates, (b) Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency, (c) Naval Manning Agency, (d) Defence Analytical Services Agency, (e) Defence Housing Executive, (f) Defence Intelligence and Security Centre, (g) Army Personnel Centre and (h) Army Training and Recruitment Agency spent in Scotland in financial year 2002–03, (i) in monetary terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total; what the figures were in the previous year; and if he will make a statement; [155190]

(3) pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2003, Official Report, columns 133–36W, how much of its total personnel budget the (a) Defence Communications Services Agency, (b) Defence Storage and Distribution Agency, (c) Veterans Agency, (d) Disposal Services Agency, (e) Pay and Personnel Agency, (f) Defence Aviation Repair Agency and (g) Meteorological Office spent in Scotland in financial year 2002–03, (i) in monetary terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total; what the figures were in the previous year; and if he will make a statement; [155191]

(4) pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2003, Official Report, columns 133–36W, how much of its total personnel budget the (a) RAF Personnel Manning Agency, (b) RAF Training Group Defence Agency, (c) Warship Support Agency, (d) British Forces Post Office, (e) Defence Vetting Agency, (f) Defence Medical Education and Training Agency and (g) Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency spent in Scotland in financial year 2002–03, (i) in monetary terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total; what the figures were in the previous year; and if he will make a statement; [155192]

(5) how much of the personnel budget of the (a) Defence Evaluation and Research Agency and (b) Defence Secondary Care Agency was spent in Scotland in financial year 2002–03 (i) in monetary terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total; what the figures were in the previous year; and if he will make a statement on the figures for each agency; [155086]

(6) pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2003, Official Report, columns 133–36W, how much of its total personnel budget the (a) Service Children's Education, (b) Duke of York's Royal Military School, (c) Naval Recruiting and Training Agency, (d) Defence Procurement Agency, (e) Defence Transport and Movements Agency, (f) Medical Supplies Agency, (g) Defence Dental Agency and (h) Defence Bills Agency spent in Scotland in financial year 2002–03, (i) in monetary terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total; what the figures were in the previous year; and if he will make a statement. [155193]

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Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 December 2003, Official Report, columns 132–35W, and the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 3 December 2003, Official Report, columns 67–68W.

Departmental Minutes

Mr. Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his Department's policy to make notes of (a) meetings and (b) telephone conversations involving Ministers; and under what circumstances no notes would be taken. [149530]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 20 January 2004]: The Ministry of Defence follows the central "Guidance on the Management of Private Office Papers" which makes clear that good record management procedures are necessary not least to ensure accountability and provide an audit trail. Among the records covered by the guidance are Ministers' meetings and telephone conversations.

Environmental Impact Assessments

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what projects have received an environmental impact assessment since his policy statement on the management of safety and environmental protection in July 2000. [154695]

Mr. Caplin: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

Equipment Programme

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Equipment Programme. [153032]

Mr. Ingram: Information on a range of major equipment projects, which together form the substantial part of the Ministry of Defence's forward equipment programme, is routinely made available, for example in support of the PAC's annual Major Projects Report and the HCDC's annual inquiry into defence procurement. This detail is set in broader context by the publication every two years of the MOD's overarching Defence Investment Strategy.

In addition, the principal output of the MOD's annual equipment planning round is a set of detailed planning assumptions and financial data about the proposed content and timing of the future equipment programme. This forms part of the internal advice to Ministers on the overall affordability of the defence programme and of individual projects at the time they come forward for approval. It therefore anticipates decisions still to be taken by Ministers. In parts it also contains information which is commercially sensitive. I am therefore withholding the information in accordance with Exemptions 2 and 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

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