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10 Mar 2004 : Column 1490W—continued
Transport Spending
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government have spent to date on the spending commitments set out in the 10-year plan on (a) roads, broken down by (i) strategic, (ii) local and (iii) London (b) railways, (c) London Underground and (d) all other transport; and if he will make a statement. [158235]
Mr. McNulty: Tables A2 and A3 of the Department's 2003 Annual Report (Cm 5907) provide data on transport spending from funds within DfT's Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL). Spending on strategic roads is separately identified under 'Roads (includes Highways Agency)' whilst spending on local authority roads is included within the figures in the 'Transport in London' and 'Local Transport' lines. With the exception of funding for major road schemes in England out side London, it is a matter for local authorities to decide what proportion of their funding allocation is spent on roads. Outturn expenditure on local roads is published in the progress reports, accounts or other corporate documents of individual authorities but is not held centrally. Expenditure on railways, London Underground and other transport is separately identified in the Department's Annual Report.
In addition to funding provided from DfT's DEL, local authorities receive revenue funding for transport through ODPM's Formula Spending Share (FSS) process. We estimate that authorities spent approximately £2.76 billion of their FSS allocation on transport in 2001–02 and £2.83 billion in 2002–03.
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DEFENCE
Continuous Attitudes Survey
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what questions concerning overstretch were asked in the 2003 editions of the Continuous Attitudes Survey for the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF; and if he will publish the answers; [160112]
- (2) what questions concerning equipment were asked in the 2003 editions of the Continuous Attitudes Survey for the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF; and if he will publish the answers; [160113]
(3) what questions concerning contractualisation were asked in the 2003 editions of the Continuous Attitudes Survey for the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF; and if he will publish the answers; [160117]
(4) what questions concerning nationality were asked in the 2003 editions of the Continuous Attitudes Survey for the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF; and if he will publish the answers. [160118]
Mr. Caplin: Copies of the questions asked in the Services' Continuous Attitude Surveys are available in the Library of the House.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many responses the Royal Navy Continuous Attitudes Survey received for the consultation round launched in September 2003; and if he will make a statement. [160114]
Mr. Caplin: In September 2003 the administration for the Royal Navy Continuous Attitude Survey (CAS) recorded the following: 2,000 Questionnaires were distributed, 107 were returned 'addressee unknown' and 946 were returned completed.
In September 2003 the administration for the Royal Marines CAS recorded the following: 1,027 Questionnaires were distributed, 23 were returned 'addressee unknown' and 409 were returned completed.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many responses the Army Continuous Attitudes Survey received for the consultation round launched in December 2003; and if he will make a statement. [160115]
Mr. Caplin: The latest Army Serving Personnel Continuous Attitude Survey was distributed in December 2003 to 5,040 individuals. As at 4 March, 2,168 responses had been received.
Eurofighter Typhoon
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department had meetings in the last nine months with BAE personnel to discuss the order for the Second Tranche of Eurofighter Typhoons; when the meetings took place; who attended; and what representations he has received from the other partners in this project on the ordering of Tranche II. [159497]
Mr. Hoon: Ministers and officials have had many meetings with BAE Systems personnel in the last nine months at which the order for the second Tranche of Typhoons has been discussed. Regular meetings have
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also taken place with our partner nations in the project as part of the ongoing commercial and international negotiations on the same subject.
Forces (Overseas Postings)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) regular service and (b) Territorial Army personnel are serving overseas. [157851]
Mr. Caplin: Some 36,000 British service personnel are serving overseas, including some 1,200 members of the Territorial Army.
Gulf War Illness
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 23 February 2004, Official Report, columns 11–12W, to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Flook), on Gulf War illness, if he will publish a description of the monitoring tests for depleted uranium to which he refers. [158259]
Mr. Caplin: The tests involve chemical processing of urine samples and analysis using inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry. This reveals both the total concentration of uranium in the urine and the relative amounts of its two principal isotopes, 238U and 235U. The Depleted Uranium Oversight Board has judged that, taking into account experimental uncertainty, a 238U/235U ratio of 142 or higher indicates the presence of depleted uranium. A pilot exercise will soon be underway to evaluate the logistic arrangements for the testing process and to establish whether urine samples collected over a 24-hour period or single ("spot") samples are more appropriate. If reliable results can be obtained from spot samples, they will be used for the main testing programme as they are more convenient for the donor.
Military Bases (Contamination)
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been commissioned by his Department into (a) the degree of contamination and (b) the prospects for remedial action at military bases in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) dependent territories abroad. [158903]
Mr. Caplin: To date, over 500 Land Quality Assessments (LQA) have been prepared across the Defence estate since 1995 to identify the degree and extent of contaminated land, predominantly in the United Kingdom, but also in dependent territories such as Gibraltar and Cyprus. LQA identify potentially contaminative site activities. Studies are prioritised, e.g. on sites in proximity to vulnerable aquifers, or where contamination is known or suspected. This process determines remedial options.
Current Ministry of Defence policy is to undertake remediation of contaminated land where there is significant risk to human health or the environment and it is practical or necessary to remove all contamination from a site. This may be confined to the removal of radioactive contamination or other defence specific contaminants, wherein the MOD's environmental specialists (or specialist consultants) and the environmental regulators work closely together to establish the extent to which the land is to be decontaminated.
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The MOD seeks to ensure compliance with relevant statutory environmental provisions and any additional requirements arising from international treaties and protocols to which the UK is a signatory. Overseas, the Department will apply UK standards where reasonably practicable and, in addition, comply with host nation standards. This ensures resources are used efficiently and land is being managed in the best interests of good environmental performance and sustainable development.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what studies his Department has commissioned on the levels of (a) toxic and (b) other pollution at military bases in the UK; and what publications his Department has issued in this respect since May 1997; [158904]
- (2) how many locations there are where there is recorded contamination (a) at and (b) from military bases, broken down by (i) location, (ii) nature of contamination, (iii) remedial works taken or planned and (iv) the financial cost of contamination; and if he will make a statement. [158905]
Mr. Caplin: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Recruitment
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of recruitment of civil servants for the Department was in each financial year since 1996–97, broken down by (a) delegated or contracted out recruitment procedures and (b) recruitment procedures carried out by the Department. [158195]
Mr. Caplin: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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