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21 Apr 2004 : Column 517W—continued

Vocational A-levels

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on Ofsted's Report on Vocational A Levels: the first two years. [165861]

Mr. Miliband: My Department and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority are considering the OFSTED report on vocational A levels. Vocational A levels are already being redeveloped so that from 2005 they will have the same AS/A2 structure as the GCE. We shall continue to make improvements to ensure that vocational A levels provide the best possible learning experience for students.
 
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DEFENCE

Army Medal Office

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Army Medal Office in Droitwich Spa. [165592]

Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I made to the House on 20 April 2004, Official Report, column 11WS.

Army Recruitment

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a list of the traditional
 
21 Apr 2004 : Column 519W
 
geographic areas of recruitment to the different Army regiments; and what the estimated population of each such recruitment area is. [166027]

Mr. Caplin: Yes. I will place in the Library the list requested and expect to do so by the end of this month.

Climate Change

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the potential links between climate change and national security are considered when defence procurement decisions are taken; and if he will make a statement. [165287]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is in the process of reviewing the implications of climate change for defence procurement policies and several case studies of major procurement projects are being considered.

Falkland Islands

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy vessels were present in the waters surrounding the Falkland Islands when the Almirante Irizar sailed through (a) the Falklands outer conservation zone and (b) Falklands interim conservation zone. [165597]

Mr. Ingram: HMS Glasgow, RFA Gold Rover and FIMS Leeds Castle were present in the water surrounding the Falkland Islands when the Almirante Irizar sailed through the Falkland Islands Outer Conservation Zone and the Falkland Islands Interim Conservation Zone.

Home Front Recall Scheme

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of the money earmarked for the Home Front Recall Scheme he intends to retain for major national projects and services; and if he will list the national projects and services which will benefit from the retained funds. [166697]

Estelle Morris: I have been asked to reply.

Home Front Recall is part of a special lottery programme called Veterans Reunited. It is funded by   three National Lottery Distributors—the New Opportunities Fund, the Community Fund, and the Heritage Lottery Fund—and it will be a matter for them to decide how best to use the funding and make decisions on which projects to approve.

There will be funding for both local and national projects within the Home Front Recall scheme, but there is no fixed allocation for each type of project. The scheme was launched in April 2004 and so, at this point, no decisions have been made on either local or national grant applications. The total budget available across the UK is £7.3 million.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken to (a) post warnings on and (b) seal tanks and armoured personnel carriers destroyed by depleted uranium weapons in southern Iraq. [153874]

 
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Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2004, Official Report, column 537W to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith).

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the total cost to his Department of military operations in Iraq since September 2002. [166416]

Mr. Ingram: Information on the cost of operations in Iraq in 2002–03 was published as part of the Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts (page 135). Total operating and capital expenditure during this period amounted to £847 million. It is too early to give a definitive figure for costs in 2003–04, but total funding voted at Spring Supplementary Estimates for operations in Iraq amounted to £1.5 billion.

Riot Control Equipment

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence   whether British forces in (a) Iraq and (b) Kosovo are fully equipped with essential riot control equipment. [164958]

Mr. Ingram: British forces in both Iraq and Kosovo are fully equipped to undertake those Crowd and Riot Control (CRC) duties assigned to them.

US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a record is kept of how many days have been expended by AWE staff under the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement. [166586]

Mr. Ingram: No.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Debt Recovery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many (a) attachment of earnings, (b) charging orders, (c) third party debt orders, (d) judgment summons and (e) warrants of execution were issued in each year since 1997; what the total debt was that each enforcement method was to recover; and what the success rates in terms of debt recovery were for each enforcement method. [166803]

Mr. Leslie: Figures relating to the first part of the question are provided in the following table. Information relating to the amount and success rates of the enforcement methods is not available centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

	Attachment of earnings orders	Charging orders	Third party debt orders	Judgement summons issued	Warrants of execution issued
1997	65,669	11,602	4,048	5,234	622,408
1998	43,440	10,852	3,646	5,688	543,848
1999	34,399	9,820	3,357	5,709	538,337
2000	35,545	10,636	3,174	5,687	470,270
2001	42,011	15,900	4,139	3,640	394,611
2002	39,855	21,447	5,499	139	372,505
2003	40,384	25,054	6,019	116	355,476

 
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Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) in how many county court judgments liability orders have been made for the payment of council tax by an enforcement agent where no levy is made in each year since 1997; [166808]

(2) in how many county court judgments liability orders for levying distress have been made for the payment of council tax where the sum is £100 or less in each year since 1997; [166809]

(3) in how many county court judgments walking possession orders have been made for the payment of council tax in each year since 1997. [166810]

Mr. Leslie: Non-payment of council tax is dealt with in each local authority area by the magistrates courts and not the county courts. The information requested and level of detail is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Abandoned Vehicles

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of Operation Scrap It in (a) London and (b) Liverpool. [166686]

Ms Blears: Operation Scrap It aims to ensure that all vehicles confirmed as untaxed or abandoned will be removed within 72 hours of reporting by October this year. The authorities concerned are putting systems in place to deliver this and I am confident that the target will be met.

To remove any excuse for dumping cars, I launched a free take back service across London on 8 March.

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