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Missile Defence

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement concerning the use by the US Administration of RAF Menwith Hill in the US missile defence system. [167746]

Mr. Hoon: There are no current plans for any of the facilities at RAF Menwith Hill to be used for United States ballistic missile defence purposes. The position remains that United Kingdom approval would be needed should the US wish to use RAF Menwith Hill for missile defence purposes. No such request has been received.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the purpose is of the latest planning application for another radome at RAF Menwith Hill. [167747]

Mr. Hoon: The proposed new radome at RAF Menwith Hill will house an additional antenna that will be used in support of the current mission of the base.

Radiation Exposure

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessments have been made of the dangers of exposure to radiation for MOD personnel. [167999]

Mr. Caplin: Heads of Establishments and Commanding Officers have a statutory duty under the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 to carry out prior risk assessments, and to keep the assessments up to date, to ensure that exposures of the Ministry of Defence personnel are restricted to as low a level as is reasonably practical. In doing this they seek advice from their Radiation Protection Advisers. Due to numerous and varied situations where this duty applies, it is not possible to list each and every recent occasion where such risk assessments have been undertaken.

The MOD contributes to the National Registry of Radiation Workers database managed by the National Radiological Protection Board. The data are used to undertake epidemiological studies. In their second analysis of the data, published in July 1999, the National Radiological Protection Board concluded that overall death rates among radiation workers are below those in the general population. This is known as the healthy worker effect. This analysis contained 124,743 workers of which about one-third were MOD radiation workers or former radiation workers. The National Radiological Protection Board is intending to undertake the next analysis in 2005–06.

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provisions for medical check-ups are provided for (a) current radiation workers and (b) retired and former radiation workers in his Department. [168000]

Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence carries out medical surveillance of radiation workers as required by Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999, Regulation 24. These regulations lay down monitoring and medical surveillance requirements for personnel while occupationally exposed to ionising radiation. The main purpose of medical
 
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surveillance is to determine an individual's fitness or continuing fitness for the intended work with ionising radiation.

There is no mandatory requirement for a monitoring programme for retired personnel and no optional health screening is offered to retired personnel. However, the MOD does provide an independent counselling service for radiation workers, former radiation workers and their families who have concerns about their health consequent of their work with radiation. Individuals may request counselling by telephoning the Counselling Telephone line (02392 768098) and leaving their names and addresses or   by writing to the MOD Counselling Registry at DSTL Radiological Protection Services, Crescent Road, Alverstoke, Gosport, Hants, PO12 2DL. Further details are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.mod.uk/dsef/hp/rwc.htm

Suez Medal

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Army Medal Office to complete distribution of the General Service Medal for those who served in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954 who have applied for the medal. [167479]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 22 April 2004]: As at 16 April, the Army Medal Office has received 27,371 applications and distributed 4,113 medals. Work continues to confirm eligibility and distribute medals as soon as practical.

Territorial Army

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current strength of the Territorial Army is; and what its projected strength is for the next 12 months. [166939]

Mr. Caplin: The total strength of the Territorial Army as at 1 March 2004 is 36,900. This includes 2,760 mobilised reservists.

Forecasts of projected strengths are not available.

US Bases

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the US bases for each year from 1997 to date where the Ministry of Defence Police Agency operates. [167745]

Mr. Ingram: Ministry of Defence Police Officers have continuously staffed RAF Hythe, RAF Welford, RAF Fairford, RAF Menwith Hill, RAF Alconbury, RAF Lakenheath and US Navy (London) during the years 1997 to date.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Office Premises (Improper Use)

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the   Electoral Commission what representations the Commission has received on improper use of office premises for party purposes since August 2003. [168452]

 
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Mr. Viggers: The Electoral Commission has informed me that since August 2003 it has received no representations on the improper use of office premises for party purposes.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Manchester, Gorton

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effect of recent trends in investment in renewable energy upon residents of Manchester, Gorton. [167537]

Mr. Timms: Recent trends in renewable energy investment have been encouraging. More new capacity has been constructed in the last few years than in the previous decade, and a significant amount is currently in the pipeline. This covers a wide range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and biomass.

While this investment has not translated into capacity within Manchester, Gorton itself, Renewables Northwest, a joint venture between the Regional Development Agency and United Utilities, is actively working with local authorities on the development of urban renewables in the area. This is looking to promote the installation of renewable energy systems in new build and urban regeneration projects in the Greater Manchester area. An example of this is the CIS Tower, Manchester, which has been awarded a sizeable grant from the DTI's Major Photovoltaic Demonstration Programme, towards the costs of a large PV cladding installation.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what percentage of women in Manchester, Gorton have taken 26 weeks maternity leave since 1997. [167354]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Take-up of maternity leave is not recorded centrally. It is possible to make an estimate of the numbers of women taking maternity leave based on employer returns to Inland Revenue for payment of Statutory Maternity Pay (since 2003 this has covered the first 26 weeks of leave). However, figures for the take-up of SMP are not available on a regional basis.

In addition, there will be some women who will qualify for maternity leave but not SMP (because they do not meet the earnings criteria) and similarly some who qualify for SMP but not leave (because they are employed earners for the purposes of SMP but not employees in order to qualify for leave).

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effects of the EU Social Chapter on the residents of Manchester, Gorton. [167355]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The residents of Manchester, Gorton have benefited from the EU Social Chapter by having their employment rights extended to include:

the right to Parental Leave, which gives parents the right to 13 weeks unpaid leave at the birth or adoption of a child;

 
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the entitlement of part-time workers to the same pro rata terms and conditions of employment as full-time workers, thereby removing any discrimination and improving the quality of part-time jobs;

the provision that once a prima facie case has been made in an employment tribunal claim, the burden of proof is placed on the defendant (usually the employer), who will need to demonstrate that sex discrimination has not occurred;

rights under the Fixed Term Work Directive that provide equal treatment and prevent abuse of fixed term contracts;

rights under the European Works Council Directive which requires companies with at least 1,000 employees in total and at least 150 workers in each of the two member states, to establish structures for consulting workers on issues that affect them; and

in addition, the Information and Consultation of Employees Directive to be implemented in the UK by March 2005, establishes a right to new minimum standards for workforce communication and involvement in large firms.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effects on residents of Manchester, Gorton of new rights for night-shift workers. [167356]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Working Time Regulations came into force on 1 October 1998. The Regulations limit working time to 48 hours per week averaged over a 17-week reference period. For night workers the limit is eight hours per day on average, including overtime where it is part of a night worker's normal hours of work. There is no opt-out from the night working time limit.

Night workers are entitled to 11 hours rest between working days, one day's rest per week, and a 20-minute in work rest break if the working period is longer than six hours.

All night workers should be offered a free health assessment before they start working night and thereafter at regular intervals for as long as they are working nights. The health assessments should take account of the nature of the work and the restrictions on a worker's working time under the Regulations. Workers who suffer from problems as a result of working at night, should as far as practicable be offered alternative day work.

All workers are entitled to four weeks paid annual leave. There are no specific data available for night shift workers in Gorton, Manchester.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many residents of Manchester, Gorton qualify for paid leave entitlements. [167357]

Mr. Sutcliffe: All workers resident in Gorton qualify for paid annual leave entitlements; at least four weeks as set out in the Working Time Regulations. While all women are entitled to 26 weeks ordinary maternity leave, only those who meet the eligibility criteria will be able to claim statutory maternity pay for that period.

All employees in Gorton who are eligible will be entitled to take statutory paternity leave with pay and statutory adoption leave with pay.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many residents of Manchester, Gorton have benefited from a reduction of the working week to 48 hours. [167358]

 
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Mr. Sutcliffe: The Working Time Regulations provide workers with the right to refuse to work more than 48 hours on average, if they do not want to. Numbers for Manchester, Gorton are not available. However, it has been estimated that around 100,000 workers resident in Greater Manchester stood to benefit from the introduction of the weekly working time limits in 1998.

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