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17 May 2004 : Column 667W—continued
Radioactive Material
Norman Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions since 1 May 1997 when radioactive material has been unaccounted
17 May 2004 : Column 668W
for, broken down by (a) location, (b) volume and (c) radioactivity level of the material; and whether the material remains missing in each case. [173142]
Mr. Caplin [holding answer 14 May 2004]: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
RAF (Medical Personnel)
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength of the RAF Medical Services is, broken down by (a) service, (b) rank, (c) specialisation and (d) establishment. [169996]
Mr. Caplin: Tables 1 and 2 show the strength of personnel in the RAF Medical Services, by rank and specialisation. Table 3 details the number of RAF medical personnel by Ministry of Defence establishment. These figures do not include dental officers and other ranks.
Those deployed on operations are not shown separately but are recorded at their home unit.
All figures are correct as at 1 April 2004.
| Specialism | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Medical officer | Medical support | Princess Mary Royal Air Force Nursing Service | Total |
| Air Vice Marshall | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Air Commodore | 7 | — | — | 7 |
| Group Captain | 20 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| Wing Commander | 62 | 11 | 11 | 84 |
| Squadron Leader | 59 | 18 | 46 | 123 |
| Flight Lieutenant | 51 | 30 | 57 | 138 |
| Flight Officer | 12 | 10 | 4 | 26 |
| Pilot Officer/Acting Pilot Officer/Officer Cadet | 33 | 3 | — | 36 |
| Total | 245 | 73 | 119 | 437 |
| Specialism | Warrant Officer | Flight Sergeant | Chief Technician | Sergeant | Corporal | Junior Technician | Senior Aircraftsman | Leading Aircraftsman/ Aircraftsman | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical technicians | 1 | 2 | — | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 20 |
| Laboratory technicians | 1 | 7 | — | 10 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 24 |
| Radiographers | — | 3 | — | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| Staff nurse (Registered Mental Nurse) | — | 5 | — | 13 | 7 | — | — | — | 25 |
| Operational theatre | 1 | 5 | — | 12 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 30 |
| Environmental health technician | 1 | 6 | — | 7 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 42 |
| Medical administration | 23 | 43 | 2 | 130 | 111 | — | 2 | — | 377 |
| Medical assistant | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 265 | 137 | 407 |
| Staff nurse (Registered General Nurse) | 4 | 21 | — | 123 | 96 | 3 | 56 | 30 | 333 |
| Total | 31 | 92 | 2 | 306 | 300 | 27 | 334 | 181 | 1,273 |
17 May 2004 : Column 671W
RAF Bases
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the savings projected from the transfer of functions from RAF Boulmer to RAF Scampton are assumed to derive from savings in (a) personnel costs, (b) maintenance and infrastucture running costs and (c) depreciation and capital charges. [172987]
Mr. Ingram: The Prime Minister's letter of 21 April to the right hon. Member explained that the estimated net running cost saving from the transfer of functions from RAF Boulmer to RAF Scampton is £13 million a year. Some three fifths of this is attributable to personnel costs and one fifth to maintenance and infrastructure running costs. In accordance with standard accounting practice, depreciation and capital charges were not included in the Investment Appraisal.
Special Service Medal (Nuclear Testing)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which members and former members of the UK's armed forces will be entitled to qualify for the Special Service Medal (Nuclear Testing) approved by Royal Warrant SR2002/224; and if he will make a statement. [173529]
Mr. Caplin: None. The Special Service Medal (Nuclear Testing) was instituted by the Government of New Zealand in 2002. Retrospective awards instituted by Commonwealth countries with the permission of Her Majesty The Queen are the sole responsibility of the countries concerned.
Watchkeeper Programme
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress with the Watchkeeper programme. [173372]
Mr. Ingram: The Watchkeeper programme will deliver, incrementally, an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability using tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Proposals for the demonstration and manufacture phase of the Watchkeeper project were received from Northrop Grumman and Thales on 18 March 2004 and are currently being assessed. The main investment decision is due later this year.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
British Citizens (Deaths Abroad)
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were (a) killed and (b) murdered while living in or visiting another country in each of the last three years, broken down by the country in which the deaths occurred. [171255]
Mr. Mullin
[holding answer 13 May 2004]: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office collected data on how British citizens died overseas on an informal basis until the end of the 2001–02 Financial Year period. Our records show that the total number of British citizens reported as killed overseas in 1999–2000 was 200, in
17 May 2004 : Column 672W
2000–01 was 308 and in 2001–02 was 216. Our records show that the total number of British citizens reported as murdered overseas in 1999–2000 was 27, in 2000–01 was 43 and in 2001–02 was 95.
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