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15 Jul 2004 : Column 1237W—continued
Long-term Sickness
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel are classified as long-term sick in (a) the Royal Artillery, (b) the Royal Engineers, (c) the Royal Armoured Corps, (d) the Infantry and (e) the Army Air Corps; and if he will make a statement. [180562]
Mr. Caplin [holding answer 28 June 2004]: The numbers currently classified as long-term sick from the trained strength of the Arms and Corps specified are set out in the following table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| (a) Royal Artillery | 41 |
| (b) Royal Engineers | 31 |
| (c) Royal Armoured Corps | 28 |
| (d) Infantry | 122 |
| (e) Army Air Corps | 9 |
| Total | 231 |
Management Groups
Mr. Keith Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the responsibilities of the (a) 1 Group, (b) 2 Group, (c) 3 Group, (d) Deputy Commander-in-Chief, (e) British Forces Cyprus, (f) British Forces Gibraltar, (g) Permanent Joint
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Headquarters, (h) Sovereign Base Areas Administration and (i) British Forces Falkland Islands management groups. [181780]
Mr. Caplin: The responsibilities of the management groupings requested are listed as follows:
(a) To deliver, develop and sustain combat air power for operations. The Group is responsible for all operational fast jet aircraft, including the Joint Force Harrier (incorporating both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Harriers), as well as the Air Weapons Ranges.
(b) To develop and deliver effective combat support world-wide. This includes the provision of air transport, air refuelling, force protection, logistics and supplies to support operations and exercises worldwide.
(c) To deliver and sustain ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Targeting and Reconnaissance), search and rescue and air battle management capability in an efficient and effective manner.
(d) To direct and develop the delivery and sustainment of air power capabilities that will make a key contribution to the success of joint, NATO and multinational operations.
(e) Operate, sustains and protects key facilities in Cyprus, in order to preserve the UK's strategic interests.
(f) Responsible for the security and maintenance of key sites and air and sea ports of disembarkation in order to ensure Gibraltar's security and territorial integrity, and provide staging and mounting facilities for UK and coalition operations elsewhere.
(g) As directed by the Chief of Defence Staff, for the planning and execution of Joint, potentially Joint, and UK-led multi-national operations, and for exercising Operational Command of UK forces assigned to combined and multi-national operations led by others,
(h) Administer the sovereign base areas in Cyprus in accordance with the Directive from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence in order to ensure their effective use as military bases, full cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus and the protection of the interests of those resident and working within the Sovereign Base Areas.
(i) The mission is to deter any military aggression against the South Atlantic Overseas Territories.
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the responsibilities of the (a) Flag Officer Training and Recruiting, (b) HQ, (c) Naval Secretary, (d) Army Personnel Centre, (e) Adjutant General, (f) Army Training and Recruiting Agency, (g) Army Programme, (h) Service Children Education, (i) General Staff, (j) Personnel Management Agency, (k) Core HQ and (l) Training Group Defence Agency management groups. [181782]
Mr. Caplin: The responsibilities of the management groupings you requested are listed as follows:
(a) The role of Flag Officer Training and Recruiting (FOTR) is to deliver trained personnel to the Naval Service and support RN sponsored Youth Organisations.
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(b) HQ is taken to mean the TLB itself. The aim of 2nd Sea Lord/Commander In Chief Naval Home Command is to deliver the Naval Service personnel component of Operational Capability (OC) while evolving it to meet the needs of the Future Navy. This means consistently delivering the right people, with the right skills, to the right place at the right time.
(c) The aim of DGHR(N) is to maintain an attractive employment environment that will sustain the trained strength of the Naval Service for effective and efficient deployment in Peace, Crisis, Major Crisis or War. The Naval Secretary/Director General Human Resources (Navy) (NavSec/DGHR(N)) is responsible for the policy and execution of all aspects of Service Conditions, Structural, Appointing and Drafting requirements for uniformed Naval Sendee personnel.
(d) I wrote to the hon. Member on 22 June with a copy of the APC Business Plan and undertook to provide a copy of the 2003–04 APC Annual Report and Accounts. These documents set out the responsibilities of the Army Personnel Centre.
(e) The mission of the Adjutant General is to enhance the operational effectiveness of the British Army's regular, reserve and volunteer components by recruiting and training the men and women we need, by carefully managing their careers, by educating and supporting their families and by giving sensible and pragmatic policy direction and advice on all personnel issues affecting those who are serving or retired.
(f) The Army Training and Recruiting Agency (ATRA) is an integral part of the Adjutant General's Top Level Budget and receives its direction from him. The ATRA's aim, or Mission, is to "Deliver trained and motivated individuals to meet the operational requirements of the Army and defence".
(h) The Service Children's Education Agency provides an effective and efficient education service, from Foundation Stage through to sixth form, for dependent children residing with MOD personnel serving outside the United Kingdom; to enable those children to benefit from the residence abroad.
(i) The General Staff mission is
"The General Staff is to provide clear policy and direction for the Army, advise the Ministers and others, ensuring coherence across the Lines of Development in order to sustain the delivery of military capability from the Army both now and in the future."
(j) The Personnel Management Agency is responsible for providing the right people to meet the RAFs contribution to the UK's defence aim. This means putting the right people in the right place at the right time, together with developing people across all branches and trades so that they can continue to be able to man the RAF in the years ahead.
(k) The Training Group Defence Agency (TG) is responsible for the recruitment and selection of all Royal Air Force personnel in the required numbers to achieve the calculated training targets. The Agency trains military personnel and certain categories of civilians, to the standards required to undertake ground appointments, and also trains aircrew of the three
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Services to the appropriate standards for entry into their operational conversion units and other specialist flying training courses. The Agency also provides Lead Command and Common Service capability in accordance with single Service protocols on training and development, education, specialist training support and physical education.
(l) There are three distinct elements of the Core HQ—PTC HQ Central Areas, Air Officer Administration HQ Branches and the Directly Administered Units. The Central areas cover the HQ elements of PTC (Cmd Sec, AOA, CINC/DCINC) and specialist functions HQ staff (DLS, DGMS, Chaplain-In-Chief) together with policy areas. The AOA/DAUs areas also cover the RAF SU's both in the UK and Overseas (including USVFs, RAFIO and NATO SUs).
Further information on individual defence agencies is available in the Library of the House of Commons.
Medical Pensions
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure of each service has been on medical pensions attributable to service for the injured personnel discharged in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [183347]
Mr. Caplin: Details of the expenditure on attributable medical pensions under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme and the War Pension Scheme for personnel medically discharged since 1997 are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
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