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Listed Buildings

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list his Department's (a) Grade I listed buildings, (b) Grade II* listed buildings, (c) Grade II listed buildings and (d) scheduled monuments; and under which top level budget they fall. [191743]

Mr. Caplin: Our records currently show that there are (a) 27 Grade I, (b) 222 Grade II* and (c) 516 Grade II listed buildings (or their equivalent in the Devolved Government areas) and 881 scheduled monuments under the care of the MOD. As the records have been held regionally until recently, a data validation process is being undertaken.

A consolidated list reflecting current information is being compiled and will be placed in the Library of the House. Details of Top Level Budget Holders, under which the listed buildings fall, will be included on the list. This will be provided by the end of October.
 
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Regimental Strength

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength of the (a) Duke of Wellington's Regiment, (b) 3 Parachute Regiment and (c) Prince of Wales Royal Regiment was in each of the last nine years. [192270]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 20 October 2004]: The information in the following table relates to the strength of trained Regular Army personnel in the selected regiments, regardless of whether they serve away from the main body of the Regiment. It does not include members of other regiments and arms/services attached to these regiments.

Figures for both The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) and The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire are included for completeness.
 
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It is not possible to accurately single out '3 Parachute Regiment' and so figures quoted are the total for The Parachute Regiment.
Trained Regular Army strength of selected regiments

As at 1 April	The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)	The Parachute Regiment	Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)	Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
1996	675	1,875	1,295	665
1997	690	1,915	1,250	670
1998	705	1,965	1,175	650
1999	680	1,945	1,110	635
2000	700	2,115	1,160	585
2001	695	2,280	1,225	570
2002	725	2,310	1,310	590
2003	725	2,285	1,365	620
2004	715	2,255	1,415	670

Notes:
1. Figures do not include Full-Time Reserve Service (FTRS) or Gurkhas.
2. Data have been rounded to the nearest multiple of five.

Royal Marines

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will make a statement on the future of (a) RM Condor and (b) other bases in Scotland. [193212]

Mr. Ingram: As announced in March this year, the Ministry of Defence is looking at consolidating the defence estate. The aim is a smaller number of more densely utilised locations in order to achieve the optimum use of land and facilities. Consequently,we are conducting a number of reviews which cover defence establishments across the UK. RM Condor is included in a review of the Royal Marines Estate. Other bases in Scotland are included in other reviews, for example that examining defence airfields. These reviews will consider a range of options and should be completed during 2005.

Russia (Chemical Weapons)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Russian Federation on accelerating the destruction of its chemical weapons stocks. [188335]

Mr. Hoon: I and my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mr. Ingram) have on a number of occasions met senior Russian officials with responsibility for the Russian programme to destroy its chemical weapon stocks. Ministry of Defence officials maintain regular contact with Russian officials on issues relating to Russia's chemical weapon destruction programme. These discussions include the UK's continuing programme of assistance, which we aim to implement as quickly and effectively as possible.

Service Pensions

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Combined Armed Forces Federation UK's pension claims for Service personnel who were demobbed before 1975. [191650]

Mr. Caplin: Payment of a pension is governed by the rules of the scheme at the time an individual leaves the scheme. Prior to April 1975, there was no legal
 
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requirement for any pension scheme to preserve pension rights for those who left Service before qualifying for a pension.

Seyntex

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 357W, on Seyntex, for what reason Seyntex was awarded the contract. [193792]

Mr. Ingram: The contract for General Service Tents was awarded to Seyntex NV in 2001 following a competition run by the Defence Logistics Organisation. Seyntex's tender was technically compliant and offered best value for money.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Noise Disturbance (Merseyside)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions Merseyside local authorities have issued a fixed penalty notice for noise disturbance since June. [191325]

Alun Michael: No fixed penalty notices for noise disturbance have been issued by Merseyside local authorities since June 2004.

Battery Disposal

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list facilities capable of recycling batteries other than vehicle batteries, broken down by (a) location and (b) battery type. [192311]

Mr. Morley: Currently, there is little recycling of general-purpose batteries within the UK, although G&P Batteries are opening a recycling plant for portable primary batteries in 2005 to be based in the West Midlands. AEA Technology, an innovation company, is working on a facility to recycle lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. This is under development in Golspie, North East Scotland.

The majority of waste industrial lead acid batteries in the UK are recycled at H. J. Enthoven and Sons in Derbyshire.

There are no UK facilities for recycling Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries, so NiCd batteries are separated for recycling in the UK are exported to the SNAM facility in France for reprocessing.

The principal UK mercury reprocessing facility that accepts button cells for treatment is Odin Technology based in Berkshire. Mercury Recycling in Manchester also processes spent button cells. The majority of spent silver oxide batteries are reprocessed by Engelhard Ltd.

In Europe, over 20 plants accept spent batteries to recover components, including lead, cadmium, steel and plastics. Some plants are specialised battery recycling units, while others accept batteries as one component of their feedstock for example into steel works.
 
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Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of batteries other than vehicle batteries have been recycled in the UK in each year since 1997. [192312]

Mr. Morley: We have no data on this and currently the UK has no recyclers to deal with household and rechargeable batteries (Lithium, Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel Metal Hydride) although there are plans to set up a recycling plant for portable primary batteries in 2005

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of batteries other than vehicle batteries have been sent to other countries for recycling in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) country and (b) battery type. [192313]

Mr. Morley: We have no data on this.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many lithium batteries were incinerated in the UK in each year since 1997. [192314]

Mr. Morley: We do not know how many Lithium-Ion batteries were incinerated in the UK during this period.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the impediments which preclude the provision of battery collection points in (a) schools and (b) retail locations. [192315]

Mr. Morley: There are currently no requirements that will preclude schools and retailers from providing battery collection points.

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