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15 Dec 2004 : Column 1159W—continued

Water Fluoridation

Matthew Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which water companies put fluoride in the water they supply. [199953]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Strategic health authorities have agreements with the following water companies to supply water, to which fluoride has been added, to areas for which they are responsible: Anglian Water Services Ltd., Northumbrian Water Ltd., South Staffordshire Water plc, Severn Trent plc and United Utilities Water plc.

In addition, Northumbrian Water Ltd., Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. and Thames Water Utilities Ltd. supply water, in which fluoride occurs naturally, to some areas at levels approaching one part per million. This is the level at which water is artificially fluoridated.

DEFENCE

Army Training

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations the Adjutant General has made to him on (a) the funding of and (b) the number of instructors available in the Army training camps. [202266]

Mr. Caplin: In 2003, as part of the Ministry of Defence's Short Term Planning (STP) process, an additional 192 military personnel were required to improve recruit supervisory care ratios within Army training establishments. So far, 181 personnel have been found from the Field Army, and AG Command has been provided with the necessary funds to support them until 2006.

Butler Review

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action has been taken to address the recommendation in paragraph 589 of Lord Butler's Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction concerning the provision of channels for the expression of dissent within the Defence Intelligence Service; and if he will make a statement. [205016]

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what action has been taken to address the recommendation in paragraph 587 of Lord Butler's Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction concerning the integration of relevant
 
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work of the Defence Intelligence Service with the rest of the intelligence community; and if he will make a statement; [205012]

(2) what action has been taken to address the recommendation in paragraph 590 of Lord Butler's Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction that the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff should generally be an intelligence specialist; and if he will make a statement. [205011]

Mr. Hoon [holding answer 14 December 2004]: I refer the hon. Members to the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 15 November 2004, Official Report, column 54WS.

Departmental Advertising

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers. [201693]

Mr. Caplin: In line with our policy on using wider interest publications for recruitment advertising, the Ministry of Defence regularly places advertisements in a number of ethnic publications, including Muslim newspapers. Muslim publications in which advertisements are currently placed are:

Departmental Telephones

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the use of telephones in his Department by members of staff for their personal use relating to (a) domestic calls and (b) international calls; and if he will make a statement. [201109]

Mr. Caplin: The private use of official telephone facilities for incoming and outgoing calls (including voice, data or fax) is not permitted and personnel making unauthorised private calls may be liable for disciplinary action.

Where the caller uses a chargecard, private calls on official telephone facilities are permissible, provided that they are kept to a minimum and do not interfere with official business.

Personal calls may be made from an official telephone, at no cost to the individual, in cases of genuine emergency or where calls are of a compassionate nature with agreement from the line manager.

Iraq

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his oral statement of 24 November
 
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2004, Official Report, column 108W, on Iraq, when the Iraqi Interim Government decided on the method of election for the forthcoming elections. [202975]

Mr. Alexander: I have been asked to reply.

The Iraqi Governing Council adopted a resolution in support of the Single National District Proportional Representation system on 30 May 2004.

Medals

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the value (a) to collectors and (b) as scrap of specimen medals, unissued medals and medal clasps held at Droitwich which are surplus to requirements; what plans he has to dispose of such stocks; if he will dispose of them by (i) auction and (ii) competitive tender; what assessment he has made of the rarity of the items; if he will list the stocks held of each of these items dating to wars and campaigns before 1939; and if he will make a statement. [199424]

Mr. Caplin: No medals will be offered for sale.

The Army Medal Office retains a limited amount of named medals and clasps, which were issued but have been returned for various reasons. These medals have a commercial value, but it would not be appropriate to seek to exploit this through the open market. They will instead be offered to Regimental Museums.

Stocks of unengraved medals and clasps held by the Army Medal Office which are not required by the new MOD Medal Office will be returned to the Royal Mint for destruction and the value of the bullion will be recovered to the Exchequer. Unengraved medals and clasps have no commercial value.

A detailed list of surplus stock of items dating before 1939 is currently being compiled. I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which representatives of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment he met on the morning of 29 November. [201573]

Mr. Hoon: I met Parmjit Dhanda MP and Diana Organ MP at their request, together with a delegation from Gloucestershire concerned about the potential impact of the restructuring of the infantry on the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.

VE and VJ Days

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of consultation letters sent, and replies received, on the date of celebration of the 60th anniversaries of VE and VJ days; and if he will make a statement on the process leading to the choice of a single date. [202701]

Mr. Caplin: VE Day and VJ Day ceremonies at the cenotaph in London will be held on Sunday 8 May and Sunday 21 August respectively.
 
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Informal consultation took place with the appropriate Veterans organisations prior to my announcement of these ceremonies on 27 September.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Age Discrimination

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's policy is towards age discrimination. [200769]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Department's commitment not to discriminate unfairly on any grounds is set out clearly in our equal opportunities policy which is currently being revised to make an explicit reference to age. The Home Office Five Year Race and Diversity Programme includes work to meet the requirements of the proposed regulations on age discrimination in time for implementation in December 2006. This includes monitoring age in all our HR processes. This work will be informed by the latest developments on age policy which we follow through our membership of the Employers Forum on Age (EFA). We have also recently established a new staff Focus Group on age. The Home Office is currently developing diversity awareness training for all staff. This will include guidance on age discrimination and a series of booklets on dignity at work will also give examples on how to avoid age discrimination in the workplace. At present, most staff in the Home Office below the Senior Civil Service have the right to request to remain after the 'normal' retirement age of 60, up to the age of 65. Their being able to stay is dependent on the quality of their work and their health.


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