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Unemployment (Leyton and Wanstead)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were unemployed in Leyton and Wanstead constituency in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004; and what percentage change that represents. [208766]

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 18 January 2005:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment in the Leyton and Wanstead Parliamentary Constituency. (208766)

The estimates available relate to the twelve-month periods ending in February 1997 and February 2004, the latest period for which information is available. In these periods the numbers of unemployed people, who were resident in the Leyton and Wanstead Parliamentary Constituency, were 6,000 and 5,000 respectively.

These estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability and the estimates of changes over time for local areas are particularly affected.

A more reliable indication of change between 1997 and 2004 at Parliamentary Constituency level is the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). The annual average number of people resident in the Leyton and Wanstead constituency claiming JSA benefits in 1997 was 4,158. The corresponding average for the first 11 months of 2004 was 2,310. Between the two years there was a fall of 44 per cent.

 
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TRANSPORT

E-mails

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's policy regarding the retention of e-mails in electronic form (a) after and (b) up to 1 January 2005; and what instructions have been given regarding the deletion of e-mails prior to 1 January 2005. [206946]

Charlotte Atkins: I refer the hon. Member to our replies to the hon. Member for Guildford (Sue Doughty) on 13 January 2005, Official Report, columns 598–99W.

Heathrow

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the (a) working groups and (b) work streams under way under Project Heathrow; and what deadlines have been set for each work stream; [208495]

(2) if he will list the members of the mixed-mode working group of Project Heathrow; [208496]

(3) if he will place in the Library copies of the working papers of the working groups under Project Heathrow. [208506]

Charlotte Atkins: The forward work programme on Heathrow encompasses a range of activities and working arrangements with various parties. Much of this is work in progress and there are no plans at present to deposit copies of all papers in the Library. Details of the work programme can be found on the Department's website, along with notes of meetings of the air quality technical panels. Further papers will be published on the Department's website as work progresses, in accordance with the Department's publication scheme.

The initial work to identify possible mixed mode options and develop proposals is being led by BAA. There is no Departmental working group, although the Department is being kept closely informed.

All the work is designed to enable concluded views to be reached before the end of next year on the prospects for further development at Heathrow, consistent with the environmental conditions set out in the Air Transport White Paper.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the contracts signed by his special advisers differ from the Model Contract for Special Advisers. [207232]

Charlotte Atkins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, on 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 753W.

Telephone Numbers

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue his Department has received from the use of non-geographic 0870 telephone numbers for the period 1 October 2003 to 30 September. [205824]

Charlotte Atkins [holding answer 20 December 2004]: The Department for Transport HQ buildings do not have any centrally provided 0870 numbers.
 
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Departmental Agencies do use 0870 numbers.

VOSA has two 0870 numbers which raised £4,627.68 in the period.

The DVLA raised £1.1 million.

US Landing Rights

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether UK Government policy permits the (a) touching down and (b) refuelling in the UK of US aircraft, where such aircraft are carrying individuals destined for interrogation in countries that routinely use torture in their prisons. [208340]

Charlotte Atkins: The Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation entitles foreign civil aircraft to make technical stops, for example for refuelling, without requiring the permission of the state it stops in. As such the Department is not notified if technical stops of this nature are made.

DEFENCE

Asian Tsunami

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date his Department first considered providing logistical support and heavy-lifting helicopters to countries hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami; and what assessment has been made of the merits of the re-deployment of personnel and equipment from Iraq to disaster-hit countries. [208236]

Mr. Ingram: Ministry of Defence officials and Ministers initially learned of the Indian Ocean earthquake through departmental duty officers and broadcast media on Boxing Day 2004. The first formal contact to discuss the implications of the earthquake occurred between DfID and MOD officials early that day. Over subsequent days, MOD and the Permanent Joint Headquarters explored options for supporting DfID in the relief operation, culminating in decisions to provide military capabilities—particularly airlift and a maritime presence—on 30 December. Deployment of military assets commenced on 30 December. This included the re-deployment of several assets including HMS Chatham and RFA Diligence to aid the relief effort.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what time (UK time) his Department learned of the earthquake off Sumatra on 26 December 2004; and what actions were set in train as a result. [208237]

Mr. Ingram: Ministry of Defence officials and Ministers initially learned of the Indian Ocean earthquake through departmental duty officers and broadcast media on Boxing Day 2004. The first formal contact to discuss the implications of the earthquake occurred between DfID and MOD officials early that day. Over subsequent days, MOD and the Permanent Joint Headquarters explored options for supporting DfID in the relief operation, culminating in decisions to provide military capabilities—particularly airlift and a maritime presence—on 30 December. Deployment of
 
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military assets commenced on 30 December. Subsequently a number of further niche capabilities have been provided to support the DfID-led relief operation.

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military assistance the UK has provided following the tsunami disaster; and what plans he has made for further military assistance. [208331]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 17 January 2005]: The Ministry of Defence has reacted quickly with other Government Departments in responding to this disaster, with the focus being on assisting the UN through DfID, with whom we are working very closely, and the provision of direct relief where appropriate.

The following military assets have been assigned to assist in the relief operation in the Indian Ocean:

The frigate HMS Chatham (which carries two Lynx helicopters) was redirected to the area on 30 December, arriving on 3 January; and the support ship RFA Diligence, already in the region, joined Chatham off Sri Lanka on 5 January. These vessels have undertaken a number of relief tasks, including assistance to the town of Baticoloa in the East of Sri Lanka, and provision of engineers to the Maldives to assist with refurbishment of generators and desalination equipment. Chatham and Diligence have worked closely with an Observation, Liaison and Reconnaissance Team (OLRT) which deployed to Colombo on 31 December, part of which also deployed to the Maldives on 6 January.

Royal Air Force C-17 and C-130 transport aircraft have also been assisting in the aid operation since 31 December, including through the delivery of UN infrastructure equipment and medical and other relief supplies into the worst affected areas.

A further OLRT deployed to Indonesia on 2 January, including to the Aceh region. MOD liaison officers are deployed with the US, Australian and Indonesian military headquarters in the region.

The Indonesian Government has accepted an offer of additional technical support in the form of two Ball 212 helicopters from the Gurkha Garrison in Brunei. These two aircraft are planned to deploy to the area on 12 January. Further, small, deployments of niche capabilities such as logistics planners and engineers have also taken place in response to DfID and OLRT requests.

UK MOD continues to work closely with Governments in the region, the UN and DflD to determine the requirement for military assistance over the coming period.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Hercules C130 planes from RAF Lyneham have been made available for the aid effort in the Indian Ocean; and how many of them have been deployed. [208816]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 17 January 2005]: Five Hercules C130 aircraft were identified as available for deployment. To date DfID have only called forward
 
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two of these aircraft. A C17 aircraft and a TriStar aircraft have also been tasked to provide relief aid to the affected region.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the deployable field hospital at RAF Lyneham is not being used for disaster relief in the Indian Ocean. [208819]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 17 January 2005]: Ministry of Defence has offered support to enable UN-led relief operations in the affected region. The requests for MOD assets and capabilities have been co-ordinated by DfID. To date DfID representatives and the MOD OLRT (Operational Level Recce Team) in theatre have not identified a requirement for deployable field hospitals to be sent to the region.

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