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Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to how many written questions tabled in the last parliamentary session his Department had been unable to provide a substantive answer before the end of the session. [199655]

Mr. Caplin: Our records show that we were unable to provide a substantive answer to 152 of the 4,456 written questions tabled to the Ministry of Defence.

Runway De-icing Chemicals

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what problems have been experienced with the delivery of runway de-icing chemicals for (a) RAF and (b) other service airfields. [199858]

Mr. Ingram: In February 2004 the supplier of runway de-icing chemicals to the Ministry of Defence was unable to meet the required delivery date for a demand from a RAF airfield. The demand was satisfied by an alternative supplier. No other problems with the delivery of runway de-icing chemicals to RAF or other service airfields have been reported.
 
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Territorial Army

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the minimum timescale for operations is that Territorial Army establishments will be able to accommodate personnel who may not be able to deploy in support of large scale operations taking up to six months. [208294]

Mr. Caplin: Arrangements to ensure that Territorial Army (TA) establishments are organised to accommodate those personnel who may not be able to deploy in support of large scale operations will not be tied to a time scale. It is an organisational framework to ensure that TA units have sufficient manpower to meet the tasks for which they are designed. It recognises that, at any time, there are some volunteers who are unable to deploy owing to personal circumstances and others who are still under training and not yet ready for operations. TA units will therefore be established so that they are able to recruit and train additional manpower at their peacetime location. The final arrangements will be the subject of further announcements in due course

Tsunami (Military Assistance)

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement by the Prime Minister of 10 January 2005, Official Report, columns 22–31, on the Asian tsunami, on what date the five Hercules aeroplanes were deployed in the disaster area. [208817]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 17 January 2005]: One C130 deployed on 1 January to centralise aid within Europe and one C130 deployed to Sri Lanka on 2 January. To date the other three aircraft have not been called forward by DfID; instead C17 and TriStar aircraft have been tasked as these aircraft provided a more cost effective and efficient means of moving the freight.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Wiltshire Mercy Appeal based at the former RAF Wroughton about using the Hercules aircraft at RAF Lyneham to deliver the aid which they have collected. [208870]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 17 January 2005]: None. DFID is leading the response by Her Majesty's Government to the tsunami in the Indian Ocean. DFID has agreed to transport aid procured by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) agencies in response to specific requirements on the ground. The RAF aircraft made available to the relief effort are tasked in line with DFID direction.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department will seek to recover costs from (a) the Department for International Development and (b) funds committed by the UK Government to the relief effort for the use of the UK military staff and equipment in the support and relief effort following the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami; and if he will make a statement. [209077]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is providing assistance to DfID in the international relief effort in the Indian Ocean. Under the usual arrangements, MOD will be recovering from DfID only the marginal cost of this involvement.
 
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Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions since 1997 his Department has recovered costs for the use of UK military staff and equipment used in (a) emergency relief efforts and (b) support of international aid projects; how much money was recovered from (i) the Department for International Development and (ii) other overseas aid budgets in each year; and if he will make a statement. [209078]

Mr. Ingram: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

World War Two Commemoration (Wales)

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans have been made for the commemoration in Wales of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two. [208795]

Mr. Caplin: On behalf of the Government, the Ministry of Defence is sponsoring a series of events to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War on 10 July with the focus in London. In addition there will be commemorations at the Cenotaph on 8 May and 21 August to mark VE Day and VJ Day respectively. It is hoped that other towns and cities in the United Kingdom will also arrange their own commemorations. The Ministry of Defence is not organising any commemorative events of this sort in Wales, but I understand that the National Assembly for Wales is planning an event in Cardiff on 10 July. Local events are being planned by veterans' organisations, including the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association—Forces Help and The Royal British Legion, in Monmouth and Llandudno respectively.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Botox

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the use of animals to test (i) Botox and (ii) Dysport for cosmetic purposes; and if he will make a statement. [209076]

Caroline Flint: The Home Office has not commissioned or evaluated research for the purposes stated.

Botox and Dysport are trade names for products containing botulinum toxin. The safety and efficacy of this substance have to be tested on animals, in connection with its range of clinical uses as a prescription only medicine.

This regulatory animal testing in the UK is licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. A review of the relevant project licence authorities has confirmed that the testing is solely for pharmaceutical and therapeutic purposes. The Home Office does not license animal testing of botulinum toxin for cosmetic use.

Chinese Nationals

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on where
 
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responsibility should lie for Chinese nationals in the UK who have not been granted asylum in the UK and who are not accepted back by the Chinese authorities. [208296]

Mr. Browne: Chinese nationals whose applications for asylum have been unsuccessful are expected to leave the UK, and their removal may be enforced.

The Chinese authorities will accept the return of Chinese nationals whose nationality and identity has been verified. In cases where travel documents have been lost or destroyed, an Emergency Travel Document must be obtained from the Chinese Embassy. We are working closely with the Chinese Government to improve the effectiveness of the redocumentation process.

As part of its remit, the National Asylum Support Service (MASS) provides support to those eligible individuals who have not been granted asylum in the UK and who are co-operating with arrangements for their return.

Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 18 November 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Shaban Kurtula. [208711]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 14 January.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 6 December 2004, Official Report, column 389W, on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, what assessment he has made of whether staff numbers are adequate to deal with the workflow; and whether there are delays in processing the cases before the authority. [206080]

Paul Goggins: As part of the wider efficiency savings across Government, announced earlier this year, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) released many of its temporary agency staff. The authority is also currently carrying a number of vacancies for permanent staff, but is looking to fill these as soon as possible.

CICA expects to receive about 70,000 new applications in 2004–05, and to resolve approaching the same number, though many of the cases so resolved would have been lodged in previous years.

The mean average time from receipt of an application to the issue of the (first) decision by CICA has risen by two days this year over the mean average time of 305 days taken in 2003–04. Claims which go to formal review and appeal inevitably take longer to finalise, the time taken depending on the complexity of the case and the nature of any issues in dispute.

CICA makes every effort to give a high quality service to claimants. For example, the authority is currently planning an upgrade to its IT systems to improve business efficiency.
 
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