| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
31 Jan 2005 : Column 728W—continued
Civil Servants
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of the enhanced early retirement scheme for civil servants in his Department and its agencies was in each year from 1997–98 to 2003–04 and what the estimated cost will be in each year from 2004–05 to 2007–08; and if he will make a statement. [211654]
Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence does not hold records centrally for all redundancy payments and to obtain the Department's expenditure on redundancy for the last seven years would result in disproportionate cost. However I am able to provide figures for the last five years, together with expenditure to 31 December 2004 for the current financial year, for all MOD civilians who are members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) and who have been made redundant on either early retirement or early severance terms. These are as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 58,059,213.45 |
| 2000–01 | 44,021,379.73 |
| 2001–02 | 52,909,005.61 |
| 2002–03 | 47,959,121.63 |
| 2003–04 | 83,963,680.79 |
| 2004–05 | (82)58,954,837.55 |
(82)Figure covers expenditure to 31 December 2004
The figures for estimated future costs (based on the same criteria as above) are estimated to be:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 67,000,000 |
| 2006–07 | 50,000,000 |
| 2007–08 | 83,000,000 |
Civil Service Property
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many items of civil service property within his Department are unaccounted for, broken down by type. [205576]
Mr. Caplin:
All the Department's property, represented by its fixed assets and stocks, is accounted for using normal accounting conventions, and in accordance with the accounting policies stated in the
31 Jan 2005 : Column 729W
Departmental Resource Accounts. These accounts are published annually, and are audited and certified by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
The Departmental Resource Accounts are available on the MOD Website and copies have been laid in the Library of the House.
Clothing Contracts
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the country of origin was of fabric samples tested for the cut and sew contract; and when the tests took place. [212141]
Mr. Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 20 December 2004, Official Report, column 1372W. Tests on the fabric were carried out at independent accredited test houses during November 2004 in China and in the United Kingdom. All tests confirmed that Ministry of Defence specification requirements are being met.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many garments have been delivered by the factory in China for the cut and sew contract. [212142]
Mr. Ingram: The first significant delivery under the cut and sew contract, consisting of 12,900 towels, was satisfactorily made in November 2004. Other deliveries under this contract to date have been 28 Dress Warm Weather (delivered 22 October 2004) and 3,666 Trousers Action Working Dress (delivered 29 November 2004). More recently, on 8 January deliveries of 17,769 undergarments, which meet the required specifications, were received from a Chinese sub-contractor, ahead of the contract schedule.
Cluster Munitions
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) UK-owned and (b) foreign-owned companies have manufactured cluster munitions in the UK since 1998 for use by (i) the armed forces of the United Kingdom, (ii) the armed forces of another country and (iii) others. [200293]
Mr. Ingram: No United Kingdom or foreign-owned company has manufactured air or ground launched cluster munitions in the UK for the armed forces of the UK since 1998. However, BAE Systems undertake fusing and packaging of ground launched cluster munitions to meet current MOD requirements. I am not aware of any UK company manufacturing cluster munitions for export since 1998.
European Security Research Advisory Board
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the UK representatives will be on the European Security Research Advisory Board. [211255]
Mr. Hoon:
Following its Communication Security Research: the next steps" of 7 September 2004, the European Commission invited member states, along with a number of organisations, to nominate high-level strategists in the field of security-related research for possible membership of the European Security Research Advisory Board. The question is interpreted
31 Jan 2005 : Column 730W
as relating to nominations made by Her Majesty's Government, as opposed to any British citizens who have been nominated by other parties.
The Government has nominated a number of Government and non-Government candidates, however there is no guarantee that any of these will be selected. At the time of writing, on 26 January 2005, it is not yet known who the Commission have selected for this advisory board.
Falcon Project
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce a decision on the successful tenderer for the Falcon project; and if he will make a statement. [212097]
Mr. Ingram: We are still considering how best to provide the Falcon communications system capability and will make an announcement as soon as possible.
Household Division
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reviews are being carried out of the public duties obligations of the Household Division including the incremental companies. [211491]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence constantly reviews all its military tasks, including public duties.
Infantry Regiments
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will reconsider his decision on the naming of the unit formed by the merger of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, the King's Own Royal Border Regiment and the King's Regiment; and for what reasons the name proposed by the regiments involved was rejected; [212139]
(2) what process was used by his Department to reach a decision on the change of name of the 1st Queen's Lancashire Regiment; and whether the name change was recommended by (a) Army staff and (b) Ministers. [212143]
Mr. Ingram: The process of restructuring the infantry has been worked through by the Army in consultation with the divisions and regiments concerned. As part of this process, infantry divisions were asked to suggest options for new regimental titles.
The proposed title of the 'King's, Lancashire and Border Regiment' was one of the options put forward by the King's Division, and was selected by the Executive Committee of the Army Board (and subsequently endorsed by the Army Board) on the basis that this title best reflected all the antecedent regiments from which it will be drawn. This was felt to be particularly important because of the fact that this reorganisation involved the merging of three previously distinct regiments, into a two-battalion regiment.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which infantry regiments have had the best record of personnel retention in each year since 2002. [209195]
31 Jan 2005 : Column 731W
Mr. Caplin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Iraq
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) start and (b) end dates were of each British Army unit's operational deployment in Iraq since January 2003; and what the (i) dates and (ii) locations of (A) the unit's previous three deployments and (B)subsequent deployments were. [199583]
Mr. Ingram: In view of the voluminous nature of the information requested, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library of the House.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) men and (b) women are being held in detention by British military authorities in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [203593]
Mr. Ingram: As at 27 January 2005, there were 30 men and no women being held in detention by British military authorities in Iraq.
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Government will commission and fund a comprehensive, independent inquiry into the number of Iraqis who have died or been injured as a result of war-related causes since the US/UK invasion of Iraq in March 2003. [210008]
Mr. Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary explained in his written statement on 17 November 2004 Official Report, columns 92–95WS, we believe that the Iraqi authorities remain in the best position to monitor the casualties of their nationals. An independent inquiry is highly unlikely to be able to gain better access and provide more accurate information on casualties than the Iraqi Government.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) casualties and (b) fatalities of British troops in Iraq there have been since 2003; and if he will make a statement. [210589]
Mr. Ingram: 75 United Kingdom Service Personnel have died while on Op Telic. The UK has conducted 2,891 medical evacuations from Iraq since February 2003. This includes a small number of entitled civilians and Iraqis. Numbers of minor casualties treated in theatre are not held centrally.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list individuals detained in Iraq by UK forces on the basis of an alleged connection with weapons of mass destruction; how long each has been detained; when he expects each to be released; and if he will make a statement. [210657]
Mr. Hoon: No individuals are being interned in Iraq in a United Kingdom detention facility because of an alleged connection with weapons of mass destruction.
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the text of the aide-memoire on the law of armed conflict provided to soldiers on active duty in Iraq. [210736]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 24 January 2005]: Yes.
31 Jan 2005 : Column 732W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |