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4 Feb 2005 : Column 1171W—continued

Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish (a) draft and (b) final regulations relating to the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004. [213522]

Phil Hope: The 2004 Act expanded the existing powers in the Building Act 1984 to make Building Regulations. Regulations using the new powers relating to energy efficiency will be published in final form in summer 2005. The Building Regulations Advisory Committee is establishing working parties to consider what advice to give to Government on the use of the new powers relating to sustainability and security, with a view to consultation on draft regulations in late 2005 or 2006. Other Regulations will be consulted upon and finalised in due course.

HEALTH

MRI Scans

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce patient waiting times for MRI scans. [213487]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 3 February 2005]: Patients will be offered greater choice in where, when and how they access diagnostic services. By March 2006, the maximum wait for a magnetic resonance imaging
 
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(MRI) scan will be 26 weeks, reducing to 13 weeks by March 2007. In addition, national MRI mobile scanning is adding over 15 per cent., more capacity to the national health service, providing up to 131,000 more scans per year by 12 mobile units moving from location to location.

NHS Choice Pilot Schemes

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to provide information to general practitioners on how patient choice will be delivered. [210818]

Mr. Hutton: The Department's delivery framework for choice was published in August 2004 and set out the basis on which strategic health authorities and primary care trusts (PCTs) should plan the delivery of choice and booking. The framework provides specific guidance for PCTs in their development and provision of information to support general practitioners in offering choice. The national health service is now preparing revised delivery plans to demonstrate progress in establishing commissioning arrangements, raising GP engagement and putting in place supporting technology systems. To support this, the NHS "Choose and Book" website at www.chooseandbook.nhs.uk provides a range of information on how patient choice will be delivered and the website www.nhs.uk will be enhanced to provide GPs and patients with comparative information to help them make decisions on choice.

PRIME MINISTER

Civil Servants

Mr. Laws: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost of the enhanced early retirement scheme for civil servants in his Office 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. [211650]

The Prime Minister: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I have therefore asked the Minister for the Cabinet Office my hon. Friend the Member for South Shields, (Mr. Miliband) to reply. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Intercept Evidence (Members of Parliament)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister (1) whether it is his policy that no (a) telephone tapping, (b) other interception of communications and (c) electronic surveillance shall be authorised in respect of hon. Members; [214144]

(2) on how many occasions since 1975, where the interception of communications instigated by hon. Members has been allowed, the interception has not yet been reported to the House. [214145]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock, (Andrew Mackinlay) on 7 May 2003, Official Report column 734W.
 
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DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK military personnel were based at Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan in December 2002; how many had duties in connection with detainees; how many were operating with US forces in connection with detainees; whether any witnessed the killing of or assault upon any detainee; when his Department first became aware of the killing of detainees; and if he will make a statement. [211315]

Mr. Ingram: In December 2002, there was a maximum of nine United Kingdom military personnel based at Bagram Airbase. None of these personnel had any duties connected to detainees and none have ever reported witnessing the killing or assault of any detainees.

Aircraft Carriers

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what conditions have been applied to the physical integrator contract awarded to KBR in respect of the yard where final assembly of the CVFs will take place. [211432]

Mr. Ingram: No such contract has been awarded to any company. We anticipate announcing the outcome of the process to select the preferred Physical Integrator shortly. The MOD, as client, will retain unlimited right of veto over major decisions on the CVF programme including those relating to final assembly.

British Troops (Northern Ireland)

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the proposed timetable for withdrawing British forces from Northern Ireland; whether troops will be redeployed; and if he will make a statement. [214268]

Mr. Ingram: There is no timetable for withdrawing British forces from Northern Ireland. The General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland continues to keep the number of personnel in Northern Ireland under regular review so as to provide the optimum support to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Colombian Army

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Colombian Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal units which receive UK military assistance are (a) discrete units and (b) integral parts of different Army battalions. [206945]

Mr. Ingram: United Kingdom assistance in improving the Colombian authorities Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) capabilities is provided to selected individuals from a number of Colombian engineer units. We also provide EOD training to selected national police bomb disposal officers.
 
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Correspondence

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes dated 22 September, concerning the Dartmoor Rescue Group. [205827]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 20 December 2004]: The Ministry of Defence does not take the lead on the provision of search and rescue services in the United Kingdom, including mountain rescue. I am writing to the hon. Member today to explain in more detail the MOD's position regarding mountain rescue operations.

Defence Employment (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people work for the Defence Analytical Services Agency; how many are employed in Scotland; what the figures were in each case in January 2004; what the personnel costs of the Agency are in 2004–05; and what they were in 2003–04. [212154]

Mr. Caplin: 180 full-time equivalent people worked for the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) on 1 January 2005, of which none worked in Scotland. The equivalent figures for 1 January 2004 were 170 and none.

DASA's salary budget, including pension costs and ERNIC for 2004–05 is £6.5 million. The outturn figure for 2003–04, was published in the DASA Annual Report and Accounts for 2003–04, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

Departmental Contracts

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts in his Department have been granted to (a) EDS, (b) Fujitsu and (c) jointly in each of the last two years; whether they were open to competition; for what they were granted; for how much, and over what period of time; and if he will make a statement. [211618]

Mr. Ingram: In calendar year 2003, 47 contracts were placed with EDS, with a value of £62.1 million and of these 29 were open to competition. Nine contracts were placed with Fujitsu, with a value of £22.5 million and two of these were open to competition.

In calendar year 2004, 203 contracts were placed with EDS, with a value of £21.3 million and 56 of these were open to competition. 11 contracts were placed with Fujitsu with a value of £12.2 million and of these three were open to competition.

The table indicates the type of work for which the contracts have been granted:

	EDS		Fujitsu
Type of work	2003	2004	2003	2004
Concept	3	—	—	—
Assessment	1	2	—	—
Manufacture	1	4	1	3
In-service	9	9	2	3
Project support	5	1	—	—
External assistance	—	—	—	1
Provision of services	23	187	1	2
Other	5	—	5	1
Not recorded	—	—	—	1

 
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The majority of contracts with EDS for the "Provision of services" were Time and Material orders with a value below £100.

We are not able to provide information regarding contracts placed jointly with EDS and Fujitsu or determine "over what period of time" the contracts have been placed, since to do so would necessitate contacting 22 Integrated Project Teams and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

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