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21 Feb 2005 : Column 246W—continued
Parliamentary Questions
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will answer the questions tabled by the hon. Member for Gordon, with reference numbers (a) 206155, tabled on 21 December 2004, (b) 206131, tabled on 20 December 2004, (c) 202945, tabled on 6 December 2004, (d) 203088, tabled on 6 December 2004, (e) 201181, tabled on 30 November 2004, (f) 201178, tabled on 30 November 2004, (g) 200600, tabled on 29 November 2004 and (h) 200601, tabled on 29 November 2004. [212057]
Mr. Alexander [holding answer 31 January 2005]: I answered question 206155 on 13 January 2005, 206131 and 202945 on 3 February 2005 and I am answering the remaining questions today.
Wind Turbines
Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research her Department (a) has commissioned and (b) plans to commission on (i) impulsive noise and noise modulation effects arising from groups of wind turbines and (ii) general noise from wind turbines. [209185]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: There are four main studies on the impact of noise from wind turbines that have been commissioned and examined by my Department. These are:
Assessment of the Effects of Noise and Vibration from Offshore Wind Farms on Marine Wildlife, published 2001.
Two other studies that have been commissioned and are both due to report in Spring 2005 are:
Study into the Effects of Wind Farms on the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array (Joint study with MOD and BWEA), and
DEFENCE
Armed Forces (Commonwealth Personnel)
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces from Commonwealth countries have requested British nationality in the last six months; in which branches and units of each service they were serving; and if he will make a statement. [216703]
Mr. Caplin: Applications for British citizenship are a matter for individual service personnel to apply direct to the Home Office. Although some applications are brought to the Department's attention, the armed forces have no firm knowledge of the numbers of personnel of Commonwealth origin who have applied to the Home Office for British nationality, as this is a personal matter.
Armed Forces Housing
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what housing standards are applied in the management of current and former Ministry of Defence housing provided for members of the armed forces. [214538]
Mr. Caplin: Joint Services Publications (JSP) 315 is the Services Accommodation Code, which lays down the general housing standards, set by the Ministry of Defence (with the agreement of HM Treasury) for the provision of accommodation for the armed forces. Within this publication, scale 21 relates to the standards for Service Families Accommodation for officers and scale 22 relates to standards for other ranks.
BAE Warton
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for servicing of aircraft at BAE Warton. [215505]
Mr. Ingram: At present nine Harrier aircraft are being modified at Warton together with 10 Typhoon aircraft which are undergoing routine operational maintenance under the terms of the initial support contract. All of this work will be completed by the end of 2005. Currently, no further aircraft are scheduled for servicing at the Warton site.
Design
Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the ministerial design champion for his Department is. [215644]
Mr. Caplin: I am the Department's ministerial design champion.
Falklands Anniversary
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the 25th anniversary of the Falklands conflict; and whether he has set up a group to organise a veterans' visit. [216233]
Mr. Caplin:
Ministry of Defence officials have been considering how best to mark the 25th anniversary of the Falklands conflict in 2007 for some time, in consultation with the South Atlantic Medal Association
21 Feb 2005 : Column 248W
(82). A number of proposals are being considered but no group has yet been established to develop plans for veterans' visits.
Fire Control and Retargeting Systems
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment his Department has made of the functions of the Mk98 Mod 5 Fire Control System and the SLBM Retargeting System; when this assessment was last (a) reviewed and (b) changed; and if he will make a statement; [214238]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the total cost of acquiring the (a) hardware and (b) software for (i) the Mk98 Mod 5 Fire Control System and (ii) modifications to the Trident system under the SLBM Retargeting System; and if he will make a statement; [214239]
(3) what assessment his Department has made of the date of entry into service of the Mk98 Mod 5 Fire Control System for Trident; when this assessment was last (a) reviewed and (b) changed; and if he will make a statement. [214240]
Mr. Hoon: The Mk98 Fire Control System draws together all the information needed to calculate the flight data required by a Trident missile prior to launch. The Mk98 Mod 2 Fire Control System was installed on the Vanguard class of submarines at build. The Mk98 Mod 5 programme was undertaken to update hardware to overcome obsolescence and is now complete. Initial Operating Capability was achieved in September 2002 and all SSBNs had been modified by February 2003. The update programme, for hardware only, cost $39.810 million (including the costs of fitting) and $6.987 million for initial spares.
Information on the costs of the related software modifications is not held separately from that relating to other software costs in this area. All aspects of deterrent capability are kept under continuous review. The United Kingdom has no requirement for a SLBM Retargeting System on Trident submarines, and has no plans to acquire that capability.
Freedom of Information
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is in respect of the publication (a) on the departmental website and (b) by placing copies in the Library of (i) all or (ii) only a selection of the information disclosed in response to freedom of information requests since January. [215194]
Mr. Caplin
[holding answer 10 February 2005]: The Ministry of Defence website hosts the MOD Publication Scheme (as required by s.19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000). Since early January 2005, the website has also included a FOI Reading Room". This was specifically set up to publish information released in response to requests which is considered to be of wider public interest. We are keeping the Reading Room under review with the possibility of adding new Classes of Information to the Publication Scheme if appropriate. We do not plan to publish all information released in response to requests because some is not of general interest.
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Information on the website will be available to the Library of the House, and there seems no advantage, and potentially significant cost, in supplying hard copies. We therefore have no plans to do so.
Gibraltar
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been treated at the Ministry of Defence hospital in Gibraltar in each of the last five years. [216554]
Mr. Caplin: The numbers of attendances at the Ministry of Defence hospital in Gibraltar (the Royal Naval Hospital) in the last three years have been:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 7,301 |
| 2003 | 7,261 |
| 2002 | 6,103 |
Statistics are not readily available for the previous two years and collecting them would incur disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with the Gibraltar Government on joint administration of the Gibraltar hospital; and if he will make a statement. [216881]
Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence has not held any formal discussions with the Government of Gibraltar on joint administration of the Gibraltar hospital.
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