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Surplus Assets Sales

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the value of sales of surplus assets from his Department was in each year since 2000–01. [220967]

Mr. Hutton: The value of sales of fixed assets for each year since 2000–01 are shown in the table.

	Value of sales (£ thousand)
2000–01	84,363
2001–02	214,068
2002–03	180,806
2003–04	67,506

Targets

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce mortality rates from cancer by at least 20 per cent. in people under 75 years by 2010 will be met. [219234]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The latest information on cancer mortality shows a 12.2 per cent. reduction compared with the baseline period of 1995–97. We are ahead of where we planned to be at this stage and are therefore well on track to deliver a 20 per cent. reduction in cancer mortality by 2010.

Transsexuals

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether transsexualism is classed as a mental disorder for the purposes of sections 1 and 3 of the National Health Service Act 1977. [218733]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Sections 1 and 3 of the NHS Act 1977 do not refer directly to mental disorder", but do require the Secretary of State to provide a health service to secure improvement in physical and mental health and to prevent, diagnose and treat illness". Illness" is defined by section 128 of the Act as including mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983".

Transsexualism is defined in the International Classification of Diseases—tenth edition (ICD-10)—as a mental disorder and it is therefore likely that it would be regarded as a mental disorder for the purposes of the 1983 Act.

The ICD-10 classification reads as follows:

F64.0 Transsexualism

A desire to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite sex, usually accompanied by a sense of discomfort with, or inappropriateness of, one's anatomic sex, and a wish to have surgery and hormonal treatment to make one's body as congruent as possible with one's preferred sex."

Guidance on gender dysphoria was included in the national definitions set for specialised services, which suggests that primary care trusts should commission such services collectively. Specialised services for mental health, including services for people with gender dysphoria, are being reviewed by the national director for mental health, Professor Louis Appleby, and a report is due in May.
 
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Trumpington House

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 11 January 2005, Official Report, column 63WH, if he will clarify the position regarding the funding given by Somerset Coast Primary Care Trust to Trumpington House surgery. [220644]

Dr. Ladyman: I regret that my previous statement, given on 11 January 2005, Official Report, column 63WH, was incorrect. I am advised that, following acceptance of the new general medical service contract, the primary care trust (PCT) has an ongoing investment of £450,991 in the Trumpington House surgery.

The Somerset Coast PCT has been allocated an additional £250,000 capital funding for 2005–06 to assist with the development of this modernisation project. I also understand that additional recurrent revenue, in the form of notional rent payments, will be allocated to the surgery to fund this development.

DEFENCE

Air Tanker Programme

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the air tanker programme; and from where the proposed air tanker will be (a) serviced and (b) operated. [219756]

Mr. Ingram: The Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) project is aimed at providing the Royal Air Force's Air Refuelling capability through the private finance initiative.

I refer my hon. Friend to the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 28 February 2005, Official Report, column 73WS, in which he announced to the House that AirTanker has been selected as the preferred bidder for the FSTA project. The PFI contract currently under negotiation with AirTanker is based on the firm assumption that the FSTA aircraft are both operated from, and maintained at, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. We shall of course ensure that the House is kept fully informed of significant developments.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's personnel are assigned to the Atomic Weapons Establishment. [220105]

Mr. Ingram: There are currently 95 Ministry of Defence Personnel whose duties relate predominantly to activities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Camp Cropper

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that the UK meets its obligations under the Geneva Convention with regard to prisoners held at Camp Cropper for whom the UK is responsible. [219752]

Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom is not responsible for any internees or detainees at Camp Cropper.
 
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Chinook Crash

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library (a) the Boscombe Down CA Release Recommendations as they applied to the HC2 Chinook standard embodied in ZD576 at the time the HC2 Chinook entered service and (b) changes in those recommendations that were made up to and including 2 June 1994. [219459]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to the right hon. Member, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 651W, on Air Crash (Board of Inquiry), whether the Chief of the Air Staff, the Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group, the Air Officer Commanding in Chief and members of the RAF Directorate of Legal Services met prior to 2001 to discuss the Board of Inquiry into the crash of ZD576 on the Mull of Kintyre. [219460]

Mr. Ingram: A search of available records has provided no evidence that a meeting involving all the named officials took place.

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 651W, on Air Crash (Board of Inquiry), if he will place in the Library the memoranda, minutes and other documents which were circulated (a) in preparation for and (b) as a result of the meetings that took place in 2001 at which the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshals Wratten and Day, and the Director of Legal Services RAF were present. [219461]

Mr. Ingram: Three meetings took place in 2001 at which the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshals Wratten and Day, and the Director of Legal Services (RAF) were present. The documents concerned are being recalled from archives and their suitability for release will be considered. I will write to the right hon. Member when this has been completed and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment other than by Racal he has examined of the findings of Racal regarding the SuperTANS on Chinook ZD576. [218418]

Mr. Ingram: Data was extracted from the RS252 SuperTANS unit by the equipment manufacturer, Racal Avionics Ltd. The extracted data was subsequently examined by the Board of Inquiry with the assistance of the Aircraft Accident Investigations Branch.

Civil Servants (Gibraltar)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether TUPE rules will apply to the transfer of his Department's jobs in Gibraltar to the private sector. [218933]

Mr. Ingram: The Gibraltar Employment Ordinance provides the equivalent legislation in Gibraltar. MOD staff transferred to a contractor will have their terms and conditions of service, including pay, protected as part of a transfer of undertakings.
 
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