---

22 Mar 2005 : Column 772W—continued

Wirral, South

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what per capita spending on health was in Wirral, South in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) the last year for which figures are available. [222681]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Expenditure based on individual constituencies is not available. The expenditure per capita on health in Wirral Health Authority area and Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority area is shown in the table.
£ per head

	Wirral Health Authority area	Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority area
1997–98	557.21	n/a
2001–02	872.21	n/a
2003–04	n/a	1,063.39

Notes:
1. Expenditure is taken from audited health authority summarisation forms and primary care trust summarisation schedules which are prepared on a resource basis and therefore differ from cash allocations in the year. Figures are given in cash terms.
2. Allocations per weighted head of population provide a much more reliable measure to identify differences between funding of health authorities and primary care trusts.
3. Figures for 1997–98 and 2001–02 have been prepared using gross expenditure figures. Figures for 2003–04 have been adjusted to eliminate expenditure which would be double counted where an authority acts as a lead in commissioning healthcare or other services.
Sources:
1. Wirral Health Authority audited accounts 1997–98.
2. Wirral Health Authority audited summarisation forms 2001–02.
3. Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority audited summarisation forms 2003–04.
4. Primary care trust audited summarisation schedules 2001–02 and 2003–04 for bodies within the above health authority areas.
5. Weighted population figures.

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average wait for operations on the NHS in Wirral, South was in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) the last year for which figures are available. [222682]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not available in the format requested. However, information relating to the Wirral Hospitals National Health Service Trust is shown in the table.
 
22 Mar 2005 : Column 773W
 

Method of admission: elective (waiting list and booked cases). Mean and median time waited (days) for all operations. Wirral Hospitals NHS Trust 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04

Days
	Average waiting time	Median waiting time
1997–98	69	41
2001–02	81	45
2003–04	90	48

Notes:
1. The main operation is the first recorded operation in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details eg time waited but the figures for all operations count of episodes" give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.
2. A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the data year. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
3. Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides count and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also HES, calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.
4. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ie the data are ungrossed).
Source:
HES, Department of Health.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has (a) recruited workers previously employed in the poppy industry and (b) used funds to purchase poppy crops in Afghanistan since 1997. [222542]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 18 March 2005]: The Ministry of Defence employs a number of Afghan civilians. While we do not retain records on these individuals' involvement, if any, in poppy cultivation, their employment is a positive contribution to the legitimate labour market in Afghanistan.

United Kingdom Armed Forces have not used funds to purchase poppy crops, including in the period since 1997.

Armed Forces Discipline

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have spent time in military prison since 1997 on charges of (a) assault, (b) sexual offences and (c) absence without leave. [222900]

Mr. Caplin: The number of armed forces personnel who have served a period of detention since April 1997 to date at the Military Corrective Training Centre, following a conviction for assault, sexual offences or absence without leave (AWOL) is as follows:
 
22 Mar 2005 : Column 774W
 

	Number
Assault	1,573
Sexual Offences	167
AWOL	5,636

Army Medal Office

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the performance against target in the most recent period for which figures are available was for the issuing of each medal issued by the Army Medal Office; and what his most recent assessment of the total number of applications for each medal awaiting processing is. [221284]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 14 March 2005]: The Army Medal Office started recording medal statistics on a weekly basis beginning week-ending 23 April 2004, and the records from this date to the week ending 25 February 2005 are as follows:

	Cases outstanding
Medal group	23 April 2004	28 February 2005
GSM Canal Zone	22,450	13,496
Historic	3,672	5,726
Conduct	568	660
Reserve and Cadets	595	480
Current	1,573	1,050
Replacements and Next of Kin	1,343	1,937
Iraq	Not Applicable	18,543
Total Outstanding	30,201	41,892

Since April 2004, an average of 1,518 applications were cleared each week against a target of 1,500.

During this period 73,788 new applications have been received, and of these 48,898 were for the Iraq medal and 9,077 for the Canal Zone.

Army Recruitment

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 732W, on army recruitment, whether the future establishment for (a) signals, (b) intelligence, (c) logistics and (d) engineers has been finalised. [221487]

Mr. Ingram: The adjustments to the size and shape of the Army envisaged as part of the process of moving to the Future Army Structure will take some years to implement. When they are complete, we anticipate that the revised establishments of the Royal Engineers, Royal Signals, Royal Logistics Corps and Intelligence Corps will be as shown in the following table. It should be noted that these figures will be subject to further refinement as the Army continues to work through the changes associated with the Future Army Structure programme.

Arm/Service	Future establishment
Royal Engineers	10,020
Royal Signals	8,550
Royal Logistic Corps	16,390
Intelligence Corps	1,840

Note:
All figures are as at 1 January 2005 and are rounded to the nearest 5.





 
22 Mar 2005 : Column 775W
 

Chinook Crash

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 1141W, on Chinook Crash, how many days passed between the day on which Flight Lieutenant Jonathan Tapper had a change made to his self-authorisation status to fly Chinook helicopters and (a) the day on which he requested that he be allowed to retain an HC1 Chinook helicopter at Aldergrove and (b) the crash of the HC2 Chinook he captained. [222591]

Mr. Ingram: A Sub RAF Form 1575 approving self-authorisation was signed on 23 May 1994. Flight Lieutenant Tapper requested the retention of a Chinook HC1 on 27 May 1994 and Chinook ZD576 crashed on 2 June 1994.

Approval for self-authorisation is reviewed whenever a pilot transfers from one Station or Squadron to another and/or when the Station or Squadron Commander changes. Additionally, Station and Squadron Commanders may review self-authorisation status as the need arises.

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 1141W, on Chinook Crash, whether members of the Chinook squadron other than Flight Lieutenants Jonathan Tapper and Rick Cook, based at RAF Odiham or RAF Aldergrove had their status altered between 23 May and 2 June 1994 to allow them to self-authorise on VIP flights. [222592]

Mr. Ingram: We are unable to ascertain from extant documentation whether or not any other members of the Chinook Squadrons had their self-authorising status changed in respect of VIP flights between the dates in question.

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 1141W, on Chinook Crash, who authorised the change in self-authorisation status made on 23 May 1994 to Flight Lieutenants Jonathan Tapper and Rick Cook; and what types of flights they were authorised to fly prior to 23 May 1994. [222593]

Mr. Ingram: Self-authorisation status was approved on 23 May 1994 by the Station Commander, RAF Aldergrove. On 5 April 1994, in an approval signed by the Station Commander, RAF Odiham, both Flight Lieutenants (Flt Lts) Tapper and Cook are shown as able to authorise Squadron routine training and standard operating check flights, Squadron task flying, low flying, qualified helicopter instructional flying, fighter affiliation and associated specialist training on Chinook. Additionally, Flt Lt Cook could authorise Squadron routine training and standard operating check flights, Squadron task flying, low flying, air test, qualified helicopter instructional flying and associated specialist training on Gazelle helicopters.

---