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6 Apr 2005 : Column 1509W—continued

Departmental Spending (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for financial years (a) 2001–02, (b) 2000–01, (c) 1999–2000, (d) 1998–99 and (e) 1997–98 the Defence Analytical Services Agency spent in Scotland in (i) monetary terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [217964]

Mr. Caplin: Both civilian and service personnel data by agency are collated annually at 1 April and presented in table 2.6 of UK Defence Statistics, a copy of which is held in the Library of the House. Further information on personnel figures is available on the DASA website at www.dasa.mod.uk.
 
6 Apr 2005 : Column 1510W
 

Departmental Staff

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the staff employed by his Department have a declared disability. [205718]

Mr. Caplin: The Cabinet Office collects and publishes annually statistical information on the civil service by Department. These include data on the number of staff who have a declared disability.

The latest information at April 2004 is available in the Library and on the civil service website at the following address:

http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/stat istical_information/statistics/publications/xls/disability_apr04 _4nov04.xls

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of departmental staff are based in London. [208059]

Mr. Caplin: As at February 2005 the Ministry of Defence currently has 6,140 full-time equivalent staff based within the London Government Office Region, representing 5.7 per cent. of the total departmental strength of 107,980.

Disabled People (Armed Forces)

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in the armed forces had a registered disability in each year since 1997. [224281]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 4 April 2005]: Details of personnel who are classified as disabled under the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 are not held centrally. The armed forces are exempt from the employment provisions of the Act.

First World War Medals

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has decided to dispose of the First World War medal index cards; and if he will make a statement. [223557]

Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence, together with The National Archives, has been actively seeking a suitable institution prepared to take these cards. So far, a firm offer of a home for just a small part of the collection has been made. No decision on the retention or destruction of the cards will be taken until all such avenues have been explored.

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the retention of First World War medal index cards; and if he will make a statement. [224454]

Mr. Caplin: Approximately 100 members of the public have made representations directly or via their MPs about the future of the index cards. In addition, a number of organisations have made formal and informal approaches about the possibility of taking them.

The Ministry of Defence, together with The National Archives, has been actively seeking a suitable institution prepared to take these cards. So far, a firm offer of a home for just a small part of the collection has been
 
6 Apr 2005 : Column 1511W
 
made. No decision on the retention or destruction of the cards will be taken until all such avenues have been explored.

Gulf War Veterans

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the percentage of children born to Gulf War veterans who suffer from (a) deformities and (b) disabilities. [223889]

Mr. Caplin: I refer my right hon. Friend to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 24 March 2004, Official Report, column 51–52WS, following the publication of a paper in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Hearing Loss (Armed Forces)

Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications for war disablement pensions on grounds of deafness were made in each year since 1996; and how many were awarded. [223987]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 4 April 2005]: Applications for war disablement pensions on grounds of deafness received for the following years are as follows:

	Number
1997–98	4,965
1998–99	3,380
1999–2000	2,370
2000–01	1,975
2001–02	1,650
2002–03	1,605
2003–04	1,445

Cases awarded:

	Number
1997–98	825
1998–99	330
1999–2000	330
2000–01	225
2001–02	185
2002–03	165
2003–04	160

Data prior to April 1997 are not available.

Iraq (Military Conduct)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the guidelines on pre-trial prisoners and all others under detention without sentence contained in chapter 11 of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office report, "A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management" was made available to Major Dan Taylor, Camp Commander for Camp Bread Basket near Basra, prior to the detention of local looters. [210965]

Mr. Ingram: No. Camp Bread Basket was not a prison facility.
 
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Lance Corporal Ian Blaymire

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the transcript will be available of the court martial proceedings against Lance Corporal Ian Blaymire; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [201571]

Mr. Ingram: The Office of the Judge Advocate General, a part of the Department for Constitutional Affairs, is the custodian of all court martial papers. It is understood that they have no plans to place a copy of the transcript of this court martial in the Library of the House.

Medical Services (Cyprus)

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for New Forest, West of 13 December 2004, Official Report, column 908W, on medical services (Cyprus), when he plans to write to the hon. Member and place a copy of his letter in the Library. [213121]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 1 February 2005]: I replied to the hon. Member on 30 January 2005 and placed a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Ministerial Stationery

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on official ministerial (a) business cards, (b) headed paper and (c) compliment slips in each year since 1997. [214941]

Mr. Caplin: I presume the hon. Member is referring to items used by departmental Ministers and have therefore excluded items used solely by private office staff for their personal professional communications. The Ministry of Defence does not provide ministerial compliments slips. The cost of ministerial business cards and headed paper in each financial year since 2000–01 is shown in the following table. Figures for the previous years are not held.
Cost (£)

	Business cards	Headed paper(9)
2000–01	70.72	593.83
2001–02	108.00	2,432.00
2002–03	0	1,867.97
2003–04	99.88	1,304.05
2004–05	94.00	2,723.29
Total	373.90	8,921.14

⁽⁹⁾ The figures provided for ministerial headed paper include continuation sheets which are used for ministerial correspondence. In addition, there are one or two occasions where envelopes and prompt cards have been included as the information is inseparable.

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