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7 Apr 2005 : Column 1748W—continued
IT Projects
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list his Department's IT projects in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) amount spent, (b) purpose, (c) cost of over-run and (d) time of over-run. [205785]
Mr. Caplin:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
7 Apr 2005 : Column 1749W
IVF Treatment
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons IVF treatment is not available to service personnel or their spouses in Germany through (a) his Department, (b) the British Forces Germany Health Service and (c) primary care trusts while they are posted overseas. [223720]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 5 April 2005]: A number of options are available to service personnel and their dependants requiring IVF treatment while posted to Germany:
Although the British Forces Germany Health Service (BFG HS) is not funded for the provision of full IVF and equivalent treatment, it does fund the investigation of infertility and the provision of drug treatments following IVF. This takes place in our primary care facilities or our regional contracted German hospitals. It will also fund correction of any anatomical abnormality that may be causing infertility. In addition Artificial Insemination by Husband (AIH) is available at one of our contracted German hospitals.
A patient can seek private treatment in Germany bearing the full cost themselves. In unusual cases presenting strong medical/social reasons for IVF treatment, BFG HS may pay for treatment.
If a patient has embarked on investigation or treatment in the UK on a NHS programme and is then posted to Germany, they receive full administrative support, including the provision of transport by air trooper. The MOD also takes a sympathetic view with regard to the posting of personnel while they are undertaking a course of treatment in the UK by deferring the posting if it is the individual's wish and if it is possible to do so.
For patients wishing to return to the UK to begin treatment for IVF, the BFG HS makes use of the excellent facilities offered by a charity based service which is provided at Hammersmith Hospital in London at no cost to the patient or the MOD. In these cases BFG HS authorises transport by air trooper. In other instances where personnel wish to be posted back to the UK and this is supported by their posting authority, they can be referred to their local Primary Care Trust (PCT) in the UK for the duration of the treatment.
The Department is currently re-formulating its policy on IVF treatment to ensure it is consistent with the standards contained in the current National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
Joint Service Publications
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a list of his Department's extant Joint Service Publications. [213582]
Mr. Ingram: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Joint Strike Fighter Programme
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Joint Strike Fighter programme. [218136]
7 Apr 2005 : Column 1750W
Mr. Ingram: The Joint Strike Fighter will replace the Harrier GR7 and GR9. The UK is the only Level One partner with the US on the programme. There are seven other nations at lower levels within the System Design and Development (SDD) Phase under an International MOU signed in 2001. The weight difficulties which emerged last year with the STOVL variant have been satisfactorily resolved.
Lancashire Regiment
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on how the new name of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, King's Own Borderers Regiment and King's Regiment was arrived at. [214542]
Mr. Ingram: The process of restructuring the infantry has been worked through by the Army who consulted widely. Colonels of individual regiments were directly involved in the consultation process through the Colonels Commandants of the Divisions of Infantry. As part of this process those infantry divisions affected by the changes were asked to suggest options for new regimental titles. Of the options put forward by the King's Division, the proposed title of the King's, Lancashire and Border Regiment", was felt by the Executive Committee of the Army Board to best reflect the antecedent regiments from which it will be drawn.
Leasing
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the equipment leasing arrangements entered into by his Department in each of the last two years; and what the cost is to public funds in each case. [200810]
Mr. Ingram: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Lockheed F-22
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations the Department has received from the United States on purchasing the Lockheed F-22. [218137]
Mr. Ingram: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
MARS Project
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the MARS project. [216102]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 March 2005, Official Report, column 572W, to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan).
Medals
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) campaign and (b) war medals have been issued in each of the last five years; and how many of each were made of (i) silver and (ii) cupro nickel. [204989]
7 Apr 2005 : Column 1751W
Mr. Caplin: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 76W.
Military Abuse (Investigation)
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms of reference are of the general investigation into abuse announced by General Sir Mike Jackson on Friday 25 February. [212344]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 3 March 2005]: The review announced by the chief of the general staff (CGS) will be wide- ranging and will involve extensive consultation both within and beyond the Army and the Ministry of Defence. Presently the review is looking at three main strands: doctrine (particularly the preparation of personnel for all tasks and scenarios they may face); secondly, officer and non-commissioned officer training and performance; and the disciplinary system. Its scope will be widened if new issues arise from any further cases which may come to trial. It will also examine issues surrounding recent and current investigations into individual training.
The Terms of Reference for the review are as follows:
1. You are to consider what measures need to be taken in order to safeguard and improve the Army's operational effectiveness in the light of:
(b)Criticism in the House of Commons Defence Committee and Adult Learning Inspectorate reports on the training organisation, and other relevant reports into Deepcut.
2. You are to consider issues of both substance and perception, in the short and long term.
3. You are to take your direction from assistant chief of general staff, and are to make recommendations as required, reporting formally in three and six months time, through assistant chief of the general staff to chief of the general staff.
4. You are to consult as necessary with:
(a) MOD—Director general media and communications, deputy chief defence staff (personnel) and Iraq secretariat.
(e) Chief of the general staffs briefing team, the continuous attitude survey, other sources of internal and external data.
5. Where necessary you are authorised to communicate with the media under normal media rules.
1 This will require, among other things, detailed scrutiny of issues arising from Iraq related abuse trials.
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