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Service Personnel (General Election)

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will instigate a survey of all service personnel to discover how many were (a) registered to vote and (b) able to vote by post or other means in the General Election on 5 May. [693]

Mr. Touhig: We are considering with the Electoral Commission a number of initiatives relating to service voting, including the conduct of research on levels of service voter registration. The exercise of a vote is however an entirely private matter, but we are examining whether there are any ways in which we could make it easier for service personnel to vote.

Siege of Kut

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the siege of Kut-el-Amara from December 1915 to April 1916. [533]

Mr. Touhig: The Government does not have any plans to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the siege of Kut-el-Amara. The siege was a costly defeat for the allies and both the British Army and the British Indian Army lost many brave men in the siege and the attempts to relieve the besieged garrison and we honour their memory.

Spearhead Land Element

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which regiment or battalion comprises the future Spearhead Land Element (SLE); whether it is presently fully equipped; whether the present SLE is deployed; and when the future SLE will take over from the present SLE. [384]

Mr. Ingram: The 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets are currently undertaking the role of the Spearhead Land Element and they are not deployed at present. It is planned that the 1st Battalion The Green Howards will assume the role of SLE in July 2005 and I can confirm that both battalions are fully equipped to undertake this task.

Territorial Army

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the required commitment of Territorial Army personnel deployment; and if he will make a statement. [393]

Mr. Touhig: Future Army Structures will integrate further the Territorial Army (TA) with the Regular Army, ensuring a more relevant, capable and useable TA. There will be some adjustments to their capabilities to meet new requirements and to best support the Regular Army on operations. Work is continuing on these issues and an announcement will be made in due course.

Trafalgar Day

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements will be made for UK service personnel overseas to celebrate Trafalgar Day. [292]

 
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Mr. Ingram: The annual commemoration of the Battle of Trafalgar is primarily a concern for the Royal Navy with ships and establishments, both in the UK and overseas, traditionally holding mess dinners on 21 October to honour the Immortal Memory of Nelson and all those who fought at the Battle of Trafalgar. Requests have also been received from a number of our embassies for senior naval officers to attend dinners, which are currently under consideration.

A programme of events is planned to take place in Gibraltar during the weekend of 28 to 30 October 2005. These include a Nelson exhibition, Beating the Retreat and reception, and a Royal Navy Ceremonial Guard Mount at His Excellency the Governor's residence. The Royal Navy will also be invited to exercise their Freedom of the City privileges.

UK Personnel (Balkans)

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects of the declarations to the Joint Forces Agreement in Bosnia involving Morocco, OJ L34 of 8 February on the liability of UK personnel serving in the Balkans, with particular reference to culpability; and if he will make a statement. [499]

Mr. Ingram: The declarations attached to the Agreement between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco on the participation of Morocco in the EU operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina has no effect on the liability of UK personnel serving in the Balkans. The declarations place the Kingdom of Morocco on the same footing as the other troop contributing nations with regard to reciprocal waiver of claims arising out of the deployment of their forces.

War Disablement Pensions

Mr. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why people who enlisted in the armed services during the second world war and who worked in mining and other industries, known as the Bevin Boys, are not eligible for war disablement pensions when suffering illness or disablement as a consequence of that service. [548]

Mr. Touhig: While Bevin Boys were called up and allotted National Service Registration Numbers, they were not enlisted or conscripted into HM Armed Forces. They remained civilians, mobilised to perform essential works. This being so, any illness or disablement suffered as a consequence would not have arisen as a direct result of enemy action and therefore would not fall for consideration as a war injury under the war pension scheme.

TRANSPORT

Trunk Road Closures (Compensation)

15. Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce compensation payments for traders affected by trunk road closures. [435]

Dr. Ladyman: There are no plans to change the existing arrangements.
 
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Climate Change

16. Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce the impact of transport on climate change. [436]

Dr. Ladyman: We published a summary of the main measures in the December 2004 consultation paper on the Review of the UK's Climate Change Programme. As part of the Review, we are considering the scope for additional measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from all sectors, including transport.

Free Bus Travel

17. Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of elderly and disabled people who will be entitled to free off-peak bus travel in 2006–07. [437]

Dr. Ladyman: From April 2006, people aged 60 and over and disabled people will be entitled to free off-peak travel on their local bus services in England. This will benefit around 11 million people.

Aviation Policy

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding aviation policy and its impact on climate change. [427]

Mr. Darling: My Department and Defra keep in regular contact on aviation and climate change issues.

Railways (Punctuality)

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on punctuality levels on the railways (a) in the most recent period for which figures are available and (b) in 1997. [438]

Derek Twigg: The moving annual average of the Public Performance Measure (PPM) for rail punctuality at 31 December 2004 was 82.8 per cent. For the year to March 1998 the moving annual average was 89.7 per cent.

Greater Manchester

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his plans for public transport in Greater Manchester. [439]

Dr. Ladyman: Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive is responsible for transport planning in Greater Manchester. They are required to submit their provisional five-year Local Transport Plan in July and final LTP in March 2006.

Aircraft Emissions

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Government have to tackle aircraft emissions. [451]

Ms Buck [holding answer 23 May 2005]: The Government's plans to tackle aircraft emissions are set out in "The Future of Air Transport" White Paper (Cm 6046).
 
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Airline Tickets (Financial Protection)

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Department has taken to publicise exclusions to airline ticket protection provided through credit card booking; and if he will bring forward legislation to improve financial protection for UK air travellers. [834]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department has not publicised exclusions to airline ticket protection provided through credit card booking.

The Department has asked the Civil Aviation Authority to consider a range of options for the future financial protection of air travellers and will make a decision on receipt of further advice from the Authority.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the financial protection scheme for air travellers. [835]

Dr. Ladyman: The Air Travel Organisers' Licensing scheme (ATOL) provides financial protection for people buying package holidays. There is currently no statutory protection for people who buy air travel that is not part of a package.

The growth in popularity of no-frills air travel has meant the proportion of holidaymakers protected by the ATOL scheme has gone down. Together with the Civil Aviation Authority we are considering a range of options in relation to this decline.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the Civil Aviation Authority's estimate of the number of UK leisure passengers who flew without financial protection in 2004; if he will bring forward measures to address the gap in financial protection for air travellers; and if he will make a statement. [836]

Dr. Ladyman: In July 2004 the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) provided advice to the Government on the current financial protection arrangements for holidaymakers. In response, the Government asked the Authority to carry out further work on a range of options, including an assessment of the likely regulatory impacts. We will decide on next steps upon analysis of the CAA's further advice.

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