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Asian Tsunami (Relief Operations)

20. Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State forDefence what role UK armed forces are playing in relief operations for the people affected by the Asian tsunami. [1935]

Mr. Touhig: The Ministry of Defence and the United Kingdom's Armed Forces responded quickly and effectively to the tsunami disaster, working closely with the Department for International Development to provide military support to the relief effort. These operations ceased in February, and all UK forces involved have now returned home or are deployed on other operations.

Army Manning

22. Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on manning levels in the Army. [1937]

Mr. Touhig: As at 1 April 2005 the total trained strength of the Army was 102,440 against a requirement of 104,170—a shortfall of 1.7 per cent. This is within the plus one per cent. or minus two per cent. tolerance set by the Ministry of Defence's Public Sector Agreement, and represents an improvement on recent years.
 
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Royal Anglian Regiment

23. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where he expects the 1st and 2nd battalions of the Royal Anglian Regiment to be permanently based under his proposals to re-structure the infantry. [1938]

Mr. Ingram: Basing arrangements for infantry regiments under the Future Infantry Structure have yet to be determined.

Royal Welsh Regiment

24. Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the headquarters of the newly established Royal Welsh Regiment will be in Wales. [1939]

Mr. Ingram: A review has recently been initiated to determine the most effective and efficient method of delivering Infantry Regimental Headquarters (RHQs) functions in support of the Future Infantry Structure. This review will consider the number and location of RHQs required across the infantry. It is too early to speculate on the outcome of this review in relation to the Royal Welsh, or any other, Regiment.

Argentine Air Force

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many encounters RAF combat air patrols have had with the Argentine Air Force since January. [1242]

Mr. Ingram: There have been no encounters between RAF Combat Patrol Aircraft and aircraft from the Argentine Air Force since January 2005.

FRES

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Future Rapid Effect System will enter service with the Army. [1929]

Mr. Ingram: The FRES programme is currently in the initial Assessment Phase. An In-Service Date will not be set until the main investment decision, but initial estimates are that FRES will enter service early in the next decade, with a phased approach to achieving full operational capability thereafter.

Kellogg, Brown and Root

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role and responsibilities of Kellogg, Brown and Root in the design and build of the two aircraft carriers commissioned by the Government. [1920]

Mr. Ingram: In line with our announcement of 8 February 2005, discussions continue on the roles andresponsibilities of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance Participants, including those of the preferred Physical Integrator Kellogg, Brown and Root Ltd. UK.

Ulster Defence Regiment

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards the establishment of a fund to assist the widows and
 
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dependants of Ulster Defence Regiment soldiers in Northern Ireland who lost their lives in the service of the community; and if he will make a statement. [1453]

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

TREASURY

Art Acquisition (Goodison Report)

Mark Fisher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish a response to the report he commissioned in 2003 from Sir Nicholas Goodison on the acquisition of works of art. [1209]

Mr. Des Browne: Since the publication of the Goodison Review in January 2004, the Government have made substantial progress in taking forward many of the recommendations. In the 2004 Spending Review the Government announced that:

annual funding for the National Heritage Memorial Fund will double by 2007–08, compared to 2004–05;

the Renaissance in the Regions programme for regional museums will be extended to all nine English regions; and

the free access commitment, which currently covers the main national museums and galleries, and the VAT refund scheme that helps deliver free access, will be extended to university museums and galleries.

Other recommendations are being considered as part of The Treasury's and HMRC's ongoing work. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport is also transferring a number of administrative functions to the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (formerly Resource) as recommended by the Goodison Review.

Child Benefits (UK Citizens Abroad)

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many UK citizens living abroad are in receipt of (a) child benefit and (b) child tax credit. [2019]

Dawn Primarolo: Apart from under specified circumstances, child benefit (CB) and child tax credit (CTC) are only payable to people who are present and ordinarily resident in the UK. The residence rules for eligibility to CB and CTC are explained on the HMRC website, at www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/residence-rules.htm.

About 10,000 CB recipients are classified as overseas" in the published geographical analyses. Around 6,000 of which are also claimants in child tax credit awards.

Child Trust Funds

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of Child Trust Fund vouchers sent out to date; how many vouchers he estimates have not been claimed; how many vouchers have been used to establish Child Trust Fund accounts; and if he will make a statement. [1310]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Child Trust Fund vouchers do not need to be claimed, they are sent automatically to parents of eligible children once child benefit has been awarded. Figures for the number of vouchers sent and
 
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the number of accounts opened are being published quarterly on the HMRC website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_trust_funds/child-trust-funds. htm. The first set of quarterly figures was published on 31 May.

Correspondence

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter dated 8 March from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding his constituents Mr. and Mrs. K. Milne of Peterhead. [1188]

Dawn Primarolo: A full reply to the hon. Member's letter was sent on 16 May.

Council Tax

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria the Valuation Office Agency will use to value a residence during the council tax revaluation in England. [1107]

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is available on the Valuation Office Agency website at: http://www.voa.gov.uk/council_tax/ct-reval-2007/introduction-nov04.htm.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum raised from council tax in Wales in each year since 1997 was reported to HM Treasury for the purpose of assessing the block grant for Wales under the Barnett formula. [1280]

Mr. Des Browne: Expenditure in Wales financed by council tax is not part of the block grant payable by the Wales Office to the Welsh Assembly Government.

Customs and Excise

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on ongoing criminal investigations into cases of fraud by staff working for Customs and Excise in which charges have not yet been brought. [1141]

Dawn Primarolo: There are no ongoing criminal investigations by HM Revenue and Customs into cases of fraud in which charges have not yet been brought where former members of staff of Customs and Excise have been positively identified.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on investigations into cases of (a) fraud and (b) fraud by members of staff in Customs and Excise since 1990 in which all proceedings are complete. [1142]

Dawn Primarolo: The Department investigates a variety of different types of fraud under statute. Information on investigations into cases of fraud could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

As far as fraud by members of staff is concerned, the figures that we have are as follows:

Reporting period	Number of cases
2004–05	10
2003–04	24
2002–03	17
2001–02	30
2000–01	33
1999–2000	53
1998–99	39
1997–98	35
1996–97	24
1995–96	38

 
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