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30 Jun 2005 : Column 1685W—continued
Millennium Development Goals
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the progress made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. [6938]
Hilary Benn: Progress towards the Millennium Development Goals varies. The world is on track to meet the poverty reduction goal. The number of people in Asia living on less than $1 a day dropped by nearly a quarter of a billion between 1990 and 2001. However progress toward the other seven goals is more varied. Sub Saharan Africa in particular will not meet any of the goals by 2015 if current rates of progress continue. The Commission for Africa chaired by the Prime Minister has set out plans for faster progress including action by African governments, and stronger support by international partners. The UK has made Africa central to our presidency of the G8 this year. We are looking for the Gleneagles G8 summit next week, and the Millennium Review Summit in September, to further strengthen international support to Africa through aid, debt relief and trade.
The recently published United Nations Millennium Development Goals Report is a comprehensive account of progress to date on each of the goals, and how great an effort remains necessary to meet them. It can be found at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/mi_dev_report. htm. DFID also published a report in January 2005 titled The UK's contributions to achieving the Millennium Development Goals'. A copy of the report is available in the House of Commons Library.
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DEFENCE
Afghanistan
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans the Government have for the further deployment of British troops to Afghanistan. [6934]
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) where the additional (a) air forces and (b) ground forces will be based when additional UK forces are deployed in Afghanistan; and in what numbers; [7608]
(2) when the planned reinforcement of UK forces in Afghanistan will begin. [7607]
John Reid: It remains our intention to deploy the HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps for nine months from May 2006 in command of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, as announced by the Prime Minister last June. The Government keep the deployment of our armed forces to Afghanistan under constant review.
Catterick Infantry Training Centre
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the maximum capacity for recruitsis of each Catterick Infantry Training Centre battalion; [7611]
(2) how many recruits are under training at Catterick Infantry Training Centre (ITC) (a) broken down by divisions of infantry and (b) in each ITC battalion. [7610]
Mr. Touhig: The maximum capacity for recruits at the Infantry Training Centre (Catterick) (ITC(C)) is limited by the number of bed spaces available to recruits.
Currently, these are as follows:
| Battalion | Bed spaces |
|---|---|
| 1st | 810 |
| 2nd | 850 |
| 3rd | 710 |
| 4th (For those temporarily medically unfit) | 130 |
In addition, there are 400 surge bed spaces available at Wathgill Camp, some 10 miles from ITC(C).
The numbers of recruits under training at ITC(C) as at 24 June 2005, broken down by Division, are as follows:
| Division | Number under training |
|---|---|
| Kings | 180 |
| Queens | 190 |
| Light | 130 |
| 1stBattalion total | 490 |
| Scottish | 150 |
| Prince of Wales | 160 |
| 2nd Battalion total | 310 |
| Guards | 210 |
| Paras | 100 |
| Gurkha | 230 |
| 3rd Battalion total | 540 |
Notes:
1.There are also currently 90 soldiers in 4th Battalion who are temporarily medically unfit.
2.All data has been rounded to the nearest 10.
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Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many infantry combatant's courses at Catterick Infantry Training Centre have been cancelled over the past 12 months. [7612]
Mr. Touhig: In the last 12 months, three Combat Infantryman's Courses, scheduled to start on 2, 16 and 30 August 2004, were cancelled at the Infantry Training Centre (Catterick). All applicants for these courses have, however, been offered alternative courses, and none has been turned away.
Departmental Relocation
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's posts (a) have been relocated and (b) are under consideration for relocationfrom London to the deprived areas of the South East. [6253]
Mr. Touhig: The Ministry of Defence is implementing the Lyons Review recommendations to relocate 3,900 posts out of London and the South East by 2010. This will not exclude from consideration relocation of some posts to relatively deprived areas in the South East. So far, the Ministry of Defence has not identified any posts suitable for transfer to such areas.
First World War Medal Index Cards
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that the information contained on both sides of first world war medal index cards is digitally stored; and if he will make a statement; [7985]
(2) what steps he has taken to ensure that digital copies of first world war medal index cards are of good quality; and if he will make a statement. [7986]
Mr. Touhig: The index cards to the first world war army medal rolls are already preserved in a microfilmed format, an activity commenced by The National Archives in 1985, and available to researchers at The National Archives (in Class WO 372) and through the National Archives website online. The microfilming process captured the information held on the front of the cards, all but a very small percentage of the backs of the cards being blank.
The Ministry of Defence has no further administrative use for the cards and, with The National Archives, has actively sought to identify a suitable institution prepared to accept the original cards, understanding the value attached to such records by many people. The Imperial War Museum has accepted the women's cards and the remainder of the collection has been transferred into the custody of the Western Front Association.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what institutions his Department has approached with a view to finding a home for the original first world war medal index cards; and if he will make a statement; [7987]
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(2) when he expects to make a decision on whether to retain the original first world war medal index cards; and if he will make a statement. [7988]
Mr. Touhig: The Ministry of Defence, together with The National Archives, has held discussions with the Imperial War Museum (IWM), the National Army Museum, the Fleet Air Arm Museum, the Women's Library and with representatives of Lancashire Military Museums. The future of the cards has also been discussed with the Western Front Association, into whose custody the majority of the cards have now been transferred. The women's cards have been passed to the IWM.
Front-line Fitness
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) male and (b) female (i) officers and (ii)other ranks have been declared unfit for front line duty in the (A) Army, (B) Royal Navy, (C) Royal Air Force and (D) Royal Marines in each year since 1997. [6994]
Mr. Ingram: Data on the number of downgraded personnel are not available prior to 2002. Available statistics on medical downgrading are shown in the following table. This table shows all personnel who are not fully deployable. Some personnel are classified as having limited deployability, so may be deployed overseas and make a contribution to deployed operational capability.
(36)UK regular forces includes nursing services and excludes full-time reserve service personnel, Gurkhas, the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, mobilised reservists and naval activated reservists.
(37)Female downgrades include personnel medically downgraded due to pregnancy.
(38)Data for medically downgraded personnel within the Royal Navy and Royal Marines are not available prior to April 2003.
(39)Denotes not available
(40)There are no female Royal Marine officers.
(41)Denotes not applicable
(42)Army officer data are not available prior to August 2004 due to inaccurate classification of a high proportion of untrained and newly trained officers.
Note:
1.All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
2.Due to the rounding methods used, figures may not always equal the sum of the parts.
3.When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.
Source:
DASA (Tri-Service)
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