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14 Nov 2005 : Column 912W—continued
Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary) Project
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why the Integrated Project Team leader for the Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary) Project has resigned. [25502]
Mr. Ingram: The Integrated Project Team leader for the Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary) Project has not resigned.
Married Quarters
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was in each of the last five years of upgrading properties in his Department's married quarters estate; and what the planned expenditure is for the next five years. [23326]
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Mr. Touhig: I can confirm that the costs of upgrading service families accommodation for the last five financial years were:
| Financial year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 62.8 |
| 2001–02 | 78.0 |
| 2002–03 | 53.6 |
| 2003–04 | 43.9 |
| 2004–05 | 23.2 |
These figures do not include new build properties.
In accordance with departmental policy, the detail of forward spending plans is being withheld because it relates to the formulation of policy.
Medical Negligence
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time members of the armed forces have sued the Department for medical negligence in each of the past five years. [27618]
Mr. Touhig: The MOD does not record the information in a format which will readily identify full-time and part-time members of the armed forces who make claims.
The number of claims for compensation received in each of the past five years in which allegations of clinical negligence have been made is shown in the table:
| Financial year | Number of claims received |
|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 86 |
| 2003–04 | 92 |
| 2002–03 | 119 |
| 2001–02 | 142 |
| 2000–01 | 128 |
Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Project
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability project. [26021]
Mr. Ingram: The Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) project has been established to investigate a wide range of solutions to provide the capability to meet the future logistic support requirements of the Royal Navy and to provide sea-based support to deployed forces. It is too early to say what the final designs and specifications for the vessels might be. We will use the Assessment Phase to look into the potential options before any decisions are made at the Main Gate investment point.
Military Bases (Designated Areas)
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the bases which are designated areas under the terms of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [25009]
Mr. Ingram:
There is no provision for such designations under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.
14 Nov 2005 : Column 914W
Military Establishments (Incidents)
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates he (a) received and (b) agreed protocol between service police forces and Home Department police forces on dealing with deaths or injuries likely to result in death on military establishments; and if he will place a copy of the protocol in the Library. [26303]
Mr. Ingram: Following detailed negotiations which began in December 2004, a protocol between the Secretary of State for Defence and the Association of Chief Police Officers has recently been finalised. The protocol reinforces the fact that primacy for conducting investigations into all deaths, or serious deaths where death is likely, on military establishments in the UK rests with the chief officer of the Home Department police force under whose jurisdiction the death occurs. The protocol, which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, was signed on behalf of the Secretary of State and a representative from the Association of Chief Police Officers on 7 November 2005. Copies of the protocol will be placed in the Library in the near future. An identical but separate protocol is being drawn up between a representative of the Secretary of State and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland). Copies will be placed in the Library once this has been signed.
Military/Police Assistance
Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department has published on military and related police assistance provided to foreign governments since 27 February 1998. [17086]
Mr. Ingram: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given on 22 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1062–64W; 20 July 2005, Official Report, column 1751W; 10 October 2005, Official Report, columns 19–20W; and 24 October 2005, Official Report, column 26W, all of which provide relevant information.
The Ministry of Defence regularly publishes general information on military assistance to foreign governments, most recently in Delivering Security in a Changing World, Supporting Essays (Cm 6041–11) and the Ministry of Defence Annual Reports and Accounts 2004–2005 (HC 464).
Missing Weapons
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army (a) handguns, (b) rifles and (c) other weapons went missing in the UK in each year since 1997; and how many were recovered over the same timescale. [25714]
Mr. Ingram:
The information requested for the period 1 January 1997 to 15 October 2005 is detailed in the table.
14 Nov 2005 : Column 915W
Noise-induced Hearing Loss
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on (a) war disablement pensions and (b) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments for noise-induced hearing loss, in each year since 1990. [26860]
Mr. Touhig [holding answer 10 November 2005]: War pensions are not awarded for individual conditions, but for the total degree of disablement due to service, assessed on a percentage basis. This overall assessment takes account of all conditions that are attributable to or aggravated by service. We cannot therefore separately identify amounts paid in respect of one particular condition. The information requested is not therefore available for war disablement pensions.
The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme only applies to injuries or illnesses caused on or after 6 April 2005, and there have been no awards made for noise-induced hearing loss under the Scheme since it came into force.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are in receipt of a war disablement pension for noise-induced hearing loss. [26861]
Mr. Touhig [holding answer 10 November 2005]: A war pension is awarded based on the overall percentage disablement due to service of an individual, not on particular medical conditions.
Our war pensions database indicates that there were approximately 80,000 people entitled to an on-going payment under the War Pensions Scheme at 30 June 2005 who had had a claim accepted for noise induced hearing loss.
In about half of these cases, there were no claims for any other medical conditions recorded.
Royal Anglian Regiment
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his intention to post the (a) 1st and (b) 2nd Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment for tours of duty in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [26253]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 8 November 2005]: The latest roulement (Operation TELIC 7) of UK troops in Iraq was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, to the House, on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 26. As a result of this roulement, the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment has
14 Nov 2005 : Column 916W
recently returned from Iraq. The next routine roulement of UK forces in Iraq is expected to take place in May 2006, and an announcement will be made in due course. Announcements on future deployments to Afghanistan will be made once final decisions have been taken.
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