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1 Dec 2005 : Column 679W—continued
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will publish a Public Service Agreement delivery plan for 2004 Public Service Agreement target number 2. [29939]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answergiven on 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1589W, by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary (Mr. Straw).
Royal Navy (Shore Establishments)
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each of the Royal Navy's operational shore establishments in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland including training establishments and dockyards; how many (i) civilian employees and (ii) service personnel worked at each in (A) 1997, (B) 1990, (C) 1985 and (D)the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [32502]
Mr. Ingram: The Royal Navy Estate comprises of the following operational shore establishments, training establishments and dockyards:
This list does not include Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Marine Reserve establishments or training areas.
Information on civilian and naval personnel at individual Royal Navy and Royal Marine facilities is not held centrally, as different organisations and agencies may also have responsibility at the same location. This information could, therefore, be provided only at disproportionate costs. DASA publish a regular
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report detailing UK regular forces distribution across the UK. A copy of the current report (TSP10) is available in the Library of the House.
Submarines
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress with introducing the communications electronic support measures system aboard Trafalgar-class nuclear-attack submarines. [32682]
John Reid: Two Trafalgar class submarines have been fitted with Eddystone, the Royal Navy's latest communications electronic support measures system. A further two are currently being fitted.
Unarmoured Road Vehicles
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on the use of un-armoured road vehicles in the transportation of HM Forces personnel in (a) Iraq, (b) Northern Ireland and(c) Afghanistan; and if the policy changed in each case. [32470]
Mr. Ingram: Both armoured and non-armoured vehicles are available for use in Iraq, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. The choice of vehicle for a particular task on an operation will depend on the Commander's assessment of the current threat level and nature of the task. This policy has not changed since 2000.
Warships
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the running costs for each of the classes of vessel in service with the Royal Navy were in the last year for which figures are available; what the costs were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [32501]
Mr. Ingram: We do not manage costs on the basis of individual types of ships and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Business Rates Revaluation (Gravesham)
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of business rates revaluation on businesses in Gravesham; and if he will make a statement. [33635]
Mr. Woolas: The assessment of the impact of revaluation on businesses in England was integral to the setting of the non-domestic rating multiplier for 2005–06 and the transitional arrangements. This assessment was done at a higher level than that of individual businesses.
Correspondence
Clare Short: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, dated 30 September, on behalf of Trevor Errington, Leader of the chief engineers and planning officers group support team. [33101]
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Mr. David Miliband: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 27 November 2005.
Council Elections
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister from which (a) organisations and (b) individuals he has received representations (i) opposing and (ii) supporting a move to whole council elections for local authorities as outlined in the consultation document vibrant local leadership. [27365]
Mr. Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received nine representations in support of a move to whole council elections—one county council, six parish councils and one member of the public plus the elected mayor of Bedford borough council. Of the other respondents to the vibrant local leadership document who mentioned a change in election cycles, two parish councils were ambivalent, as was one borough council and one borough council opposed the move.
Pursuant to my answer of 30 November 2005, seven local authorities are in the process of or have formally requested a change to whole council elections and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is now aware of two more local authorities that are considering changing their cycle: Waveney and Wokingham.
Firefighters (Life Insurance)
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received regarding the availability of life insurance for firefighters; and whether all firefighters are covered by insurance in all of their duties. [32870]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received a number of letters from Members of this House on personal insurance for firefighters in addition to the nine previous questions tabled in this and earlier parliamentary sessions. In addition, the Office of the deputy Prime Minister has received correspondence from Fire and Rescue Authorities and the Fire Brigades Union.
Government do not provide insurance cover for firefighters. Any personal insurance is a matter of personal choice and should be seen in the context of the compensation scheme for firefighters. Firefighter pay, pension and injury arrangements reflect the nature of the job and the risks that may be incurred.
Housing
Anne Main: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the evidence from his officials to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee on 17 October, if he will place in the Library the performance data for the last five years which his Department has collected in relation to monitoring local authorities' delivery of empty homes strategies; and if he will make a statement. [27463]
Yvette Cooper
[holding answer 15 November 2005]: The information requested has been made available in the Library of the House.
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The information relates to best value performance indicator 64 which measures the number of private sector dwellings that are returned to occupation or demolished each year as a direct result of action by the local authority. The information made available in the Library of the House relates to local authority returns for best value performance indicator 64 for 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04.
The data provided in column 1 of the table (2001–02) is a percentage of private sector dwellings vacant for more than six months where the local authority has intervened leading to reoccupation or demolition.
The data reflected in the remaining two columns (2002–03 and 2003–04) is the number of private sector vacant dwellings returned to occupation, or demolished in those years following intervention from local authorities.
The difference in the way the data for this performance indicator is presented, reflects a change in the best value performance indicator (BVPI) itself and the how it is defined.
Data for best value performance indicator 64 is not available before 2001–02 and none of the other performance indicators, relating to housing before 2001–02, are comparable with best value performance indicator 64.
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