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Royal Air Force

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the posts based at RAF High Wycombe which areexpected to move to other RAF units by 2008 will berelocated; and how many such posts will be relocated. [36926]

Mr. Ingram: Currently, there are 103 posts expected to relocate from RAF High Wycombe. The final location for these posts is yet to be decided.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was allocated for setting up the collocated RAF headquarters; and whether this budget has been revised. [36978]

 
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Mr. Ingram: £23.9 million was allocated from the Defence Modernisation Fund to set up the collocated Royal Air Force Headquarters. This has not been revised.

Submarines

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the recommendations by RAND to co-ordinate the Royal Navy's submarine design work with the United States of America. [32681]

Mr. Ingram: As a result of the RAND recommendations put forward in their report on sustaining design and production resources, a statement of intent (SoI) for co-operation and exchange between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain on submarine concepts, design and construction was signed on 7 October 2005.

The SoI records the intention to work, to mutual advantage, in developing working relationships and agreements that enable the sharing of analysis and data on submarine platform and equipment requirements, concepts and design.

Additionally, the SoI provides for the benefits of interoperability and synergy in submarine construction, equipment production and logistic support to be maximised. Such work will not compromise the retention of submarine design capability in this country.

Ty Gwyn Nursing Home

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his colleagues in the Welsh Assembly Government regarding the closure of the Ty Gwyn nursing home for ex-servicemen suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. [26152]

Mr. Touhig: MOD officials are in discussion with officials from the Department of Health and the devolved Administrations about the provision of services for former service personnel suffering from mental illness resulting from their service. They have not yet had the opportunity to discuss in detail the question of the closure of Ty Gwyn, which was one of a number of facilities with the capability for treating ex-service personnel suffering from PTSD. However, the question of whether its closure leaves any gaps in the capability for treating ex-service personnel suffering from PTSD is one of the subjects for discussion at a meeting planned for 19 December.

US Military Bases

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what authority UK military police forces have in United States military bases situated in the United Kingdom. [35459]

Mr. Ingram: The UK military police have lawful authority to arrest an individual suspected of a criminal offence if that person is subject to UK military law. The power is set out in the Service Discipline Acts. The United States visiting force is not subject to the Service Discipline Acts.
 
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Under Article VII of the Agreement regarding the Status of Forces of the parties to the North Atlantic Treaty (SOFA), the United States visiting force stationed in the United Kingdom have the right to police the premises which they occupy and may take all appropriate measures to ensure the maintenance of order and security on such premises. Where there are no United States policing and security forces present, or a significant threat exists from demonstrator activity, the United States forces have agreed that the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) can undertake the policing task on their behalf.

The MDP is a statutory British police force with constabulary powers as defined in the MDP Act 1987, as amended by the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. Although the MDP can exercise these constabulary powers, incidents solely involving United States visiting force personnel and associated civilians will normally be handled by the United States authorities in accordance with SOFA.

US-registered Aircraft

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions since September 2001 US-registered aircraft tail number (a) N313P and (b) N44982, formerly N8068V and N379P, has landed at United Kingdom military airfields with (i) Kabul and (ii) Baghdad as its (A) origin and (B) destination; [35460]

(2) on how many occasions since September 2001 US-registered aircraft tail number (a) N313P and (b) N44982, formerly N8068V and N379P, has landed at United Kingdom military airfields with an airport in (i) Jordan, (ii) Syria, (iii) Romania and (iv) Poland as its (A) origin and (B) destination; [35444]

(3) on how many occasions since September 2001 US-registered aircraft tail number (a) N313P and (b) N44982, formerly N8068V and N379P, has landed at United Kingdom military airfields with an airport in (i) Libya, (ii) Uzbekistan, (iii) Morocco and (iv) Egypt as its (A) origin and (B) destination. [35443]

Mr. Ingram: The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Cemeteries (Gravesham)

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the parish council in Gravesham about the re-use of cemeteries. [37621]

Ms Harman: We have no record of an approach by a parish council in Gravesham on this matter. In my statement on 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 3WS, I set out our immediate plans for taking forward our plans for burial law reform, including the question of re-using old burial grounds.
 
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Criminal Cases (Competitive Tendering)

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will publish the advice her Department has received on the impact on ethnic diversity in the legal professions of the introduction of competitive tendering for criminal cases; and if she will make a statement. [35085]

Bridget Prentice: The Lord Chancellor has asked Lord Carter of Coles to produce a plan to reform to the way publicly funded legal advice and representation are procured by the state.

The Legal Services Commission has commissioned research on ethnic diversity that includes an assessment of the possible impact of competitive tendering on legal aid firms that are owned or controlled by ethnic minorities. The Commission will publish this research once Lord Carter has reported early next year.

We want to see a fair and sustainable legal aid system that provides access to justice for all who need it, gives the taxpayer value for money and is fair for practitioners.

We also want to see a legal profession that is more reflective of the society it serves. On 23 November, I published a report Increasing Diversity in the Legal Profession" setting out what steps the Government will take to achieve this.

Criminal Justice Act

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many sentences have been passed under Part 12 Chapter 5 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003; and what guidance has been provided by (a) the Government and (b) the courts on the assessment of dangerousness in section 229 of that Act. [32851]

Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.

Between April 2005 (when the legislation was implemented) and October 2005, 321 prisoners were received into custody under an extended sentence and 220 prisoners were received under a sentence of imprisonment or detention for public protection.

The Government have not published any guidance on the assessment of dangerousness in section 229 of the Act. The Court of Appeal recently considered the dangerous offender provisions in the guideline case of R v. Lang and 12 others (Times November 10). The court set out several principles that courts should consider when deciding if an offender met the criteria of dangerousness as required by the Act.

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