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2 Feb 2006 : Column 708W—continued
Service Children's Education
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of 15-year-olds in schools operated by Service Children's Education achieved five or more GCSEs or equivalent at grades (a) A* to C and (b) A* to C including English and mathematics in each year since 1995. [47158]
Mr. Touhig: Service Children's Education (SCE) was launched as an agency of the Ministry of Defence on 1 April 1996, at that point assuming responsibility for all Service schools located outwith the United Kingdom. I am therefore unable to provide the academic achievement for 1995. Academic results for 2005 currently await formal validation by representatives of Defence Internal Audit and will be published in the SCE Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House, prior to the summer recess. The relevant Agency results from 1996 to 2004 are set out in the tables:
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCSE(s) 5+ A* to C | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| Total | 190 | 45 | 193 | 44 | 218 | 48 |
| Total including Mathematics and English | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCSE(s) 5+ A* to C | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| Total | 194 | 47 | 211 | 52 | 183 | 48 |
| Total including Mathematics and English | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCSE(s) 5+ A* to C | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| Total | 208 | 57 | 208 | 60 | 223 | 62 |
| Total including mathematics and English | 183 | 50 | 166 | 48 | 169 | 47 |
n/a=not available
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of 11-year-olds in schools operated by Service Children's Education achieved level 4 in (a) English, (b) mathematics, (c) science, (d) reading, (e) writing, (f) reading and writing and (g) reading, writing and mathematics in each year since 1995. [47366]
Mr. Touhig: Service Children's Education (SCE) was launched as an agency of the Ministry of Defence on 1 April 1996, at that point assuming responsibility for all Service schools located outwith the United Kingdom. I am therefore unable to provide details of academic achievement in 1995. Academic results for 2005 currently await formal validation by representatives of Defence Internal Audit and will be published in the SCE Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House, prior to the summer recess.
The relevant Agency results from 1996 to 2004 are set out in the tables.
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n/a=not available
Service Personnel
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2006, Official Report, column 226W, on service personnel, what options he has identified for the use of trained mediators in the resolution of disputes; what measures were approved by the Service Personnel Group following its meeting of 19 January; and what the timetable is for further action. [47787]
Mr. Touhig: A number of options regarding the use of trained mediators in the resolution of disputes were discussed by the Service Personnel Executive Group on 19 January 2006. These are now subject to further discussion with the Equal Opportunities Commission and I will write to my hon. Friend when a course of action has been decided upon.
SevenCs
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the rules governing the commercial operations of his Department and its agencies; how his Department applied the rules to the acquisition of SevenCs by the UK Hydrographic Office; and if he will make a statement. [47221]
Mr. Touhig
[holding answer 31 January 2006]: Guidance covering the Ministry of Defence commercial policy and procedures is contained in the commercial toolkit (CmT) available through the acquisition management system at www.ams.mod.uk.
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In relation to the UK Hydrographic Office the rules governing its commercial operations are set out in the Government Trading Funds Act 1973, the Government Trading Act 1990 and the Hydrographic Trading Fund Order 1996. In addition to this UK legislation, German civil law also governed the acquisition of SevenCs by the UK Hydrographic Office. In acquiring SevenCs the UK Hydrographic Office ensured that it did so within the applicable rules.
Soldiers (Retirement)
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has commissioned into the appropriate retirement age of soldiers. [45938]
Mr. Touhig:
In August 2001 the Army Policy and Resources Committee authorised a review of the soldiers' career structures. The review, known as the Non Commissioned Engagement and Career Study, reported its findings in November 2002 and recommended the introduction of a more flexible and efficient career structure for soldiers, that would meet the operational and administrative needs of the Army and the individual in the 21st century while enabling better use of those soldiers who wish to serve beyond a 22-year engagement. As a first step in November 2004 the longer career model (LCM) was introduced for the staff and personnel support branch of the Adjutant General's Corps offering the possibility of three-five years extension of service beyond the 22-year point. The LCM is also available to other cap badges and several are now actively investigating the feasibility of longer
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service for their soldiers. Plans to offer even greater flexibility in length of service for soldiers are also under consideration.
Territorial Army
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army were declared Fit For Role at the end of the last training year. [41654]
Mr. Touhig:
The number of members of the Territorial Army that were declared Fit For Role at the end of the last training year is not currently held
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centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost. I can confirm that as at 1 April 2005, 19,290 officers and soldiers were declared as trained. It is this which determines whether an member of the TA may be called up for deployment.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Territorial Army bounty is for (a) the first year, (b) the second year, (c) the third and fourth years and (d) five years and above; and how many bounties were claimed in respect of each band for 2004–05. [43676]
Mr. Touhig: The rates of Territorial Army bounty can be found in the following table.
(20) In certain individual cases involving special business or domestic reasons, COs may permit trade qualified personnel of independent and specialist units to undertake the lower training liability.
Note:
Excludes non regular permanent staff officers and soldiers
The number of TA bounties paid in 2004–05 can be found in the following table. It should be noted that these bounties paid were for qualification of bounty in the training year 2003–04.
| Classification | Recipients |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | 2,098 |
| Year 3 | 2,288 |
| Year 5 | 14,585 |
| Not classified | 2,96 |
| Total | 21,167 |
1. The figures include OTCs. 2. Those 'not classified' are personnel that do not fit into the standard categories.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) the establishment and (b) the strength is of each Territorial Army Infantry Battalion; and what the establishment is for the future Territorial Army Infantry Battalions under the Future Army Structure. [43680]
Mr. Touhig: The establishment and current strength of each Territorial Army Infantry Battalions is as shown as follows:
No decisions have yet been taken on the future establishment for the Territorial Army Infantry Battalions. An announcement will be made in due course.
Dr. Fox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) strength was of Territorial Army (i) staff, (ii) Royal Armoured Corps, (iii) Royal Artillery, (iv) Royal Engineers, (v) Royal
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Signals, (vi) infantry, (vii) Army Air Corps, (viii) Royal Army Chaplains Department, (ix) Royal Logistics Corps, (x) Royal Army Medical Corps, (xi) Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, (xii) Adjutant General's Corps, (xiii) Royal Army Veterinary Corps, (xiv) Small Arms School Corps, (xv) Royal Army Dentistry Corps, (xvi) Intelligence Corps, (xvii) Army Physical Training Corps, (xviii) general list, (ixx) Queen Alexandra's Royal Auxiliary Nursing Corps,
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(xx) Officer Training Corps and (xxi) unallocated staff in (A) 1997 and (B) 2005. [45644]
Mr. Touhig: At 1 April 1997 the establishment and strength of the Territorial Army was 59,000 and 56,200 respectively. At 1 April 2005 the establishment and strength of the Territorial Army was 41,610 and 36,180 respectively. Table A provides a breakdown for the Territorial Army strengths by Arm and Service. A breakdown of the establishment figures for 1997 is not available.
n/a=Not available
Notes:
1. All data exclude NRPS.
2. All data include trained and untrained.
3. Standard Arm/Service titles used except Royal Army Medical Services.
4. Royal Army Medical Services comprises of Royal Army Medical, Veterinary and Dental Corps and Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps.
5. All strengths and 1 April 2005 Establishment data rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in '5' have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 1 April 1997 Establishment figure is rounded to the nearest 100.
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