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2 May 2006 : Column 1344W—continued
Insurance Fraud
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps the Crown Prosecution Service is taking to prosecute insurance fraud. [67203]
The Solicitor-General:
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes all cases of dishonesty, including insurance fraud, vigorously. When a case is received from the police it is reviewed in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. If there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute, the CPS will do so.
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The CPS is participating in the Attorney-General's Review of Fraud which was announced in Parliament on 27 October 2005, Official Report, columns 16–17WS. The Review is an interdepartmental review of the arrangements for tackling fraud with the aim of reducing the amount of fraud and minimising the harm it causes to the economy and wider society. The Review is expected to report to Ministers by the early summer of 2006.
DEFENCE
Afghanistan
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the (a) number and (b) scale of insurgent attacks which have taken place in Helmand province in Afghanistan in each of the last six months. [65957]
John Reid: We continually assess the number of insurgents believed to be operating in Helmand province and our understanding will develop further as the number of United Kingdom forces and Afghan security presence increase in the area.
For reasons of operational security we would not wish to elaborate upon our assessment of the numbers of insurgents or our assessments of their capability.
Annington Homes
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what ongoing involvement his Department has with (a) individual domestic dwellings and (b) communal areas of former military housing which Annington Homes has sold to private owners; and if he will make a statement. [66918]
Mr. Touhig: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no ongoing involvement with either individual domestic dwellings or communal areas of former military housing, which Annington Homes Ltd. (AHL) has sold to private owners.
However, in a few cases, some properties continue to be supplied with water and or sewerage treatment from military bases and MOD raises the relevant charges for these services.
The communal areas are generally operated by management companies formed and owned by committees of housing estate residents to whom the areas were sold.
Armed Forces Recruits
Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) nationality and (b) residential qualifications required by recruits to HM armed forces are. [67024]
Mr. Touhig: To be accepted for employment in the armed forces an applicant must satisfy the following conditions:
That at all times since birth he/she has been a British or Commonwealth citizen, or a Republic of Ireland national, and
That he/she was born in a country which is (or then was) within the Commonwealth or in the Republic of Ireland.
A waiver of these requirements may be granted, in exceptional circumstances, to applicants who are British or Commonwealth citizens, or Republic of Ireland nationals, at the time of their application. This would also cover those applicants who had been granted British citizenship.
With regard to residential qualifications, all applicants for the armed forces are normally required to spend a minimum five years residency in the UK immediately prior to application before being accepted into the services. Waivers to this rule are granted: they are based on an individual's circumstances and are dependent on the country in which the applicant has been living and the ease with which background security checks can be made.
Atomic Weapons Establishment
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research has been undertaken at the Atomic Weapons Establishment into the development of a new nuclear warhead for (a) Trident and (b) a replacement deterrent. [66283]
John Reid: I have nothing to add to the answer I gave on 21 March 2006, Official Report, column 364W, to the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis).
Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Minister for Veterans will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 13 March, reference 01611/2006. [67131]
Mr. Touhig: I wrote to the hon. Member on 28 April.
Defence Munitions Centre Crombie
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his written statement of 28 February 2006, Official Report, columns 9–10WS, on Defence Munitions Centre Crombie, what assessment his Department has made of the likely impact on levels of road freight on routes to and from Defence Munitions Centre Crombie following its proposed downgrading. [65090]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 April 2006, Official Report, column 5W.
Defence White Paper
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the next Defence White Paper; and what plans he has to revise the Defence Planning Assumptions. [67001]
John Reid: The Government are committed to producing a Defence White Paper within the life of the Parliament.
Defence Planning Assumptions are normally subject to routine review as part of the Department's planning cycle. On current plans this would lead to revised assumptions being issued in 2008.
2 May 2006 : Column 1347W
Defensive Aids Suite
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the IRCM ALQ 157 as a defensive aids suite; and if he will make a statement. [64828]
Mr. Ingram: The Air Warfare Centre undertakes regular assessments to gauge the effectiveness of defensive aids against current and emerging threats. Details of these assessments cannot be released as this would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces.
Departmental Websites
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) the websites operated by his Department and (b) the reports placed on the internet in March 2006, indicating in each case whether paper copies were also made available. [65204]
Mr. Touhig: The Ministry of Defence and armed forces collectively maintain four corporate websites:
| Organisation | Website address |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Defence | www.mod.uk |
| Royal Navy | www.royalnavy.mod.uk |
| British Army | www.army.mod.uk |
| Royal Air Force | www.raf.mod.uk |
In addition there are two corporate service recruiting sites (Royal Navy recruiting is embedded in the main RN site):
| Organisation | Website address |
|---|---|
| British Army | www.armyjobs.mod.uk/ |
| RAF Careers | www.rafcareers.com |
The following websites are maintained by business units within MOD. This list does not include sites created and maintained by individual units, regiments etc.
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The reports in the following table were placed on the www.mod.uk. RAF and Navy corporate websites between 1 March 2006 and 31 March 2006.
The complexity of the www.army.mod.uk domain means that a list of reports placed on the Army corporate internet site could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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