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10 May 2006 : Column 305W—continued
Recruitment
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on recruitment, search and selection agencies in each of the last five years. [68345]
Mr. Watson: This information is not held centrally as the authority for such expenditure has been delegated to business areas for some years. The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking a major review of its HR processes, including recruitment and aims to transform the current recruitment systems later this year. As part of this transformation process we have introduced a new data management system, HRMS, based on a Peoplesoft Human Resource management product. When the new system is fully operational, it is planned that data on how much the Department
spends on recruitment, search and selection agencies will be available centrally. Until such time the cost involved in providing the information requested will continue to be disproportionate.
Redress of Grievance Cases
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many redress of grievance cases in each of the armed forces have resulted in (a) a conviction and (b) other forms of punishment in the last12 months. [68517]
Mr. Watson: A redress of grievance is a complaint made by a service person on any matter relating to their service. Any criminal or disciplinary proceedings against other individuals that may result from an investigation into those grievances are separate matters and it is not possible to provide the information in the form that has been requested.
Evacuation/Hospital Treatment
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the UK hospitals (a) where service personnel have been treated and (b) for injuries sustained in theatre of active operations in each of the last five years; and how many such personnel each hospital treated in each year. [66541]
Des Browne [holding answer 27 April 2006]: In the last five years, Service personnel requiring hospital treatment in the UK, including those suffering from injuries sustained in theatre, have been treated at the following six MOD Hospital Units (MDHU):
MDHU Birmingham (part of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine), Selly Oak Hospital, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
MDHU Derriford, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
MDHU Frimley Park, Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
MDHU Northallerton, Friarage Hospital, South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust
MDHU Peterborough, Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
MDHU Portsmouth, Queen Alexandra's Hospital, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Our records show that the number of Service personnel treated at each MDHU in each of the last five years is as follows:
It is not possible to break down these figures by operational and non-operational injury/illness. Such information is not held centrally and to obtain it would require the examination of the individual medical records of every patient. These can only be viewed for non-clinical reasons with the express consent of the individual concerned, to protect patient confidentiality. To seek permission, and then to extract the information from the records, could only be done at disproportionate cost.
Since 2001, the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine has been the main receiving unit for patients aeromedically evacuated from an operational theatre. If a long stay is expected, patients can be transferred to a hospital local to their home for less acute treatment, enabling them to be nearer to their family. Indeed, a significant proportion of service personnel requiring hospital treatment in the UK in general are treated, both as emergencies and electively, at other NHS hospitals. The decision to do this is based on relative waiting times and on convenience for the individual patient and the patient's family. Additionally, patients requiring more complex rehabilitation for musculo-skeletal conditions can be referred, where appropriate, to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the UK military hospitals that British military casualties are sent to after evacuation from (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. [65448]
Mr. Watson: There are no longer any stand-alone military hospitals in the United Kingdom. As part of the 1994 “Defence Costs Study”, most of these were closed in the 1990s when it became clear that they no longer had sufficient patient volume and case mix to develop and maintain the skills of our medical personnel to the appropriate operational and NHS standards. They have been replaced by Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHUs) located within University hospital Birmingham, South Tees, Frimley Park, Peterborough, Plymouth, and Portsmouth hospitals NHS trusts. Where necessary, we could also use the hospital facilities in Cyprus for treatment, or as a staging post prior to treatment in the UK.
When casualties are aeromedically evacuated to the UK, the usual receiving hospital is the University hospital Birmingham. However, at times where there are a large number of casualties, the decision as to which hospital they should be treated at is made in conjunction with the Department of Health, based on clinical need and bed availability.
Staff Development
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of (a) staff away days and (b) staff team building exercises in his Department in each of the last three years. [69115]
Mr. Watson: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Territorial Army
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what spending has been allocated to Territorial Army recruitment for (a) the last three quarters of 2005, (b) the first quarter of 2006 and (c) 2006-07. [43677]
Mr. Watson: It is not possible to provide comprehensive and accurate details on Territorial Army (TA) recruiting spend alone nor break it down into the detail requested. Spending on TA recruitment is a multi-layer activity involving disparate formations, units and agencies spanning a number of different budget areas, which allocate funds over a financial year, not by quarters.
The overall national marketing spend for financial year (FY) 2005-06 for the Army (both Regular and TA) was £38.4 million and the national marketing budget for FY 2006-07 is £25.8 million. This includes £5 million and £2.3 million specifically earmarked for TA activities. However, the TA also benefits further from many elements of the rest of the national Army marketing budget, which are aimed at both the Regular Army and the TA. These encompass television and press advertising, the production of DVDs, leaflets, pamphlets and brochures as well as the overarching production and design costs.
In addition, £12.9 million was spent on various TA recruiting (and in some cases retention) initiatives in FY 2005-06 and £12.5 million is allocated for 2006-07. These initiatives include the establishment of additional posts to further improve TA recruiting hierarchy and infrastructure, the establishment of Brigade Recruitment and Advisory Teams, improvement of recruiting Reception Centres and other ad hoc recruiting drives.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the main areas of the Territorial Army are identified (a) as undermanned and (b) for increased recruitment. [43691]
Mr. Watson: Territorial Army (TA) manning has been under pressure for a number of years and the Army faces a growing challenge in recruiting sufficient
officers and soldiers of an appropriate quality for all branches of the TA. Particular areas for recruiting focus on increasing the number of young officers joining the TA, medical technicians, specialist trades in the Royal Logistics Corps, communications technicians and other more general trade soldiers in the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Infantry and Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. A major change programme, known as Project One Army Recruiting is under way to improve recruiting into the Regular and Territorial Army by integrating the recruiting operations of the two organisations.
Type 45 Destroyers
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate the naval staff have made of the total number of Type 45 destroyers required to protect (a) a carrier task group and (b) an amphibious task group against aerial attack. [67918]
Mr. Ingram [ holding answer 3 May 2006]: There are many variables involved when determining the number of air defence ships required to defend a carrier or amphibious task group. These include the level of the threat, the various readiness levels of the ships, the level of multinational involvement and the scale of the operation. It is the capability provided by the ships, rather than their numbers, that determine the level of protection provided.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on employment at shipbuilders' yards of a decision not to build the seventh and eighth Type 45 destroyers. [67920]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 3 May 2006]: No decision has yet been made on ordering the seventh and eighth Type 45 destroyers. When approval is sought, all factors will be taken into account. In particular, any decision will be made in the context of our defence industrial strategy, a key element of which is to retain onshore the ability to deliver a number of strategic capabilities, including those required to build and integrate complex ships in the United Kingdom.
To that end, we are working with industry to develop a common understanding of the core load required to sustain the industrial capabilities we identified as important to sustain in the DIS. We expect industry to restructure itself to improve its performance and address the fundamental issues of affordability and productivity to deliver the equipment we need; to sustain onshore the industrial capabilities we require for national security; and to provide a sustainable and profitable industry, with clearer employment prospects.
UFOs
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 28 March 2006, Official Report, column 904W, on unidentified flying objects, on how many occasions there has been an assessment of evidence of risk to the integrity of UK airspace in the
last five years; and what the job title is of desk officers assigned to this task. [68757]
Mr. Watson: Over the last five years evidence of risk to the integrity of UK airspace from a reported unidentified flying object has been assessed on 12 occasions; in no case was there considered to be any actual risk. Analysis of reports for this purpose is made by the military desk officer responsible for airspace integrity within the UK operations branch.
Cabinet Office
Land Ownership (Shropshire)
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much land is owned in Shropshire by the Duchy of Lancaster. [68806]
Hilary Armstrong: The Duchy of Lancaster owns approximately one hectare of land in Shropshire.
Culture, Media and Sport
Food Advertising Control
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will respond to the Ofcom proposals for greater controls on food advertising of foods high in fat, sugar and salt. [68566]
Mr. Woodward: The Government welcomes Ofcom's consultation on options to strengthen the rules on broadcast food promotion to children and we look forward to discussing the issues further with them in the light of the responses to their consultation.
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