| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
4 Sep 2006 : Column 1681W—continued
Voluntary and Community Sector
Mr. Hands:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding the
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister gave to the Association for Research in the Voluntary and Community Sector in each year since 1997; and what plans her Department has to provide funding. [88079]
Mr. Woolas: No funding was made centrally by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to the Association for Research in the Voluntary and Community Sector (ARVCS). We have no current plans to provide funding to ARVCS in future.
Defence
Active Duty (Deployment)
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of service personnel were deployed on active duty in (a) January and (b) July of each year since 1976. [85213]
Mr. Watson: The most current figures collected from manual records show that on 11 July 2006 the deployment of UK service personnel on operations overseas was:
| Service | Number of personnel deployed |
| Notes: 1. Data are rounded to the nearest 10 to prevent disclosure of sensitive information. 2. Figures include mobilised reservists. | |
Figures for the number of deployed UK service personnel are not available in a consistent time series; however, percentages of service personnel undertaking operations and other military tasks are published in the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts.
Figures from 2001-02 to 2005-06 are shown in the following tables, which have been extracted from each annual report. Summary information for 1998-99 and 1999-2000 was published in the respective Ministry of Defence performance reports (CM4520, CM5000), copies of which are available in the Library of the House. This information was not compiled on a comparable basis to those set out as follows.
Quarterly information for years predating the 1998 strategic defence review is not held centrally.
The figures given as follows report the percentage of regular armed forces undertaking operations and other military tasks. These figures are quarterly averages and are calculated by comparing the number of personnel undertaking operations and other military tasksagainst the total strength of the armed forces. Figures for 2005-06 are collated using a different methodology, and are therefore not comparable.
| Percentage of regular armed forces undertaking operations and other military tasks( 1) during 2005-06( 2,3) | ||||
| Percentage | ||||
| April to June | July to September | October to December | January to March | |
| (1) Includes activities such as nuclear deterrence, military aid to the Civil Authorities and to the Civil Powers in Northern Ireland, integrity of UK waters and airspace, defence and security of the overseas territories and of the Cyprus sovereign base areas and defence relations, alliances and support to wider British interests. (2 )These figures are quarterly averages and reflect the burden of activity imposed by the operations and military tasks undertaken by each service. Figures are based on man-day equivalents. (3 )Percentages include personnel in preparation for and recovering from operations (e.g. in the case of the Army it takes account of those on pre-operational training and post-operational leave). | ||||
| Percentage of trained strength of regular forces deployed on operations and other military tasks( 1) during 2004-05( 2,3) | ||||
| Percentage | ||||
| April to June | July to September | October to December | January to March | |
| (1) Includes activities such as nuclear deterrence, military aid to the Civil Authorities and to the Civil Powers in Northern Ireland, integrity of UK waters and airspace, defence and security of the overseas territories and of the Cyprus sovereign base areas and Defence relations, alliances and support to wider British interests. (2 )These figures are quarterly averages and reflect the burden of activity imposed by the operations and military tasks undertaken by each service. Figures are based on man-day equivalents. (3 )Percentages exclude those either preparing for, or recovering from, deployments. | ||||
| Percentage of trained strength of regular forces deployed on operations and other military tasks( 1) during 2003-04( 2,3) | ||||
| Percentage | ||||
| April to June | July to September | October to December | January to March | |
| (1) Includes activities such as nuclear deterrence, military aid to the Civil Authorities and to the Civil Powers in Northern Ireland, integrity of UK waters and airspace, defence and security of the overseas territories and of the Cyprus sovereign base areas and Defence relations, alliances and support to wider British interests. (2 )These figures are quarterly averages and reflect the burden of activity imposed by the operations and military tasks undertaken by each service. Figures are based on man-day equivalents. (3 )Percentages exclude those either preparing for, or recovering from, deployments. | ||||
| Percentage of trained strength of regular forces deployed on operations and other military tasks( 1) during 2002-03( 2,3) | ||||
| Percentage | ||||
| April to June | July to September | October to December | January to March | |
| (1) Includes activities such as nuclear deterrence, military aid to the Civil Authorities and to the Civil Powers in Northern Ireland, integrity of UK waters and airspace, defence and security of the overseas territories and of the Cyprus sovereign base areas and Defence relations, alliances and support to wider British interests. (2 )These figures are quarterly averages and reflect the burden of activity imposed by the operations and military tasks undertaken by each service. Figures are based on man-day equivalents. (3 )Percentages exclude those either preparing for, or recovering from, deployments. | ||||
| Percentage of trained strength of regular forces deployed on operations and other military tasks( 1) during 2001-02( 2,3,4) | ||||
| Percentage | ||||
| April to June | July to September | October to December | January to March | |
| (1) Includes activities such as nuclear deterrence, military aid to the Civil Authorities and to the Civil Powers in Northern Ireland, integrity of UK waters and airspace, defence and security of the overseas territories and of the Cyprus sovereign base areas and Defence relations, alliances and support to wider British interests. (2 )These figures are quarterly averages and reflect the burden of activity imposed by the operations and military tasks undertaken by each service. Figures are based on man-day equivalents. (3) 2001-02 figures include personnel on Exercise SAIF SAREEAII. (4) Percentages exclude those either preparing for, or recovering from, deployments. | ||||
Aerial Photography
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the security services have access to high-resolution (a) aerial and (b) satellite photography of domestic English properties and English landscapes. [88411]
Des Browne: I am withholding this information as it relates to bodies dealing with security matters.
Afghanistan
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the minimum time is for notification to units designated for tours of Afghanistan that they are earmarked to serve in (a) 16th Air Assault Brigade and (b) other posts in theatre. [81995]
Des Browne: Units can generally expect to receive at least six months’ warning, and individual augmentees 90 days’ warning, for operational tours, including Afghanistan. However, the size and shape offerees required in any operational theatre is kept under review, and adjusted as appropriate. There will therefore be occasions when units or individuals are required to deploy at much shorter notice.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with (a) his counterparts in other NATO countries, (b) the NATO Secretary-General and (c) his counterparts in other non-NATO countries on force generation for deployment in Helmand province, Afghanistan in the last three months; what the outcome of these discussions has been to date; whether they are ongoing; and if he will make a statement. [82863]
Des Browne [holding answer 6 July 2006]: As a result of the NATO force generation process held in 2005 and 2006, Denmark and Estonia have already deployed forces to Helmand province alongside the UK as part of the NATO-led international security assistance force (ISAF).
I continue to have regular discussions with the NATO Secretary-General, NATO allies and with other ISAF troop contributing nations on force generation for ISAF, including, where appropriate, for Helmand province. These discussions include bilateral meetings and the regular meetings of NATO Defence Ministers, the last of which took place on 8 June.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment was made of the (a) strength and (b) fighting capability of (i) Taliban and (ii) other illegal armed groups prior to the announcement of further troop deployment on 26th January 2006. [83929]
Des Browne: The Government's view then, as now, was that the Taliban and other illegally armed groups do not pose a long-term strategic threat to Afghanistan, though they do represent a significant impediment to the country's near-term reconstruction, particularly in the south. That is why we have deployed a substantial number of UK forces to enable the expansion of the NATO-led international security assistance force into that area.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the level of support for armed groups in Helmand from (a) Iran and (b) Pakistan. [84899]
Des Browne: We have no credible evidence of direct support by the Pakistan or Iranian Governments to insurgents in Helmand province in Afghanistan. There is, however, some indication that armed groups in Helmand receive support from sympathisers and associates in neighbouring countries.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral statement of 10 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1131-48, on Afghanistan (troop levels), how many combat personnel will be deployed as part of the additional deployment to Helmand province; and when they will arrive. [85561]
Des Browne: The majority of the additional forces that I announced on 10 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1131-35W, are deploying to maintain momentum on reconstruction activity or to provide associated support to that task. Around 260 personnel will be dedicated to force protection or security tasks.
Ammunition
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many live shells and bombs have been used by UK forces in the last three years. [55287]
Mr. Ingram: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Annington Homes
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many homes have been sold by the Ministry of Defence to Annington Homes (a) in England and (b) at Colchester in the last five years. [86337]
Mr. Watson: In 1996, the Ministry of Defence sold and leased back 57,428 houses in England and Wales to Annington Homes Limited (AHL). A provision of the 1996 sale agreement is that when MOD terminates the leasehold interest in properties it no longer requires, it also completes the freehold transfer of the properties to AHL. Since April 2001, just over 5,300 properties have been handed back to AHL in England and Wales, including 255 properties in Colchester.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |