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4 Sep 2006 : Column 1686W—continued
Anti-Armour Missile Systems
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the (a) Brimstone and (b) Maverick anti-armour missile system meets in full the RAF’s anti-armour requirements. [87835]
Mr. Ingram: Our anti-armour requirements are met by a range of air and land systems and are not defined by service. The RAF’s contribution to meeting this requirement is currently offered by Brimstone on Tornado GR4; Maverick on Harrier GR7; and the RBL755 and BL755 bombs on Jaguar GR3a, Harrier GR7 and Tornado GR4.
Armed Forces (Fit for Task)
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force personnel were fit for task in every year since 2003. [86997]
Mr. Ingram: The fit for task figure provides a quarterly measure of all trained personnel that are considered medically fit for the task they were posted to their ship/unit/station to perform. It is the balance of the trained strength that is not medically downgraded. It is important to note, however, that the majority of medically downgraded personnel remain fit enough to work in some other capacity. For example, for the first quarter of year 2006-07 whereas 94.5 per cent. 83.7 per cent. and 90.2 per cent. of Royal Navy, Army and RAF personnel respectively were fit for task, only approximately 0.5 per cent. in each Service were considered unfit for any military duties. The remainder were not fully fit for task, but still fit to work in some other capacity.
Figures up to and including 1 April 2005 were collated centrally by the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) and give a snapshot of the situation on the first day of each quarter. Since April 2005, the figures have been obtained directly from the three single services and give a snapshot of the situation at one point in time during each quarter. This will usually be a snapshot at the end of each quarter, but the exact reporting date can vary between each service.
The following tables show the percentage of trained regular(1) personnel in each service that were not medically downgraded in each quarter since January 2003.
| Service | ( 2) 1 January 2003 | 1 April 2003 | 1 July 2003 | 1 October 2003 |
| Source: DASA (Tri-Service) | ||||
| Service | 1 January 2004 | 1 April 2004 | 1 July 2004 | 1 October 2004 |
| Source: DASA (Tri-Service) | ||||
| Service | 1 January 2005 | 1 April 2005 |
| Source: DASA (Tri-Service) | ||
| Service | ( 3) Q1 2005-06 | Q2 2005-06 | Q3 2005-06 | Q4 2005-06 |
| Source: DMSD | ||||
| Service | Q1 2006-07 |
| (1) Excludes Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised Reservists. (2) Army figures in the first three tables are for Army Soldiers only (not Officers). (3 ‘)Q1 2005-06’ refers to a snapshot during the period from 1 April 2005 to 30 June 2005, and so on. Source: DMSD | |
Assets Disposal
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to “Releasing the resources to meet the challenge ahead”, Cm 6889, what assets he has identified for disposal. [86937]
Des Browne: The value for money work conducted by the Ministry of Defence as part of the comprehensive spending review included an initial assessment of additional assets which could be disposed of in the spending review 2004 period (such as the sale of estate in Greater London and of surplus assets linked to redevelopment of Aldershot and Salisbury plain barracks). It also included a broad assessment of the overall value of assets which may become available for disposal in the period 2008-09 to 2010-11. These preliminary assumptions will be refined as part of comprehensive spending review implementation work.
British Troops (Afghanistan)
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on the cost to families of posting parcels to British troops based in Afghanistan; and if he will provide free postage for small parcels to troops in Afghanistan from their families. [87092]
Mr. Watson: Recent representations received from hon. Members and members of the public regarding the cost of posting parcels to operational theatres this year are summarised in the following table:
| Parliamentary questions | Ministerial correspondence | Treat official correspondence | Total | |
Free postage for small parcels to service personnel was a temporary feature of the initial deployment of HM forces to Iraq in 2003 which ceased on 8 April 2004 when it was deemed that the complete operational welfare package (which includes access to the expeditionary forces institute (the deployable retail and leisure arm of the NAAFI)) was available.
Deployment to Afghanistan was part of a long- planned NATO deployment in which operational welfare provision was considered in detail. As a result, those deployed in Afghanistan are in receipt of welfare facilities comparable to other operational theatres worldwide; to provide a free parcel service to those in Afghanistan would not be equitable and would be divisive. Commanders in the theatre of operations do not regard a free postal packet scheme as a priority and would prefer to see available welfare money spent on facilities in theatre.
As a result of a review in 2005, it was agreed that a free parcel scheme would be provided at Christmas for a short period of approximately four weeks to all overseas operational theatres. An announcement regarding dates for 2006 will be published in the autumn.
Capita Group
Chris Grayling:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have held with directors and senior
executives of (i) Capita Group plc and (ii) its subsidiaries since 1 January 2004; and whether (A) Capita Group plc and (B) its subsidiaries have provided input (1) in writing and (2) in person to policy discussions in his Department since 1 January 2004. [61088]
Mr. Ingram: No Defence Minister has held a meeting with representatives from Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries since 1 January 2004. The information on input to policy discussions with officials is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Civil Contingencies Reaction Forces
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current actual strength is of each of the civil contingencies reaction forces. [87698]
Des Browne: Detailed figures for civil contingency reaction forces are not routinely collated. The current strength of the Territorial Army is 32,000, from which the civil contingency reaction forces are mainly drawn.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel from the volunteer reserves are committed to the civil contingencies reaction force in addition to their normal role. [87701]
Des Browne: All personnel who volunteer to participate in a civil contingency reaction force are also committed to undertake other reserves tasks. Personnel who volunteer undertake an additional five days training annually.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many volunteer reserves who are committed to the civil contingencies reaction forces are deployed overseas. [87702]
Des Browne: In the event that individual volunteers are deployed on operations overseas they become unavailable for civil contingencies reaction forces duties and another volunteer is sought to fill the vacancy. In this way the operational capability of the civil contingency reaction force is not compromised.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many additional personnel have been recruited to the civil contingencies reaction forces; and what the target figure is in the next 12 months. [87703]
Des Browne: Reservists are not specifically recruited into a civil contingencies reaction forces. Individuals are recruited into the reserves, and the civil contingency reaction forces is then manned from the reserves. Each force has a target strength of 500 personnel; there are no plans to change this.
There are currently 14 Territorial Army infantry battalions with civil contingency reaction force roles, providing a maximum of 7,000 personnel. The number of infantry battalions with such as role will reduce to 13 in April 2007, in line with the future army structure.
Claims for Compensation
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims for compensation for dismissal from the armed forces on grounds of sexuality were made (a) before the European Court of Human Rights ruling on 19 October 2002 and (b) after 19 December 2003; of the claims in each category (i) how many resulted in a payment of compensation, (ii) what the (A) highest and (B) average payment was and (iii) how many remain outstanding; how many of the claims made after 19 December 2003 have been refused due to the date of application; and if he will make a statement. [88300]
Mr. Watson [holding answer 25 July 2006]: 153 claims for compensation were made prior to 19 October 2002, with two claims submitted after 19 December 2003. Of those claims submitted prior to 19 October 2002, 38 have been settled, the highest award being £147,875, with an average award of £35,598.00. 62 of these claims remain outstanding. Both the claims received after 19 December 2003 have been refused on the grounds of their late application.
Combined Services Detained Interrogation Centre
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2006, Official Report, column 896W, on the combined services detained interrogation centre, when he expects to be able to write to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South. [88236]
Mr. Ingram: The work required to find information about the combined services detailed interrogation centre has taken time as we have wished to provide as complete an answer as possible from the surviving records. I have now written to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Command Papers
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the unnumbered Command Papers produced by his Department in each Session since 1976; by what means (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public can (i) inspect and (ii) obtain copies; and if he will make a statement. [81288]
Mr. Watson: Documents which are laid before Parliament as unnumbered Command Papers are generally restricted to explanatory notes to treaties, explanatory memorandum to statutory instruments and some Treasury minutes. All other documents are published in the numbered Command Papers series.
A complete list of unnumbered Command Papers can only be produced at disproportionate cost.
Copies of all unnumbered Command Papers are made available via the Vote Office.
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