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2 Oct 2006 : Column 2558W—continued
Single Farm Payments
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he took to ensure all farmers were paid by the June deadline by the Rural Payments Agency. [83719]
Barry Gardiner: Following the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby South on 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 104WS, a number of measures were put in place to expedite claims.
The House has subsequently been kept informed of these measures on 27 March 2006, Official Report, column 543; 29 March 2006, Official Report, column 305WH; 19 April 2006, Official Report, column 13WS; 9 May 2006, Official Report, column 10WS; 22 June 2006, Official Report, column 1478; and, 5 July 2006, Official Report, column 42WS.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of previously outstanding payments under the single farm payment scheme have been paid in full in North Yorkshire. [91046]
Barry Gardiner [holding answer 13 September 2006]: As of 30 June 2006 the total value of single payment scheme payments made to customers in North Yorkshire amounted to £105,445,055.
The value of payments made to customers in North Yorkshire from 1 July 2006 through to 8 September 2006 amounted to £3,275,952.19.
The payment value includes partial payments made.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects Peter Brown to receive his single payment from the Rural Payments Agency (Holding number 33/186/0003 and single business identification 106326473). [85770]
Barry Gardiner: Mr. Brown received a Single Payment Scheme payment on 8 May 2006.
All work on Mr. Brown’s 2005 claim has been completed.
Mr. Brown was paid only flat rate. It has been stated that this is a full payment. After further inspection it appears that his historic entitlements have been omitted from payment.
An emergency change request has now been implemented onto the system and a manual payment was made on 4 August 2006.
Defence
Afghanistan
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests for (a) more helicopters, (b) other equipment and (c) more personnel from field commanders in Afghanistan have been received by (i) Permanent Joint HQ, (ii) Defence Chiefs of Staff and (iii) Ministers since 25 July 2006. [90949]
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has received any requests from British commanders for (a) more troops and (b) extra munitions or equipment to support the British deployment in Afghanistan. [91171]
Des Browne [holding answers 13 and 18 September 2006]: Both the Ministry of Defence and the Permanent Joint Headquarters regularly receive requests from Theatre for changes to the military capabilities and equipment deployed, as part of the routine process of evaluating our force structure. The more substantial changes in personnel levels or equipment are incorporated into periodic Force Level Reviews. I announced the outcome of the most recent such review on 10 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1131-35 and, for its helicopters, on 24 July 2006, Official Report, columns 74-76WS. More minor changes, such as my recent decision to deploy an additional Harrier GR7a to Kandahar, are made as soon as practicable.
Reports from British commanders in Theatre since 25 July have informed the UK's position towards the NATO Force Generation process: minor adjustments aside, they have not sought to reinforce 16 Air Assault Brigade and its supporting units.
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops have been committed by each country to the conflict in Afghanistan; and if he will make statement on the availability of troops from other NATO countries. [91014]
Des Browne [holding answer 13 September 2006]: ISAF currently comprises around 20,000 troops from 37 NATO and non-NATO nations:
Albania, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States of America.
The precise numbers offerees deployed by each nation fluctuates. At present the largest ISAF troop contributors are the following: the UK (around 5,000), Germany (around 2,750), Canada and the Netherlands (around 2,000), Italy (around 1,600), US (around 1,300), and France (almost 1,000); and many nations are also contributing essential enablers and capabilities such as helicopters, air support and medical facilities.
Identification of additional forces and capabilities for deployment is a matter for the NATO force generation process. We are working with NATO Allies and non-NATO troop contributors to ensure that commanders on the ground have access to the resources they need to carry out the ISAF mission.
There are also around 18,600 international troops in and around Afghanistan under the coalition-led Operation Enduring Freedom. The bulk of these are from the US, but this also includes forces from a number of NATO Allies.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) Ministers, (b) hon. Members and (c) Members of the House of Lords visited British troops in Afghanistan in (i) July and (ii) August 2006. [91156]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 18 September 2006]: In July, the following Members of the House of Commons Defence Committee visited Afghanistan:
James Arbuthnot MP
David Borrow MP
Dai Havard MP
David Hamilton MP
Adam Holloway MP
Brian Jenkins MP
Kevan Jones MP
Mark Lancaster MP
Willie Rennie MP
John Smith MP
The right hon. David Cameron MP, Leader of the Opposition, and Liam Fox MP, also visited in July as did the noble and gallant Lord Boyce.
In August, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn MP), visited British troops.
Aircraft
John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Harrier jets are grounded in Afghanistan because they are being used as sources of spare parts. [90918]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 13 September 2006]: None of the GR7 Harrier Jets deployed on operations in Afghanistan are grounded as a result of being used as a source for spare parts.
Armed Services (Training)
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the topics covered on induction courses for civilian medical staff taking up post at Army initial training establishments; and what advice is given concerning (a) the detection of bullying and (b) confidential reporting procedures. [26287]
Derek Twigg: Civilian medical staff attend induction training at their respective place of employment within the initial training organisation. They receive further induction training specific to their medical facility and the Army Primary Health Care Service (APHCS). Induction training covers broadly the following topics:
Unit organisation and personalities
Chain of command and lines of communication
Pay and personnel procedures
Health and Safety
Fraud and Theft
Training and development
Equality and diversity
Harassment and how to deal with it
Code of Practice for Instructors, for all military and civilian staff
Practice administration.
Equality and diversity, and harassment and how to deal with it cover advice during the induction process on the detection of bullying. Annual mandatory Equal Opportunities and Diversity Awareness training further enhance this. All staff have a number of MOD publications available to them which include The MOD Harassment Complaints Procedures, The Civil Service Bullying and Harassment Leaflet and the Adjutant General's Joint Equality and Diversity Directive.
Confidential reporting procedures are covered by the Army Primary Health Care Service guide on Confidentiality which refers to the Data Protection Act 1998, Human Rights Act 2000, and Department of Health guidelines on Protecting and Using Patient Information. All civilian medical practitioners are governed by General Medical Council Good Medical Practice, which includes matters of confidentiality and guidance on protecting and providing information.
Army Personnel
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many serving Regular Army personnel have (a) left and (b) given notice of their intention to leave the army within 12 months of completing service in Iraq since 2003. [91262]
(2) how many serving Territorial Army personnel have (a) left and (b) given notice of their intention to leave the army within 12 months of completing service in Iraq since 2003. [91263]
Derek Twigg [holding answers 18 September 2006]: The data is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people left the army in each of the last five years. [90749]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 11 September 2006]: Figures for “Outflow from UK Regular Forces” are published monthly in Tri-Service Publication 1 (TSP1), a copy of which is held in the Library of the House.
AWE Aldermaston
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the latest estimate is of total capital spending on AWE Aldermaston (a) in 2006-07 and (b) in each of the next three years. [91077]
Des Browne [holding answer 13 September 2006]: The currently planned capital expenditure at the two AWE sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield is in the order of £340 million in 2006-07 and £420 million for 2007-08, both at outturn prices. Spending plans for subsequent years have yet to be finalised.
Body Armour
Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all serving military personnel in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan are provided with body armour which protects vital organs in addition to the heart; and whether soldiers being sent to each country will be issued with the old body armour which protects the heart only. [91223]
Des Browne: Military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are provided with appropriate body armour for the tasks that they are undertaking. All troops deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan are issued with Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) as standard. This contains protective ceramic plates at the front and rear, which protect the heart and other organs in the upper thorax of the body. Two other body armour sets are available in theatre: Enhanced Personal Protective Equipment, known as 'Kestrel'; and Improved Performance Body Armour, known as 'Osprey' which provides additional protection, for example to the neck and shoulders.
Osprey sets will shortly replace ECBA as the minimum standard in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Delivery of Osprey to both theatres is expected to be substantially complete by late autumn.
Whether ECBA, Kestrel, Osprey or indeed, whether any body armour is worn, is determined by the commander's assessment of the nature of the task, the current threat, and the environment in which they are operating in.
Christmas Cards
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005. [45920]
Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence spent approximately £3,200 on the printing, purchase and posting of Christmas cards in 2005. This excludes a small amount spent by Defence Attachés (for representational purposes) which is not identifiable without disproportionate cost.
Defence Information Infrastructure Project
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the latest estimates are of the savings made by his Department arising from the EDS contract for the Defence Information Infrastructure project for each of the first three years. [90932]
Mr. Ingram: [holding answer 13 September 2006]: The estimate of savings to be made by the Department for each of the first three years of the Defence Information Infrastructure Project is shown in the following table:
| Financial year | Savings (£ million) |
| (1)
Actual (2 )Estimated | |
Defence Sector Employment
John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the degree to which Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) provisions were incorporated into the business case for the End 2 End (E2E) Logistics Review Air Depth Support Recommendation 40; and if he will make a statement; [90919]
(2) what assessment he has made of the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) in the awarding of contracts for (a) Tornado RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation (ROCET), (b) Tornado CMU, (c) Harrier Joint Upgrade and Maintenance Programme (JUMP) and (d) Tornado Tiger Team 1, VC10 Javelin Red; and what estimate he has made of the costs of TUPE-related activity in each case; [90921]
(3) what provision was made for the cost of the TUPE obligations in the (a) Tornado RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation (ROCET) and (b) Tornado CMU and Harrier Joint Upgrade and Maintenance Programme; and what the resultant costs were. [91232]
Mr. Ingram [holding answers 13 September 2006 and 18 September 2006]: The AMICUS trade union presented a claim against the Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems plc and Rolls Royce plc in the Cardiff employment tribunal on 26 July 2006, seeking, on behalf of affected employees, a declaration and an award for an alleged failure to consult under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981/2006 (TUPE) for certain transfers of work which may be linked to the Tornado ROCET, Tornado Combined Maintenance and Upgrade and Harrier JUMP contracts.
At present, it is not appropriate to comment in detail on the applicability of the aforementioned regulations and related costs to these contracts as we are still considering our response to the employment tribunal to avoid prejudicing the proceedings.
As I made clear in my letter to my hon. Friend of 25 July 2006, now placed in the Library of the House, it is clear that the overall costs of DARA work force restructuring/redundancy would have been broadly comparable irrespective of whether or not the provision of TUPE apply.
We are
considering the application of TUPE regulations as it relates to the
study carried out by Tornado Tiger Team 1. I will write to my hon.
Friend when this work has been completed. Under the ‘Red’
and ‘Amber’ phases of the VC10 Javelin programme, no
work which had been undertaken by the DARA work force was transferred to
either industry or a new owner. TUPE regulations therefore did not
apply.
John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of (a) voluntary and compulsory redundancies and (b) compulsory early retirement measures were at DARA St. Athan in each financial year between 2002-03 and 2005-06, broken down by contract; and what the estimated costs for 2006-07 are on the same basis. [90920]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 13 September 2006]: The voluntary and compulsory redundancy costs and compulsory early retirement costs for each financial year from 2002-03 at DARA St. Athan were as follows:
| £ million | ||
| Voluntary/Compulsory | Early Retirement | |
| (1
)Figures for redundancy costs for DARA St. Athan during 2002-03
and 2003-04 were not collected separately and are shown as
totals. | ||
The costs broken down by or attributed to the various aircraft contracts are not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
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