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7 Nov 2006 : Column 1475W—continued
Medals
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have been waiting (a) under six months, (b) 12 to 18 months and (c) more than 18 months for medals. [97601]
Derek Twigg: As at 27 October 2006, 1,725 members of the armed forces had been waiting under six months for their medal entitlement to be assessed. 1,221 of these applications remain within the target delivery timelines agreed with the Services. For the remaining 504 the MOD Medal Office is awaiting further information from the applicant, or the outcome of a Medal Board before they are able to confirm individual entitlement. 41 of the 56 waiting between 12 and 18 months had their medals dispatched to them by 3 November and of the 14 that have been waiting in excess of 18 months, seven will also have been dispatched by the same date. The remaining applications will be processed as soon as is practically possible.
Mental Health
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which top-level budget holder funds mental health treatment for veterans and service personnel. [91777]
Derek Twigg: The MOD’s Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) which provide out-patient, community-based mental healthcare for Service personnel are the responsibility of the three single Services. They are therefore funded by the following Top-Level Budget holders (TLBs):
Fleet (RN)
Adjutant General (Army)
Strike Command (RAF)
Personnel and Training Command (RAF)
In-patient mental healthcare, which is provided by a MOD contract with The Priory Group, is funded by the Centre TLB.
Under the War Pensions Scheme the Department has a discretionary power to meet the cost of any necessary expenses in respect of the medical, surgical or rehabilitative treatment of ex-members of the armed forces that arise wholly or mainly arise as a result of the disablement due to service, before 6 April 2005, where it is not provided for under other legislation of the United Kingdom. This includes the individual costs of war pensioners undergoing “remedial treatment” at homes run by the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society (Combat Stress) for conditions related to their individual pensioned disablement and of related expenses, such as travel costs. This is also funded by the Centre TLB.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding his Department has provided for the treatment of (a) service personnel and (b) veterans with mental health conditions in each of the last five years, broken down by (i) mental health condition and (ii) treatment centre. [91778]
Derek Twigg: Out-patient mental health care for Service personnel is provided in the MOD’s 15 Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) across the UK plus satellite centres overseas. DCMHs are the responsibility of the three single Services. The following tables show the total amount of funding provided by the Royal Navy and the Army for the DCMHs within their responsibility in each year since 2004-05:
| RN | |
| £ million | |
| Source: Medical Director General (Naval) | |
| Army | |
| £ million | |
| Source: Army Medical Directorate | |
Figures for previous years are no longer held centrally. Figures cannot be broken down by mental health condition or treatment centre.
In the RAF, DCMHs are managed at station level. The funding for each DCMH is therefore part of the RAF station’s overall budget and so is not separately identifiable from the costs of the overall station medical centre.
In-patient mental health care for Service personnel is provided by the Priory Group. For the period from initial contract (1 April 2004) the total cost of the services provided by the Priory Group has been approximately £10 million, broken down as follows:
| £ million | |
| Source: Healthcare Directorate, Defence Medical Services Department | |
These figures include the cost of assessing patients as well as any treatment provided. They also include costs for services provided by the Priory Group between 1 December 2003 and 31 March 2004 prior to the current contract. MOD pays the Priory Group centrally via a single contract so the figures cannot be broken down to show the amount spent per mental health condition or per Priory treatment centre.
Previously, in-patient mental health care was provided in the Duchess of Kent Psychiatric Hospital (DKPH) whose costs in its final year of operation (2003-04) were some £10 million. Figures on the costs of DKPH in previous years are no longer held centrally.
With regard to veterans, upon leaving the armed forces, or on demobilisation for Reservists, it is the long established practice that responsibility for medical care passes to the NHS. This has been the case since 1948 under successive Governments.
For veterans who are also War Pensioners, under the War Pensions Scheme the MOD has a discretionary power to meet the cost of any necessary expenses in respect of the medical, surgical or rehabilitative treatment of ex-members of the armed forces that arise wholly or mainly arise as a result of the disablement due to service, before 6 April 2005. It cannot be used to fund treatment provided under other UK legislation. Where appropriate remedial treatment at homes run by the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society (Combat Stress) is funded by this route for pensioned psychological conditions. The following table shows the funding received by Combat Stress under this provision. The figures are published by Combat Stress and are not broken down by treatment centre or mental health condition.
| Income received by Combat Stress to defray individual treatment expenses | |
| £ million | |
| Source: Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society (?Combat Stress?) | |
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the independent mental health organisations employed by his Department to treat (a) serving personnel and (b) veterans in each of the last five years; how many days’ treatment were provided in each year; and how much was spent in each year. [91779]
Derek Twigg: The Priory Group is the only independent mental healthcare provider contracted by the MOD. The following table shows the number of treatment days provided:
| Date from | Date to | Bed days |
For the period from initial contract the total cost of the services provided by the Priory Group has been approximately £10 million, broken down as follows:
| £ million | |
| (1 )to August 2006 | |
These figures include the cost of assessing patients as well as any treatment provided. They also include costs for services provided by the Priory Group between 1 December 2003 and April 2004 prior to the current contract.
With regard to veterans, upon leaving the armed forces, or on demobilisation for reservists, it is the long established practice that responsibility for medical care passes to the NHS. This has been the case since 1948 under successive Governments.
Under the War Pensions scheme the Department has a discretionary power to meet the cost of any necessary expenses in respect of the medical, surgical or rehabilitative treatment of ex-members of the armed forces that arise wholly or mainly arise as a result of the disablement due to service, before 6 April 2005, where it is not provided for under other legislation of the United Kingdom. This includes the individual costs of war pensioners undergoing “remedial treatment” at homes run by the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society (Combat Stress) for conditions related to their individual pensioned disablement and of related expenses, such as travel costs. The following table shows the funding received by Combat Stress-under this provision:
| £ million | |
| Source: Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society (“Combat Stress”) | |
The number of funded treatment days each year are not separately identifiable.
Costs may also be defrayed under this provision in respect of other veterans with mental health conditions and in relation to other providers of treatment, but such expenditure is not separately identifiable.
Military Chaplains
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military chaplains there were in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) armed service, (b) rank and (c) faith. [100227]
Derek Twigg: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Military Manpower
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the Royal Navy’s (a) Manpower Planning Assumptions, (b) Rating Planning Model, (c) Officers Planning Model, (d) Officers Strategic Planning Model and (e) Naval Manpower Brief. [93053]
Military Vehicles
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2006, Official Report, column 1877W, on military vehicles, whether the level of protection offered by the Vector vehicle is the same as that offered by the (a) R31 and (b) RG33 vehicles. [99613]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South on 19 October 2006, Official Report, column 1379W, which addressed the levels of protection offered by the Vector vehicle. I cannot disclose further details, as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the security of our armed forces.
Ministerial Travel
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to offset the carbon dioxide emissions caused by ministerial travel in his Department. [98740]
Des Browne: All central Government ministerial and official air travel is being offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases Certified Emissions Reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
Ministry of Defence Police
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence police were based at the Colchester Garrison (a) in January 2005, (b) in January 2006 and (c) on 1 October 2006, broken down by rank. [93485]
Derek Twigg: On 1 January 2005 the following numbers of Ministry of Defence police were based at Colchester Garrison:
One x inspector
Five x sergeant
14 x constable
These figures include one x part-time sergeant 24 hours per week and one x part-time constable 24 hours per week.
On 1 January 2006 the following numbers of Ministry of Defence police were based at Colchester Garrison:
One x inspector
Five x sergeant
11 x constable (including two constables detached from other stations)
These figures include one x part-time sergeant 36 hours per week and one x part-time constable 24 hours per week.
On 1 October 2006 the following numbers of Ministry of Defence police were based at Colchester Garrison:
Four x sergeant
Eight x constable
These figures include one x part-time sergeant 30 hours per week, one sergeant detached from another station providing 30 hours per week, and one x part-time constable 24 hours per week.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many hours per day there was Ministry of Defence Police protection at the Colchester Garrison (a) in January 2005, (b) in January 2006 and (c) on 1 October 2006. [93486]
Derek Twigg: On 1 January 2005 and 1 January 2006, Ministry of Defence police (MDP) were providing a policing service at Colchester Garrison, 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
On 1 October 2006, MDP were providing a policing service to Colchester Garrison, 20 hours a day, seven days per week.
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