---

12 Dec 2006 : Column 929W—continued

Asylum and Immigration

12. Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the handling of asylum and immigration cases in Scotland. [104879]

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend and I keep in close touch with colleagues in the Home Office on policy issues arising from asylum and immigration matters in Scotland. However, we do not become involved in the handling of individual cases.

Winter Fuel Allowance

13. John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to increase the funding available to the Department for Work and Pensions under the comprehensive spending review so as to increase the winter fuel allowance in Scotland. [104880]

12 Dec 2006 : Column 930W

Mr. Douglas Alexander: I regularly meet Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of topics, including policies aimed at tackling pensioner poverty.

Consultants

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which 10 consultancy fees charged to his Department since May 1997 were the most expensive. [107180]

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established in July 1999; since that date the only consultancy projects conducted by the Scotland Office were as follows:

	Consultancy project	£
2001-02	Comparison study on motor taxation across Europe	5,465
	Professional services in relation to a proposed Scotland to Northern Ireland ferry service	17,864
2002-03	Professional services in relation to a proposed Scotland to Northern Ireland ferry service	4,620
	Report on devolution in Europe	6,100
2003-04	Senior Civil Service Assessment Centre	10,044
2004-05	Management Review and Assessment Centre for Head of Scotland Office	2,817

Departmental Finance

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department paid to DHL in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2005-06. [104172]

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established in July 1999; since that date, the Scotland Office has paid DHL the following:

	£
1999-2000	—
2000-01	—
2001-02	—
2002-03	526.69
2003-04	920.88
2004-05	—
2005-06	—

Financial Services Industry

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps the Government are taking to promote the long-term prospects for the financial services industry in Scotland. [104875]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: This Government are committed to ensuring our financial services sector can build on its continuing success. We will work with the industry in the new Financial Services Task Force. However, the single most important thing we can do is maintain the economic strength and stability we have delivered since 1997.

12 Dec 2006 : Column 931W

IT Projects

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many information technology projects within the responsibility of his Department, its agencies and their predecessors have been cancelled since 1997; what the total cost was of each project at cancellation; and if he will make a statement. [105488]

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date, no information technology projects have been cancelled.

M74: Glasgow

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the potential economic effects on Glasgow of extending the M74. [104868]

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend has regular discussions with Scottish Executive Ministers on a range of topics. The trunk road network in Scotland is a devolved responsibility.

Official Cars

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cars run by his Department were manufactured (a) in the UK and (b) abroad. [104813]

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not operate any cars; information on cars operated by the Government Car and Despatch Agency is available on page 14 of its Annual Report and Accounts 2005-06, copies of which are available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Post Offices

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received on the future of the post office network in Scotland. [104867]

David Cairns: I have received a number of representations on the future of the post office network in Scotland.

Recruitment Advertising

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on recruitment advertising in each of the last three years. [107750]

David Cairns: Nothing.

Defence

Armoured Vehicles

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many complaints from service personnel about armoured vehicles in Afghanistan have been recorded in the past six months; [106842]

12 Dec 2006 : Column 932W

(2) how many complaints from service personnel about armoured vehicles in Iraq have been recorded in the past six months. [106843]

Mr. Ingram: The MOD greatly values and actively encourages feedback from personnel on how equipment is performing, so that lessons can be learnt and improvements made where a need is identified. There are a number of ways available for members of the armed forces to raise issues, faults and suggestions for improvement to equipment, but there is no requirement to collate and hold such information centrally.

Data are, however, held on equipment failure reports (EFRs) and serious equipment failure reports (SEFs) and the data for the period covering 1 May to 31 October 2006 from Afghanistan and Iraq is shown in the following table. EFRs and SEFs are not technically complaints; they are the reporting mechanism used by units for routine equipment support issues. The data do not account for the results of subsequent investigations and therefore do not differentiate between what has been proven to be equipment failure, and operator error or damage sustained as a result of operations. Nor do this data give the severity of any such failures which in many cases have no discernible impact on operational capability or safety.

The armoured vehicle fleet is currently meeting all operational commitments.

Equipment type	Number of equipment failure reports	Number of serious equipment failure reports
Afghanistan—1 May2006 to 31 October 2006
Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)	56	0
Saxon	2	0
Iraq—1 May 2006 to 31 October 2006
Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank	132	1
Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)	16	0
Challenger Repair and Recovery Vehicle	13	0
FV 430 Series	2	0
Saxon	2	0
Warrior	224	8

Compensation Payments

Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid in the form of compensation by HM Armed Forces in each year since 1997, broken down by service; and for what reasons compensation has been paid. [105526]

Derek Twigg [holding answer 11 December 2006]: The information requested is contained in the Ministry of Defence’s Claims Annual Reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

12 Dec 2006 : Column 933W

Compulsory Discharge

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces in each service were compulsorily discharged in each year since 1997-98, broken down by (a) senior and (b) junior officer and (i) senior and (ii) junior ranks. [102591]

12 Dec 2006 : Column 934W

Derek Twigg: The following tables show outflow from trained strength to civil life of UK regular forces since financial year 1997-98 for reasons which may be deemed to include compulsory discharge, broken down by NATO Rank groupings.

Officers
	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
Services no longer required and disciplinary( 1)	10	20	40	20	20	10	20	30	(2)40
Naval Service	10	10	20	10	0	10	10	20	30
OF-4 to OF-9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10
OF-l toOF-3	10	10	10	10	0	10	10	20	20
Army	0	10	10	0	10	10	10	10	0
OF-4 to OF-9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
OF-1 toOF-3	0	10	10	0	10	10	10	10	0
RAF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(2)0
OF-4 to OF-9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(2)0
OF-1 to OF-3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(2)0
Medical( 3)	50	60	60	60	50	50	60	70	(2)60
Naval Service	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20
OF-4 to OF-9	10	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	0
OF-1 to OF-3	10	10	20	20	20	20	20	20	20
Army	20	30	20	20	10	20	10	30	20
OF-4 to OF-9	0	0	0	0	0	10	0	0	0
OF-1 to OF-3	20	20	20	10	10	10	10	20	10
RAF	10	20	10	20	20	10	30	20	(2)20
OF-4 to OF-9	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	10	(2)0
OF-1 to OF-3	10	20	10	20	10	10	20	20	(2)20
Redundancy( 4)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(2)0
Naval Service	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
OF-4 to OF-9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
OF-1 to OF-3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Army	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
OF-4 to OF-9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
OF-1 to OF-3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
RAF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(2)0
OF-4 to OF-9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(2)0
OF-1 to OF-3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(2)0
Time Expiry( 5)	1,080	1,060	900	850	820	790	760	880	(2)880
Naval Service	290	260	220	200	180	180	190	190	190
OF-4 to OF-9	80	90	80	70	80	80	80	80	80
OF-1 to OF-3	210	170	140	120	100	100	100	110	110
Army	450	470	370	320	320	300	240	320	340
OF-4 to OF-9	80	80	90	70	130	100	100	120	120
OF-1 to OF-3	370	390	280	240	190	200	140	200	220
RAF	340	330	310	340	310	310	330	360	(2)350
OF-4 to OF-9	70	70	70	100	80	90	80	90	(2)90
OF-1 to OF-3	270	260	240	240	240	220	250	280	(2)260

---