| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
2 Mar 2007 : Column 1590W—continued
Hypersonic Mass
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research (a) is being carried out and (b) has been commissioned by his Department into the kinetic energy of hypersonic mass and its potential as a weapon of deterrence. [106406]
Des Browne [holding answer 30 November 2006]: The MOD has in the past commissioned research into the electromagnetic launch of projectiles to achieve hypersonic velocities. Study of small Kinetic Energy missiles has been also undertaken. Both areas concentrated on the attack of tactical armoured targets such as tanks or ships.
The research ended in Financial Year 2005-06, as the technology does not as yet offer cost effective alternatives to current capabilities. The Department now maintains an awareness of electromagnetic launch and hypersonic projectiles technologies, as set out in the Defence Technology Strategy, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Mental Health
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2006, Official Report, columns 625-66W, on Mental Health, how many occupational psychologists his Department employs; where they are based; how many of them are uniformed; and what assessment he has made of the number required. [119212]
Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence currently has 29 occupational psychologist posts, 24 of which are currently filled (10 chartered occupational psychologists and 14 practitioners in training). One is based with the Royal Navy, 10 with the Army, eight with the RAF, three in the MOD Headquarters, one at the Defence Leadership and Management Centre and one seconded to Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory), an Executive agency. The five currently vacant posts are temporary vacancies and are expected to be filled in the near future. Dstl itself employs a further five occupational psychologists.
None of the occupational psychologists is uniformed.
Assessments of the numbers of occupational psychologists required to meet the Ministry of Defence business needs are made by the separate departmental Top Level Budget (TLB) areas, and the 29 posts are currently sufficient to meet these needs.
Military Bases: Portsmouth
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of Portsmouth Naval Base. [122748]
Mr. Ingram:
No decisions have been taken on the future of Portsmouth Naval base or the other Naval bases at Devonport and the Clyde. The Naval Base Review is still considering the infrastructure required to support the Royal Navy of the future. Its
recommendations are not expected to be finalised before spring 2007, after which they will be subject to approval, ultimately by Ministers. I hope to be in a position to make an announcement before the summer recess. Final decisions will be subject to formal consultation with trades unions.
Military Vehicles
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Cougar and (b) Vector vehicles have been delivered to frontline forces in Afghanistan. [116948]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 22 January 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 211W, to the hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth).
The first Vector vehicles will be delivered to the Army shortly; for operational security reasons I am not prepared to go into the detail of the delivery timetable of a new capability into an operational theatre.
Service Personnel: Medical Conditions
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen were assessed (a) in theatre and (b) on return from service in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan as having traumatic brain injury in each year since 2003. [117295]
Derek Twigg: Full historic data relating to such injuries are not held centrally, and could be established only by examining the personal medical files of every Service man and woman. This would require the permission of all individuals.
However, records for the year 2006 held by the Aeromedical Evacuation Control Cell at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) lists categories of injuries suffered by medically evacuated personnel received at University Hospital Birmingham Foundation Trust (UHBFT’s) Selly Oak hospital, which is the main receiving hospital for our casualties from Afghanistan and Iraq. These data show that for the calendar year 2006 the following numbers of injured personnel with Neurosurgical injuries have been treated at Selly Oak hospital, the majority of which will have been serious head injuries, including traumatic brain injury.
| Neurosurgery: 2006 | ||
| Operational | ||
| Iraq | Afghanistan | |
Patients whose condition is classed as ‘listed’ include Seriously Ill (SI) and Very Seriously Ill (VSI). All other patients are ‘non-listed’.
“Seriously ill/Injured/Wounded” or SI is the definition we use where the patient’s condition is of such severity that there is cause for immediate concern, but there is no imminent danger to life or reason.
“Very Seriously Ill/Injured/bounded” or VSI is the definition we use where the illness or injury is of such severity that life or reason is imminently endangered.
Territorial Army: Finance
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what criteria he uses to determine the level of funding for a Territorial Army unit; [120209]
(2) what formula is used to determine the maximum number of training days allotted to a Territorial Army unit between strength and place in operational cycle; [120210]
(3) what the maximum amount of Territorial Army training days allowed in relation to the operations cycle is; and if he will make a statement. [120211]
Derek Twigg: The criteria used to determine the level of funding for a Territorial Army unit cover pay, tasking and overheads. The pay budget allotted to a unit is based on the anticipated strength of the unit (the number of Territorial Army personnel in the unit) and the tasking budget is based on both the current and future roles of the unit (training (man training days) and deployments). Overheads cover those costs associated with the estate and administrative matters. Funding will, therefore, vary according to a unit’s strength and place in the operational cycle. However, all Territorial Army units receive the funding necessary to enable them to meet their task.
In general terms, there is no maximum limit on the number of training days placed on any Territorial Army officer or soldier and, as such, no formula is used in determining the allocation of training days to a Territorial Army unit. A unit at full strength will secure more funding to ensure that all its personnel have the opportunity to achieve their minimum training
requirement. Similarly, a unit that is preparing to send a formed sub-unit to an operational theatre is likely to use more funding training and preparing than a unit without a current operational commitment. It is important to note that, although there is no maximum limit, specific restrictions may be imposed upon units by the chain of command in order to avoid overspend and ensure that funding and training is focussed where most needed.
There is no set maximum amount of training days allowed in relation to the operations cycle. The tempo of current operations and the requirement for the Territorial Army to deliver military capability determine the levels of funded training—some Territorial Army personnel and units warrant and receive more than others because of an individual’s particular role, capability or career progression or a unit’s scale of commitment to current operations. There is funding for all Territorial Army personnel to achieve the minimum training requirement and so win their bounty and, if the circumstances warrant, individuals and units may attract additional funded training for role-specific or operation-specific reasons. All funded training opportunities and those personnel conducting them are carefully scrutinised to ensure propriety, efficacy and the timely delivery of operational capability.
Education and Skills
Children: Day Care
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department spent on (a) Sure Start, (b) children's centres, (c) nursery provision and (d) childminder networks in Cumbria in each year between 2001 and 2004. [124006]
Beverley Hughes: The information available on outturn for Cumbria is shown in the table:
Class Sizes: Lancashire
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average class size for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools was in (i) Ribble Valley constituency and (ii) Lancashire in each year since 1997. [122461]
Mr. Dhanda: The information requested is shown in the table.
Lancashire local authority area was subject to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in April 1998.
| Maintained primary and secondary schools: average class size( 1) | ||||||||||
| Position in January each year | ||||||||||
| Ribble Valley parliamentary constituency | Lancashire local authority area( 2) | Lancashire local authority area( 3) | Blackburn with Darwin local authority area( 3) | Blackpool local authority area( 3) | ||||||
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | |
| (1) Classes as taught by one teacher during a single selected period on the day of the census in January. (2) Before Local Government Reorganisation (3) After Local Government Reorganisation. Source: Schools Census | ||||||||||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |