| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
7 Mar 2007 : Column 1969W—continued
Departments: Equal Opportunities
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has a gender (a) strategy and (b) equality action plan in place. [125105]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 5 March 2007]: The Ministry of Defence has a unified philosophy towards equality and diversity. In support of this approach the MOD Diversity Panel, co-chaired by the Permanent Under Secretary (PUS), and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and which includes a mix of internal and external members who have a range of experience in diversity issues, have endorsed a Unified Diversity Strategy. This strategy provides the strategic framework and incorporates our Diversity Vision; Diversity Mission; Objectives; Working in Partnership; Taking Responsibility; Complying with the Legislation; communicating and Building Commitment; Measuring Progress and the Business Case for Diversity.
In April 2006, we published our first overarching MOD Equality and Diversity Scheme 2006-2009, together with a set of Action Plans for 2006-07. The Scheme encompasses the armed forces, civilians, the Ministry of Defence police and our executive agencies. This Scheme reflects not only the Department’s statutory duties in respect of race, disability and gender but also those
diversity strands not yet covered by specific public sector duties (age, sexual orientation and religion and belief).
Our first annual Action Plan included our gender equality priorities. We will be publishing a report against the targets that we set for 2006-07 later in the year as well as issuing a new Action Plan for 2007-08. The Defence Analytical Services Agency will be collecting statistical data on the recruitment, retention and progression of women. The aim of all this work is to achieve real improvement in outcomes for the various diversity groups.
Copies of the documents referred to are available in the Library of the House, and also at:
www.mod.ukDefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Personnel/EqualityAndDiversity/MinistryOfDefenceUnifiedDiversityStrategy.htm
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Personnel/EqualityAndDiversity/EqualityAndDiversityScheme20062009.htm
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/What WeDo/Personnel/EqualityAndDiversity/Equality AndDiversityScheme20062009ActionPlan20062007.htm
Departments: Vehicles
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many vehicles belonging to his Department were (a) lost and (b) stolen in each year since 1997; and what the (i) make and model and (ii) value was of each vehicle. [121373]
Mr. Ingram: Vehicles lost and stolen are classed as vehicle ‘write offs’. Departmental accounts do not differentiate between specific categories of ‘write off’ and therefore the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
EC Defence Policy
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities are available to the EU in the Operations Centre for European Security and Defence Policy; what the budgeted cost is of those facilities for the 2007-08 financial year; and what proportion of the resources and budget are provided by the UK. [124328]
Des Browne: The civil/military cell in the EU Military Staff has the capacity rapidly to set up an operations centre for a particular operation. The decision to do so would be taken by the Council, upon the advice of the Military Committee, in particular where a joint civil/military response is required and where no national HQ is identified.
The facilities for an operations centre contain the desks, IT and communications to support up to 89 civilian and military staff. They are part of the premises occupied by the EU Military Staff at the Kortenberg building in Brussels. The cost of maintaining the Kortenberg building in the 2007 calendar year is €5.15 million. This cost is met from central EU funds. It is not possible to isolate the cost of the operations centre.
Member states make contributions to the EC Budget as a whole and it is not possible to separate individual member states' contributions to specific areas within the budget. After taking account of the abatement, the UK’s financing share of the 2007 EC Budget is estimated to be 12.49 per cent.
HMS Sussex
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the Government’s policy is on the wreckage of the ‘Sussex’ lying off the coast of Gibraltar since 1694; [124917]
(2) what progress has been made in salvaging the wreck of the ‘Sussex’ which sank in 1694 off the coast of Gibraltar. [124918]
Derek Twigg: Given that the excavation involves what is believed to be a Royal Navy shipwreck, the Ministry of Defence has retained ownership of the project and is closely monitoring its progress. Some preliminary work has been conducted at the site including a survey of the area. Operations are currently suspended pending the resolution of certain outstanding heritage issues between Odyssey Marine Exploration and the Spanish authorities.
Identification Friend or Foe Systems
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Successor Identification Friend or Foe System is suitable for individual vehicle identification in land combat operations; [122222]
(2) whether the Successor Identification Friend or Foe System is compatible with the combat identification systems used by (a) the United States armed forces and (b) other NATO countries; [122223]
(3) what proportion of Army vehicles have been fitted with the Successor Identification Friend or Foe system; and what plans he has to fit systems to those which have not. [122225]
Mr. Ingram:
Successor Identification Friend or Foe (SIFF) is an airborne and maritime IFF system. It is not suitable for identification of ground vehicles, and therefore it is not fitted to any Army vehicles. SIFF is compatible and interoperable with the common
standard of combat identification systems used by NATO countries, including the United States.
Indonesia
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) he and (b) his Ministerial colleagues met TNI Commander Marshall Djoko Suyanto of Indonesia during his visit to the UK; and if he will make a statement. [125899]
Des Browne: Neither myself, nor my ministerial colleagues, met with the TNI Commander Air Chief Marshal Djoko Suyanto during his recent visit to the UK.
Mental Health
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2006, Official Report, column 625W, on mental health, how many (a) psychologists, (b) psychiatrists, (c) mental health nurses and (d) occupational therapists each service employed; and what assessment he has made of how many are required in each year since 1997. [119213]
Derek Twigg: The following tables illustrate the requirement and trained strength figures of uniformed regular psychiatrists and mental health nurses in each service for each year since 1998, all of whom were or are uniformed. Further to the statement on 9 February 2006, Official Report, column 1402W, and as explained to the hon. Member in a follow-up letter, the figures for 1997 are unavailable.
In the following tables the figures are for 1 April in that year.
As stated on 29 January 2007, Official Report, column 25W, the DMS uniformed regular requirement figures have been reviewed and the new manning requirements for 2007 for all cadres will be formally announced in the near future.
| RN psychiatrists | |||||||||
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| RN mental health nurses | |||||||||
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| Army psychiatrists | |||||||||
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| Army mental health nurses | |||||||||
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| RAF psychiatrists | |||||||||
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| RAF mental health nurses | |||||||||
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| n/a = Indicates that it was not possible to determine the figure from the recovered archived files. Source: DMSD | |||||||||
Mental health occupational therapists are now not employed by the MOD. Our current community-based mental health provision is occupationally orientated and aims to manage patients in their work/home environment. This is done by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of psychiatrists, mental health nurses with access to both clinical psychologists and mental health social workers. The employment of specific occupational therapists is no longer necessary.
The MOD employed mental health occupational therapists up until 2003 at the Duchess of Kent Psychiatric Hospital. The mental health occupational therapists that were employed were civilian. The records for the numbers of mental health occupational therapists could not be recovered without disproportionate effort.
The MOD also employs civilian clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health nurses.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |