Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 15 May 2007
Defence
Armed Forces: Dental Services
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the ratio is of Defence Dental Service dentists to armed forces personnel; and what it was in each year since 1997. [133198]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 23 April 2007]: The following table shows the numbers of uniformed Defence Dental Service (DDS) dentists (as at 1 April in each year) against armed forces manning (as at 1 January in each year) from 1997 to 2006. The figures for 2007 have yet to be confirmed. The figures (including ratios) have been rounded to the nearest 10.
| Service d entists | Armed forces manning | Ratio | |
| Sources: 1. Dentists—DMSD Manning returns. 2. Armed Forces Manning—DASA published figures. Numbers include those in training. | |||
In addition, the DDS currently employs 38 full-time and 10 part-time Civilian Dental Practitioners (CDPs). Including the full-time CDPs in the 2006 total would bring the ratio for that year down to 1:680.
Armed Forces: Pay
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the salary is of each of the staff working in the household of the (a) General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland, (b) Commander in Chief Land, (c) Adjutant General and (d) Chief of the General Staff. [134233]
Derek Twigg: The current salary range for Ministry of Defence staff working in the households of the Chief of General Staff, the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland, the Commander in Chief Land and the Adjutant General are shown in the table.
Salary details for those civilian staff that are employed by contractors are being withheld for reasons of commercial confidentiality:
| Rank | Role | Salary range (£) |
Departments: Sick Leave
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people took sick leave for stress in his Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents. [135476]
Derek Twigg: The following table shows the number of Ministry of Defence civilian staff who have had a period of sickness absence caused by anxiety, depression and stress (Mental and Behavioural Disorders ICD10 category) in the calendar year of 2006 and the percentage of the total staff number this represents. The MOD does not have a specific sickness absence code for stress.
| Calendar year | Number of staff | Percentage of total staff |
| Notes: 1. This includes all permanent and casual non-industrial and industrial civilian personnel, but excludes trading fund, locally engaged civilian and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel. 2. Number of staff has been rounded to the nearest 10 and the percentage of total staff has been rounded to the nearest decimal point. | ||
International Security Assistance Force
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 154W, on the International Security Assistance Force, how much the NATO common fund was in each year since 2001. [133166]
Des Browne: NATO Common Funding has been available to the International Security Assistance Force since 2003 only; prior to that all expenditure was borne nationally.
The level of NATO common funding from 2003 is:
| € million | |
| (1) Approved budget. | |
Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations
Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the provision of CAT scanners in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. [136640]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 14 May 2007]: The Defence Medical Services have had a computerised (Axial) tomography (CT) scanner operational in Iraq since March 2005. Earlier this year it was re-commissioned after being moved from Shaibah logistic base to the Contingent operating base at Basrah. It was working at initial operating capability (IOC) in early February this year, and by the end of that month was at full operational capability (FOC) with the addition of the telemedicine link capability back to the UK. The link enables experts in the UK to advise doctors locally about detailed diagnosis and treatment.
In Afghanistan, a CT scanner was commissioned at Camp Bastion and working at IOC by April this year. It is due to achieve FOC when the telemedicine link capability is completed during May 2007.
Iraq: Police
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in training the Iraqi police. [136649]
Des Browne: At present, approximately 135,000 Iraqi Police Service personnel have been trained and equipped by coalition forces. The emphasis is now on developing capability rather than further increasing numbers, particularly in the key areas of leadership, intelligence and forensics, which will help enable the Iraqi authorities to take responsibility for their own security.
Territorial Waters: Iran
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes there have been to the level of patrolling by the Royal Navy in the Persian Gulf since the seizure of Royal Navy personnel by the Iranians. [136886]
Des Browne [holding answer 14 May 2007]: Boarding operations were suspended following the seizure of Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel on 23 March 2007. As outlined in my written ministerial statement of 24 April 2007, Official Report, column 21WS, an incremental return to full boarding operations in all areas commenced on 24 April 2007. This process is not yet complete.
International Development
Afghanistan: Reconstruction
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the likely effect on development of separating the security and reconstruction roles of the provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [137142]
Hilary Benn: The UK-led provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan has a comprehensive approach to security and reconstruction, based on the joint UK plan for Helmand. This comprehensive approach is essential to create the conditions necessary for both security and for long-term development. The PRT includes military and civilian representatives from Estonia, Denmark, the United States and the UK. From the UK, DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit (PCRU), work together with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to deliver the four strands of the joint UK plan for Helmand; security, governance, social and economic development, and counter-narcotics.
The closely integrated civil/military structure currently used by the UK is widely regarded as a model of good practice to support the Government of Afghanistan (GoA) in establishing a secure environment where reconstruction and development can take place. There are no plans to separate the security and reconstruction roles of the UK PRT and therefore we have not assessed the potential impact of this.
Africa: Life Expectancy
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action his Department is taking to increase life expectancy at birth in Africa. [137088]
Hilary Benn: DFID is working to increase life expectancy through a variety of activities including support for the provision of clean water and sanitation, large-scale immunisation and insecticide-treated bednets programmes and addressing related maternal mortality. Safe hygiene practice and improved access to clean water and sanitation are also vital for reducing child mortality. DFID produced the Water Action Plan in March 2004, and we will double our spending on water and sanitation to £95 million by 2007-08.
In Nigeria we are providing £20 million to rebuild routine immunisation services and a further £80 million for malaria control. In Tanzania we continue to provide support for the social marketing of bednets as part of the national Insecticide-Treated Net Programme, and in Sierra Leone we are designing a new long-term Child Survival and Maternal Health Programme with the World Bank and national partners. In Malawi we are contributing £100 million over six years to the Government’s essential health and human resource programme, and significant progress has been made on child survival through immunisation and malaria programmes. Similarly in Zambia we are major donors to the National Strategic Health Plan, which includes a focus on improving child health through expanded vaccination, curative care and
improving access to services. In Kenya we are supporting a sector-wide approach for the long-term strengthening of the health system and improved service delivery. We have funded the development of a number of plans in human resources, procurement and financial management. We are also concentrating much support on the prevention of malaria, the major cause of mortality in children in Kenya. By the end of 2007 we will have spent more than £45 million on insecticide-treated bednets and distributed 11 million nets, saving approximately 167,000 lives. DFID is indirectly supporting South Africa’s efforts to reverse under-five mortality rates through the £30 million, five-year HIV/AIDS Multi-Sectoral Support Programme (MSP). Our support to the Maternal Child and Women Health Unit in the Department of Health supports research in the area of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), the development of fertility options policy, and research on barriers to antiretroviral uptake among children and pregnant women.
DFID continues to provide strong support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFATM), and also played a central role in the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) which issued its first bonds in November 2006. This will disburse $4 billion over the next 10 years and is estimated will save 10 million lives, including five million children before 2015. DFID also recently pledged long-term support to UNITAID, the International Drug Purchase Facility, starting with a £15 million contribution in 2007, to ensure poor countries benefit from lower prices for drugs to treat AIDS, TB and malaria.
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