Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the new Gaelic television channel is expected to commence transmission. [146015]
Mr. Lammy: A precise date has not yet been set. However, we hope the new Gaelic digital service, providing a vastly improved service to the Gaelic-speaking community not only in its heartlands of the Highlands and Islands, but across Scotland, will be launched as soon as is practicable.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of sick leave taken by staff in his Department was stress-related in each of the last three years. [145970]
Mr. Lammy: The percentage of stress-related sick leave taken by staff in the last three financial years is as follows:
Percentage of sick leave | |
The Department has been improving the way in which it monitors and records sickness absence.
As part of our attendance, health and welfare programme for staff, we have a range of policies in place to reduce stress. These include: a stress management policy; a revised sickness absence policy; a full range of flexible working patterns to support work-life balance; an on-site gym and yoga classes.
The Department also launched the employee assistance programme in April 2007, which includes a confidential advisory service and counselling service for all staff.
We will also be undertaking a stress audit at the end of 2007, beginning of 2008.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the present strength is of the Army Volunteer Reserve. [146763]
Mr. Ingram: The present strength of the Army Volunteer Reserve (Territorial Army) as at 1 March 2007 is 35,700. This figure includes Mobilised Territorial Army and Officer Training Corps, but excludes full-time reserve service personnel and non-regular permanent staff.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the 1 April 2007 data will be available under heading TSP07 Strength of all Services Reserves and Cadets on the Defence Analytical Service Agency website. [146764]
Mr. Ingram: TSP7 UK Reserves and Cadets Strengths at 1 April 2007 will be published on the Defence Analytical Services Agency website during September 2007. The actual date of publication will be pre-announced not less than two weeks prior to publication on the Office for National Statistics website in line with National Statistics protocols.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the missile defence feasibility study that was delivered to the NATO summit in Riga in 2006. [146743]
Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 26 June 2006, Official Report, column 165W, to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey).
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) from which countries buyers (a) have been and (b) will be invited to the Defence Systems and Equipment International exhibition at the ExCel Centre in September; [145715]
(2) on which days the Defence Systems and Equipment International exhibition will be open to (a) overseas customers, (b) the press and (c) the public; and what estimate he has made of the number of visitors expected at the event; [145716]
(3) what the estimated cost of the Defence Systems and Equipment International exhibition is to the public purse. [145717]
Mr. Ingram: The full list of countries that will receive official invitations to Defence Systems and Equipment International is still being finalised. The Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) intends to publish a list of those countries from which delegations are invited a day or so in advance of the exhibition opening, the timing being consistent with the security of guests. It is planned to place this list on the DESO internet site:
The exhibition is organised by Reed Exhibitions Ltd. We understand it will be open to registered visitors including from overseas, and accredited media representatives between 11-14 September 2007. It will not be open to the general public. An estimate of the number of visitors likely to attend is a matter for the organisers.
The costs of hosting official overseas delegations at DSEiO7 will largely be met by the organisers. The balance of these costs met from Defence funds is expected to be in the region of £120,000. Other MOD costs will be met from a number of budgets and an estimate of these cannot be centrally made. No estimate has been made of costs for which MOD is not responsible.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assets and resources have been disposed of by his Department in the last 10 years; and what revenues have been accrued as a result. [145490]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 26 June 2007]: Tens of thousands of individual fixed assets are disposed of annually, either as a result of changing requirements, upgrade or replacement programmes or where equipment has reached the end of its serviceable life. Information on all items disposed of could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Proceeds from the disposal of fixed assets were not held centrally before financial year 1999-2000. From 1999-2000 the figures are as follows:
Financial year | Proceeds (£) |
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list his Departments (a) Executive agencies, (b) Executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), (c) tribunal NDPBs, (d) advisory NDPBs, (e) trading funds and (f) public corporations for the current financial year. [146776]
Mr. Ingram: The information is as follows:
Defence Analytical Services Agency
Defence Medical Education and Training Agency
Defence Storage and Distribution Agency
Defence Vetting Agency
Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency
People Pay and Pensions Agency
Service Childrens Education
Service Personnel and Veterans Agency
Executive non-departmental public bodies
National Army Museum
RAF Museum
Royal Naval Museum
Royal Navy Submarine Museum
Royal Marines Museum
Advisory non-departmental public bodies
Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors
Advisory Group on Medical Countermeasures
Animal Welfare Advisory Committee
Armed Forces Pay Review Body
Central Advisory Committee on War Pensions
Defence Nuclear Safety Committee
Defence Scientific Advisory Council
National Employer Advisory Board
Nuclear Research Advisory Council
Review Board for Government Contracts
War Pensions Committees
ABRO
Defence Aviation Repair Agency
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
Met Office
UK Hydrographic Office
Oil and Pipelines Agency
Fleet Air Arm Museum
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the concordat governing the relationship between his Department and the Northern Ireland administration. [145942]
Mr. Ingram: No such concordat exists.
The principles set out in the Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements between the UK Government, Scottish Ministers, the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive, published in 2001, continue to underpin our working relationship with the Northern Ireland Executive.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Ministry of Defence regulations for civil aircraft use of RAF Brize Norton. [145308]
Des Browne [holding answer 26 June 2007]: Yes, once the regulations have been redacted to remove classified information.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates aircraft HZ-124 has landed at RAF Brize Norton since 21 May 2007. [145309]
Des Browne [holding answer 26 June 2007]: It is not the practice of the Government to make public details of travel arrangements of foreign governments.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2007, Official Report, column 1052W, on rendition, on which 14 dates aircraft HZ-124 landed at RAF Brize Norton between 1 July 2006 and 21 May 2007; and what the total amount is of the fees paid by the owner of HZ-124 to his Department for using RAF Brize Norton since 1 July 2006. [145488]
Des Browne [holding answer 26 June 2007]: It is not the practice of the Government to make public details of travel arrangements by foreign governments. The fees for the use of RAF Brize Norton by aircraft HZ-124 since 1 July 2006 were waived in accordance with the regulations in Chapter 7, Annex F of Joint Service Publication 360, which govern the waiver of charges for the use of military airfields by British and foreign civil and military aircraft.
The hon. Member may also wish to note that my answer of the 21 May 2007, Official Report, column 1053W, was incorrect and should have read:
Since 1 July 2006, aircraft HZ 124 has landed 15 times at RAF Brize Norton. The aircraft operated in accordance with the MOD regulations for civil aircraft use of military airfields. The regulations also cover the applicability and level of landing, housing, parking and insurance fees charges. The regulations have been adhered to for each flight.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what research has been conducted by the Department and its agencies on (a) the effectiveness of the Green Dot approach to recycling in the countries that have adopted this initiative and (b) assessing its feasibility in the UK; [145621]
(2) what factors the Government take into account when deciding whether to adopt the Green Dot approach to recycling; and what assessment the Government have made of its use in other European Union member states. [146135]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer s 27 June 2007]: No such research has been conducted and my Department has not carried out any assessments of the systems employed in other member states.
The Green Dot system is used in several member states to transpose the requirements of the EU directive on packaging and packaging waste. The Green Dot is a licensed trademark which denotes compliance with an authorised packaging recovery scheme in other European Union member states. Its use indicates that a financial contribution has been paid to a national packaging recovery company, set up in accordance with the principles defined in the EU directive and the national law which transposes it.
The Green Dot is not a recycling symbol, although is often misinterpreted as such, so should not be used to denote general recyclability or recycled content.
The Green Dot system is not used in the UK; producer responsibility obligations are fulfilled via a different method. The management of packaging and packaging waste is covered by two sets of regulations in the UK, the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 and the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended). The packaging waste regulations require producers to buy packaging waste recovery notes (PRNs), or the export equivalent (PERNs), to demonstrate that they have financed a certain amount of recycling. Introducing a Green Dot system, therefore, would simply mean changing the system we have used in the UK to implement the provision of the packaging directive, rather than extending producer responsibility.
The approach that has been taken by the UK is unique and was formulated and agreed with industry following the adoption of the EU directive on packaging and packaging waste.
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