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12 Sep 2007 : Column 2070W—continued
Renewable Energy
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of energy produced in the UK between 1 January and 30 June came from renewable sources. [154820]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 10 September 2007]: The latest available data are for 2006 as a whole and show that energy produced from renewable sources in the UK amounted to 3,933 thousand tonnes of oil equivalent. Total indigenous production of energy in the UK in 2006 amounted to 196,668 thousand tonnes of oil equivalent, so in percentage terms UK renewable sources accounted for 2 per cent. In 2006, 4.6 per cent. of the electricity generated in the UK was from renewable sources.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK military personnel have lost limbs during operations in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq. [154946]
Des Browne [holding answer 10 September 2007]: The Complex Rehabilitation and Amputee Unit (CRAU) at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC), at Headley Court in Surrey became fully operational on 1 June 2006. Between that date and 6 September 2007, it has treated 24 casualties from Iraq and 12 from Afghanistan.
Prior to 1 June 2006, comprehensive information on the number of military personnel who have suffered amputations as a result of wounds received on active service was not held centrally. To provide this information would require the examination of the individual medical records of each patient who has been classified as very seriously injured or seriously injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. These records can only be viewed for non-clinical reasons with the express consent of each individual concerned, to protect patient confidentiality.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to reimburse Royal Mail to enable parcels to be posted free of charge to military personnel serving in Afghanistan and Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [155204]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: On 25 August the Ministry of Defence and Royal Mail Group announced that a free postage scheme would operate between 3 September and 7 December inclusive, and that further negotiations would take place on how to extend the scheme beyond this date.
These discussions are currently under way and it would not be appropriate to speculate on their outcome at this time. A statement on the future of the free postage scheme will be made once negotiations have been finalised.
Armed Forces: Retirement
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces approaching retirement had applications for extension of service declined in each year since 2000. [154932]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 10 September 2007]: The majority of the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Data are available, however, for Royal Navy Ratings between 2000 and 2005 and are shown as follows.
| RN Ratings—Applications for Extension of Service Declined | |
| Number | |
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role and function the future utility vehicle under the Future Rapid Effect System programme will play in counter-insurgency. [148569]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) will deliver a fleet of wheeled and tracked armoured vehicles capable of operating across the spectrum of operations and protect against the most likely threats. The FRES utility vehicle operating alongside more specialist Protected Patrol Vehicles such as Mastiff could carry out a variety of tasks during counter insurgency operations including patrols and the movement of personnel and equipment.
BAE Systems: Saudi Arabia
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests his Department has received from the US Department of Justice for assistance with its investigation into BAE Systems; and if he will make a statement. [155029]
Des Browne [holding answer 10 September 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 July 2007, Official Report, column 1132W, to the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Knight).
Ballistic Missile Defence
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from (a) hon. Members, (b) members of the public and (c) campaign organisations on his written ministerial statement of 25 July 2007, Official Report, columns 71-2WS, on ballistic missile defence. [155194]
Des Browne:
As of 10 September, I have received 10 letters from MPs (all but one of them forwarding correspondence from constituents), and 17 letters from
members of the public (two of which were on behalf of Quaker meetings), relating to my written ministerial statement on ballistic missile defence.
Departments: Information Officers
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total expenditure on his Department’s communications and media personnel was in 2006-07. [153322]
Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence does not record centrally expenditure on communications and media personnel across Defence where the personnel devote only a small proportion of their time to communications. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, in 2006-07 expenditure on all personnel employed by the MOD’s central Directorate General Media and Communications—including all regional and support staff—was £10.4 million.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Government officials were authorised to speak to BBC Newsnight in respect of that programme's item on Wednesday 8 August about the provenance of weapons used against United Kingdom and coalition forces in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [154883]
Des Browne [holding answer 10 September 2007]: Officials from the MOD were not authorised to speak to Newsnight about this specific issue.
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will put in place increased and improved counter-indirect fire measures to protect UK service personnel serving at Basra air station in Iraq. [154905]
Des Browne [holding answer 10 September 2007]: Improving the protection of UK service personnel at Basra Air Station has been, and continues to be, a top priority. There are a range of offensive, defensive and protective measures in place to protect our people. We continually develop our tactics, procedures and capabilities to deal with the evolving threat. I can confirm that in the last few months a number of new and improved capabilities have been put in place and the position will continue to be kept under review.
I am withholding details of specific equipment or techniques as their release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a Government official responded to the attribution by BBC Newsnight of remarks during its programme on 8 August about the provenance of weapons used against the United Kingdom and coalition forces in Iraq to a Government official; and if he will make a statement. [155021]
Des Browne [holding answer 10 September 2007]: An official from the MOD contacted BBC Newsnight following the report.
Military Aircraft: Helicopters
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters there are in the UK armed services, broken down by (a) type and (b) role; and how many helicopters in the UK armed services are (i) out of service due to reduced readiness and (ii) mothballed. [154973]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth
[holding answer 10 September 2007]: The following table sets out the number of helicopters in the UK armed forces broken down by
type and role as at 4 September 2007. Aircraft that are out of service due to reduced readiness has been taken to mean aircraft in the Depth Fleet, that is, aircraft on scheduled routine maintenance, repair and upgrade programmes. Mothballed has been taken to mean aircraft placed in storage in a flying or ‘near flying’ condition. The fleet sizes quoted cover those aircraft expected to be flown and does not include some aircraft that are currently classified as redundant or un-repairable.
In addition to the aircraft in the table there are 14 Sea King Mk 6s which have been removed from service having gone beyond their out of service date and are not in a flying or ‘near flying’ condition.
Also the MOD has acquired six Danish Merlin aircraft that are currently in the process of being modified to theatre entry specification. There are also eight Chinook Mk3 helicopters currently being converted to a support helicopter role.
In addition to the aircraft above the Department contracts for commercially owned but military registered helicopters and the following table shows those broken down by type and role as at 4 September 2007. These aircraft are on availability contracts and are not owned by the Department.
| Helicopter type | Fleet size | Helicopter role |
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