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10 Oct 2007 : Column 631W—continued
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much fuel was consumed by UK armed forces in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each month since the beginning of operations. [154225]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the monthly consumption rates of fuel as their release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces.
I am able to provide the total amount of fuel consumed by UK forces in Afghanistan and Iraq for those dates highlighted and this is shown in the following tables. Data are not held centrally on the dates prior to those stated and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Afghanistan—total fuels consumed since October 2006-June 2007 | |
| Litres | |
This includes a small portion consumed by multinational elements of Task Force Helmand/Regional Command (South).
| Iraq—total fuels consumed since January 2005-August 2007 | |
| Litres | |
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much depleted uranium ammunition has been used by British forces in Operation Herrick since 2002. [156824]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: No depleted uranium ammunition has been used by UK forces in Operation Herrick since 2002.
Aircraft Carriers
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what percentage of time (a) HMS Illustrious and (b) HMS Ark Royal were (i) on operations and (ii) undergoing maintenance in each year since 1997. [154256]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Animal Experiments
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 129W, on animal experiments, what his timetable is for making the appointments. [156249]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I can confirm that a team has been appointed to examine the future of animal testing in support of a possible future submarine escape and rescue research programme. The team comprises a core group of six specialists supported by a number of independent external advisers. It is led by an ex-military scientist, qualified to postdoctorate level, supported by subject matter experts in defence related human physiology research, submarine design and operation, and law pertaining to the use of animals in scientific research. The group of external advisers includes leading academics in the field of human physiology.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hyperbaric experiments have been carried out on live goats since March 2007; what plans he has to commission future experiments; and if he will make a statement. [156604]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I can confirm that no hyperbaric experiments using goats have been conducted since March 2007.
A number of studies reviewing the need for further use of goats in this research programme are currently being undertaken. These studies take into account MOD’s duty of care to sustain the health and welfare of submarine crews and to provide them with the ability to operate safely and effectively. The teams are investigating a range of options for submarine escape and rescue, and life support, including and excluding animal experimentation.
Any plans to conduct further experiments using goats are subject to the findings of this review.
Armed Forces: Gliding
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the unit costs of (a) tug and (b) winch launches when used for glider flights as part of armed forces training courses. [156200]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The estimated unit cost of a tug launch and a winch launch for glider flights as part of training courses is shown as follows:
| Type of launch | Estimated unit cost (£) |
Armed Forces: Languages
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Farsi/Dari, (b) Arabic, (c) Urdu, (d) Pashto, (e) Swahili, (f) Uyghur, (g) Uzbek (h) Tajik and (i) Kurdish speaking military personnel are serving in the British armed forces. [154261]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth:
The numbers of presently serving military personnel known to have skills of at least standardized language profile (SLP) Level 1 in the specified languages are listed in the following table. The numbers are listed in two categories “tested” and “untested”. Those included in the “tested” column have confirmed their skill in a military language
examination within the last three years and their qualification is current. Those included in the “untested” column were either examined more than three years ago and their qualification has expired, or are known to have some level of skill which has not been confirmed by military language examination.
| Language | Tested | Untested |
There are no records of any personnel having skills in Uyghur, Uzbek, Tajik or Kurdish.
The table does not include records for special forces personnel.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel have received training in (a) Farsi/Dari, (b) Arabic, (c) Urdu, (d) Pashto, (e) Swahili, (f) Uyghur, (g) Uzbek (h) Tajik and (i) Kurdish in each year since 1997. [154262]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The following tables show the number of persons receiving training to at least standardized language profile (SLP) Level 1 in the languages for which information is requested. Despite extensive trawls, it is only possible to provide annual figures for Arabic. For the other languages, an aggregate figure for the entire period since 1997 has been collated.
| Arabic | |
| (1) To date | |
| Other languages: 1997-2007( 1) | |
| (1 )To date | |
No personnel have received any training in Uyghur, Uzbek or Tajik since 1997.
Over the 10 year period, training organisations and military language examination systems have evolved considerably. This may have led to loss of data for the earlier part of the period, with the result that totals for
each language are potentially understated. The figures quoted include special forces personnel.
Army: Deployment
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average tour intervals are of the (a) infantry, (b) Royal Regiment of Artillery, (c) the Corps of the Royal Engineers, (d) the Royal Logistic Corps and (e) the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. [154251]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The average unit tour interval for the infantry and the Royal Regiment of Artillery is 23.5 and 20.8 months, respectively. This is calculated on the basis of the mean time between the start of the most recent deployment and the end of the previous deployment for all formed units within each arm.
The unit tour interval is a less relevant measure when applied to the Corps of Royal Engineers, the Royal Logistic Corps and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. This is due to the frequency with which personnel move between formed units within these corps (which means that the personnel deployed with a unit will be substantially different from the personnel who deployed with the same unit on a previous occasion). Unit tour interval data for these corps is not therefore routinely collated.
Defence: Expenditure
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion UK defence spending was of UK GDP in each financial year since 1997. [156187]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: This information is published in HM Treasury’s Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis. The most recent version, CM7019 from April 2007 is available in the Library of the House and at:
Defence: Inflation
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the defence inflation planning assumptions are for financial years 2007-08 to 2010-11. [156236]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: In line with all Government Departments, the GDP deflator is used to estimate inflation. It is available on HM Treasury website:
As the GDP deflator is frequently updated, to simplify our internal planning process, inflation is currently rounded to 2.5 per cent.
Departments: Public Expenditure
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will break down in (a) near cash and (b) non-cash terms columns 1-8 of the subhead detail tables for his Department contained in the (i) main estimate, (ii) winter supplementary estimate and (iii) spring supplementary estimate for financial years 2001-02 to 2007-08. [156002]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the right hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the (a) planned (i) non-cash limit and (ii) near-cash resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL), (b) anticipated operating appropriations in aid, (c) planned capital DEL and (d) anticipated non-operating appropriations in aid are for each of his Department’s top-level budget holders in each year of the comprehensive spending review; [156326]
(2) what the planned (a) non-cash and (b) near cash administration costs limit is for each of his Department’s top-level budget holders in each year of the comprehensive spending review. [156329]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Department is currently conducting a planning round to disaggregate the comprehensive spending review settlement; therefore this information is not currently available.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the near cash resource and capital departmental expenditure limits are for his Department in each year of the 2007 comprehensive spending review period. [156327]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows the Ministry of Defence’s near-cash RDEL and CDEL over the CSR07 years.
| £ million | ||
| Near-cash resource DEL | Capital DEL | |
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the financial year 2006-07 outturn for resources one, two and three provision for each subhead was broken down by (a) near cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL), (b) non-cash DEL, (c) capital DEL, (d) near cash annual managed expenditure, (e) non-cash annual managed expenditure, (f) capital annual managed expenditure, (g) near cash non-budget and (h) non-cash non-budget. [156328]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 September 2007, Official Report, columns 1888-93W.
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