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29 Oct 2007 : Column 961W—continued
Departments: Assets
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the (a) description and (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is. [160351]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Surplus assets are identified and disposed of as part of routine MOD business, primarily through Defence Estates and the Disposal Services Authority.
The latest published book values of MOD assets worth in excess of £1 million is set out in the National Asset Register (Cm 7022—January 2007), available on the HM Treasury website.
Information on future plans is commercially sensitive and therefore not made available until necessary. A majority of assets identified for disposal, are either marketed by the Disposal Services Agency, or for surplus Defence Estate, published on a list that is regularly updated and placed in the Library of the House. The House will also be informed of the divestment of any other significant MOD assets, such as the planned release of the electromagnetic spectrum announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Departments: Clothing
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent at Gieves and Hawkes, Savile Row, in each of the last five years; and if he will break down that expenditure by category of clothing. [154047]
Derek Twigg: Available records show the following payments made to Gieves and Hawkes, Savile Row, from 1 April 2002 to 31 July 2007.
| Financial year | £ |
Information on the categories of clothing is not held in the format requested.
Departments: Cost Effectiveness
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efficiency savings his Department was required to make as part of its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets; what efficiency projects have been undertaken in the Department in pursuit of those targets; on what date each was initiated; and how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target. [160552]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: A breakdown of efficiency savings by programme can be found in the MOD’s Efficiency Technical Note, which was published in December 2005. Revised forecasts for the end of March 2008 and achievement to the end of March 2007 were provided in the departmental Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07. Both documents can be found on the department’s website at:
MOD Annual Report and Accounts
The dates on which the various initiatives were started are as follows. Unless stated, this is the date when the business case was approved.
Force structure changes—July 2004, the date the “Future Capabilities” Paper was published
Joint Personnel Administration—June 2001, when the Defence Management Board approved the vision and strategy document
People Programme—July 2004, Defence Management Board strategy paper for civilian personnel
Defence Resource Management Programme—November 2003, when Treasury approved the Defence Resource Management Solution
Defence Information Infrastructure—September 2002
Equipment procurement/future capabilities—July 2004, the date the “Future Capabilities” Paper was published
Defence Logistics Transformation Programme—April 2004, the official formation date of the programme
Whole Fleet Management—February 2003
Estates Modernisation—launched in Financial Year 2002-03 following a reorganisation of Defence Estates
Travel Modernisation—November 2004
Defence Electronic Commerce System—this was identified as a key enabler for the DLO Business Strategy approved in May 2000; early work on Defence e-commerce had begun in 1996.
Other procurement—April 2003
Defence Health Change Programme—initiated following the Medical Quinquennial Review of 2001
Single Navy command—August 2004 when the merger plan was formally established
Single Air Command—June 2005, when approved by Minister (Armed Forces)
Closure of Army Technical Foundation college Arborfield—November 2003.
Departments: Disabled
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which buildings occupied by his Department (a) are and (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [161165]
Derek Twigg: Given the number of buildings across the defence estate, the requested information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, all Government Departments are subject to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which requires them to make reasonable access arrangements for disabled people. This Department acts within the Act and Part M of the Building Regulations for England and Wales or their equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Departments: ICT
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new (a) laptops, (b) mobile telephones and (c) personal digital assistant devices his Department bought for the use of departmental Ministers following each Cabinet reshuffle since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [156737]
Derek Twigg: Since May 2005, one personal digital assistant has been bought for use by departmental Ministers. We do not hold information on expenditure prior to this date, which could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the name is of each special adviser in his Department. [153072]
Des Browne: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.
Departments: Policy
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policy changes his Department has implemented since 27 June 2007. [159289]
Derek Twigg: Ministers have kept Parliament fully informed of the many important activities and decisions that we have made since 27 June 2007 through written ministerial statements.
The written ministerial statements made by the Department up to 19 October 2007 are listed in the table as follows.
| Date | Hansard reference | Subject |
|
Pattern of Military Low Flying Across the United Kingdom 2006-07 | ||
The Statements either re-affirmed existing policy or were not policy related.
Departments: Public Participation
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many citizens’ juries have been arranged by his Department since June; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens’ jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise. [159490]
Derek Twigg: The Department has not arranged any citizens’ juries since June 2007.
Departments: Retirement
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful. [161297]
Derek Twigg: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Since the introduction of a ‘national default retirement age’ of 65, men and women have been able automatically to continue in employment up to this age. This means that women employed by the MOD are able routinely to work beyond the current state pension age for women of 60. Moreover, the MOD has introduced procedures which enable its civil servants to apply to work beyond 65 in accordance with the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. Such applications are submitted to individual line managers and appeals, where they are raised, are dealt with at a more senior level within the business unit.
Departments: Scotland
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what areas of land in Scotland were sold by his Department in each of the last five years; what the use was of each area prior to sale; what revenue was received for each area of land; and if he will make a statement. [160003]
Derek Twigg: The information requested is shown in the following table:
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