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27 Nov 2007 : Column 306W—continued



27 Nov 2007 : Column 307W

27 Nov 2007 : Column 308W
Army at 1 March 2007
Total Percentage Officers Percentage Other Ranks Percentage

Total

106,200

100.0

14,680

100.0

91,530

100.0

Single

55,470

52.2

5,420

37.0

50,040

54.7

Married

47,460

44.7

8,900

60.6

38,560

42.1

Without children

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

11,760

12.8

With children

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

26,800

29.3

Divorced

3,270

3.1

350

2.4

2,920

3.2

Without children

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1,220

1.3

With children

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1,700

1.9


RAF at 1 March 2006
Total Percentage Officers Percentage Other Ranks Percentage

Total

48,950

100.0

10,330

100.0

38,620

100.0

Single

18,960

38.7

3,070

29.7

15,890

41.2

Married

27,990

57.2

6,910

66.9

21,080

54.6

Without children

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

With children

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Divorced

1,990

4.1

340

3.3

1,640

4.3

Without children

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

With children

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a denotes not available.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place a copy of the Chief of the General Staff’s Briefing Team Report (2007) in the Library. [167177]

Des Browne: Yes. I shall arrange for a copy of the Chief of the General Staffs Briefing Team Spring 2007 report to be placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme have been turned down because of failure to comply with the time limit in each year since the scheme was set up. [162661]

Derek Twigg: No applications under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme have been turned down because of failure to comply with the time limits set by the scheme.

Armed Forces: Housing

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms he uses to assess the condition of the fabric of married quarters over time. [165871]

Derek Twigg: We assess the condition of the fabric of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) against a number of different factors which cover the condition of wall finish, roofs, chimneys, windows, guttering and ventilation.

This assessment is part of a wider assessment of condition covering 102 attributes which are organised into eight categories (Health and Safety, Sanitary, Kitchen, Energy efficiency, Building Fabric, Electrical, Security and Bedroom Standard).

Deficit points are awarded for the extent of defects present for each element of the building fabric and these are broken down into minor (typically between 1 and 2 deficit points), medium (typically between 3 and 6 deficit points) and major defects (typically between 7 and 12 deficit points). The overall number of deficit points is used to determine the condition of the accommodation and the charge that will be applied.

Building fabric defects
Standard Minimum Maximum

1

0

10

2

11

20

3

21

35

4

36

and over


SFA properties are surveyed for condition on a four yearly basis or when an upgrade to the property has occurred.

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to release void married quarters in advance of the cessation of the project sharing agreement with Annington Homes in November 2011. [165872]

Derek Twigg: The decision to dispose of surplus MOD housing stock is based solely on the military requirement. If the services no longer require houses at a particular site in England or Wales then the MOD hand the properties back to Annington Homes Ltd. (AHL).


27 Nov 2007 : Column 309W

Departmental Coordination

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the contents of the Foreign Secretary’s recent Bruges speech prior to its delivery. [168564]

Des Browne: In line with the Ministerial Code, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office routinely consult other interested Departments, including the MOD, in the preparation of speeches and public statements.

Departmental Land

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what planning applications in connection with
27 Nov 2007 : Column 310W
wind farms his Department has objected to since October 2005; what the reason for each objection was; and what the outcome of each application has been. [166990]

Derek Twigg: Since October 2005 the Ministry of Defence has objected to 28 applications (under both Town and Country Planning legislation and the Electricity Act) for wind turbines. These are detailed in the attached table, together with the reasons for objection and the comment status of each planning application. It should be noted that the majority of cases are pending or subject to a public inquiry.


27 Nov 2007 : Column 311W

27 Nov 2007 : Column 312W
Site name Planning/consenting authority Reason for MoD objection Status Comment

Bruxiehill

Aberdeenshire Council

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Pending

Lotus

South Norfolk District Council

Interference with air defence (AD) and air traffic control (ATC) radar

Refused

Swaffham Extension

Breckland Council

Interference with air defence (AD) and air traffic control (ATC) radar

Pending

Hare Hill

East Ayrshire Council

Unacceptable restriction on operational low flying training

Pending

Broom bank

Highland Council

Interference with Precision Approach Radar (PAR)

Refused

Developer wants to appeal by written statements, the council wants a hearing. The reporters unit to decide which form of appeal will go ahead.

Premier Foods

South Holland District Council

Interference with air traffic control (ATC) Radar

Pending

Andershaw

South Lanarkshire Council

Unacceptable restriction on operational low flying training

Pending

Wryde Croft

Peterborough City Council

Interference with air traffic control (ATC) Radar

Pending

Aultmore

The Moray Council

Interference with air traffic control (ATC) Radar

Pending

Skelmonae

Aberdeenshire Council

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Pending

Balquindachy

Aberdeenshire Council

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Pending

McCains Foods

Fenland District Council

Interference with air traffic control (ATC) Radar

Granted

Turbines have been constructed. The MOD is considering the available options to ensure its interests are protected.

Roos

East Riding Council

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Refused

Monkwith

East Riding Council

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Refused

Withernwick

East Riding Council

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Application withdrawn

Crow Holt

Basset Law District Council

Interference with air traffic control (ATC) Radar

Refused

MOD objection was lifted during the public inquiry when the developer agreed to purchase a new Instrument Landing System for RAF Waddington

MSD Cramlington

Blyth Valley Borough Council

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Refused

Appeal lodged; hearing date yet to be confirmed.

Aesica

Blyth Valley Borough Council

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Refused

Appeal withdrawn by the developer.

Wandylaw

Berwick-Upon- Tweed Council

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Refused

Sheringham Shoal

DBERR

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Pending

Lincs

DBERR

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Pending

Gathercauld

Fife Council

Interference with air traffic control (ATC) Radar

Pending

Ray

DBERR

Interference with air traffic control (ATC) Radar

Public inquiry

Green Rig

Tyndale council

Interference with air traffic control (ATC) Radar

Public inquiry

Steadings

DBERR

Interference with air traffic control (ATC) Radar

Public inquiry

Middlemoor

DBERR

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Public inquiry

Fallago Rig

Scottish Executive

Interference with air defence (AD) radar

Public inquiry

Limmer Hill

Scottish Executive

Unacceptable restriction on operational low flying training


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