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27 Feb 2008 : Column 1573W—continued
Departmental Correspondence
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many letters his Department received in each of the last five years. [187047]
Mr. Woodward: The Department collates information on letters from the public for the annual departmental report, as part of the six national standards for central Government which were introduced to the Department and its Executive agencies from April 1997.
The following table provides figures on the number of letters from the public and ministerial correspondence for the calendar years 2002 to 2006. Figures for 2007 are currently being collated.
| Number of letters | |
Departmental Retirement
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of his Department's staff retired on the grounds of stress-related illness in each of the last three years. [187886]
Mr. Woodward: Within the Northern Ireland Office fewer than five people have retired on the grounds of stress-related illness in each of the last three years. It is normal practice not to release the precise figures where the number retiring is less than five; to do so increases the potential of the individuals being identified.
Departmental Sick Leave
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of working days lost by his Department's staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available. [187863]
Mr. Woodward: Within the Northern Ireland Office 27.9 per cent. of lost working days have been attributed to stress-related illness during the period 2006-07.
The health and safety of everyone in my Department is of paramount importance; we have a duty of care to help prevent staff becoming ill and to support them when they are. The Northern Ireland Office already has a series of effective policies and procedures in place which help achieve these aims. These include a Welfare Service and an independent confidential counselling service that is available 24 hours a day.
Departmental Translation Services
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what documents his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English. [187994]
Mr. Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies, translate the following documents for people in the UK who do not speak English:
First night and induction information for prisoners;
Committal interview forms;
Visits information for prison visitors;
Information booklet for life sentenced prisoners;
Various forms for routine prison procedures—clothing, telephone, tuck shop;
Information sheet on adjudication process for prisoners;
Dealing with complaints against the police;
Summons to defendants—front cover to explain in simple terms the nature of the document;
Requirement to attend court—front cover to explain in simple terms the nature of the document;
Decisions on compensation claims (when required this would be translated into appropriate language);
Written representations on published proposals for boundary changes;
Probation Board information leaflets, letters, correspondence and all enforcement documentation;
Community safety leaflets;
Making a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland: A Summary;
Your rights in Northern Ireland;
The Human Rights Commission routinely replies to written correspondence in the language used by the correspondent;
State Pathologist's Department—The Way Forward—A Consultation Document—January 2003.
In addition to this list of documents the Department is committed to providing any document in alternative languages or formats on request.
Electricity
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on electricity in each of the last five years. [187056]
Mr. Woodward: The following table shows the amount the Northern Ireland Office (excluding its agencies and NDPBs) has spent on electricity in each of the last five years.
| Financial year | Electricity costs (£000) |
Eurostar
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department and its agencies spent on (a) first and (b) other class travel by Eurostar in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [187744]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is as follows.
(a) Nil; and
(b) £1,052.50
Northern Ireland Prison Service: Long Service Awards
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration is being given to awarding long service and good conduct medals to prison officers in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [189066]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Prison Service is included in the case taken by the Ministry of Justice for the introduction of a long service and good conduct medal to operational staff in the UK Prison Services. A paper has been submitted to the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals and is currently under consideration.
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Driving Offences
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many serving police officers within the Police Service of Northern Ireland who have committed a driving offence have (a) retained and (b) been issued with firearms certificates within the last 12 months. [186160]
Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable of the Police Service for Northern Ireland has advised that no serving police officers convicted of a motoring offence within the last 12 months have retained or been granted a firearms certificate in this period. Information on driving convictions before this period and relevant to firearms certificate applications are not readily available and could be obtained by means of an extensive manual check only at disproportionate cost to public funds.
Defence
Aircraft Carriers: Procurement
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made any changes to the planned in-service dates of the Future Aircraft Carriers. [189279]
Armed Forces: Pay
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects outstanding payments arising from the operation of the Joint Personnel Administration to be made to security forces personnel. [188354]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 25 February 2008]: Once identified, under payments are normally corrected in the next available pay run. If this is not possible arrangements are put in place for payments to be made at unit level. Without knowing which specific personnel the hon. Member is referring to, it is not possible to provide more information.
Astute Class Submarines: Procurement
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made any changes to the number of Astute class submarines to be ordered. [189277]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: It remains our plan to order seven Astute submarines.
European Fighter Aircraft
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made any changes to the number of aircraft to be ordered for the third tranche of Typhoon. [189274]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Negotiations with Partner Nations and industry are under way on Tranche 3, and decisions will be taken once these are complete.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information coalition forces have on the activity of Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and security agents and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps occupying accommodation in the Al-Mansur Hotel, Baghdad; and if he will make a statement. [188393]
Des Browne: The Government do not comment publicly on intelligence matters of this nature.
Nuclear Weapons
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) low level, (b) intermediate level and (c) high level nuclear material is held in the UK, where the material in question is subject to a report from the US Secretary of Defence to his Department. [162281]
Des Browne: I have been unable to identify any reports from the US Secretary of Defence to this Department referring to the nuclear material we hold in the UK.
Qinetiq
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much has been received from QinetiQ following the sale of each former Government-owned site as a result of the clawback agreement; and in relation to which sites the money has been received; [178249]
(2) in relation to the sale of which sites he expects to receive monies from QinetiQ as a result of the
clawback agreement during 2008; how much he expects to receive in relation to each such site; and for which sites he does not expect to receive monies; [178250]
(3) what acreage of land has been transferred from his Department to QinetiQ; how much of that land has subsequently been disposed of and at what price; and if he will make a statement. [178976]
Des Browne: The requested information is not held centrally or in a consistent form. However, it should be possible to compile the requested information without incurring disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the work has been completed and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Substantive answer from Des Browne to Mi ke Hancock:
I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 21 January 2008 ( Official Report, column 1604W) about monies received from QinetiQ following the sale of land as a result of the clawback agreement and what acreage of land has been transferred to QinetiQ and has subsequently been disposed of.
The table at Annex A shows the acreage of land transferred to QinetiQ together with an indication as to whether it has been substantially sold and if clawback has been received by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
In respect to the value of the land transferred, I refer you to the answer by the then Under Secretary of State gave on 13 January 2003 ( Official Report, column 404W) to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin). In terms of the actual receipts, the attached table cross references the relevant passages of QinetiQ's Annual Accounts. However, additional details are withheld on grounds of commercial confidentiality.
In 2003, when a stake in QinetiQ was being sold to the Carlyle Group, the Aquilla and Chertsey sites had already been identified as surplus to QinetiQ's business requirements. QinetiQ's obligation to pay the proceeds to the Department were set out in the Aquilla and Chertsey loan note. As a result, £60m of the proceeds from the sale of these sites came directly to the MOD.
I am unable to comment on the likely future receipts from clawback as this very much depends on the future use of sites by QinetiQ, along with the company's schedule for disposal, the timing and terms and conditions of any sale. MOD officials are aware of two prospective sales at Bincleaves in Weymouth and Eastney in your constituency. This information is in the public domain as a result of planning applications or consultations made by the company.
I am placing a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
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