| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
19 Mar 2008 : Column 1169W—continued
Armed Forces: Weapons
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what size the armed forces’ stockpiles of (a) M85 and (b) CRV-7 munitions are; and when these weapons’ lifespan expire. [194427]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding information relating both to the size of the stockpile of M85 and CRV-7 munitions and to their out of service dates, as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
In addition, the shelf life of individual munitions or components is established in conjunction with the manufacturer and will vary depending on the date of manufacture. At the end of this period, the shelf life may be extended, subject to appropriate MOD in-house surveillance and trials programmes, should there be a continuing requirement for the capability. The shelf life of munitions of the same type in the stockpile will therefore vary.
Chelsea Barracks: Sales
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2008, Official Report, columns 2343-44W, on Chelsea Barracks: sales, what the (a) single living accommodation and (b) service family accommodation expenditure profiles were prior to the decision to apportion the proceeds of the sale of Chelsea Barracks for service and accommodation. [194423]
Derek Twigg: The Department has taken a targeted and long-term approach to investing in accommodation, taking account of defence priorities across the board and the need to ensure value from public money.
The sale of Chelsea Barracks was contained within our forward financial plans and therefore its completion has secured planned investment in service accommodation of some £250 million in the current financial year and £550 million over the next three years, with the balance in the next settlement period. Additionally, as announced by the Secretary of State last year, it has enabled this Department to further increase expenditure on single living accommodation by £80 million. This will deliver an additional 1,350 new bed-spaces.
Defence Equipment
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the implementation of through life capability management has affected the ways in which his Department (a) acquires and (b) supports equipment; and what equipment is covered by through life capability management. [195105]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Through Life Capability Management is an approach to the acquisition and in-service management of military capability in which every aspect of new and existing military capability is planned and managed coherently from cradle to grave. This is leading to better solutions for defence and the taxpayer by ensuring that decisions are taken with better knowledge of all defence lines of development, including up-front acquisition costs and through-life support.
Through Life Capability Management covers all equipment which contributes to the delivery of military capability.
Departmental Buildings
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which central offices occupied by his Department (a) are and (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people. [166832]
Derek Twigg: Government Departments are subject to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which requires them to make reasonable access arrangements for disabled people. The MOD acts within the Act and Part M of the Building Regulations for England and Wales (and their equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland). Consequently the Department takes all reasonable steps to ensure compliance with the legislation.
Records of all fully accessible buildings are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Depleted Uranium: Waste Management
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the gun barrels used in test firing of depleted uranium shells at the Dundrennan test range are stored; and whether they are to be sent to another site for (a) long-term storage and (b) disposal. [194119]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The gun barrel used to fire CHARM 3 Depleted Uranium rounds, as part of the life extension trial firings on 11 and 12 March, at the Ministry of Defence’s Kirkcudbright Range at Dundrennan, was previously stored at the Eskmeals Range in Cumbria.
20 rounds in total were fired and the barrel was monitored before and after each firing. On completion of the life extension trial the barrel and fume extractor were checked for any signs of contamination before being returned to Eskmeals on 13 March for further monitoring and to await disposal. Disposal planning is at an early stage and it is therefore too early to confirm the disposal site. Any contaminated parts of the barrel would, however, be disposed of in accordance with arrangements agreed with the regulatory authorities responsible for environmental protection.
EU Defence Policy
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the national resources to be used for EU Defence, as mentioned in Chapter 2, Section 1, Article 13 of the Treaty of Lisbon. [195288]
Des Browne: Article 28 (2) (Article 41(2) in the new numbering) of the Lisbon Treaty states that:
“In cases where expenditure is not charged to the Union budget, it shall be charged to the member states in accordance with the gross national product scale, unless the Council acting unanimously decides otherwise.”
This language is the same as that in the current Treaty on European Union. The budget for EU defence policy covering civilian activities is drawn from the Common Foreign Security Policy (CFSP) budget. National contributions to this budget are based on a Gross National Product scale.
Military operations are not funded from the CFSP budget, but are instead paid for on an ad-hoc basis by contributions directly from EU member states. In 2004, the Council acting unanimously set up the ATHENA mechanism for the funding of the common costs of EU military missions. Under this EU member states pay for specified agreed common costs for EU military missions on a Gross National Income scale. The majority of mission costs are provided by troop contributing nations on a “costs lie where they fall” basis.
Ex-servicemen
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance is available to members of the armed services who have been invalided out of the service; what (a) discussions he has had and (b) representations he has received on this issue since 2006; what plans he has to increase the assistance available; and if he will make a statement. [190802]
Derek Twigg: We take our responsibilities for those who are invalided out of the armed forces seriously. For those requiring assistance, MOD provides health care and welfare support in service but, at service termination, the primary responsibility passes to the normal civilian agencies, including the ex-service charities. Since October 2007 we have put in place a new care pathway for the most seriously injured to ensure they receive the appropriate support as they need. The Department's Veterans Welfare Service is there to provide advice on issues such as entitlement to pensions and compensation under the Department's no-fault schemes. In the case of the severely injured, the welfare service monitors those discharged for a period of at least two years to provide advice should difficulties arise.
Working together with civilian and third sector agencies, our aim is to achieve smooth and seamless transition. Those invalided from service are eligible for the MOD's full resettlement package (including support into work where this is appropriate and, automatic configuration of pension). Where the invaliding disorder is due to service, no fault compensation benefits will be assessed and paid and, for the relevant condition, the individual will be eligible for NHS priority treatment with additional benefits such as free prescriptions.
As Veterans Minister, I meet regularly with veterans and the ex-service organisations. Topics raised since 2006 have included priority treatment, civilian benefits, housing compensation, civilian mental health services for veterans and the issues of cultural understanding that can arise for those who have served when they seek help from civilian health professionals. Officials from MOD, other Government Departments, the devolved administrations and the charities are working together to address all key concerns, communicating existing entitlements to all those involved, and areas where improvements might be made to arrangements for ensuring seamless transition. I recently met colleague ministers from Department of Health, Work and Pensions and Communities and Local Government and also my counterpart in the Scottish Executive, when we confirmed our determination to provide excellent support to veterans especially those injured or made ill by service.
Iraq: Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new armoured fighting vehicles were despatched to (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each year since British troops were deployed to each country. [193406]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding information on the number of armoured vehicles deployed as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Iraq: Detainees
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost to date to the public purse has been of prosecutions, trial proceedings and internal military investigations and proceedings concerned with the death of Mr. Baha Musa in Iraq in British custody. [186370]
Des Browne: It has not been possible to collate all the necessary information within the required timescale. The following figures are for those costings available to date, though they are not final sums.
Army Criminal Legal Aid Authority costs for all defence teams are £8,140,696.91. The Military Court Service costs, including costs for witnesses, transcription, hotel bills, catering, interpreters and miscellaneous items, are £363,800. The Army Prosecuting Authority costs, including those for the Judicial Review, are £1,231,240.
I will write to the hon. Member once the costings for other areas have been received.
Substantive answer from Des Browne to Harry Cohen:
I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 18 February (Official Report, columns 101-102W) about the costs to date to the public purse of prosecution trial proceedings and internal military investigations concerned with the death of Mr Baha Mousa in Iraq whilst in British custody.
Most of the costs for internal military investigations were met from within the normal operating budgets of the Department and the Royal Military Police units involved. These costs are not recorded separately.
The exception to this is where the Royal Military Police sought external assistance from interpreters and forensic experts. The costs associated with these are as follows:
Forensic Investigations: £14,926.61
Interpretation Costs: £12,074.10
Iraq: Disabled
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British soldiers have been rendered disabled on service in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each year since British forces were deployed to each of those countries. [193449]
Derek Twigg: Information on the number of Service personnel rendered disabled while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Information on the number of ex-Service personnel in receipt of a pension for disablement caused by service before 6 April 2005 is published in the “War
Pension Quarterly Statistics” by the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA), however these reports do not contain information on where the disablement was caused. Copies of the War Pensions Quarterly Statistics are available on the DASA website at:
Injuries caused on or after 6 April 2005 fall to be compensated under the Armed Forces Compensation scheme (“AFCS”). Quarterly statistics on AFCS will be published by DASA in due course. As with war pensions, AFCS published statistics will not contain information relating to place of injury.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many awards for (a) bravery and (b) distinguished service were issued to personnel who had served in Iraq in each year since 2003, broken down by (i) service, (ii) rank and (iii) regiment. [195380]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: It has not been possible to collate the necessary information in the format requested within the required timescale. I can however provide aggregate figures as follows:
| Service | Gallantry | Meritorious service | Total |
The Army figures can be further broken out into regiment follows:
| Regt/Corps | Gallantry | Meritorious service | Total |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |