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9 May 2008 : Column 1208W—continued
Armed Forces: Recruitment
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department plans to monitor the impact of the Armed Forces Benefits Calculator on recruitment. [204354]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Armed Forces Benefits Calculator (ABC) is a new initiative which builds on the success of the pension calculator to provide service personnel with the means of working out an indicative value for their total remuneration package, incorporating basic pay, specialist pay, individual allowances, pension, and other benefits. As such, it is retention focused: the calculator has been developed to better communicate to service personnel the value of their ‘total reward’ package, and other associated financial remuneration information.
The MOD also regards strongly the ABC’s value to recruiting, because it provides those thinking about joining the armed forces with a means of investigating the type of remuneration and benefits available. In future, the single services will be able to understand its impact, and the role it plays in determining why an individual wishes to enlist, from initial interviews. The calculator uses a combination of existing pay rates and allowances (details of which can be found at http://www.mod-abc.co.uk), and some new values, which have been agreed with subject matter experts and the single services. These new values are included to provide a broad indication of what some of the other benefits that personnel receive in return for military service (such as dental care, and health and fitness facilities) might cost to replicate in civilian life.
Armed Forces: Vehicles
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what timescale his Department has for the phasing out of personnel carriers with (a) inadequate armour and (b) those not designed to withstand improvised explosive device detonations; [201586]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the operational viability of BAE RG31 vehicles, or similar vehicles, built to withstand improvised explosive device detonations; [201587]
(3) what assessment his Department has made of the viability of replacing Land Rover and Vector vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan with armoured vehicles built to withstand improvised explosive device detonations. [201588]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Commanders need a range of vehicles of varying protection, mobility and profile to achieve their missions and tasks and counter the threat.
In 2006 the BAE RG-31 was considered in detail, along with the ADI Bushmaster and FPI Cougar 6x6, to fulfil the need for a large protected patrol vehicle that could meet our demanding protection requirements in the fastest possible time. The Cougar was selected and is now known as Mastiff; it has undergone rigorous assessment throughout the procurement process and continues to be assessed, in order to counter emerging threats.
Additional deliveries of Mastiff and a new medium protected patrol vehicle to be called Ridgeback, may allow a reduction in the number of Snatch Land Rovers; however, commanders hold that a role for lighter vehicles on operations is likely to remain, as part of the suite of protected patrol vehicles and high mobility patrol vehicles available to them.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions are in place on the movement of armed forces personnel in the back of 4-tonne vehicles with regard to (a) maximum distance travelled and (b) time allowed in the back of the vehicle. [203821]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 7 May 2008]: The 4-tonne vehicle referred to in this question is defined as a Dual Purpose Vehicle (DPV). When used to carry passengers, the DPV can be used on public roads for single journeys of not more than 40 miles and not exceeding one hour. This distance and time may only be exceeded when personnel are carrying out operations, training for operations and conducting formal field training exercises.
DPVs fitted with troop-carrying vehicle enhanced seating are exempt from these time and distance restrictions, when travelling on metalled roads. Where they are used to carry passengers in off road scenarios, journey times should not exceed one hour at 20 to 25 mph over an eight hour period. Enhanced seating is being progressively phased in throughout the DPV fleet.
Armed Forces: Working Conditions
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of service personnel at each rank between OR1 and OR6 have worked above 55 hours per week on average since October 2007. [200949]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) carries out a continuous sample survey of working patterns, which provides information on hours worked in a given week.
The survey is based on a random sample of 18,000 trained service personnel stratified by service, broad rank group and broad location which aims to provide estimates of the average weekly hours worked for those groups and locations.
Since any respondent only provides a diary of their working hours for a single week, we cannot make any further inferences about individual working patterns over a prolonged period.
Work is currently in progress on the 2007-08 Survey of Working Patterns, and the report is expected to be ready towards the end of 2008.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of service personnel at each rank between OR1 and OR6 worked above 55 hours per week on average between October 2006 and October 2007. [200950]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) carries out a continuous sample survey of working patterns, which provides information on hours worked in a given week.
The survey is based on a random sample of 18,000 trained service personnel stratified by service, broad rank group and broad location which aims to provide estimates of the average weekly hours worked for those groups and locations.
Since any respondent will only provide a diary of their working hours for a single week, we cannot make any further inferences about individual working patterns over a prolonged period.
The average weekly hours worked for senior ranks (OR6 to OR9) in 2006-07 was 47.9 and junior ranks (OR1 to OR5) 46.7. Time spent working includes core activities, secondary duties, compulsory fitness, training, organised sports and representational activities but excludes breaks.
A copy of the 2006-07 Continuous Working Patterns report is in the Library of the House.
Colchester
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the longest period is for which a residential or former residential dwelling of his Department in Colchester constituency has remained empty. [195987]
Derek Twigg: Data is only available for residential properties which are currently empty. Of these, seven properties at Colchester have been vacant for seven years awaiting major modernisation. These seven properties now form part of the Colchester upgrade programme spanning financial years 2009-11.
In 1996, the Ministry of Defence sold most of its Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in England and Wales to Annington Homes Ltd (AHL),
the majority of which were immediately leased back by this Department for defence use. When surplus to defence requirements, properties are handed back to AHL, which is solely responsible for the property until AHL sells the property on the open market. The MOD is not required to maintain records of these properties once they have been handed back to AHL.
Since May 2007, the total number of void SFA properties in Great Britain has taken from 9,162 to 8,761 properties.
Ex-Servicemen: Housing
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the ability of the Joint Service Housing Advice Office to assist service leavers on their departure from the armed forces. [203988]
Derek Twigg: The Joint Service Housing Advice Office's main task is to ensure that the service community is aware of new schemes from both the public and private sector that may help them in their search for civilian housing when they leave the Services.
During 2007, the JSHAO ran 85 briefings designed to encourage Service personnel to make long term housing provision while they are in service. These briefings were attended by over 2,000 service personnel.
The JSHAO maintains links with housing associations that have a specific commitment to help service leavers and their housing needs. It also runs a referral scheme, the MOD Nomination Scheme, through which a total of 81 families and individuals were housed in 2007.
Saudi Arabia: BAE Systems
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he or any of the Ministers in his Department has been informed by (a) BAE Systems and (b) the Serious Fraud Office of any payments made by BAES to the ex-Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan. [201581]
Des Browne: It is our policy not to comment on commercially or diplomatically sensitive or legally privileged information because to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice international relations, commercial confidentiality or our legal obligations.
Territorial Army: Northern Ireland
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army personnel are based in Northern Ireland. [204665]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth:
The number of Territorial Army personnel based in Northern Ireland as at 31 March
2008 was 1,962. Additionally there were 100 TA personnel, normally based in Northern Ireland, mobilised and serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Duchy of Lancaster
Assets: Consultants
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2008, Official Report, column 2844W, on Assets: Consultants, on which (a) properties and (b) other parts of the estate each of the firms listed provided advice. [198099]
Mr. Watson: I have nothing to add to my previous answer.
Cancer
Christopher Fraser: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many newly diagnosed cases of each type of cancer there were in each year since 1997. [201945]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 May 2008
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking how many newly diagnosed cases of each type of cancer there were in each year since 1997. [201945]
The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of each type of cancer are for the year 2005. Figures for 1997 to 2005 can be found in Tables 1 and 7 of the Annual Reference Volume, Cancer statistics: Registrations, Series MB1, available from the NS website at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Productasp?vlnk=8843&;Pos=&ColRank=l&Rank=224
Carbon Monoxide: Death
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many deaths there were in England as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in each year since 1997, broken down by Government Office region. [203133]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 May 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths there were in England as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in each year since 1997, broken down by Government Office Region. (203133)
The attached table provides the number of deaths where the toxic effect of carbon monoxide was the cause of death, in England and each government office region, from 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available).
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