House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 12 May 2008 (pt 0004)

12 May 2008 : Column 1304W—continued

Jobcentre Plus

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2008, Official Report, column 1405W, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on Jobcentre Plus’s investigation into the feasibility of introducing advance payments. [202207]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 28 April 2008]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 12 May 2008:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2008, Official Report, column 1405W, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on Jobcentre Plus’s investigation into the feasibility of introducing advance payments. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as chief executive of Jobcentre Plus.

I have no plans to place a copy of the report in the Library as this is subject to ongoing policy development. I would be pleased to arrange for you to be briefed by one of my senior officials, if you would find that helpful.

Pensioners: Low Incomes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners that will have a weekly income below the minimum income guarantee in each year to 2050; and what proportion of these will be (a) women, (b) aged over 75, (c) aged over 80 and (d) aged over 85 years. [200645]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Pension credit ensures that no-one aged 60 and over need live on an income of less than £124.05 a week. We want every pensioner to claim the benefits to which they are entitled which is why The Pension Service continue to undertake a wide range of activities to encourage people to claim the pension credit they are entitled to, including data matching to identify those who may be eligible but who are not receiving benefits, home visits for vulnerable customers and ever closer working with partner organisations.

Social Security Benefits

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will (a) undertake an impact assessment of the proposal to reduce the backdating period for pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit claims and (b) make it his policy to publish the assessment before implementing any change in policy. [203686]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 24 April 2008, Official Report, column 2174W.

Defence

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008, Official Report, column 49W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, whether (a) elements of British forces will have a command relationship subordinate to the US 24th Marine Expeditionary Force and (b) elements of the US 24th Marine Expeditionary Force will have a command relationship subordinate to British forces in 2008. [203581]

12 May 2008 : Column 1305W

Des Browne: Both Task Force Helmand and the US 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are under the control of the Commander of the International Security Assistance Force.

British forces will be neither commanded by, nor in command of the US 24^(th) Marine Expeditionary Unit, but individual arrangements may be made between UK and US forces as dictated by the practical execution of military operations.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of (a) infantry battalions, (b) helicopters, (c) aircraft and (d) training teams available to NATO forces deployed in Afghanistan to achieve their objectives. [203776]

Des Browne: The Bucharest summit saw a number of nations make significant additional commitments to the International Security Assistance Force; in particular President Sarkozy confirmed the deployment of an additional battalion of French troops to the east of the country.

Nevertheless, there remains a need for more training and mentoring personnel; combat forces in the south and east of Afghanistan; and key enablers, such as helicopters and other aircraft, to meet the Combined Joint Statement of Requirements for Afghanistan. The UK continues to work with partners to address these shortfalls.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK personnel are deployed on operations, broken down by location. [205127]

Des Browne: The following table shows the number of UK service personnel deployed on operations by location at 28 April 2008. The number of personnel in theatre will naturally fluctuate on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including leave (rest and recuperation), temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces and other factors.

Number of personnel deployed by location^{( 1)}
Location	Number
Total	14,410
of which:
Afghanistan	8,900
Iraq	4,000
Qatar	410
Cyprus	280
Kuwait	260
Oman	210
Kosovo	140
At Sea	80
Bahrain	80
Other	40
⁽¹⁾ Countries with 10 or more personnel are shown separately. Other countries with fewer than 10 personnel per Country include Bosnia, Georgia, Nepal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia. With the exception of Bosnia, personnel in these countries are participating in smaller UN operations, e.g. we contribute five military personnel to the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG). Notes: 1. Figures for Iraq and Afghanistan have been rounded to the nearest 100 for operational security reasons. Other figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Due to rounding, the total is not equal to the sum of the individual locations. 2. Figures for Afghanistan are artificially high due to the handover period while a Relief In Place (RIP) is in operation. The operational establishment for Afghanistan is 7,800.

12 May 2008 : Column 1306W

Armed Forces: Finance

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the change in the budget of the armed forces in (a) cash, (b) real and (c) percentage terms will be in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10, (iii) 2010-11 over the preceding year in each case; and if he will make a statement. [200274]

Des Browne: The defence budget over the years 2007-08 to 2010-11 can be found in the 2004 spending review (CM6237) and the 2007 pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review (CM7227) White Papers. These figures can be converted to real terms using the GDP deflator, available on HM Treasury’s website.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many homes for service personnel there are in (a) Northumberland and (b) County Durham. [203785]

Derek Twigg: There are 294 service family accommodation properties in Northumberland and 54 in County Durham.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which unit will provide the Spearhead Land Element requirement for the UK during the service in Kosovo of the 2nd Battalion The Rifles. [204566]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The 3 SCOTS will be providing the Spearhead Land Element requirement for the UK while 2 Rifles are deployed in Kosovo.

Armed Forces: Young Offenders

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Ministry of Justice on employing the armed forces on training programmes with young offenders; how many armed forces personnel he expects to be involved in such programmes; what proportion of the cost for such programmes will be borne by his Department; and how much that is expected to be. [203413]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There has been a preliminary discussion between MOJ and MOD on the wider issue of strengthening the links between the armed forces and Prison Service to broaden the scope of opportunities for ex-offenders within the military. There are currently no plans to employ members of the armed forces on training programmes with young offenders.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the procurement of Ridgeback armoured vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [203206]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 April 2008, Official Report, column 482W.

12 May 2008 : Column 1307W

Army: Deployment

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the average tour interval for each battalion in the (a) infantry and (b) Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was in the latest period for which figures are available; [200943]

(2) what the average tour interval was for each regiment in the (a) Royal Artillery, (b) Royal Engineers, (c)
12 May 2008 : Column 1308W
Royal Logistic Corps and (d) Royal Corps of Signals in the latest period for which figures are available. [200954]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Historical data to support the calculation of the average tour interval for each battalion or regiment of the infantry or the Royal Artillery are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

As at 1 April 2008, the last tour interval for each battalion of the infantry and each regiment of the Royal Artillery is shown in the following tables.

Infantry unit tour intervals
Unit deployed	Last operational deployment (as a unit)	Start date	Previous operational deployment (as a unit)	End date	Last unit tour interval (months)
1 Gren GDS	Afghanistan	May 2007	Iraq	September 2006	8
1 Coldm GDS	Afghanistan	October 2007	Iraq	October 2005	23
1 SG	Iraq	December 2007	Iraq	April 2005	31
1 IG	Iraq	June 2007 _	Northern Ireland	March 2004	38
1 WG	Balkans	October 2006	Iraq	Apr 2005	17
1 Scots (1 RS)⁽¹⁾	Iraq	December 2007	Iraq	May 2006	18
1 Scots (1 KOSB)⁽¹⁾	Iraq	December 2007	Northern Ireland	July 2006	16
2 Scots	Afghanistan	April 2008	Iraq	October 2004	41
3 Scots	Iraq	July 2004	Iraq	June 2003	12
4 Scots	Iraq	November 2005	Balkans	October 2003	24
5 Scots	Afghanistan	April 2008	Balkans	October 2005	29
1 PWRR	Iraq	May 2006	Iraq	October 2004	18
2 PWRR	Iraq	January 2005	Northern Ireland	December 2003	12
1 RRF	Iraq	November 2005	Iraq	June 2003	28
2 RRF	Northern Ireland	April 2003	Northern Ireland	June 2002	9
1 R Anglian	Afghanistan	May 2007	Iraq	October 2005	18
2 R Anglian	Iraq	May 2006	Afghanistan	October 2003	30
1 Korbr⁽²⁾	Iraq	November 2005	Balkans	October 2000	60
1 Kings⁽²⁾	Iraq	July 2003	Prior to January 1999	—	—
QLR⁽²⁾	Iraq	July 2003	Northern Ireland	September 2001	21
1 Lancs⁽²⁾	Iraq	December 2007	n/a	—	—
2 Lancs⁽²⁾	Iraq	November 2006	n/a	—	—
1 Yorks	Iraq	November 2006	Balkans	September 2004	25
2 Yorks	Afghanistan	October 2007	Balkans	September 2006	12
3 Yorks	Iraq	November 2004	Balkans	June 2001	40
1 R Welsh	Cyprus (Theatre Reserve Battalion)	May 2007	Northern Ireland	January 2006	15
2 R Welsh	Iraq	June 2007	Iraq	October 2005	19
1 Mercian	Iraq	December 2007	Iraq	October 2004	37
2 Mercian	Afghanistan	May 2007	Afghanistan	April 2005	24
3 Mercian	Iraq	November 2006	Iraq	October 2005	12
1 Rifles (1 RGBW)⁽³⁾	Afghanistan	October 2005	Northern Ireland	July 2003	26
1 Rifles (1 D&D)⁽³⁾	Iraq	May 2006	Northern Ireland	March 2001	61
1 Rifles	—	—	—	—	—
2 Rifles	Iraq	November 2006	Northern Ireland	September 2004	25
3 Rifles	Iraq	September 2006	Northern Ireland	March 2005	17
4 Rifles	Iraq	June 2007	Balkans	October 2001	67
5 Rifles	Iraq	May 2006	Iraq	April 2004	24
1R Irish	Afghanistan	April 2008	Iraq	December 2005	27
1 Para⁽⁴⁾	Northern Ireland	March 2005	Iraq	June 2003	20
2 Para	Afghanistan	April 2008	Iraq	April 2006	23
3 Para	Afghanistan	April 2008	Afghanistan	October 2006	17
1 RGR	Afghanistan	October 2007	Balkans	March 2006	18
2 RGR	Afghanistan	April 2005	Afghanistan	April 2004	11
⁽¹⁾ 1 RS and 1 KOSB amalgamated to form 1 Scots in August 2006. 1 Scots is to deploy for the first time as a formed unit to Iraq in December 2007. For the purposes of this question, 1 Scots was counted as one unit with a tour interval of 17 months. ⁽²⁾ 1 Korbr, 1 Kings and QLR amalgamated in July 2006 to form 1 Lancs and 2 Lancs. Operation Telic 11 will be the first unit operational deployment for 1 Lancs. Because of the nature of this amalgamation, it is not representative to calculate the average tour intervals of 1 Lancs and 2 Lancs based on the previous operational deployments of 1 Korbr, 1 Kings and QLR, as such for the purpose of this question, no unit tour interval value for 1 Korbr, 1 Kings, QLR, 1 Lancs or 2 Lancs was included in the calculation. ⁽³⁾ 1 RGBW and 1 DDLI amalgamated in March 2007 to form 1 Rifles. 1 Rifles has yet to deploy as a formed unit. For the purposes of this question, 1 Rifles was counted as one unit with a tour interval of 43.5 months. ⁽⁴⁾ 1 Para transferred to directorate special forces in August 2005 and for the purposes of this question, no unit tour interval value was included in the calculation.

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