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Company Piece of work Date Number of respondents Cost excluding VAT (£)

Solutions Strategy Research

Qualitative Research aimed at getting public opinions on ethical shopping, and the benefits it can bring to developing countries to inform, direct and provide a factual basis for communications activity. Conducted with focus groups over a four-week period; each group took approximately two hours, with 15 out of a total of 48 respondents having a follow-up telephone interview.

April to June 2007

48 (across six focus groups)

19,600

Taylor Nelson Sofres RSGB

Questions on omnibus survey to provide interim measure on concern about global poverty among UK adults to inform, direct, and provide a solid factual basis for communications on the work of DFID on fighting global poverty.

June 2007

2,014

5,940

Taylor Nelson Sofres

Annual attitudinal tracking survey into public perceptions of global poverty to inform, direct and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID on fighting global poverty.

July 2007

2,051

47,500

ICM

Quantitative research survey to measure UK adults’ interest in shopping ethically and the benefits that it can bring to developing countries to direct, inform and provide a factual basis for communications activity.

November 2007

2,010

8,844

Creative Research

Qualitative Stage of Audience Segmentation research to inform, direct and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID. Conducted by focus group over a period of four weeks; each group lasted approximately two hours. Delivered in depth analysis of different segment, attitudes and values.

January to February2008

112 (across 14 discussion groups)

52,895.62

Taylor Nelson Sofres RSGB

Quantitative research (questions on omnibus survey) to measure UK adults’ interest in shopping ethically and the benefits that it can bring to developing countries to direct, inform and provide a factual basis for communications activity.

February 2008

2,072

7,400

Ipsos MORI

Quantitative Stage of Audience Segmentation research, to inform, direct and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID. Extended analysis required to provide a detailed segmentation of the audience to ensure that communication efforts are used in the most effective and efficient way.

March to May 2008

Research is still under way, final figure not available, the target number is 2,000 respondents.

137,818

GfK NOP

Annual Survey of Young People’s attitudes towards global poverty and development issues. Results will provide trend data, drawing on previous survey work to enable comparisons to be made to inform, direct and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID.

March to June 2008

Research is still under way, final figure not available, the target number is 1,000 respondents.

23,745


Departmental Temporary Employment

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time posts were filled on a temporary basis for a period in excess of six months in his Department in each of the last three years. [200666]

Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not hold central records of the number of full-time posts that are filled on a temporary basis, and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Developing Countries: Debts

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps the Government have taken to relieve developing countries of debt. [207422]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: Good progress has been made on relieving developing countries of debt as I outlined in the written statement to this House on 21 May 2008, Official Report, columns 24-25WS. I refer my hon. Friend to this statement for details of what has been achieved.

Electronic Government

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether mechanisms are in place to monitor the extent to which his Department’s (a) internal and (b) external (i) correspondence and (ii) distribution of publications is carried out electronically. [199191]

Mr. Malik: A high proportion of internal correspondence and publications are handled electronically, but this is not systematically monitored. Responses to external correspondence are normally made in the same format as the correspondence is received, and some monitoring is carried out where this is beneficial. Monitoring is carried out on the use of specific external publications on DFID’s website when required.

Members: Correspondence

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to reply to the letter of 22 April from the hon. Member for Walsall, North on global education. [207725]

Gillian Merron: The reply to my hon. Friend for Walsall, North’s letter of 22 April 2008 has been issued.

Overseas Aid

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what procedures for co-ordination between his Department and the Ministry of Defence are in place for training on humanitarian airdrop or relief operations. [207374]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence co-operate together closely on all operational aspects of humanitarian relief where military assets may be used, including training. This does not, however, include training for relief airdrops, which can be carried out without joint training.


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Uganda: Refugees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether (a) he, (b) officials of his Department and (c) UK representatives in Uganda have had discussions with the government of Uganda on the provision of schooling in camps for displaced people and return areas for those affected by the conflict with the Lords Resistance Army in the northern districts of Uganda. [207481]

Gillian Merron: During his visit to Uganda in November 2007, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visited a school in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp and had discussions with local government authorities on a range of issues including those relating to the provision of, and access to, education, stressing the importance of ensuring that education is a priority in the development of the Government of Uganda’s Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP).

The Department for International Development (DFID) and other partners are currently in discussion with the Government of Uganda on the options for funding the implementation of the PRDP.

Defence

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made in theatre of the Jackal M-WMIK vehicle's performance with its unladen weight increased by 42 per cent. [201416]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: No formal assessment has yet been made in theatre regarding the performance of Jackal, as it has only very recently been delivered to theatre. We expect to receive initial feedback from theatre commanders on the performance of this vehicle shortly.

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel from the Royal Engineers are based in Helmand Province; and what their duties are. [207463]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: As of 1 May 2008, there were a total of around 400 Royal Engineer posts established in Helmand province: the actual number deployed at any particular time can and does vary, including through roulements, visits and periods of mid-tour leave.

British military engineers in Helmand are conducting close engineer support (including tasks such as mobility support, counter mobility support, explosive ordnance disposal and search) and general engineer support (such as infrastructure development, construction, geographic support and civil-military co-operation). There are also a number of engineering personnel in Helmand Province who assist in training and mentoring the Afghan National Army.


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Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the maximum weight of cargo able to be carried by all variants of the CH-47 helicopter used by British forces in Afghanistan is. [207540]

Des Browne: The maximum weight of cargo able to be carried by all variants of the CH-47 helicopter used by the British forces in Afghanistan is kept under review to account for changes in environmental conditions, but is currently set at 5,000 kg.

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 20 May 2008, Official Report, columns 15-18WS, on helicopters on operations, which company provides the new contract for the civilian air transport used by ISAF in southern Afghanistan; on how many occasions UK troops have flown in aircraft so provided; how the contract is funded and what the UK's contribution is; what percentage of the assets used by the contractor to date has been (a) rotary and (b) fixed wing; and if he will make a statement. [207654]

Des Browne: The company providing the new contract is Skylink. UK troops have never flown in the aircraft provided. The contract continues to be funded from NATO common funding and the UK continues to contribute a 12 per cent. share to that funding. Currently all assets used by the contractor have been rotary wing.

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the security situation in Helmand Province. [208162]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: International Security Assistance Force and Afghan armed forces continue to engage in successful operations against the Taliban in Helmand, pushing them back from populated areas and bringing more of the province under the control of the government of Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, the insurgents continue to pose a threat through improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers and opportunistic attacks.

Air Force: Military Aid

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2008, Official Report, column 7W, on Air Force: military aid (1) in which Royal Air Force fixed wing cargo aircraft baseboards can be used; and how many baseboards each such aircraft can accommodate at one time; [207414]

(2) what the maximum load capacity of a single baseboard is. [207415]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Baseboards can be used in the Hercules C130JK and C130K. There are four sizes of baseboard in use, which are shown in the following table, together with the maximum load capacity.


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Baseboard capacity
Baseboard size Maximum load of capacity of each baseboard (kgs) C130J Mk4 C130J Mk5 C130K Mk1 C130K Mk3

48 x 48 inches

1,134

24

16

52 x 43 inches

1,134

6

6

52 x 86 inches

1,134

3

3

96 x 48 inches

1,134

12

8


Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2008, Official Report, column 175W, on the air force: military aid, for what reasons the RAF’s C-17 Globemasters are not capable of conducting humanitarian airdrop operations. [207845]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The RAF’s C-17 Globemasters were acquired primarily as strategic transport aircraft. The airworthiness and safety cases have not therefore been constructed to support the tactical flying required to conduct airdrop sorties. The RAF’s airdrop capability is provided by the Hercules C130 fleet.

Air Force: Training

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours of training were required for those flying (a) fast jets, (b) transport aircraft and (c) helicopters in the RAF in each year since 2003. [199451]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox:

Type of aircraft/helicopter Average hours of pilot flying training allocated each year

Fast Jets

210

Transport aircraft

290

Puma, Merlin and Chinook helicopters

240

Sea King helicopters

90


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