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16 Jun 2008 : Column 728W—continued
Over this period changes to the Defence Attaché network have been implemented as stated in the written ministerial statement issued by the Secretary of State for Defence on 17 September 2007, Official Report, column 125WS. These changes are:
Defence Sections have been closed in Albania, Croatia, Guatemala, Ireland, Macedonia, Slovakia and Thailand.
Attaché numbers have been reduced by one in Argentina, Egypt, France, Greece, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Poland, the Russian Federation, Spain and Ukraine.
A Defence Section has been opened in Kabul, Afghanistan and an additional Adviser has been deployed in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Vienna has been established as a regional hub with three Attachés based there covering Austria and another six countries on a non-residential basis: Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Switzerland.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on his Department’s security objectives of reducing the size of the defence attaché network. [210645]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The ability of the MOD to fulfil its security objectives is not jeopardised by the reductions being made to the defence attaché network.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether defence attachés from other EU member states assist his Department in countries where the UK has (a) a reduced and (b) no defence attaché section. [210646]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There are no arrangements in place for defence attachés from other EU member states to assist the UK Ministry of Defence in countries where the UK has a reduced or no defence section.
Military Exercises
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008, Official Report, column 682W, on the EU Battlegroup, which countries were represented at the EU battlegroup observer’s day to Exercise Druids Dance on 12 May; [210648]
(2) what the cost to his Department of hosting the EU Battlegroup observer’s day to Exercise Druids Dance on 12 May was. [210647]
Des Browne: The cost to my Department of hosting the EU Battlegroup observers’ day to Exercise Druids Dance, held on 12 May at the Land Warfare Centre on Salisbury Plain, was £622.12. This consisted of £446.25 to hire a coach, and £175.87 to provide lunch and refreshments. The observers were responsible for their own travel to the Land Warfare Centre and any hotel costs.
The following countries were represented at the EU Battlegroup observers’ day: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
The observers’ day was also attended by representatives of the House of Commons Defence Committee and the House of Lords EU Scrutiny Committee.
Nuclear Submarines
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Rolls-Royce in determining the requirements for a new nuclear steam raising plant; and if he will make a statement. [210086]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth:
Rolls-Royce is the technical authority and sole industrial supplier for the Ministry of Defence's nuclear propulsion plant. The Ministry of Defence has had extensive discussions over many months
with Rolls-Royce in determining the requirement for the Next Generation Nuclear Propulsion Plant, which is intended to be used on the successor to the Vanguard class submarines.
Turkey: EU Defence Policy
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on Turkey’s administrative agreement with the European Defence Agency. [210674]
Des Browne: We fully support Turkey’s aspiration to have an administrative arrangement with the European Defence Agency (EDA). The establishment of such an administrative arrangement requires a unanimous European Council decision, which has not yet been possible. I regularly discuss approaches to resolving this issue with my European Union counterparts.
Warships
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many ships are projected to be in service in the combined destroyer/frigate fleet in each year until the first Future Surface Combatant vessel enters service. [209992]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 12 June 2008]: The 2004 Defence White Paper “Delivering Security in a Changing World, Future Capabilities” (Cm 6269) set the Navy's requirement for destroyers and frigates at 25. While this remains the number in service at present we keep future plans for all force levels under constant review.
Work and Pensions
Child Support Agency: Correspondence
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will instruct Mr. Andrew Price of the Child Support Agency to reply to the hon. Member for Canterbury's letters of 29 November 2007 and 29 January 2008 on the case of his constituent, Mr. Alan Till. [207885]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 2 June 2008]: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the Hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 16 June 2008:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive answer from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will instruct Mr Andrew Price of the Child Support Agency to reply to the hon. Member for Canterbury’s letters of 29th November 2007 and 29th January 2008 on the case of his constituent Mr Alan Till. (207885)
As details about individual cases are confidential I have written to you separately about this case.
Departmental Audit
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library internal audit recommendations made in the last three years in relation to (a) Jobcentre Plus, (b) the Pension Service, (c) the Disability and Carers Directorate and (d) the Child Support Agency. [200795]
Mrs. McGuire: No, to do so would prejudice the effective conduct of internal audit work in Department for Work and Pensions.
Departmental Public Participation
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) surveys, (b) questionnaires and (c) other services were provided by polling companies for his Department in financial year 2007-08, broken down by company. [200016]
Mrs. McGuire: The following table provides details of surveys, questionnaires and other services provided by polling companies for my Department during the financial year 2007-08.
Departmental Security
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff have been dismissed from his Department as a consequence of a breach of security in the last three years. [210381]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 12 June 2008]: Information on the number of staff who have been dismissed as a consequence of a breach of security is not available in the format requested.
Since April 2007, when the new personal computer system was introduced, disciplinary action for breaches of security has been recorded under general headings of computer misuse or disclosure of information. There are currently no records held on the system for dismissals on grounds of computer misuse or disclosure of information.
To extract more detailed information from individual records under this category would incur disproportionate cost.
Departmental Vetting
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2008, Official Report, columns 1406-07W, on social security benefits: personal records, when the phased criminal record checks on all successful candidates for posts in his Department will have been completed. [200828]
Mr. Timms: The phased implementation of criminal records checks on all new successful applicants for posts in the Department is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.
Employment and Support Allowance
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the support and assistance available to get Employment and Support Allowance claimants back to work following the introduction of the allowance; and what estimate he has made of expenditure on such assistance. [208623]
Mr. Timms: Pathways to Work provides a single gateway to financial, employment and health support for people claiming incapacity benefits. Jobcentre Plus led Pathways to Work is currently operating in 40 per cent. of the country. Provider-led Pathways are currently operating in the remaining 60 per cent. In these areas providers have the flexibility to tailor the range of programmes that are available to customers in order to tailor provision to their needs. Pathways to Work forms the back-to-work support element of employment and support allowance.
Planned spending is £300 million in 2008-09, £390 million in 2009-10 and £400 million in 2010-11. Figures provided, particularly for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are indicative allocations based on current assumptions and are subject to change.
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