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18 Jun 2008 : Column 1012W—continued
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the Army manning target is to be decreased under performance indicator 2.2 in his Department’s plan for 2008 to 2012. [211971]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Army’s manpower targets as set out in the Defence Plan 2008 to 2012 reflect a small change in the Army’s defined requirement. This is the product of a net reduction arising from a combination of enhancements measures to deliver new capabilities, efficiencies and savings measures, and the impact of change programmes such as the Head Office Streamlining and Defence Equipment and Support restructuring. As intimated at the time of publishing the Defence Plan, these figures were provisional. The subsequent outcome of our Planning Round 08, which introduced a number of enhancements, increased the Army’s defined requirement better to meet the challenges it currently faces, as follows:
| Number | |
AWE Burghfield: Costs
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of operation of AWE Burghfield was in the last year for which figures are available. [211556]
Derek Twigg: The information is not held in the format requested. Contract payments for AWE are made against an agreed programme of work that covers all AWE sites; Aldermaston, Burghfield and Blacknest. These costs are not recorded according to site.
Total AWE expenditure for a number of years, including 2006-07, was reported at the end of last year and I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 December 2007, Official Report, column 400W, to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey).
Bomb Disposal
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions armed forces bomb disposal units have supported domestic counter-terrorism operations in each of the last five years. [211965]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence maintains a capability to dispose of conventional munitions and to defeat improvised explosive devices in the UK in response to requests for assistance from UK police forces. Police forces do not distinguish between counter-terrorism and non-counter-terrorism events when they ask for assistance.
The following table shows the number of occasions in each of the last five calendar years on which armed forces personnel have been called out to deal with explosive devices. Joint Services EOD Operations Centre record incidents according to type of device involved.
| Type of device | ||
| Conventional munitions | Improvised explosive device | |
Caribbean: Drugs
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people of each nationality have been detained by British forces operating in the Caribbean in each year since 2001. [210744]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: British forces operating in the Caribbean have not detained any people since 2001. Law Enforcement within the Overseas Territories’ and Independent States is conducted by the host nation Law Enforcement Agencies.
Departmental Accountancy
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's (a) chart of accounts and (b) resource account codes and usage descriptions for the current financial year. [210993]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Yes. This information is available in JSP 530, The MOD chart of accounts manual for financial year 2008-09 incorporating MOD organisation and resource account code Hierarchies, copies of which will be placed in the Library of the House.
The chart of accounts for 2008-09 reflects the department's structure for the year and will not necessarily reflect the 2007-08 structure, or that for future years. The chart shows the relationship between parent codes (used for preparing resource accounts) and children codes (used for more detailed management purposes). Each code has a brief description that describes its use.
Departmental Offices
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on office refurbishment in each year since 1997. [211955]
Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 November 2007, Official Report, column 126W.
Fairtrade Initiative
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008 , Official Report, columns 567-8W, on the Fairtrade initiative, how much his Department spent on refreshments for official departmental meetings and engagements in each of the last three financial years; and what percentage of this expenditure was on Fairtrade products. [211570]
Derek Twigg: Expenditure for hospitality and entertainment is published in the MOD Annual Report and Accounts, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
The MOD Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08 are expected to be laid before the House in July.
Information on the use of Fairtrade products is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost .
Military Aircraft
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the (a) A400M and (b) Typhoon Trade 3 project; and how many orders for each (i) have been received and (ii) are expected. [211542]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The first A400M aircraft is due to roll out in an official ceremony scheduled for 26 June 2008 at the Final Assembly Line in Seville. The new engine for A400M is installed on a Flying Test Bed and has been successfully ground run with a first flight expected soon. The company is aiming for a first flight for the A400M prototype later this year. We expect the UK to receive its first A400M, of 25 ordered, in 2011. Total orders worldwide are for 192 A400M aircraft with nine air forces.
The UK has undertaken, through international MOU arrangements, to procure 232 Typhoon aircraft in three tranches. So far, the UK has contracted for the delivery of two tranches, comprising 144 aircraft. Negotiations, with Partner Nations and industry, are under way on Tranche 3 and are expected to continue throughout this year. It would be inappropriate at this stage to release information which might prejudice our negotiating position. Decisions will be taken once these negotiations are complete.
Military Exercises
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what type of (a) land, (b) air and (c) sea exercises have been (i) cancelled and (ii) postponed as a result of increases in the cost of fuel in each of the last 12 months. [211854]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: In the last 12 months, no training exercises have been cancelled or postponed as a result of increases in the cost of fuel.
Modern Housing Solutions: Complaints
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints Modern Housing Solutions received in each of the last 12 months. [204004]
Derek Twigg: Modern Housing Solutions (MHS) are responsible for the maintenance and repair of some 45,000 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in England and Wales.
The number of complaints received by MHS in each of the last 12 months is provided in the following table:
| Actual complaints received | |
These figures correct those provided in my answer of 14 January 2008, Official Report, columns 876-77W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) for the period May to December 2007.
Navy: Drug Seizures
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of the Royal Navy in operations to intercept illicit drug shipments. [211376]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: While the Royal Navy is not the lead on counter narcotic operations, it makes a significant contribution towards HMG efforts to combat international drug smuggling. Within the UK, it acts in support of the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Outside UK waters, it may be involved in efforts to reduce narcotics trafficking where other, higher priority tasks allow.
Navy: Seized Articles
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total tonnage of illicit goods seized by the Royal Navy was in each year since 2005, broken down by region. [211396]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Welsh Language
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the level of demand for the services provided by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental bodies to be provided in the Welsh language; and if he will make a statement. [210546]
Derek Twigg: The demand for services to be provided in Welsh by the Department, its agencies and non-departmental bodies is minimal.
The Department provides a Welsh language service for those people who prefer to deal with the Department in Welsh. The Department’s Welsh Language Scheme, approved by the Welsh Language Board, is available in both English and Welsh on the MOD’s website:
Duchy of Lancaster
Social Enterprises
11. Mr. Bailey: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what research he has commissioned on the role of social enterprises in the last three years. [211632]
Phil Hope: Within the last three years the Government have commissioned a range of research to strengthen the evidence base on social enterprise, including think pieces on social enterprise’s future in ethical markets and in social innovation, and research on the strategic use of social enterprise by Government. The Government are investing £5 million in a Centre for Third Sector Research, which will launch later this year, covering the whole third sector.
Social Exclusion: Polyclinics
12. Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the social exclusion task force will undertake research on the likely effects of the establishment of polyclinics on social exclusion. [211633]
Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the social exclusion task force will undertake research into the effect of the introduction of polyclinics on social exclusion. [211627]
Edward Miliband: The Government are investing in 100 new traditional GP practices in under-doctored areas to counter social exclusion and 150 new GP-led health centres. Any decisions about polyclinics or other changes in health services are a matter for local PCTs and can only be made on the basis of compelling clinical evidence.
Social Exclusion
13. Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the social exclusion task force will undertake research on the effects of post office closures on social exclusion. [211634]
Edward Miliband: The Government recognise the social and economic role of post offices in local communities. Our subsidy to the post office of £1.7 billion between now and 2011 is helping to maintain a national network with national coverage ensuring that all areas, including rural and deprived urban areas, will continue to have reasonable access to Post Office Services.
Early Intervention Policies
14. Mr. Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on the creation of a national assessment centre for early intervention policies; and if he will make a statement. [211635]
Phil Hope:
Early intervention is a key principle highlighted in the Social Exclusion Action Plan and we continue to work with the Department of Children,
Schools and Families, as well as all our other partners across Government, in identifying and testing innovative approaches to preventing social exclusion.
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