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1 July 2008 : Column 749W—continued
Of these units 2 YORKS is due to move to Cyprus in December 2010.
The following units are due to move to the north west in the next three years:
Data on the units located in the north west before January 2007 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Vehicles
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under which vehicle category the Husky mine detection/clearance vehicle falls; and under what conditions it is classed as a C vehicle. [213983]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Army does not use the Husky mine detection/clearance vehicles, it does not therefore have a category and class for MOD use.
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what (a) ventilation and (b) cooling systems other than air conditioning are incorporated into the Panther Command and Liaison vehicle; [213986]
(2) whether the Panther Command and Liaison vehicle has (a) flaps and (b) windows which open to allow ventilation. [213987]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Panther vehicle is fitted with a standard air conditioning unit, hence there are no additional ventilation and cooling systems, flaps or windows.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether supplies of the 4-wheeled Cougar vehicle, when converted to a Ridgback, will be sent to theatre in batches immediately they are available. [213988]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We are seeking to ensure that Ridgback is deployed as a complete operational capability, with doctrine defined, personnel trained, and the infrastructure in theatre complete. Current plans see the first batches arriving in theatre in spring 2009 although we continue to explore the possibility and requirement to bring this date forward.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to replace the Snatch Land Rover with another vehicle of similar size and capacity. [213989]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The introduction of vehicles such as Mastiff has already allowed us to replace Snatch in a number of roles. The introduction of Ridgback in 2009 will limit the use of Snatch further. While we continually review our requirements for protected vehicles and the roles in which they are used in theatre, there will continue to be a requirement for some vehicles of the size and capacity of Snatch. Any alternative vehicle would inevitably have similar capability in terms of protection and mobility.
Army: Recruitment
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications to join the Army were made in each year since 1997; and how many applicants were successful in each year. [214348]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The information is provided in the following table.
| Officers | Soldiers | |||
| Applicants | Enlisted( 1) | Applicants | Enlisted( 1) | |
| (1) Those who have commenced phase 1 training as a soldier or the commissioning course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an officer. (2) Eight months only. Note: 2007-08 soldier application figures are incomplete due to problems encountered with the introduction of a new IT system and the figures cover only eight months of data. | ||||
Bombs
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2008, Official Report, column 556W, on bombs, what military advice he has received from the armed forces on methods of disposal of cluster munitions since the Dublin Conference. [214458]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Since the Dublin Conference, the Defence Ministers have received advice on stockpile figures for the two munition variants that are due to be disposed of in accordance with the adopted Dublin agreement. Methods of disposal are still under consideration and no specific advice has therefore been provided at this time.
Departmental ICT
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value of his Department’s computer systems (a) was at the time of purchase and (b) is now. [214723]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 28 January 2008, Official Report, column 35W, which addressed the number of IT systems in the Department at that time.
Departmental Pay
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the average pay per hour worked by (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff in his Department in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by pay band. [212495]
Derek Twigg: As of June 2008, average pay per hour for the Ministry of Defence’s principal civilian grades is broken down as follows:
| £ | |
The figures exclude trading fund agencies and specialist grades (e.g. medical grades).
Departmental Public Expenditure
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 (Column 7227, 2006/07), what the expected level, in near cash terms is of (a) negative resource DEL income and (b) negative capital DEL income to be retained by his Department for the financial year 2008-09. [211898]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Department’s expected forecast of near cash Operating and Non Operating Appropriations in Aid to be retained are set out in the 2008-09 MOD main estimates, which are:
Resource Operating Appropriations in Aid—£1,243 million
Non Operating Appropriations in Aid—£215 million
These figures will be updated in the winter and spring supplementary estimates to reflect the latest forecasts of Operating and Non Operating receipts from our top level budget holders (TLBs) and an additional £85 million of Non-Operating Appropriations-in-Aid have been identified since main estimates were prepared and will be included in the supplementary estimates.
These are estimates, and as such are subject to a number of variable factors, such as property prices and levels of assets disposals.
Departmental Sick Pay
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much sick pay to staff in his Department cost in the last five years for which figures are available. [211856]
Derek Twigg: Information on the departmental cost of sick pay to staff is not centrally held.
Departmental Vetting
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of successful applicants for jobs in his Department are subjected to a criminal records check; how many (a) successful applicants and (b) criminal records checks there were in each of the last 10 years; how many successful applicants were found to have a criminal record after a criminal records check took place in each of the last 10 years; whether the selection of successful candidates to be subjected to a criminal records check is random or targeted; and if he will make a statement. [213146]
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