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10 Sep 2008 : Column 1806W—continued
Written Statements
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what steps he took to ensure that his release of written ministerial statements on 22 July 2008 did not constitute a breach of section 9.3 of the Ministerial Code; and if he will make a statement on the application of the code to written ministerial statements issued on that date. [223258]
The Prime Minister: The information was published when it was ready.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK nationals have been taken into custody following military operations as part of Op Herrick in Afghanistan. [223226]
Des Browne: As I stated in the answer I gave on 9 June 2008, Official Report, column 66W to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Tyrie), the Ministry of Defence is undertaking a review of its detention records. I will write to the hon. Member when the review has completed.
Air Force: Training
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-commissioned officers in the RAF have achieved the National Examining Board for Supervision and Management Award at diploma level since 1998 [217589]
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 Mr. Lidington:
I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 15 July 2008, (Official Report, column 299W) about the number of non-commissioned officers in the RAF who have achieved the National Examining Board for Supervision and Management Award at diploma level since 1988.
Since 2003, 5,273 RAF Non-Commissioned Officers have attained professional qualifications, equivalent to a diploma, in Leadership and Management, accredited to the National Examining Board prior to 2005 and the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) thereafter. Information prior to 2003 is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Notes:
RAF Halton offers ILM qualification, levels 2-5, broadly equivalent to BTEC First Diploma, BTEC National Diploma and Higher National Diplomas respectively.
RAF Halton transferred its accreditation scheme from the National Examining Board to the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) in November 2005.
The accreditation to ILM is broken down into 3 levels of qualification:
a. AMLC Level 5 Award in Management
b. IMLC Level 3 Award in First Line Management
c. JMLC Level 2 Certificate in Team Leading
I am placing a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Armed Forces: Cumbria
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces recruited in the last five years from (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland are on front-line duty in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan. [223200]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Information on recruitment to the armed forces by specific region is not held centrally. We could provide the figures for the number of personnel on front-line duty in Iraq or Afghanistan broken down by their UK Unitary Authority only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel have been recruited into the armed forces from (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland in the last five years. [223203]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Information on the UK residential location of personnel recruited to the armed forces is not held centrally. We could provide the figures for the number of personnel recruited from any specific Unitary Authority only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of members of the armed forces recruited in the last five years from (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland did not complete basic training. [223204]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Information on the UK residential location of personnel recruited to the armed forces is not held centrally. We could provide the figures for the number of personnel who were recruited from any specific unitary authority who did not complete basic training only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Training
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated total cost of the defence training review programme is. [223225]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The total cost for DTR Package 1 is currently estimated at around £12 billion, although this figure will continue to be subject to negotiations with Metrix and the ongoing review of assumptions related to the Project.
Package 2 of DTR has just commenced an Assessment Phase. During the course of this two year period, a variety of options will be investigated. This will then lead to the determination of the full cost of Package 2.
Armed Forces: Uniforms
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how frequently military uniforms are worn in his Department’s main buildings; what guidance his Department issues on the matter; and if he will make a statement. [207281]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: All service personnel are encouraged to wear uniform on duty and uniform is regularly worn in the Department’s main building in line with this.
We do not instruct individuals to travel to and from work in uniform. That is a matter for personal choice and considered local threat assessment.
Armed Forces: Working Conditions
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps the Government has taken to improve the base conditions for personnel serving overseas. [216540]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 9 July 2008]: We are continually looking at ways in which we can improve conditions for UK service personnel deployed overseas.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 15 January 2008, Official Report, columns 1130-31W, which gives details of some of the welfare measures currently provided on operations. In the permanent joint operating bases (Cyprus, Gibraltar, British Falkland Islands and British Indian Ocean Territory) we seek, where practicable, for our personnel to have access to the same welfare provision as those who serve within the UK. Recent improvements include an increase in the Get You Home (Overseas) and Concessionary Travel allowances.
In terms of improvements to the bases themselves, we have undertaken substantial work over the last year to strengthen our defences and infrastructure. In Iraq, this ranges from building new facilities for our soldiers embedded with the Iraqi Army in Basra City to constructing individual overhead protection into each person’s sleeping bay at Basra Air Station. In Afghanistan, this ranges from building new accommodation at Kandahar to improving conditions across our forward operating bases in Helmand Province.
Substantial investment has been made to improve the condition of both the single living and service family accommodation in Cyprus and Gibraltar, together with the construction of 12 new houses at Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands. Investment is also programmed for the ageing utilities infrastructure in both Cyprus and the Falkland Islands.
Army: Foreigners
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the recruitment of citizens of overseas countries to the Army; and whether that policy includes a maximum proportion of the Army consisting of recruits from overseas countries. [223290]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth:
The Army welcomes recruits from Foreign and Commonwealth countries. Foreign in this case means British Overseas, British Overseas Territory
and Republic of Ireland citizens. The Army values the contribution such recruits make to the diversity and effectiveness of the service. The policy does not currently include a maximum proportion of recruits from these countries. We are, however, examining the implications of the rising levels of Foreign and Commonwealth citizens within the armed forces overall, not just the Army.
Army: West Indies
Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people from the West Indies were
recruited to the army in (a) each of the first eight months of 2008, (b) 2007, (c) 2006 and (d) 2005. [223299]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows how many people were recruited from Commonwealth countries within the Caribbean sea over the specified period.
| Bahamas | Barbados | Dominica | Grenada | Jamaica | St. Lucia | St. Vincent | Trinidad | Total | |
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