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16 Oct 2008 : Column 1402W—continued
Future Surface Combatant
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessments have been made of the vulnerability of future frigates to missile strikes; what studies have been undertaken of the relative resilience against such strikes of (a) trimaran and (b) conventional frigate hull designs for the Future Surface Combatant (FSC); and if he will make a statement on progress in the design of the proposed variants of the FSC. [227065]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The Future Surface Combatant (FSC) programme is still in the early stages of concept and the design is not expected to be confirmed until early in the next decade. Some work has been undertaken to assess the merits of using different types of hull form, including trimaran and conventional designs. Studies to assess the vulnerability and resilience to missile strikes of FSC are, however, planned.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been of compensation paid by his Department to Iraqi citizens since 2005. [226851]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Since financial year 2005 the Ministry of Defence has paid £6,504,472 in compensation to Iraqi citizens as follows:
| Financial year | Total payments (£) |
The payment made in 2007-08 includes a £2 million payment made to a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the stomach when a member of HM forces negligently discharged his rifle. He sustained severe neurological and spinal injuries resulting in a multi-faceted disability including paralysis in the legs, loss of sensation, loss of bladder control and impairment of bowel control. He will require care for the rest of his life.
The payment made in the current financial year includes £2.83 million paid to the family of Baha Musa and eight other Iraqi civilians following their detention by British Forces during September 2003.
Vehicles
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many vehicles of each type were reported (a) lost or missing and later recovered and (b) lost or missing and not recovered by armed forces in the United Kingdom in each year since 1997. [222067]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Information on vehicles lost and recovered is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Communities and Local Government
Council Housing: Leicestershire
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authority-owned non-decent dwellings there were in (a) the East Midlands and (b) North West Leicestershire in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [227550]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Department collects figures on local authority non-decent homes through the published annual business plan statistical appendix. According to the latest returns available, the number of non-decent local authority homes as at 1 April 2007 in North West Leicestershire was 1,239 (27 per cent. of stock). The figure for the East Midlands as a whole was 46,118 (22 per cent. of stock). The regional figure includes non-decent homes in local authorities which had established an arm’s length management organisation to manage their homes.
Departmental Information Officers
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many press officers her Department has employed in each year since its establishment. [227433]
Mr. Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 14W to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne).
The Department’s press officers are listed in The White Book, published by COI, which is available in the Library of the House. The book is updated twice yearly.
Departmental Press
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2008, Official Report, column 580W, on departmental press, if she will break down the budget for each year by (a) press and (b) communications. [227460]
Mr. Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 July 2008, Official Report, column 580W by my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda). And the answer he gave on 31 March 2008, Official Report, column 717W to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws).
Departmental Procurement
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of invoices for goods and services procured from small- and medium-sized businesses was paid within 30 days of receipt by (a) her Department and (b) the agencies for which her Department is responsible in 2007-08; and if she will make a statement. [226500]
Mr. Khan: Unfortunately this information is not available. The Department for Communities and Local Government measures the proportion of invoices for goods and services which were paid within 30 days but does not separately identify invoices from small and medium-sized businesses.
Deprivation Indicators
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the lower layer super output areas in each parliamentary constituency are. [226209]
Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated October 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question concerning what Lower Layer Super Output Areas there are in each parliamentary constituency. (226209)
The table provides for each of the 569 parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales a listing of the Lower Layer Super Output Areas within them. There are a total of 34,378 Lower Layer Super Output Areas in England and Wales, of these 693 are covered by two parliamentary constituencies, and eight within three parliamentary constituencies. These ‘split’ Lower Layer Super Output Areas are indicated in the table.
A copy of the table has been placed in the Library.
Energy Performance Certificates
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether energy performance certificates may make reference to the performance of (a) light bulbs, (b) fridge-freezers and (c) dishwashers in a property. [226682]
Mr. Iain Wright: The ratings on the EPC provide a measure of the overall energy efficiency of a domestic property and its environmental impact, calculated in accordance with a national methodology that takes into account factors, such as insulation, heating and hot water systems, ventilation and fuels used.
Light bulbs are mentioned in the EPC, where there is a recommendation to install low energy lighting, because lighting is an integral part of the property’s structure. Fridge-freezers and dishwashers, which are subject to their own rating system, are not part of the overall calculation of CO2 emissions and energy use calculations and are, therefore, not referred to in the EPC.
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