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6 Nov 2008 : Column 669W—continued
The Ministry of Defence recognises mental illnesses, including PTSD, as serious and disabling conditions, but also that many conditions can be treated successfully. Measures are in place to increase awareness at all levels, which include pre-and post-deployment briefing and the availability of support, assessment and (if required) treatment, both during and after deployments. This is available to all personnel, whether Regular or mobilised Reservists.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, we deploy highly skilled and experienced uniformed mental health nurses to provide the necessary in-theatre care and treatment for our personnel. If personnel do need to leave the operational environment, then their care continues either on an out- or in-patient basis in the UK.
There is a clear post-operational stress management policy in place across all services. Where practical, and this is in the main for formed units, we arrange for a decompression period during which servicemen can begin to mentally and physically unwind after their operational tour while having time to talk to colleagues and superiors—with whom they have deployed—about their experiences. The single services have their own arrangements to deal with individual augmentees.
Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) has been formally accepted and implemented by the Royal Marines, Royal Navy and the Army, and is being trialled in selected RAF units. TRiM is a model of peer-group mentoring and support for use in the aftermath of traumatic events. It trains non-medical staff to spot those who might have been affected by traumatic events in order that their peers and leaders can provide them with appropriate support or, where it is required, to refer them for specialist help.
Where further specialist help is required it is provided primarily through our 15 military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) across the UK (plus satellite centres overseas), which provide out-patient mental health care. A wide range of psychiatric and psychological treatments are available, including medication, psychological therapies, and environmental adjustment where appropriate. The Defence Mental Health Services have extensive experience in psychological treatments for mental health problems in general and psychological injury in particular. In the relatively few cases where in-patient care is necessary, this is provided in dedicated psychiatric units under contract.
Finally, the families of personnel returning from operations are also offered presentations and issued with leaflets to alert them to the possible after-affects of an operational deployment. Welfare officers, Padres, and other associated organisations also provide information to families by e-mail, support groups, regimental systems and so on.
Armed Forces: Training
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the minimum supervisory ratio is for each establishment on the defence training estate to exercise its function in accordance with duty of care obligations; what progress has been made in meeting these requirements; and what the mechanism is for reviewing levels of supervision. [230831]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There is no set minimum supervisory ratio for each establishment on the training estate. All unit commanders are required to establish effective supervisory care regimes and to publish their supervisory arrangements in a supervisory care directive appropriate to the circumstances and conditions of the training being undertaken. The care requirement in all Phase 1 and 2 training establishments is determined on the basis of a unit commander's risk assessment which takes into account the particular factors at the unit such as the nature of the trainee population in terms of size, age and maturity and the location and type of the activity being undertaken. The care regime must establish appropriate levels of supervision and welfare cover not only during training but also out of hours, at weekends and during leave or stand-down periods.
Unit commanders are required to review regularly their supervisory requirements and liaise with Service Training Headquarters when seeking to adjust their manpower complements. All training establishments have now reviewed the number and disposition of supervisory staff against the supervisory care policy. In some areas a requirement for additional staff was identified and appropriate funding approved.
Arrangements for supervision are reviewed as part of inspection programmes carried out by the Defence Individual Training Capability (DITC) and Ofsted.
DA Notices
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many D-notices have been issued in each year since 1997-98. [233409]
Mr. Kevan Jones: D Notices were replaced by the Defence Advisory (DA) Notice System in 1993. The DA Notice System is overseen by the Defence Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee (DPBAC), a joint Government/media body. Full details of the DA Notice System can be found on
Since January 1997, the DPBAC Secretary has issued DA Notice letters of advice to all UK editors on the following occasions:
1997: No record of any letter being issued
1998: No record of any letter being issued
1999: Three letters
2000: Two letters
2001: Three letters
2002: One letter
2003: Two letters
2004: Two letters
2005: Two letters
2006: Two letters
2007: Seven letters
2008: Five letters to date
Defence Estates
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons implementation of the Military Lands Act byelaws at his Department’s sites has not taken place in accordance with the published timetable. [232439]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Significant delays in the progression of the MOD Byelaws Review have occurred because objectors secured a judicial review of the implementation of the first of the new byelaws at AWE Aldermaston, which came into force on 31 May 2007.
Byelaws work was placed on hold, pending the decision by the High Court. Following the High Court’s determination of the judicial review claim, which was substantially in the MOD’s favour, the objectors successfully sought leave to appeal the High Court’s decision to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal hearing is scheduled for late November. The appeal is limited to issues relating to the manner and form of protests against nuclear weapons, and as a result ministerial approval has been given to restart the byelaw process for non-nuclear MOD sites across the UK.
Reviews have already commenced at some 96 sites including 13 sites designated under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 and it is expected that new byelaws will be submitted progressively for ministerial approval from April next year. An updated version of
the project plan reflecting the new revised timetable will shortly be published on the Department’s Byelaws Website:
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 253W, on departmental buildings, in what form his Department records the (a) cost and (b) nature of departmental property refurbishment. [233413]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The term “refurbishment” is not one formally used by the MOD. Work which might be categorised as “refurbishment” can range from minor modifications and maintenance of buildings, to their complete restoration. Some “refurbishment” may also be addressed through private finance initiatives.
The information is therefore not held in the format requested.
Departmental Conditions of Employment
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's rest and recuperation leave policy for civilians working in operational theatres. [226985]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Yes, a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many external consultants work for his Department. [232971]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Specific data on the number of consultants employed by the Ministry of Defence are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, MOD expenditure on external assistance, which includes management and other types of consultancy, has been reported to Parliament since 1995-96: summaries are available in the Library of the House.
Furthermore, information on organisations, including consultancy firms, paid £5 million or more by the MOD in each financial year is published in the UK Defence Statistics. Copies are also available in the Library.
Departmental Electricity
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on electricity bills (a) for its Whitehall offices and (b) in the UK as a whole in each month of each of the last five years. [233133]
Mr. Kevan Jones: In each month of the last five financial years, the following amounts were spent on electricity for the Department’s Whitehall buildings; Main Building and the Old War Office Building.
| 2003-04 | |||||||||||||
| £ million | |||||||||||||
| Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Total | |
| 2004-05 | |||||||||||||
| £ million | |||||||||||||
| Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Total | |
| 2005-06 | |||||||||||||
| £ million | |||||||||||||
| Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Total | |
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