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12 Jan 2009 : Column 67W—continued
Departmental Gifts
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members of staff in his Department have received gifts valued at £100 or higher in the course of their duties in each of the last three years; what these gifts were; and from whom they were received. [242021]
Ann McKechin: No members of staff in the Scotland Office have received gifts valued at £100 or higher in the course of their duties in any of the last three years.
Departmental ICT
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what IT projects his Department is undertaking; and what the most recent estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the completion date of each is. [245300]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office shares an information technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the development, administration and maintenance of the system; consequently, the Office does not directly undertake IT projects.
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the IT systems in his Department is fully accredited to the Government’s security standards. [245378]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office shares an information technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the development, administration (including data compliance and security) and maintenance of the system.
Departmental Information Officers
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many press and communications officers are employed by his Department. [245299]
Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 November 2008, Official Report, column 9W, to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt).
Departmental Internet
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for which websites his Department provides funding. [245396]
Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 808W, to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May).
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which internet providers his Department uses. [245497]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office shares an information technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the development, administration and maintenance of the system.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department work to assist special advisers; and what the cost of employing such staff was in each of the last three years. [245294]
Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 809W, to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond).
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what expert advisers have been commissioned by his Department since its inception; on what topic each was commissioned; and whether the adviser so appointed made a declaration of political activity in each case. [246964]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
My Office publishes information relating to the use of external consultants on Hansard and since 2003, the names and overall costs of special advisers by pay band are published on an annual basis.
Further to this, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Murphy) has responsibility for appointing members of the Boundary Commission for Scotland.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. [243742]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has not spent anything on departmental Christmas parties or staff entertainment in the last three years.
Departmental Older Workers
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of new recruits to his Department were aged over (a) 55 and (b) 60 years old in 2007-08. [245305]
Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 November 2008, Official Report, column 9W, to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson).
Departmental Pensions
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil servants working in his Department have pensions with a cash equivalent transfer value of over £1 million. [245395]
Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 22 October 2008, Official Report, column 392W, to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Jenny Willott).
Departmental Procurement
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with reference to the answer of 5 November 2008, Official Report, columns 462-3W, on departmental procurement, for what reason and for what premises the kettles and television sets were purchased. [242036]
Ann McKechin:
The Scotland Office purchased two kettles at a total cost of £35.90 for our tea preparation
areas in Melville Crescent in Edinburgh and four television sets for our ministerial offices in Dover House in London at a total cost of £2,076.00.
Departmental Sick Leave
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number of hours of work lost through sickness absence on the part of staff working in his Department in the last 12 months. [245304]
Ann McKechin: All staff are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice; who as parent Departments have absence management policies that apply to those of their staff working in this office. We do not maintain a separate central record of sick absences. Such records are held by the parent Departments who publish their sick absence statistics.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many telephone numbers for which callers are charged at the rate applicable to 0845 numbers are used by his Department for public access to services. [246984]
Ann McKechin: The Office does not use telephone numbers for which callers are charged at the rate applicable to 0845 numbers.
Departmental Written Questions
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what proportion of written questions for answer on a named day his Department has answered on the due date in the current Session of Parliament. [245295]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has received two written questions for answer on a named day in the current Session of Parliament. 100 per cent. were answered on the due date.
Offenders
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many former prisoners are employed by his Department; and what his Department’s policy is on employing former prisoners. [246334]
Ann McKechin: All staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice; who remain their employers. It is for these Departments to determine their policy on employing former prisoners.
Plain English
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on Plain English Campaign training courses for its staff in each of the last five years. [245303]
Ann McKechin: No expenditure has been incurred on Plain English Campaign training courses.
Wines
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on wine in each of the last 24 months. [245301]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office records its hospitality expenditure in accordance with the principles of “Managing Public Money”. It keeps no separate record of expenditure on wine.
Defence
Warship Construction Programme
8. Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what timetable he has set for the warship construction programme; and if he will make a statement. [246447]
Mr. Quentin Davies: We are currently engaged in the most substantial peacetime naval shipbuilding programme since the first world war. This is centred on the Type 45 destroyers, the Astute class submarines and the future aircraft Carriers. Following on from these we will have the future surface combatant and successor class submarine. This programme will provide the capability the Royal Navy needs to remain one of the world's most powerful maritime forces. As the House knows we have announced that the in-service dates of the carriers will be delayed by one to two years allowing closer alignment for the entry into service of the aircraft which will fly from them. HMS Daring, the first of class of the T45 destroyers, is expected to enter service next year with its five successors at a rate of approximately one a year thereafter. The House will also know that there has been some delay to the Astute programme. We are re-baselining the programme and I will make an announcement in due course. The future surface combatant will follow-on from the carriers, but it is far too early to announce an in-service date. The future surface combatant and the successor class submarines are at the very early stages of design.
Eurofighter
9. Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the size of the Eurofighter tranche 3 contract is expected to be; and if he will make a statement. [246448]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Negotiations with partner nations and industry are continuing on the Typhoon Tranche 3 contract and decisions will be taken once these negotiations are complete.
NATO/EU Military Commitments
10. Mr. Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the compatibility of the UK's NATO and EU military commitments. [246449]
18. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the compatibility of the UK’s EU and NATO military commitments. [246457]
Mr. Hutton: The UK works to ensure NATO and EU military commitments complement each other. One recent example has been the smooth transition of counter-piracy and escort duties off the coast of Somalia from the NATO Standing Maritime Group 2 to the EU maritime taskforce.
Equipment Programme
11. Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the review of his Department's equipment programme on the capabilities of the armed forces. [246450]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The effect has been very positive. We are pressing ahead with Future Lynx and giving a new priority to the Warrior upgrade and the FRES reconnaissance vehicle. These are all very important programmes for current operations and the nation's future defence capability. We have been able to do this by re-profiling the carrier build programme without any loss to defence capability. Although the in-service dates of the new carrier have been delayed, of which the House is aware, this has allowed us to more closely align their entry into service with the aircraft which will fly off them.
Jackal Deployment: Iraq
12. Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Jackals have been deployed in Iraq since 2003; and if he will make a statement. [246451]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Jackal was bought for Afghanistan in response to the requirements of that theatre. It provides excellent mobility and firepower and is well adapted for manoeuvring in the Afghan desert. Heavy firepower in Iraq has been effectively delivered by Warrior and Challenger, both of which are well adapted to the Iraqi terrain. No Jackals have therefore been deployed on operations in Iraq.
Afghanistan
13. Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Afghanistan. [246452]
21. Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Afghanistan. [246460]
22. Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Afghanistan. [246461]
Mr. Hutton: Considerable progress has been made but the insurgency remains resilient. The majority of people can go about their daily lives but, in certain areas of the country, particularly in the south and east, significant security challenges remain. The Taliban have failed using conventional tactics and are turning to increasingly indiscriminate attacks, which show complete disregard for the safety of the local population.
Iran
15. Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of potential military threats posed by Iran. [246454]
20. Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of potential military threats posed by Iran. [246459]
24. Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of potential military threats posed by Iran. [246463]
Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Jones).
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