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26 Jan 2009 : Column 27W—continued
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many full-time equivalent (a) military and (b) civilian personnel are employed at the headquarters of each UK-based regional brigade. [250084]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Brigade | Military posts | Civilian posts |
Military numbers include posts filled by non regular permanent staff and full-time reserve service personnel working alongside regular Army personnel.
Civilian numbers include some posts which are filled by contracted personnel who are not civil servants. Some of these posts may not be currently filled.
38 (Irish) Brigade figures are not in line with a typical regional brigade pending the full implementation of Northern Ireland normalisation plans.
Armed Forces: South Georgia
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Royal Navy stations any vessels in the region surrounding South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands. [250288]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There are no Royal Navy vessels permanently stationed near South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. There are regular patrols in this area by the Falkland Islands Patrol Vessel, HMS Clyde, and the Atlantic Patrol Task (South). Visits would also normally include the Antarctic patrol and survey vessel in the austral summer (HMS Endurance). Regular air and land patrols also take place.
The South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Government also have their own fisheries protection vessel, MV Pharos.
Army: Labour Turnover
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the (a) inflow and (b) outflow rates of each army infantry battalion were in each month of 2008; [249727]
(2) what the (a) inflow and (b) outflow rates of each army corps were in each month of 2008. [249728]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Information broken down by each Infantry Battalion is not held centrally and is therefore currently unavailable. Flows information by Army Service is not currently available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, the inflow to the trained strength of the total army can be found in Table 4 of Tri-Service Publication four UK Armed Forces Quarterly Manning Report and the outflow from the trained strength of the total army can be found in Table 6 of Tri-Service Publication four which can be viewed on the DASA web at the following link:
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page=48&;thiscontent=20&date=2008-11-27&pubType=l&PublishTime=09:30:00&from=home&tabOption=3
Athena Mechanism
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made to the Athena mechanism in the last six months. [249697]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: A number of changes have been made to the Athena mechanism in the last six months. The resulting revised Athena mechanism document 16561/08 dated 16 December 2008 has been published and can be found within the Council of the European Union's website at:
I can confirm that the UK was successful in delivering our key goal of ensuring that the eligibility for common funding remained within previously agreed levels.
AWE Burghfield
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence his Department holds on the safety of airborne particulate debris arising from the functioning of the Main Process Facility at AWE Burghfield. [249007]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The release of radioactive material to the environment is regulated by the Environment Agency (EA) under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA93). Under this regulatory regime, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) has an authorisation, issued by the EA, which places various requirements and limits on AWE operations, including those associated with the main process facility for the assembly/disassembly of nuclear warheads at AWE Burghfield.
The methodology used by AWE and accepted by the EA is based on air sampling and modelling and shows that actual discharges are well within safe levels i.e. those required by legislation. Sampling results are reported regularly by AWE plc to the EA and to the Ministry of Defence.
The EA is content that radioactive releases from the existing AWE Burghfield facility would have negligible impact upon the environment, even at the maximum permissible release limits as set out in the AWE Burghfield RSA93 Authorisation. The proposed replacement facility will be required to operate under the same regulatory regime and it is anticipated that radioactive releases from the proposed replacement facility will be no higher than the already negligible releases from the existing facility.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the risk from activity in the gravel gerties to (a) building workers, (b) other on-site workers and (c) the general public is below the basic safety objectives in the Burghfield assembly facility. [248811]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The basis for demonstrating the safe operation of nuclear facilities is that the requirements of good practice in engineering, operation and safety management are met. Risks from activities in the gravel gerties have to meet the legal requirement to be As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). There are also in place numerical risk targets defined by the independent nuclear safety regulator, the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII).
When compared to these numerical targets, risks for building workers lie between the Basic Safety Objective and the Basic Safety Level and have been assessed to be ALARP. The risks for other on-site workers and the public are below the Basic Safety Objective. An ongoing programme of work in the gravel gerties, agreed with the NII, continues to drive risks down further. The NII is satisfied with this strategy and that operations continue to be completed safely.
Defence Equipment
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the McKinsey and Co study, “Transforming the UK’s Defence Procurement System”. [249720]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Yes. I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.
Defence Management Board
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) Defence Board (08) Paper 03, Strategic Risk—Making The Defence Case, (b) Defence Board (08), Paper 02, Strategic Review of Remuneration, (c) Defence Board (08), Paper 10, Typhoon Tranche 3 and Future Support, (d) Defence Board (08) Paper 13, Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Legislation, (e) Defence Board (08) Paper 17, Balanced Scorecard and (f) Defence Board (08) Paper 47, Departmental Management of International Acquisition; [249698]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) Defence Management Board DMB (07) Paper 24, Defence Attaches Review, (b) DMB (07) 25, The Future of NAAFI, (c) DMB (07) 28, Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide, (d) DMB (07) 28, Maximising Defence Capability Through R and D, (e) DMB (07) 46, Managing Our Military Strategic Balance 2, (f)
DMB (07) 57, the Future of NAAFI, (g) DMB (07) 58, Update on Maximising Defence Capability Through R and D, (h) DMB (07) 58, Update on Maximising Defence Capability Through R and D and (i) DMB (07) 60, Pay Strategy 2008; [249710]
(3) what Defence Management Board papers were taken in 2008; [249711]
(4) if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 11 Crown Immunity, (b) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 12 Maximising Benefit from Defence Research, (c) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 13 Crown Immunity in Defence, (d) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 15 Comprehensive Spending Review 07—Value for Money Reviews, (e) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 16 Science and Technology Rapid Assistance to Operations (STRATOS), (f) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 33 DMB Involvement with Investment Approval Decisions and (g) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 34 Defence Balanced Scorecard Revision. [249712]
Mr. Hutton: The Defence Management Board was renamed the Defence Board in early 2008. It is the main corporate board of the MOD, providing strategic level leadership and strategic management of Defence, with responsibility to Ministers for the full range of Defence business, other than the conduct of operations.
It is a forum in which judgments about advice to Ministers are made, policy formulated, and issues relating to defence, national security and international relations (including some involving classified information, commercial and legal advice) are discussed. It is important that there should be a free and frank exchange of views. Accordingly, most of the papers it considers cannot be released.
However, reports on “Maximising Benefit from Defence Research” and “Maximising Defence Capability Through R and D”, which formed the basis of Defence Management Board papers (06)12 and (07)30 are publicly available on the MOD website. I have placed in the Library of the House copies of Defence Management Board papers (06)34 “Defence Balanced Scorecard Revision” and (07)58 “Update on Maximising Defence Capability Through R and D” and Defence Board paper (08)13 “Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Legislation”.
Lists of the papers taken by the Defence Board in 2008 and of those taken by the Defence Management Board in previous years are published on the MOD’s website, together with meeting agendas and unclassified summaries of conclusions.
Defence: Military Aircraft
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fixed-wing aircraft serve as (a) transport and troop carriers and (b) air refuelling craft; and where each such aircraft is based. [250085]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The aircraft that comprise the air transport and air to air refuelling fleets are in the following table.
| Aircraft | Role | Base |
Communications and training aircraft have been excluded.
For the aircraft numbers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 105W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox).
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tranche 3 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft are on order for (a) Saudi Arabia, (b) Japan and (c) the UK; and if he will make a statement. [250091]
Mr. Quentin Davies: There are currently no Tranche 3 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft on order for any nation.
Departmental Air Travel
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 253W, on departmental air travel, whether staff who travel in a cheaper class than that to which they are entitled receive a (a) personal and (b) pecuniary benefit from doing so. [250049]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Ministry of Defence or Defence Agency staff entitled to first or business class air travel may travel at a lower class if they wish. Where employees travel outside their entitlement, they receive no personal or pecuniary benefit for doing so.
Departmental Fuels
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what volume of (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) aviation fuel and (d) other fuels derived from petroleum his Department consumed in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08; and if he will make a statement. [249634]
Mr. Quentin Davies: As MOD central financial systems do not record total fuels consumption, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Figures are, however, available for marine fuels consumed (including fuels for operations) by UK gallon and are set out in the following table:
| UK g allon | |||
| Financial year | |||
| Fuel type | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
Some figures are also available for the amount purchased by UK gallon of aviation and ground fuels and these are set out in the following table:
| UK gallon | |||
| Financial year | |||
| Fuel type | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| (1) Figure not yet available. | |||
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