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28 Jan 2009 : Column 505W—continued
Police Stations: Closures
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations have been closed to the public since 2001. [252277]
Mr. Coaker: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and chief constable, who are responsible for assessing local needs.
Police: Manpower
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sworn police officers there are in England and Wales; and how many (a) occupy non-front line posts and (b) are on permanent restricted duties. [252276]
Mr. Coaker: There were 141,859 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in the 43 forces of England and Wales as at 31 March 2008.
There were 17,573 FTE non-operational police officers in the 43 forces of England and Wales as at 31 March 2008. Such officers include any member of staff whose primary role is to support the delivery of the overarching aims of the police service or to service the internal needs of the organisation.
There were 4,821 police officers (headcount) in the 43 forces of England and Wales on temporary restricted duty as at 31 March 2008.
Defence
Armed Forces: Defence Equipment
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent improvements have been made to the personal protective equipment for armed forces personnel in active theatres. [250026]
Mr. Quentin Davies: We have recently introduced enhancements to the fit of Osprey body armour which have improved user manoeuvrability. Additionally, a system which allows troops to wear front and back Osprey plates without the soft armour jacket has just been introduced. This system is used by troops who require extra mobility or are operating in confined spaces.
The need to improve personal protection in response to developing threats is continually assessed. Further improvements to body armour and helmets are being developed and are planned to be introduced later this year.
Defence: Military Aircraft
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent improvements have been made to the fleet of frontline UK aircraft. [250027]
Mr. Quentin Davies: In the past year, we have introduced a number of significant improvements to our frontline aircraft capabilities.
We have enhanced our strategic air lift capability by taking delivery of two more C-17s, taking our total C-17 fleet to six aircraft.
We continue to improve our fast jet capabilities with significant enhancements to our Harrier and Tornado fleets to increase their effectiveness in the Close Air Support roles they fulfil in Iraq and Afghanistan. These improvements include our new Paveway IV Precision Guided Bomb, which entered service with the Harriers in December 2008, and which provides the RAF with a state of the art all-weather, day and night, precision bombing capability. The Dual Mode Seeker Brimstone also entered service in December 2008 providing increased target accuracy and reduced risk of collateral damage. On 1 July 2008 Typhoon was declared operational in the air to ground role, while on 21 October the first two Tranche 2 Typhoon aircraft were delivered to RAF Coningsby.
We have also increased our surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities with the introduction of the Airborne Stand off Radar, which achieved its In Service Date in November 2008.
We have increased the number of helicopter airframes and hours available to our commanders in the last two years, delivering a 60 per cent. increase in available flying hours, and will be making a further significant increase in helicopter capacity in Afghanistan over the next two years. By the end of 2009 the first of the eight Chinooks under the Mark 3 reversion programme will be delivered, providing a significant uplift to our heavy lift helicopter fleet. The first of the 12 upgraded Lynx Mark 9 helicopters will also be available by the end of 2009. Taken with additional Apache capability and the Merlins that we plan to move to Afghanistan once they have completed their mission in Iraq, these improvements will deliver a significant increase in our front line helicopter capability.
Departmental Consultants
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of his Department's contracts with management consultants was in each of the last five years. [251368]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Summaries for the years 1995-96 to 2007-08 of the MOD's expenditure on external assistance, of which management consultancy is a part, are available in the House Library. These summaries also include the spend figures for Defence agencies and trading funds, but they exclude expenditure by non-departmental public bodies, which is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Correspondence
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to reply to letters from the hon. Member for Peterborough on the wearing of service uniforms off base by personnel at RAF Wittering. [250899]
Mr. Kevan Jones: My right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces replied to the hon. Member on 21 January 2009. I am not aware of any further outstanding correspondence from this Department.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's average response time to a letter received from (a) an hon. Member and (b) a member of the public was in each of the last three years. [251435]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to correspondence from Members and Peers. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008, Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
The information sought in respect of letters from members of the public could be provided only at disproportionate cost, but the Department aims to respond to all correspondence within 15 working days of receipt.
Departmental ICT
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Fareham of 27 October 2008, Official Report, column 630W, on departmental ICT, what ICT projects his Department and its agencies are undertaking; and if he will make a statement. [251286]
Mr. Quentin Davies: An ICT project can vary from installing single computers and software licences to major programmes, such as the Defence Information Infrastructure. Details of all the ICT projects being undertaken by the Ministry of Defence and each of its agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the initial estimated (a) cost and (b) delivery date was of each ICT project initiated by his Department in each year since 1997; what the (i) outturn cost and (ii) completion date was of each such project subsequently completed; which contractors were hired for each project; and how much has been paid to each contractor in respect of each project to date. [251379]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which ICT projects his Department initiated and abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred in each project; who the contractors for each were; on what date each was (a) commenced and (b) abandoned; and if he will make a statement. [251391]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 11 November 2008, Official Report, column 1000W, on departmental public relations, which firms were used; and what the remit was of each substantive contract. [250281]
Mr. Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 January 2009, Official Report, columns 1672-73W.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of his Department's contracts with public relations consultancies was in each of the last five years. [251534]
Mr. Kevan Jones:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave on 11 November 2008, Official Report, column 1001W, to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge). Information on
contracts with public relations consultancies is otherwise not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The MOD publishes annual summaries of expenditure on external assistance which are placed in the Library of the House. The latest edition has been placed in the Library of the House and is available on line at
Directorate of Management and Consultancy Services
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what Directorate of Management and Consultancy Services studies have been issued since 1997-98; [249709]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of each Directorate of Management and Consultancy Services study produced in 2008. [249723]
Mr. Kevan Jones: I will place a copy of the list of substantive studies completed by the Ministry of Defence’s Directorate of Management Consultancy Services between January 2000 and December 2008 in the Library of the House. While every effort has been made to ensure the completeness of the list over that period, it has not been possible to confirm absolutely that all substantive studies have been included due to a lack of consistency in recording information during a period of restructuring and change. Records prior to 2000 are not held on a central database and could be accessed and verified only at disproportionate cost.
I will place copies of the reports produced in 2008 in the Library of the House, subject to a check to ensure they do not contain information that should be withheld. I will write to the hon. Member when this has been done.
HMS Endurance
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the out-of-service date for HMS Endurance is. [251892]
Mr. Quentin Davies: On present planning assumptions HMS Endurance will reach her out-of-service date in 2015.
Joint Strike Fighter
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid Sussex of 6 November 2008, Official Report, column 676W, on the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, whether the development and acquisition schedule under the US/UK Memorandum of Understanding was denominated in US dollars. [251931]
Supply Estimates
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will break down his Department's Winter Supplementary Estimate 2008-09 on the same basis as in his answer of 14 July 2008, Official Report, column 168W. [243416]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Letter from Bob Ainsworth, dated 22 January 2009:
I undertook to write to you on 15 December 2008, (Official Report, column 341W) and 12 January, (Official Report column 99W) in answer to your Parliamentary Questions about Departmental Public Expenditure.
I attach tables which provide a detailed breakdown of the Department's Main Estimates 2007/08, together with a breakdown of the Department's Winter Supplementary Estimates for 2008/09.
I am placing a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
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