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11 Feb 2009 : Column 1994W—continued
The Royal Navy guidelines determine that personnel spend, on average, 60 per cent. of their time deployed and 40 per cent. alongside in their home port during a three-year period. The maximum individual threshold (separated service) is 660 days away from their normal place of work in the same three year period.
The Army guidelines determine that soldiers can be deployed for one six-month tour in every 30 months (six on, 24 off) and during that 30 month period a soldier should not expect to be away from his or her normal place of work for more than a total of 415 days.
The Royal Air Force guidelines determine that personnel should not spend more than 280 days in every 24 months away from their normal place of duty.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the briefing maps for Iraq on his Department’s website to be next updated. [251984]
Mr. Hutton: Of the two Iraq briefing maps on the Department’s website, that showing Iraq’s provinces and the last available population data remains current. The second map, showing Coalition forces’ areas of responsibility has now been updated and placed on the website:
Merlin Helicopters
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of Merlin helicopters have been fit for service in each year since 2003. [253219]
Mr. Quentin Davies [holding answer 2 February 2009]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Substantive answer from Quentin Davies to Willie Rennie:
I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 3 February ( Official Report, column 1116W), about percentages of Merlin helicopters ‘Fit for Service’.
The term ‘Fit for Service’ has been taken to mean the Effective Fleet, which covers all aircraft barring those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal. The information requested is set out in the table below:
| Merlin Mk1 | Merlin Mk3 | |||
| Departmental fleet number | Percentage of Departmental fleet ‘fit for service’' | Departmental fleet number | Percentage of Departmental fleet ‘fit for service’ | |
These figures do not include the six Merlin helicopters acquired from the Danish government as these aircraft were not introduced into service until financial year 2008-09, having been converted to UK standard as Mk3a.
Warships: Wrecks
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions his Department has had with (a) Odyssey Marine Exploration, (b) English Heritage and (c) Ministerial colleagues on the discovery of the wreck suspected to be that of HMS Victory; and if he will make a statement; [255703]
(2) what steps his Department is taking to establish the identity of the wreck reported by Odyssey Marine Exploration suspected to be that of HMS Victory. [255704]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Following the notification by Odyssey Marine Exploration of the possible discovery of the wreck of HMS Victory, exploratory discussions have been held by MOD officials with the company. Discussions have also been held at official level with a number of other Government Departments with a potential interest.
The wreck is potentially of significant historic interest and it is important to ensure that we are absolutely confident of the claims being made. English Heritage, who are the Government’s advisers on heritage issues for England, have been invited to provide advice on the historical significance of the wreck and its likely identity, together with an assessment of the risks to its in situ preservation which would be the Government’s preferred approach in such cases.
These considerations are likely to take some time.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Nationality: Torture
Sir Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 17 July 2008, Official Report, columns 680-81W, on British nationality: torture, what estimate he has made of the costs involved in the central collation of statistics relating to the allegations of ill treatment or torture made by British nationals. [253909]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has only collected statistics, relating to the allegations of ill treatment or torture made by British nationals, since 1 April 2005.
The FCO has no estimate of the costs involved in collating this information pre-April 2005, as it would require searching through thousands of files on individual cases. To provide this would incur a disproportionate cost.
Cuba
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has met his Cuban counterpart; and whether he plans to visit Cuba to discuss UK-Cuban relations. [254696]
Gillian Merron: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not met the current Cuban Foreign Minister. There are no current plans for him to visit Cuba.
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