Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 4 March 2009
Defence
Afghanistan
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the average annual cost, including salary, of the posting of (a) a private soldier and (b) a civil servant in his Department to (i) Kabul and (ii) Helmand province. [251701]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 27 January 2009]: No such recent estimate has been made. Calculating the cost of posting a private soldier and a civil servant on Operations would involve collating data from various sources across the Department at disproportionate cost.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters have been made available to NATO forces in Afghanistan in the last six months. [259985]
Mr. Hutton: I am withholding detailed information on the number of helicopters deployed to Afghanistan as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of unexploded land mines in Afghanistan; and what steps the Government are taking to help remove them. [259998]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There is no single reliable estimate of the total number of unexploded land mines within the sovereign territory of Afghanistan. The HALO Trust estimates that up to 640,000 mines were laid from 1979 until 1999, which saw the entry into force of the Ottawa convention.
DFID is providing around £10.6 million to the HALO Trust over five years (2008-13) to clear land mines and unexploded ordnance in Herat province (western Afghanistan). In addition, as part of the UK’s annual commitment of £10 million p.a. to de-mining across the world, the HALO Trust receives £3 million p.a. Of this, it is expected to commit around £150,000 to de-mining work in central and northern Afghanistan this year.
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers serving in Afghanistan since Operation Herrick began have returned from Afghanistan as a (a) single and (b) multiple amputee; and if he will make a statement. [260368]
Mr. Kevan Jones [holding answer 3 March 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Defence Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) on 16 December 2008, Official Report, column 554W.
We are currently reviewing the available information concerning amputations which have occurred as a result of Operation Herrick, while ensuring that patient confidentiality is maintained. I will write to the hon. Member with the results of this review.
Ballistic Missile Defence
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether work is being carried out in the United Kingdom to support the development of a Next Generation Fuze for US inter-continental ballistic missiles. [260557]
Mr. Hutton: Technical exchanges are carried out on a regular basis under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement on a range of issues of joint interest and of relevance to the safety, security and reliability of our respective nuclear stockpiles. They are also being undertaken to support the examination of the optimum life of the UK’s existing nuclear warhead and the range of replacement options that might be available to inform decisions, likely to be necessary in the next Parliament, on whether and how we may need to refurbish or replace the existing warhead. I am withholding details of the precise nature of this work in the interests of national security.
Departmental Art Works
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which works of art from the Government Art Collection each Minister in his Department has selected for display in a private office. [259439]
Mr. Kevan Jones: I have four works of art from the Government Art Collection (GAC) on display in my private office. They are:
'Gunner Paul March (Canadian Forces)' by Henry Lamb
'A Merchantman at Catania' by Bernard Hailstone
'Dust in Normandy, August 1944' by Stephen Bone
'The Southwest Prospect of the City of Durham' by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck
No other Ministers have art from the GAC on display in their private offices.
Departmental Pay
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's current salary bill is. [258431]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The MOD's staff costs are:
| £ billion | ||
| 2007-08 | 2006-07 | |
This information is published in the MOD's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House, and also on line at:
Nuclear Submarines
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009, Official Report, column 17, on the collision of nuclear submarines, when Parliament will be informed of the findings of the inquiry; and if he will make a statement. [260524]
Mr. Hutton: I anticipate that the inquiry into the incident involving HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant will report to me shortly. I will consider what and how to report to Parliament once I have received that report and bearing in mind the need to protect information in the interests of national security.
Warships
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of maintaining a (a) Type-42 destroyer and (b) Type-23 frigate is in 2008-09. [258882]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The cost of maintaining a Type 42 Destroyer in Financial Year 2008-09 has been estimated as £1.2 million while that for a Type 23 Frigate is estimated as £0.9 million. These figures are based on maintenance costs that are typically incurred by these vessels while meeting their operational commitments; they do not include costs incurred for upkeep work, such as refits and docking periods.
Culture, Media and Sport
Big Lottery Fund: Travelling People
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Big Lottery Fund has provided for projects to assist Traveller groups since the fund was established; and what projects have been supported by such expenditure. [259425]
Barbara Follett: The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) have advised that since their inception in June 2004, £4,756,759 has been awarded to projects which have Anglo-Roma Gypsies and Travellers as their primary beneficiary group.
Applicants funded by BIG who have Anglo-Roma Gypsies and Travellers as their main beneficiary group are:
BIG Awards
An Munia Tober
Armagh Travellers Support Group
Brent Irish Advisory Service
Church of England Children's Society
Community Development Agency for Hertfordshire
Craigavon Travellers Support Committee
Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group
Doncaster CVS
East Howie Traveller Association
Forest Bus Ltd
Friends Families and Travellers
Gypsy/Traveller Education and Information Project North East
London Borough of Ealing
Novas-Ouvertures Group
Ormiston Children and Families Trust
Peterborough Citizens Advice Bureau
Southern Regional College
Stoke-On-Trent Citizens Advice Bureau
Surrey Community Action
The Community Development Company Limited
The Rural Media Company
Traveller Space
Travellers School Charity
West Oxfordshire Citizens Advice Bureau
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department working on tourism issues have qualifications in economics; and how many staff in his Department work as economists. [260617]
Mr. Sutcliffe: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport there is one member of staff working on tourism issues who has a qualification in economics: and there are seven staff in the Department who are currently members of the Government Economic Service.
Football: Betting
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Football Association on plans for a pan-European approach to the subject of football match-fixing. [259874]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Ministers at the Department meet representatives from the Football Association (FA), as well as a wide variety of other sports bodies, on a regular basis to discuss a number of issues. The general subject of integrity in sports betting has been discussed during those meetings, but the Secretary of State has not met the FA specifically to discuss plans for a cross-Europe approach to the subject of football match-fixing.
The Government take any allegations relating to the integrity of sport seriously. The Gambling Act 2005 (the Act) introduced tough new penalties to ensure gambling is free from crime and corruption. In particular the Act established the offence of cheating at gambling where any person found guilty faces a maximum prison sentence of two years.
Museums and Galleries: Finance
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much (a) Sport England, (b) English Heritage, (c) the Heritage Lottery Fund, (d) the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, (e) the Big Lottery Fund and (f) Arts Council England spent on (i) transcripts or recordings, (ii) fees to the Newspaper Licensing Authority and (iii) analysis of press coverage in each of the last three years. [240951]
Barbara Follett: We have been advised by the following organisations that spend in each of the areas is as follows:
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