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10 Mar 2009 : Column 235W—continued
I will place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Armed Forces: Transsexuality
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on its policy for the recruitment and management of transsexual personnel in the Armed Forces; how many members of staff were engaged in preparing the policy; and how many meetings his Department has held with representatives of organisations representing transsexual personnel in preparing the policy. [260442]
Mr. Kevan Jones:
The tri-service policy for the recruitment and management of transsexual personnel in the armed forces was prepared as part of the Department’s normal business; accordingly no additional staff costs were incurred. The policy was drafted by staff in the armed forces’ diversity team in consultation with personnel from the single-service equality and diversity teams,
legal advisers and medical staff. Advice was also sought from a:gender, the support network for staff in Government Departments and agencies who have permanently changed their perceived gender, but no meetings were held with them.
Colombia: Drugs
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department provides (a) funding and (b) training for counter-narcotics work in Colombia. [262579]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 January 2009, Official Report, column 737W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend (Mrs. Moon).
Defence: Procurement
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of the Typhoon Future Capability programme was on 31 March (a) 2007 and (b) 2008, broken down by (i) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL), (ii) indirect resource DEL and (iii) capital DEL. [257779]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The information is shown in the following table, which includes the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
| £ million | ||
| 31 March 2007 | 31 March 2008 | |
Departmental Postal Services
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to (a) the Royal Mail and (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [259960]
Mr. Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 23 July 2007, Official Report, column 683W, to the hon. Member for Tamworth (Mr. Jenkins).
Departmental Public Appointments
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility in the last five years who previously had careers in the banking industry. [261232]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The number of persons appointed to executive positions in the senior civil service in the Ministry of Defence since 1 April 2004 who previously had careers in the banking industry is four. Information for grades below the SCS is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Rail Travel
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of travel by train by staff in his Department in each year since 1997. [261261]
Mr. Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 3 September 2007, Official Report, column 1620W.
Departmental Surveys
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on staff surveys in each of the last five years; and which companies were contracted to carry out the surveys. [260139]
Mr. Kevan Jones: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Outside contractors are employed to conduct staff surveys only where the necessary work cannot be undertaken in house and where there is a clear value for money benefit for the MOD.
Departmental Training
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Hammersmith and Fulham of 11 February 2009, Official Report, column 1994W, on departmental training, what form the pre-deployment training took; where it was held; how much it cost; and which Ministers undertook it. [260560]
Mr. Kevan Jones: All current Defence Ministers have received mandatory briefings on safety and security and survival, evasion, resistance and extraction prior to visiting operational theatres. The training took place in central London. Details of the small additional costs, relating only to travel and subsistence for the trainers, are not held centrally.
European Defence Agency
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) financial and (b) staff resources his Department provided for the European Defence Agency in 2007-08. [262269]
Mr. Hutton: The UK financial contribution to the European Defence Agency running costs and operational budgets in 2007-08 was £1.95 million. The UK Ministry of Defence provides five members to the permanent staff of the EDA, paid from the Agency’s staff budget, and seconds one further officer at national expense.
Helicopters
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters (a) have been repainted for desert conditions, (b) are awaiting a repaint for desert conditions and (c) have been withheld from frontline duty as a result of incorrect camouflage colours in the last 12 months. [261680]
Mr. Quentin Davies: None. UK military helicopters are not currently painted a specific colour for operating in desert conditions.
HMS Superb
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to publish the Board of Inquiry report on the incident on HMS Superb in the Red Sea in May 2008. [262634]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: It is planned to publish the Board of Inquiry report into the grounding of HMS Superb in the Red sea in May 2008 once all parallel investigations are complete.
Naval Bases
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the Government’s proposals for HM Naval Base Plymouth Devonport. [261809]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The scope of work carried out at the three naval bases (Portsmouth, Devonport and on the Clyde) is currently being considered as part of the Maritime Change Programme. This work is now reaching its conclusion, although we need to ensure that final decisions are fully aligned with the changes to the equipment programme announced in December 2008. An announcement on the Maritime Change Programme will be made as soon as is practicable.
Navy: Deployment
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009, Official Report, column 1878W, on Navy: deployment, what the outcome of his Department’s consideration of the commitment of naval resources to combat arms smuggling into Gaza has been; and if he will make a statement. [261742]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We are currently exploring a number of contingency options directed at countering arms smuggling into Gaza.
As part of this process, the UK participated in a conference on the 4-5 February in Copenhagen discussing how the international community might strengthen its efforts to help prevent the illicit flow of weapons into Gaza and agreed to meet again to explore further the measures discussed.
The UK will host the next conference in London on 13 March.
Nimrod Aircraft
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made (a) of the initial acquisition cost and (b) the through-life cost of (i) the Helix mission system and (ii) the aircraft which will carry the mission system. [260675]
Mr. Quentin Davies:
The acquisition and through life costs of the three options being considered (the Nimrod R1 and the Nimrod MRA4 platforms with a bespoke mission system and the US Rivet Joint system) to meet
the Helix requirement are being assessed as part of the preparations for a main investment decision expected in 2009.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the successor aircraft to the Nimrod R1 is planned to achieve full operational capability; and whether the R1 and its successor aircraft are planned to operate in tandem pending full operational capability of the successor aircraft. [260676]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Key dates for a successor to the Nimrod R1 system and any necessary transition arrangements between the two will be agreed at the main investment decision point which is expected in 2009.
Nuclear Weapons: Research
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the source is of the funding for the joint US/UK warhead research taking place at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston. [261412]
Mr. Hutton: The Atomic Weapons Establishment undertakes research to ensure the continued safety, security, and performance of the United Kingdom's nuclear stockpile. Additionally, it is currently assisting the Ministry of Defence in reviewing the optimum life of the existing warhead stockpile and analysing the range of replacement options that might be available. This work, some of which is being undertaken with the United States under the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement, will inform decisions likely to be necessary in the next Parliament on the need to refurbish or replace the current warhead. The funding for this work is met by the UK Defence budget.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has commissioned research on the latency of post-traumatic stress disorder since 2003. [261046]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Since 2003 there has been one study commissioned by the Ministry of Defence into the latency of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) conducted by University College London. The purpose of the study was to determine the existence or otherwise of delayed-onset PTSD and its prevalence among veterans in receipt of a war pension. The findings of the study are due to be published later this year.
Public Opinion
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department and its agencies have spent on (a) opinion polling, (b) focus groups and (c) other forms of market research in each year since 1997; what such surveys have been commissioned; and what the purpose was of each. [261262]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, records are available of the amounts spent on polling and focus groups by the central media and communications organisation dating back to 2001-02. Earlier records are not available.
It is not possible to split out the costs of opinion polls and focus groups, the figures provided will include both these elements.
| £ | |
| (1) Spend to date | |
These costs relate to polling carried out by our central media and communications division to establish attitudes of the public to various aspects of defence activity.
Trade Unions
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which trade unions are recognised in his Department. [262076]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The MOD currently recognises the following trade unions and staff associations which represent staff in a wide range of grades, trades and professions.
FDA
Prospect
PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union)
Unite (Amicus Section)
Unite (Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) Section)
GMB (General and Municipal Boilermakers)
UCATT (Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians)
CPOA (Chief Police Officers Association)
DPF (Defence Police Federation)
ROA (Retired Officers Association)
Nautilus UK
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