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5 May 2009 : Column 36W—continued


Vetting

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of records of offences committed outside the United Kingdom held by the UK Central Authority were made available to the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and used in CRB disclosures in 2008-09; and whether there are data on categories of offences held by the UK Central Authority which may not be passed to the CRB for such use. [269785]

Mr. Malik: The UK Central Authority for the Exchange of Criminal Records (UKCA-ECR) receives conviction notifications in respect of UK citizens who have been convicted of crimes in EU member states. Convictions that are recordable under the National Police Records (Recordable Offences) Regulations 2000 are added to the Police National Computer (PNC) and are therefore available to the CRB for disclosure purposes.

Between 1 October 2008 and 31 December 2008 the UKCA-ECR received 1,166 notifications, 250 of which were for non-recordable offences. All recordable offences were added to the PNC. It is not known what percentage of these have been subsequently used in disclosures.

Under Section 113A (3) of Part V of the Police Act 1997 criminal record certificates—standard and enhanced disclosures—must contain details of “every relevant matter” recorded in “central records”. This means all convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer (PNC), including spent convictions. Any EU conviction information added to the Police National Computer by the UKCA-ECR would be included on CRB disclosures.


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Vetting: Young People

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many under-18 year olds had Criminal Records Bureau checks in 2008-09. [269706]

Mr. Malik: From April 2008 to February 2009, the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has issued 122,461 disclosures to applicants under the age of 18 years. Of these, 112,9933 were enhanced disclosures and 9,528 were standard disclosures.

Defence

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what visits he has made to Afghanistan in the last six months. [272905]

Mr. Hutton: I have visited Afghanistan on two occasions since my appointment as Secretary of State for Defence in October 2008.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in the last six months he has visited military personnel in hospitals. [272897]

Mr. Hutton: Since October 2008, I have visited hospitals with military patients on three occasions.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former members of the armed forces who have applied for re-enlistment in the last 12 months are awaiting a decision; what the longest period an applicant has waited for a decision in the last five years is; and if he will make a statement. [265908]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009, the Royal Navy received 1,001 Rating or RM Other Rank applications from former UK military personnel including RN, Army, RAF and former Reservists. Of these, 67 are still outstanding; 44 of which are awaiting routine requests for information on pay from the other services and 23 are pending resolution of medical queries. In the same period, there were 11 re-entrant officer applications; eight of these applicants have already re-entered service. Of the balance, one has yet to accept a job offer, one is awaiting a medical and the third's application is still being processed.

In the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, the Army Personnel Centre completed 2,911 applications for re-enlistment. A further 1,226 applications made during that period are still pending.

During financial year 2008-09, there were a total of 42 ex-service personnel who applied to join the RAF, 16 of whom are still waiting for a final decision. Of these 16, eight are Officers (five are waiting for training places while the remaining three are still going through the selection process) and eight are Other Ranks (all waiting for training places).


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In the Army, during the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2009, the longest period an applicant has had to wait for re-enlistment is two years 115 days. The relevant Army authorities are currently investigating the reasons behind this delay. It is not possible, within the time constraints, to determine the longest period that an individual has had to wait for a decision on a re-entry application within the RN and RAF.

Colombia: Military Aid

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has provided training to the Colombian military in counter-guerrilla operations; and if he will make a statement. [271087]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 April 2009, Official Report, column 1310W, to the hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle). The UK has not provided specific counter-guerrilla training to the Colombian military.

I also refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made to the House on 30 March 2009, Official Report, column 40WS, by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in which he set out the UK Government's current work and future aims in Colombia.

Defence Act 1842

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times the powers contained within the Defence Act 1842 have been used since May 1997. [272399]

Mr. Kevan Jones: The Defence Act 1842 includes various statutory powers. The Ministry of Defence does not record centrally each and every occasion that any one of these powers has been used, whether before or after May 1997.

EU Battlegroups

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what exercises with European Union military formations UK armed forces are committed for the next 18 months; and in which exercises they have participated in the last 12 months. [272383]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There are no standing European Union military formations, and the European Union does not conduct military exercises apart from headquarters-level planning exercises.

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which European Union military formations UK armed forces currently have a potential obligation; and on what scale in each case. [272386]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There are no standing European Union military formations. All forces belong to member states until volunteered to the EU on a case-by-case basis.

The UK has made a voluntary commitment to lead Operation Atalanta, the EU naval counter-piracy naval force off the coast of Somalia, until the end of the current mandate of 13 December 2009. The UK provides
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the Operation Commander and the Multinational Operation Headquarters (OHQ) at Northwood, with UK armed forces filling 49 of these OHQ posts. The UK provided HMS Northumberland from the start of the operation (8 December) to 28 February. Contribution of any further UK assets to the operation is dependent on force generation requirements and UK operational priorities, but there are currently no plans.

The EU mission Operation Althea continues in Bosnia Herzegovina and the UK retains nine posts in the headquarters of the EU force (EUFOR) in Sarajevo.

The ESDP mission to Chad and the Central African Republic reached the end of its mandate on 15 March 2009 and is now completing its handover to the UN follow-on force Minurcat II. Under standing augmentation procedures, the UK previously provided four staff officers to the headquarters, of whom, two now remain in post while the operation draws to a close.

The UK has made a voluntary commitment to provide an EU Battlegroup on stand-by from January to June 2010. This will be met by forces from the Lead Commando Group element of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF), which will consist of forces drawn from the long-standing UK-Netherlands Amphibious Landing Force. We have also offered to provide a joint UK-Swedish Battlegroup on stand-by from January to June 2013. Battlegroups would only deploy on operations following a unanimous decision from all 27 EU member states.

The UK Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) at Northwood is one of five national OHQs declared available for European Union (EU) military operations; the other four are at Mont Valerien (Paris), Potsdam (Germany), Rome (Italy) and Larissa (Greece).

PJHQ will provide the OHQ building and technical and administrative support, including trained core staff, for the Nordic Battlegroup during its time as one of the two EU Battlegroups on stand-by between January and June 2011.

Future Large Aircraft

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what position the Government’s delegation to the March OCCAR meeting took on adoption of the three-month moratorium on a decision on the A400M programme; and what the reasons for that position were. [271814]

Mr. Quentin Davies: The UK supported the decision to enter a ‘without commitment’ standstill period. Its purpose is to enable the Partner Nations and Airbus Military to explore all possible options in more detail without prejudicing the rights of either party under the existing contract.

This additional information will inform national and joint decisions in due course.

Military Intelligence

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the acquisition of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets in each year since 1997; and what plans he has for future acquisition of such assets. [271394]


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Mr. Quentin Davies: The expenditure on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets since 1997 is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Our future plans include a number of programmes which contribute to intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capability. For example, the Helix programme for airborne electronic surveillance; Dabinett for management of the direction, processing and dissemination of intelligence and for deep and persistent surveillance; and the Watchkeeper tactical unmanned aerial vehicle system. There are also programmes to invest further in Electronic Warfare systems and surveillance systems such as Sentry E-3D UK Airborne Early Warning capability and the Sea King Mk 7 Airborne Surveillance and Control variant.

Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what visits he has made to Northern Ireland on official business in the last 12 months. [272862]

Mr. Hutton: I have not yet visited Northern Ireland since my appointment in October 2008. My predecessor the right hon. Des Browne did not visit Northern Ireland between May and October 2008.

Territorial Army

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Territorial Army barracks are under review following the report of the Reserves Review. [272497]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Volunteer estate, which currently consists of over 2,000 sites, is a key element of the reserve forces, not only providing unit locations and training facilities but also retaining the important military footprint across the UK and the associated ability to connect with the nation. The review confirmed the importance of the Volunteer estate but noted that much of it was old, expensive, underused and located to serve the population centres of the 19th century as opposed to those of the 21st century. To ensure that the reserves have an estate that is modern, provides value for money and is correctly located to match changes in the demographics and national infrastructure, the Review recommended that the Ministry of Defence conduct a detailed requirements-based study. We will be forming a team to conduct this detailed work which will need to consider all of the estate. No decisions have been made.

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army posts will be affected by the implementation of the recommendations of the review of reserves. [272818]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Review does not make any recommendations on numbers of Territorial Army posts. The aim of the review was to ensure that the Reserve Forces are correctly structured to meet current and future challenges and it made a number of recommendations to achieve this. However, further work is required to determine the best means to deliver the capabilities required.


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Trade Unions

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 238W, on trade unions, what office facilities his Department provides for the exclusive use of each recognised trade union; and what the notional annual value of such provision is. [271928]

Mr. Kevan Jones: Representatives for each recognised trade union and staff association or federation are provided with equipped office space in an appropriate location, including facilities to work in accordance with that provided for other staff in the buildings on site.

The notional annual value of such provision for these facilities is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 238W, on trade unions, which trades unions his Department's agencies recognise. [271929]

Mr. Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence currently recognises the following trade unions and staff associations, which represent staff in a wide range of grades, trades and professions. This recognition applies across the Department which includes its Agencies:

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