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26 Jun 2009 : Column 1156W—continued
House of Commons Commission
Parliament: ICT
Mr. Drew: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what progress the Commission has made in its review of the performance of parliamentary IT systems; and how many times House of Commons IT systems have been shut down in the last 12 months. [281773]
Nick Harvey: The recommendations made in the Administration Committee’s report on Information and Communication Technology Services for Members (HC 498) are mostly completed. This has resulted in improvements being made to services and a clarification of the services offered.
PICT’s major three year programme of infrastructure renewal began in April 2008 and remains on track. Renewal of the core services of e-mail and MS Office are due for completion by autumn 2009.
The parliamentary IT systems have experienced partial outages on 10 occasions in the last 12 months, two of which were for upgrades to security patches.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
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) [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 on 16 December 2008, Official Report, column 554W to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).
We are currently reviewing the available information concerning amputations which have occurred as a result of Op Herrick, while ensuring that patient confidentiality is maintained. I will write to the hon. Member with the results of this review.
Substantive answer from Kevan Jones to Andrew Robathan:
The Academic Department of Military Emergency Medicine (ADMEM) at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham, has recently begun to collate amputation statistics on a quarterly basis. Their records show that, between 1 April 2006 and 31 march 2009, a total of 51 UK Service personnel have suffered amputations due to injuries sustained while on operation deployment on OP HERRICK. These amputations can range from the loss of part of a finger or toe up to the loss of entire limb(s). There is no consolidated record of the number or nature of the amputations for each patient and that information could only be collated at disproportional cost.
Prior to 1 April 2006, comprehensive records were not held centrally and historic date could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
I hope this provides you with the information you require.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are followed when a breach of the rules of engagement in Afghanistan by (a) UK and (b) allied military personnel are reported; and if he will make a statement. [281678]
Bill Rammell: For UK armed forces personnel, standard military investigation procedures would be used to investigate a report that the rules of engagement had been breached. Other nations will have their own procedures which it would not be appropriate to comment on.
Armed Forces: Vehicles
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military vehicles of each type were reported (a) stolen and (b) missing in the United Kingdom in each year since 1997. [281441]
Bill Rammell: The information requested is not held in the format requested. The following table provides the number of military vehicles reported to the MOD Police as stolen during the period from 1999-2009. Information is not available prior to 1999.
| Military vehicles reported stolen by year | |||||||
| Car | Land Rover | Mini-Bus | Van | Motorcycle | Quad Bike | Fork lift | |
Departmental Pay
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) sections of his Department and (b) non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible have requested money saved from efficiency savings to be used for increased pay in their 2009 pay offers to staff. [282538]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Neither the main department nor those non-departmental public bodies who have their own pay arrangements have sought to use additional money saved from efficiency savings to increase pay in 2009.
I refer the hon. Member to the information published in the civil service pay guidance 2009-10.
Piracy: Navy
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for New Forest East of 22 June 2009, Official Report, column 626W, on piracy, under what authority the Royal Navy seizes piracy equipment from suspected pirates. [282667]
Bill Rammell: Royal Navy vessels participating in counter-piracy operations are provided with detailed rules of engagement (ROE) setting out the measures they may take in relation to pirate vessels, including the seizure of suspected pirate vessels and equipment. These ROE are in accordance with international law, including the United Nations convention on the law of the sea (UNCLOS), and are kept under regular review.
QinetiQ: Location
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the effect on employment of the decision by QinetiQ to relocate operations from the Hebrides Range to Aberporth Range. [282596]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The Hebrides and Aberporth Ranges are owned by the MOD and operated on its behalf by QinetiQ. The MOD proposes to relocate only trials control from the Hebrides Ranges to the Aberporth Ranges. Current levels of trials and training activity at the Hebrides Range are expected to remain broadly unchanged. Under the proposals up to 125 jobs would be lost at the Hebrides Ranges and up to 20 at the Aberporth Ranges.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the effects on the (a) economy and (b) society of the Western Isles of QinetiQ’s decision to relocate operations from the Hebrides Range to Aberporth Range. [282597]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The consultation documentation on the proposed changes involving the Hebrides and Aberporth Ranges, issued on 17 June 2009, contains Regional Socio-Economic reports on both the Western Isles and Ceredigion. It also contains a survey of the Regional Impact on Employment of the proposed changes to activities at Hebrides Ranges. This estimates that, in addition to the 125 direct job losses at the Range itself, there could be about 40 further induced or indirect job losses in the wider economy.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department consulted (a) community representatives, (b) representatives of QinetiQ employees, (c) local enterprise agencies and (d) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar before QinetiQ’s decision to relocate operations from the Hebrides Range to Aberporth Range. [282598]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The MOD wrote to all major stakeholders for both the Aberporth and Hebrides Ranges in July 2007 outlining the study into the future of the ranges and the possible implications for the sites and workforce. Further letters were sent in June 2009 outlining the proposals and entering into a formal period of consultation which will conclude in August 2009.
A meeting has been held at ministerial level with the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar. Offers were made to meet with the chief executive of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and other representatives. MOD officials have also met with the National Trust for Scotland and other parties with an interest in the island of St. Kilda on a number of occasions.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has had discussions with the Scottish Government on QinetiQ’s decision to relocate its operations from the Hebrides Range to Aberporth Range. [282599]
Mr. Quentin Davies:
The MOD wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney MSP, at the beginning of the study into the future of the Hebrides and Aberporth Ranges in July
2007 and to Minister for Europe, External affairs and Culture, Michael Russell MSP, in June 2009 on completion of the study to inform him of the decision in principle. There has also been informal contact at official level.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Hebrides Range is used for weapons testing by countries other than the UK. [282600]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Since the beginning of the Long Term Partnering Arrangement in 2003, under which QinetiQ operates a number of key test and evaluation facilities on behalf of the MOD, the following countries have used the MOD Hebrides Range for weapons testing and military training:
USA in 2003-04
Switzerland in 2005 (also scheduled to use the Range in 2010)
Germany in 2004-05 (also scheduled to use the Range in 2010)
Denmark in 2005 and 2007
Italy in 2003 (support role)
Netherlands in 2008 (Marines)
Sweden in 2007 and 2009.
NATO also uses the range annually.
White Phosphorus
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any munitions containing white phosphorus manufactured in the UK have been used in theatres of military operation against UK armed forces in the last 10 years. [280420]
Bill Rammell: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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