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29 Jun 2009 : Column 37W—continued
On helicopters, we continue to deliver improvements to our fleet to ensure the safety, airworthiness and operational effectiveness of our platforms on operations. We continue to increase the number of helicopter flying
hours available to our commanders in Afghanistan, which have gone up by 84 per cent. between November 2006 and April 2009 through the deployment of more aircraft and improvements in support and crewing arrangements. By the end of 2009, the Department intends to make the first of the eight Chinook Mk3 Reversion aircraft available for operations and will have deployed the RAF’s Merlin Mk3 force to Afghanistan, providing a significant increase to our front-line helicopter capability.
In the past year, there have been a number of improvements in the equipment provided to the RAF Regiment. The latest variant of the Snatch Land Rover, the Snatch Vixen which has improved mobility and protection is currently deployed on operations, as is the new Panther Command and Liaison vehicle. In addition to the new vehicles, there has also been recent improvement in dismounted close combat equipment including the supply of underslung grenade launchers, night vision devices, combat shotguns and the 60 mm mortar.
Armed Forces: Families
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department provides for the families of service personnel killed in action. [282462]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The MOD places a very high priority on the welfare of its service personnel and their families. To that end, the MOD has robust procedures in place to support immediate family members of service personnel who are killed while on operations. These procedures are under constant review to ensure that the support provided meets the needs of the recipients and reflect current MOD policy. Families are assigned a visiting officer who acts as the link between the family and the services, assisting with such matters as repatriation, funeral arrangements and expenses, and help with necessary paperwork to procure pensions etc. The visiting officers will also direct the family to the most appropriate internal and external welfare agencies for specific areas of support.
Armed Forces: Housing
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many overseas (a) service family and (b) single living accommodation units were in each condition grade in each year since 2001. [266945]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The requested information will take time to collate and verify. I will write to the hon. Member with the information that is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Substantive answer from Kevan Jones to Liam Fox:
In my answer of 30 March 2009, Official Report, column 886W I undertook to write to you with the numbers of overseas Single Living Accommodation (SLA) and Service Family Accommodation (SFA) units in each condition grade in each year since 2001.
The following numbers of overseas SFA properties, assessed for their Standard for Condition (SfC), were at each Standard in each year since 2003 (earlier figures are not available):
| As at 1 April each year | ||||||
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2006 | |
‘Condition Grade' data for SLA - an assessment of its physical condition and ‘scale' (as defined in Joint Service Publication 315) - has only been available since 2007. In 2007 and 2008, overseas SLA was at the following grade:
| June 2007 | June 2008 | |
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2009, Official Report, columns 1015-6W, on modern housing solutions: complaints, how many of the complaints made to Modern Housing Solutions originated in each region. [271256]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The requested information will take a little time to collate and verify. I will write to the hon. Member.
Substantive answer from Kevan Jones to Nick Harvey:
In my answer of 28 April 2009, (Official Report, column 1150W), I promised to provide you with further information on the complaints received by Modern Housing Solutions (MHS) between May 2007 and May 2008 that originated in each region of England and Wales.
Unfortunately, due to age of the data and changes in the way complaints are recorded it has not been possible to provide the requested details for 2007. However, the number of complaints in 2008, broken down by month and Ministry of Defence housing region is provided in the table below.
In addition, I have included a table of number of missed appointments each month where MHS has voluntarily paid compensation to occupants in the form of a £20 gift voucher. Unfortunately, it is not possible to break the numbers down geographically.
| Month | Housing region | Number of complaints |
| Missed appointments | |
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of units of (a) single living accommodation and (b) service family accommodation at each location in England there are at each grade. [274983]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The table provided as follows shows, as of December 2008, the number and percentage of single living accommodation (SLA) broken down by grade. Grade is an assessment of the size, amenities and condition of the SLA.
| Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | ||||||
| Region | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | Grand total |
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