Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 8 July 2009
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions from offices in his Department in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff. [280951]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The estimate from carbon dioxide emissions from offices is as follows:
2006-07: 4,615
2007-08: 2,251
Per full-time equivalent member of staff
2006-07: 5.560
2007-08: 3.19
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions arising from road-based transport of administrative operations by his Department in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff. [281003]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department has made the following estimate of carbon dioxide arising from road-based transport of administrative operations.
2006-07: 3.309 tonnes of CO2
2007-08: 4.39 tonnes of CO2
Per full-time equivalent member of staff
2006-07: .005 tonnes of CO2
2007-08: .006 tonnes of CO2.
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions arising from air travel by staff in his Department in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff. [281004]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department has made the following estimate on the amount of carbon dioxide emissions arising from air travel from staff:
2006-07: 172 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions
2007-08: 125.78 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions
Per full-time equivalent member of staff
2006-07: 0.207 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions
2007-08: 0.16 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Departmental Energy
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on energy efficiency measures for his Department's estate in each year from 2004 to 2009; what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of that expenditure; and what plans he has for future energy efficiency measures. [280548]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department has not collected data on the amount of expenditure spent on energy efficiency measures on its estate.
Details of the Department’s future plans for energy efficiency measures can be found in the August 2008 Sustainable Procurement and Operations on the Government Estate Delivery Plan and the December 2008 Delivery Plan Update.
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the energy consumed per full-time equivalent member of staff in his Department in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. [280952]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department’s estimate of energy consumed per full-time equivalent member of staff is as follows:
2006-07: 16,343 kwh/FTE
2007-08: 8,109 kwh/FTE
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department (a) on drink, (b) on food and (c) overall in relation to the departmental function held on 23 June 2009; and if he will list the people invited by his Department. [283695]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 2 July 2009]: The Department spent £243.25 on drinks and £600.00 on food (the overall cost was £1,251.25 which includes catering staff, equipment hire and delivery) for the function held on 23 June 2009. The people invited were journalists covering DCMS sectors.
Departmental Recycling
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) volume and (b) percentage of waste his Department recycled in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08. [281002]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport produced the following volume and percentage of waste:
Figures are not available
Volume: 60 tonnes
Recycled: 80 per cent.
Departmental Waste
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the amount of waste arising from his Department in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff. [281001]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department has made the following estimate of the amount of waste arising:
2006-07: 2,070 tonnes
2007-08: 187.32 tonnes
Per full-time equivalent member of staff
2006-07: 2.49 tonnes/FTE
2007-08: 0.27 tonnes/FTE.
Departmental Water
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of water consumption on his Department's office estate in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07, (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff. [280950]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department has made the following estimate of water consumption on the office estate:
Estimated water consumption (m( 3) )
2005-06: 8,423
2006-07: 7,424
Per full-time equivalent member of staff
2005-06: 15
2006-07: 10.52
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment was made of the appropriateness of the Vector armoured vehicle for use in Afghanistan before its acquisition in 2006. [284853]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The Vector Light Protected Patrol Vehicle passed a variety of appropriate tests and trials prior to its entry into service to ensure it met the threat as it was assessed at the time. Due to the way that the threat has evolved since 2006, it is the intention to withdraw Vector from operations in Afghanistan .
Armed Forces: Higher Education
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many doctorates of philosophy studies his Department funded for military students attending a civilian university in each of the last four years. [284522]
Bill Rammell:
During the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, 983 post graduate qualifications, specifically related to military training and education requirements, were funded for military personnel. The statistics held
do not distinguish between the types of qualification, although future returns will identify PhDs and Masters Degrees separately.
The specific information requested on PhDs could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
European Fighter Aircraft
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the operational deployment of the third tranche of Typhoon; and how many squadrons the third tranche of Typhoon will comprise when the delivery is completed. [284595]
Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 6 July, Official Report, column 558W. The placement of Tranche 3 aircraft across the current planned Typhoon Squadrons has not yet been decided and as such there has been no decision about their operational deployment.
Gurkhas: Pensions
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average pension payment to a member of the (a) Gurkha Pension Scheme and (b) Armed Forces Pension Scheme was in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [284418]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The latest available figures for the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) relate to financial year 2007-08. This period has therefore been used for the figures given for the average monthly payments made under both schemes:
Gurkha Pension Scheme (GPS): £122.64
AFPS: £578.41
These figures are based upon average pensions paid to former members of the armed forces, their spouses, and dependants. These averages are not comparable because of different lengths of service, different rank structure between the Brigade of Gurkhas and the wider Army and, chiefly, because Gurkhas begin drawing on their pensions much earlier than British soldiers with equivalent service. For example, a Gurkha Rifleman or Corporal with 15 years service (approximately 85 per cent. of those receiving GPS payments) can claim an immediate pension after 15 years service (from age 33) whereas equivalent service under the AFPS would not attract pension payments until age 60.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department calculated its estimate of the £1.5 billion required to give Gurkhas on the Gurkha Pension Scheme a retrospective pension equivalent to their UK counterparts. [284419]
Mr. Kevan Jones: £1.5 billion is an estimate of the capitalised cost of providing retired Gurkhas with Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) equivalent pension benefits for all pensionable service before 1 July 1997.
The estimate was calculated by the Government Actuary’s Department and identifies the additional capitalised cost that would be incurred if benefits of equivalent value to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme were granted for all pensionable service before 1 July 1997, on the
same terms as provided for post-1 July 1997 service in the Gurkha Offer to Transfer exercise. The estimated cost is based on the assumptions and methodology applied in the Gurkha Offer to Transfer, and assumes that the profile of Gurkha pensioners and dependants who retired before 1 July 1997 is similar to those that retired post 1 July 1997.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the Gurkha pension scheme to extend eligibility to those veterans who left the Brigade prior to 1997; and if he will make a statement. [284651]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Gurkha veterans who left the Army before 1 July 1997 are already eligible for benefits from the Gurkha Pension Scheme.
The hon. Member may have in mind the question of whether such individuals should be eligible for benefits from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme in the same way as those who left the Army on or after 1 July 1997. The High Court agreed in July 2008 that it was fair and reasonable for the Department to use this date as a cut-off point for eligibility for the pensions offer in 2007-08.
Although annual payments to British soldiers will eventually be higher than Gurkhas, with the same 15 years service, Gurkhas pensions begin paying out much earlier (as young as 33) whereas the British soldiers preserved rights do not become payable until age 60.
Iraq and Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many unexploded improvised explosive devices were discovered by UK troops in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008. [283549]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Met Office: Cost Effectiveness
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether officials of his Department have met officials from the Shareholder Executive to discuss opportunities for private sector partners to develop specific services to complement those of the Met Office. [284770]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) Met Office Review Group is comprised of officials from the Ministry of Defence, Shareholder Executive, HM Treasury and the Met Office and meets regularly in undertaking the review.
This group is responsible for taking forward all aspects of the Met Office review as set out in the OEP Final Report published in April 2009. While exploring all options and opportunities, initial discussions began regarding opportunities for engaging with private sector partners. However, this aspect of the work is at an early stage, and more detailed work on this topic will be taking place over the coming months. A further update on progress of the review will be provided with the pre-Budget report.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the reference in the Operational Efficiency Programme to the greater involvement of the private sector with the Met Office includes involvement by (a) the private weather sector and (b) private equity. [284771]
Mr. Kevan Jones: An update on progress of the Met Office Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) review was provided in the OEP Final Report published April 2009. The update included reference to the potential expansion of commercial operations at the Met Office, possibly through the introduction of private capital in some areas, as well as seeking opportunities to develop specific services with private sector partners to complement Met Office's business. The private weather sector were involved in the Trading Fund Assessment work. Further involvement of the private sector, which could in principle include involvement by the private weather sector and private equity, will be considered as we develop more detailed work over the coming months. A further update on progress of the review will be provided with the pre-Budget report.
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