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20 July 2009 : Column 880W—continued
Clyde Naval Base: Radioactive Waste
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2009, Official Report, column 753W, on radioactive waste: waste management, if he will introduce an annual review of compliance with best practice of arrangements for the handling, movement, processing, storage and disposal of radioactive waste at HM Naval Base, Clyde, Faslane. [288295]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Management of radioactive waste at Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde is carried out in accordance with a comprehensive set of requirements, both statutory and those derived from MOD policy, including authorisation conditions (ACs) imposed by the Department's Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator. These ACs require an annual review to be carried out for all nuclear facilities, including the two facilities that deal with radioactive waste: the Active Processing Facility and the Radioactive Effluent Disposal Facility.
Damian McBride
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he last met Mr Damian McBride in the course of his official duties. [287396]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I have not met with Damian McBride in the course of my official duties.
Defence: Procurement
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received of the outcome of legal proceedings in the United States against L-3 Communications Corporation; if he will assess the effect on his Department's policies on (a) security and (b) ethical procurement of its contract with L-3 Communications Corporation to examine the replacement of the Nimrod R-1 fleet; and if he will make a statement. [278808]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The Ministry of Defence is aware of the legal proceedings in the USA involving L-3 Communications, with whom MOD has a number of contracts.
We have not yet made a final decision on the solution for sustaining the Airborne Signals Intelligence Capability, currently provided by Nimrod R-1.
All major equipment procurements are subject to MOD's assurance processes, which include an assessment of the suitability of prospective contractors before any commitments are entered into.
Departmental Buildings
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) land and (b) buildings his Department has sold since 1997. [278021]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Records of transactions prior to 2000 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member with the information on land and buildings sold since 2000 as soon as this data has been verified and collated.
Substantive answer from Kevan Jones to Susan Kramer:
In my answer of 9 June 2009 (Official Report, column 831W) I undertook to write to you with details of what land and buildings have been sold since 1997.
I am placing a copy of the details of the land and buildings that have been sold since 2000 in the Library of the House.
As I indicated in my earlier response, records of transactions prior to 2000 are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Contracts
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts let by his Department were awarded to businesses with fewer than 50 employees in each of the last five years; and what the monetary value of such contracts was in each such year. [287798]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Data Protection
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many successful attempts were made to gain unauthorised access to each (a) database and (b) ICT system run by his Department in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009; and if he will make a statement; [286557]
(2) how many attempts were made to gain unauthorised access to each (a) database and (b) ICT system run by his Department in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009; and if he will make a statement. [286556]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: It would not be in the interests of the UK's national security for the MOD to confirm whether it holds information about attacks against its data or ICT systems as this would enable individuals to deduce how successful the Department is in detecting these attacks.
Departmental Detergents
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to ensure that no cleaning products or ingredients of cleaning products used by his Department have been tested on animals. [261130]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Cleaning services are generally procured by the Ministry of Defence through wider Facilities Management and PFI contracts. The MOD requires contractors to comply with all applicable legislation. Above this, the Department does not have a specific policy regarding animal testing.
Departmental Disclosure of Information
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which requests for information received by his Department under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in 2008 were (a) classified as not resolvable and (b) refused in full; [286135]
(2) in respect of which requests for information received by his Department in 2008 under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 it has received permission to extend the deadline for a response by more than 40 days; and what the reason for the request for an extension was in each case. [286159]
Mr. Kevan Jones: In 2008 the Ministry of Defence received some 2,631 requests for information centrally, under the Freedom of Information Act.
As of 30 January 2009,258 cases were closed in which the information requested was withheld in full. A further 315 cases were closed and classed as not resolvable.
As at the same date, 49 cases required more than 40 days on top of the statutory 20 working day period and have now been closed. As of 30 January 2009, a further 69 cases remained open in which the statutory 20 working day period and a further 40 working days had passed.
The exact text of each of the 791 requests in the categories listed above, and the detailed reasons for each extension, could be provided at only disproportionate cost. However, I will write to the hon. Member to provide a short summary of each request for information received in 2008 that was classified as 'not resolvable' or 'withheld in full', and list any exemptions that applied. I will also set out simplified reasons for those that have required more than 40 working days on top of the statutory 20 working day period.
Departmental Manpower
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) regular military, (b) Territorial Army and other part-time military and (c) civilian personnel were employed by his Department in (i) total, (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber, (iii) North Yorkshire and (iv) City of York in each year since 1997. [285733]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Regular military strength breakdown by Government office region prior to 2002, local authority level breakdown of MOD Civilians prior to 2006 and stationed location of Volunteer Reserve personnel are not held centrally and cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
The following table shows the total Regular Service, Civilian and Volunteer Reserve Force Strengths. Civilian strength is reported as full-time equivalents (FTE) and includes MOD permanent and casual personnel, trading funds, royal fleet auxiliaries and locally engaged civilians.
| Volunteer reserve force | |||||
| Regular military personnel( 1) | Naval reserves( 2) | Territorial army( 3) | Royal auxiliary air force | MOD civilian personnel | |
The following table shows the strength of regular military and civilian personnel in Yorkshire and the Humber Government Office Region (GOR). Civilian strength is reported in full-time equivalent (FTE) for MOD permanent and casual personnel only. GOR breakdown excludes trading funds, royal fleet auxiliaries and locally engaged civilians.
| Regular military personnel( 1) | MOD civilian personnel | |
The following table shows the strength of regular military and civilian personnel in North Yorkshire. Civilian strength is reported in full-time equivalent (FTE) for MOD permanent and casual personnel only. Local authority level breakdown excludes trading funds, royal fleet auxiliaries and locally engaged civilians.
| Regular military personne( 1) | MOD civilian personnel | |
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