| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
1 Sep 2009 : Column 1798W—continued
British Forces Post Office: Manpower
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent consideration he has given to future staffing levels in the British Forces Post Office; and if he will make a statement. [288609]
Bill Rammell: The staffing levels of the British Forces Post Office are determined by the requirement to ensure that our personnel have access to appropriate postal facilities. Support to operations, exercises and to HM Ships can be provided only by British Forces Post Office staff. However, we have identified that savings may be realised if personnel based in countries with a well developed postal infrastructure utilise the indigenous postal service rather than relying on British Forces Post Office staff. To that end the Forces Post Offices servicing the UK elements of NATO HQs in SHAPE, Brussels, Brunssum, Stavanger, Karup, Rome, Milan, Lisbon, Valencia and Norfolk Virginia are due to close.
Defence: Procurement
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by each of the armed services on defence procurement in the latest year for which figures are available; and how much such expenditure was incurred by each service in (a) Wales, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) England and (d) overseas. [289137]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The defence budget is not allocated by service or by sub-UK level. Defence Procurement provides the UK armed forces with the equipment needed as efficiently as possible to deliver the best value for money for the armed forces. The Defence Budget is planned solely on this basis.
The latest estimates of direct MOD expenditure on equipment and non-equipment procurement are provided in the following table.
| £ million at current prices (VAT exclusive) | ||||
| 2006-07 | Wales | Northern Ireland | England | Overseas |
| Note: Figures rounded to nearest £10 million | ||||
The data underlying the estimates of direct expenditure on procurement cannot be broken down by service. In addition, these figures do not take into account expenditure by main contractors to sub-contractors in these geographic areas, nor do they take account of monies paid for work done in that area if the company's billing address is elsewhere.
The MOD reports spend on procurement in the UK Defence Statistics can be found at the following link;
This annual report presents the MOD procurement of goods and services in the UK broken out by industry sector and estimates of aggregate MOD equipment expenditure.
Defence: Research
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what cash allocations his Department has made for defence research for each of the next two years; and if he will make a statement. [288608]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The current planning assumption is that the science innovation and technology budget will have available approximately £439 million in 2010-11. This compares with £544 million in 2009-10 when calculated on the same basis. Departmental expenditure limits have not yet been set for the years beyond 2010-11.
Departmental Budgets
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's science innovation and technology budget is for 2010-11. [Official Report, 18 November 2009, Vol. 501, c. 1MC.] [284525]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The current planning assumption is that the SIT budget will have available approximately £439 million in 2010-11. This compares with £544 million in 2009-10 when calculated on the same basis. Departmental expenditure limits have not yet been set for the years beyond 2010-11.
Departmental Compensation
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much compensation his Department has paid to former and serving (a) members of the armed forces and (b) civil servants in cases of (i) sexual discrimination, (ii) bullying and (iii) other infringements of employment rights in the last 12 months. [288200]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Some £182,600 was paid out to Military personnel in the last 12 months to settle two sexual discrimination cases, comprising one payment each by the Army and RAF. An additional claim was settled in 2008-09 for £90,000 in respect of the previously operated MOD policy of debarring homosexuals from serving in the armed forces.
In respect of civilian staff in the last 12 months, some £43,500 was paid to settle sexual discrimination cases. This figure includes one payment in respect of an age discrimination case the cost of which cannot be separately identified. One case, where bullying was alleged, was settled with £3,250 of compensation. Some £233,920 was paid to settle cases where other infringements of employment rights occurred.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2009, Official Report, column 23W, on departmental internet, what the (a) names and (b) versions are of the web browsers used on the (i) desktop machines and (ii) laptop computers used by his Department's (A) Permanent Secretary, (B) chief information officer, (C) head of communications and (D) head of finance. [288992]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The name and version of the web browser used by the Ministry of Defence's Permanent Secretary, chief information officer, head of communications and head of finance, on their officially designated desktop and laptop computers, is Internet Explorer Version 6.
Departmental Manpower
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of employees in his Department are (a) women and (b) men; and what the average hourly pay is of those (i) male and (ii) female employees. [288605]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The percentage breakdown of employees by gender in the Department, as of 1 June 2009, is as follows:
Men: 61.47 per cent
Women: 38.53 per cent
The average hourly pay rates between genders, as of 1 June 2009, is as follows:
Male: £12.139
Female: £10.368
Departmental Secondment
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years. [284974]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the requirements of the civil service code.
Civil servants may shadow MPs as part of a programme run by the Industry and Parliament Trust. Details of numbers of civil servants from the Ministry of Defence who have undertaken such an attachment are not held centrally.
Ex-servicemen: Sleeping Rough
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department's Taskforce established to tackle rough sleeping among forces veterans has made; and what his most recent estimate is of the number of veterans sleeping rough at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [288610]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Service men and women should be provided with the best possible support as they move back to civilian life, and this is recognised in the Service Personnel Command Paper, The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans, published in July 2008.
Measures proposed in the Command Paper to improve access of ex-Service personnel to housing include: a change in legislation to enable Service personnel to establish a local connection with the area in which they are serving; an investigation to see what steps are required to ensure that local authorities follow good practice in respect of 'cessation to occupy' certificates when service-leavers are threatened with homelessness; the consideration of how 'void' military accommodation can be used to temporarily accommodate injured ex-service personnel; and an extension to the Key Worker Living programme to ex-service personnel for up to 12 months after discharge.
The Department does not hold figures on the number of veterans sleeping rough. However, independent research carried out, specifically in London, last year by the University of York shows that the proportion of veterans among the homeless population has fallen dramatically over the last 10 years. Veterans are now some 6 per cent. of the homeless population in London.
The MOD works closely with the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) and the Devolved Administrations, veterans' organisations and other service providers to ensure a co-ordinated and structured approach to this problem as it affects a small minority of our ex-service personnel. We aim to prevent new service leavers becoming homeless and to provide an effective safety net for those veterans who are homeless.
Current measures, including new commitments in the July 2008 Service Personnel Command Paper, provide a comprehensive package of support. Mike Jackson House provides 25 units of secure short-term supported accommodation built in Aldershot for young single ex-service leavers identified at risk of homelessness. Mike Jackson House opened in March 2008 on land gifted by MOD.
There are service charities who are able to offer assistance with housing matters. The Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Families Association (SSAFA Forces Help) for example offer assistance and advice relating to housing needs
Gurkhas
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Gurkhas were stationed in the UK in each year from 1992 to 1997. [288395]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The number of Gurkhas stationed in the UK in each year from 1992 to 1997 is provided in the following table.
| Date of strength as at 31 March each year | Officers | Soldiers | Total |
| Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 2. Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not appear to be the sum of their parts. | |||
Over the same period the trained strength of the Brigade of Gurkhas reduced from around 7,180 to 3,760, as the Brigade progressively withdrew from Hong Kong to be based in the UK. This process was completed on 1 July 1997.
Merlin Helicopters
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Merlin helicopters Agusta Westland has offered to supply to his Department; and (a) at what cost and (b) to what timetable Agusta Westland has offered to supply those helicopters. [288834]
Mr. Quentin Davies: During recent consideration of whether the acquisition of new medium helicopters could be advanced in lieu of the planned life-extension of Puma and Sea King Mk4 helicopters informal discussions were held with a number of aircraft manufacturers, including Agusta Westland. These discussions are commercial-in-confidence and so it would be inappropriate to disclose details as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interest.
Military Aircraft
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft of each type are in service with the Royal Air Force. [289133]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The number of aircraft in the Royal Air Force in-service fleet are provided in the following table. The figures show the service fleet position as of 30 June 2009.
| In-service fleet | |
| Aircraft type | Number |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |