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27 Oct 2009 : Column 230W—continued
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have lost (a) eyes, (b) their sight and (c) one or more limbs as a result of injuries sustained in operations in Afghanistan in each month since January 2008. [293813]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The information provided in the following table summarises live UK service personnel who have an injury coded as a traumatic or surgical amputation, partial or complete, for either upper or lower limbs. This could range from the loss of part of a finger or toe up to the loss of an entire limb or limbs, between 1 January 2008 and 30 September 2009 as a result of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq combined. Those classified as "significant multiple amputees" have suffered amputations above the wrist or ankle on more than one limb.
| Period | Total limb amputees | Of which : significant multiple amputees |
Numbers are released in accordance with Office for National Statistics guidance, so that when small numbers of patients are concerned, these are suppressed to protect
patient confidentiality. In each case, owing to the small numbers involved, it is not possible to present meaningful data on a monthly basis.
The most complete data currently available for injuries to the eye cover the period 19 July 2004 to 14 July 2008. In this four-year period, 62 casualties from Op Herrick sustained eye injuries, of which 15 lost sight in one or both eyes to a level of visual acuity less than 6/60. More recent data have yet to be validated.
In addition to the above, between 1 April 2006 and 30 June 2009, the number of UK service casualties who have been registered as severely sight impaired (SSI), i.e. effectively blind, from Op Herrick is less than five. The actual number is not released in order to avoid compromising individual patient details in circumstances where small numbers of patients are involved.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what fixed-wing Royal Air Force aircraft are deployed in Afghanistan. [293832]
Bill Rammell: The fixed-wing manned aircraft currently based in Afghanistan are the GR4 Tornado and the C-130 Hercules. There are eight Tornados and four Hercules based in Afghanistan.
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian contractors working for his Department are based in Afghanistan to provide support and maintenance for vehicles purchased as urgent operational requirements. [295180]
Mr. Quentin Davies: As at 22 October 2009, there were 13 field support representatives (civilian contractor staff) based in Afghanistan providing support and maintenance for vehicles purchased as urgent operational requirements.
Armed Forces: Dental Services
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the performance of mobile dental facilities introduced for service personnel in December 2008. [291514]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The Defence Dental Services did not introduce any new mobile dental facilities for military personnel in December 2008. Where fixed dental surgeries are not available, the three armed forces dental branches have used portable dental units for the last 30 years or more. They are mainly employed on land operations or on smaller HM ships that do not routinely carry a dental team. The Royal Naval Dental Services have also used mobile dental surgeries in HM dockyards for many years. These mobile dental facilities are currently being refurbished.
More generally, the Service Personnel Command Paper (Cm 7424) noted the problems encountered by service families in accessing dental services, and stated that the Government would address these in a variety of ways, including the provision of mobile services. However, when considering a suitable location for trialling mobile services, it became clear that there was a lack of information about the real extent of difficulties in getting access to dentistry, and most reported cases could be resolved through advice and advocacy from local service and
welfare organisations. The Ministry of Defence and the Department of Health concluded there was no requirement for a trial at this time, but work continues to gather evidence of any geographical problems, and should the need for mobile services become apparent this solution will be reconsidered.
Armed Forces: Disciplinary Proceedings
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that internal disciplinary proceedings and findings of the Service Justice System, including proceedings which have taken place outside the UK, are taken into account. [294992]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Existing service justice system processes already inform the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) of appropriate findings both within and outside the UK. This procedure will continue. With compulsory Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) registration and monitoring not effective until November 2010, the implications for the services of this aspect of the Vetting and Barring Scheme are still being developed. To that end, we continue to work closely with both the ISA and CRB.
Armed Forces: Families
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel stationed at each base in (a) the UK and (b) abroad of the (i) Army, (ii) Navy and (iii) Royal Air Force; which of these bases has an officer in charge of families; and what recreational, social, medical and educational facilities are available at each base for forces families. [295089]
Mr. Kevan Jones: There are well over a thousand locations in the UK and around the world where armed forces personnel and their families are based. To list the numbers of personnel and the facilities available at each could be done only at disproportionate cost. Each base has personnel who, as part of their duties, are responsible for the welfare of service personnel and their families. Facilities available include a wide range of services from HIVE information services, dedicated sports and recreational facilities, community centres, crèches to numerous social and special interest clubs.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of all meetings of the Families Working Group held in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009 to date. [295090]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The minutes of the Families Working Group held in 2008 and 2009 will be placed in the Library of the House shortly. These documents will be reproduced in full other than the names of individuals which will be redacted according to normal practice.
Armed Forces: Health Services
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he appointed the Defence Medical Inspector General; on what date he expects the Inspector to publish his first annual report; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on publication. [294958]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The Defence Medical Services' Inspector General (IG) post was created early in 2008. Its first incumbent, Surg RAdm Philip Raffaelli, was succeeded by the current post holder, Air Cdre Aroop Mozumder, on 8 July 2009. The IG's principal role is to provide the Surgeon General with an efficient and effective healthcare and corporate governance assurance framework and to oversee this process.
The IG will produce an annual report of activity in summer 2010 which will be placed in the Library of the House.
Armed Forces: Housing
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2009, Official Report, column 1219W, on armed forces: housing, how many units of substitute service accommodation there are in each region. [296194]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The following tables list the number and location of all substitute service family accommodation (SSFA) and substitute service single accommodation (SSSA).
| SSFA | |
| Location | Number of properties |
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