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10 Nov 2009 : Column 238W—continued
Reservists
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists are serving overseas. [297888]
Bill Rammell: There are over 1,500 volunteer or regular reservists serving on or in support of operations overseas. There are also some 2,300 full-time reserve service (FTRS) individuals serving in the regular forces, many of whom will be serving on or have just returned from operations. In both cases, once called up, these personnel are not tracked as separate groups in terms of whether they are located overseas or in the UK.
Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to allowing members of the Gibraltar Regiment to volunteer for front-line duties with UK forces in Operation Herrick. [295245]
Bill Rammell: The primary role of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment is to support the defence and security of Gibraltar. Deployments in support of other tasks have been undertaken by individual volunteers; 15 personnel from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment have deployed on operations in Afghanistan between August 2004 and February 2009. Since then there has been a temporary suspension in volunteers being deployed while we investigated a potential issue with compensation arrangements covering such deployments. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment are entitled to compensation benefits under their own terms and conditions of service including when deployed to Afghanistan. Work has commenced to bring these compensation arrangements in line with the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme through legislation. The temporary suspension has now been lifted.
SAR Chivenor
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons are for the proposed reduction of service at SAR Chivenor from 24 hour to 12 hours; and when the proposed changes will take place. [298102]
Bill Rammell: The improved capability of the new Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter will allow us to continue to provide effective coverage for all night-time incidents using only nine of the 12 SAR bases. The aim is to roll out the new service by taking over sites incrementally, starting with those operated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in 2012. The day-time-only service at RMB Chivenor will start some time after 2012.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the implications are of the proposed reductions to 12-hour service at SAR Chivenor and SAR Portland for the service provided by SAR Culdrose in terms of (a) area coverage and (b) response times. [298103]
Bill Rammell: The decision to deliver the future helicopter search and rescue (SAR-H) service from nine full-time and three part-time (12-hour, daytime only) bases continues to ensure our ability to reach all "very high", "high" and 75 per cent. of "medium" risk areas within one hour of take off. This decision has no day-time impact on the expected SAR-H demands on RNAS Culdrose. RNAS Culdrose is likely to be the first alternative responder to night-time incidents for one "medium" risk area that RMB Chivenor currently provides lead cover for RAF Valley and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency site at Lee on Solent will provide cover for other areas. Cover to this area will remain within the required one hour response time.
Somalia: Peacekeeping Operations
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces have been deployed in mainland Somalia in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009. [297359]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 2 November 2009]: No members of the armed forces have operationally deployed to Somalia over the past two years. However, the following numbers of Regular Armed Forces personnel have visited Somalia in the course of their duties:
In 2008 one individual visited the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in Mogadishu, and five personnel visited Somaliland to consider ways to improve security for international community visiting that region.
In 2009 two individuals have visited Mogadishu. The first to visit AMISOM as before; the second has visited in the course of his duties as secondee to the United Nations Political Office for Somalia based in Nairobi.
This year in total 11 personnel visited Somaliland on three different occasions to scope possible assistance to Somaliland authorities.
Territorial Army: Deployment
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) regular and (b) Territorial Army (i) officers and (ii) personnel of other ranks have been mobilised for service overseas within six months of completing their basic training in each of the last three years. [297896]
Bill Rammell: This information is not held in the format requested.
Territorial Army: Training
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) nurses, (b) paramedics, (c) mechanics and (d) other skilled personnel have been trained through the Territorial Army in each of the last five years. [295483]
Bill Rammell: The Territorial Army (TA) trains a broad range of specialists. Many specialists, including medical specialists, are recruited into the TA with relevant civilian qualifications and are provided with the necessary military training to be able to employ their skills in a military environment. Other specialists receive more comprehensive trade training. There is no single classification of "mechanics" in the TA. The number of vehicle mechanics trained in the last five complete years is as follows:
| TA trained as vehicle mechanics | |
| Number | |
USA: Nuclear Weapons
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sub-committee meetings (SUBWOG) of all Joint Working Groups (JOWOG) have been held under the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement between the US and the UK in the last 12 months. [298201]
Mr. Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 February 2009, Official Report, column 1149W. I am withholding the information on the nature or extent of work undertaken by sub-committees to the Joint Working Groups, as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice national security.
Volunteer Reserve Force
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on each volunteer reserve force in each year since 1997. [297946]
Bill Rammell: The Strategic Review of Reserves, published in April 2009, contains a cost analysis of the reserve forces, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House on the 29 April 2009.
Cost estimates in this area are complicated by the fact that expenditure on Reserve Forces and Regular Forces overlap in the areas of training, equipment and estates. More work is under way to refine the Department's understanding of the fixed and variable costs of Reserves.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) inflow and (b) outflow for each volunteer reserve service was in each month of 2009. [297898]
Bill Rammell: The following table shows the inflow and outflow number for the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and Royal Naval Reserve. The Royal Marines Reserve and the Army Reserve inflow and outflow figures are not held centrally.
| Inflow | Outflow | |||
| Month | Royal Naval Reserve | Royal Auxiliary Air Force | Royal Naval Reserve | Royal Auxiliary Air Force |
Health
Alcoholic Drinks: Health Education
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for the promotion of safe and responsible drinking in the period to Christmas and the New Year. [297815]
Gillian Merron: The Department's 'Know Your Limits' campaign, launched in May 2008, aims to improve public awareness of alcohol units, lower-risk alcohol consumption guidelines and of the links between alcohol consumption and health. The Department is currently reassessing its communications strategy around alcohol, with the aim of launching further activity early in 2010.
Throughout November, the Department is working in partnership with gyms and leisure centres to encourage gym members to monitor their alcohol consumption and to cut down. In the run up to Christmas and new year, there will also be information in newspapers and magazines focussing on the relationship between units and drinking at home over Christmas.
A helpline and interactive web-based support and advice are also available nationally on an ongoing basis.
Barnet Primary Care Trust: Dental Services
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the unused capacity for NHS dental services in Barnet Primary Care Trust. [298697]
Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.
Cancer: Drugs
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which cancer drugs the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has (a) recommended and (b) not recommended for NHS use since 1 November 2008; how long the appraisal of each took; and whether the pharmaceutical company supplying each such drug offered to make it available on a risk-sharing basis. [297715]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested is shown in the table. For each of the appraisals, the table shows whether one or more Patient Access Schemes agreed between the Department and the manufacturer have been considered by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
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