Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 12 January 2010
Northern Ireland
Departmental Information Officers
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) press officers and (b) communications staff were employed by his Department (i) in each of the last five years and (ii) on the latest date for which figures are available; and what the cost of employing these staff was in each such year. [309927]
Mr. Woodward: All communication duties within my Department are conducted by press officers. The number and costs are detailed in the following table.
| Press officers | Cost (£) | |
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the rules governing the holding of other jobs by (a) the Chairman and (b) members of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. [308990]
Paul Goggins: The terms and conditions of the Chief Commissioner and other Commissioners of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) require them to inform the Secretary of State and the NIHRC's chief executive in advance of any appointments that may impinge on their duties as Commissioners and to declare any conflicts of interest. The NIHRC code of practice also contains further guidance for Commissioners. This can be found at:
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) on (a) travel, (b) public relations and (c) publications in each year since the NIHRC's inception. [309074]
Mr. Woodward: The annual reports and financial accounts of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (with the exception of their first two years' financial accounts, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House) are available publicly on the Commission's website at:
http://www.nihrc.org/index.php?page=subresources&; category_ id=27&from=0&resources_id=56&search_content=&Itemid=61
These reports contain a breakdown of the Commission's operating costs by category of expenditure. The categories for each year which might be said to relate to travel, public relations or publications are listed as follows.
| £ | |
Scotland
Departmental Surveys
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of his Department's most recent staff survey; which organisation carried out the survey; and what the cost of the survey was. [309837]
Ann McKechin:
The Scotland Office's most recent people survey was delivered as part of the Ministry of Justice people survey, and as such its costs were borne
by, and not split out from, those of the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice's share of ORC International's costs for providing the 2009 survey was £192,000. By procuring a single supplier for staff surveys in 2009-10 the civil service has saved 35 per cent. on the total cost of staff surveys in 2008-09. The results of the 2009 survey are expected at the end of January 2010 and these will be published on our website. Following publication we will place a copy of the results in the Library.
A copy of the last Scotland Office staff survey published in 2007 is available from the Library of the House.
Water
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the activities in Scotland of water companies providing services in England. [310074]
Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend and I have had no such discussions.
Defence
Air Force: Military Bases
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans are for the future of Royal Air Force bases in North Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement. [310073]
Bill Rammell: RAF Linton-on-Ouse, RAF Church Fenton and RAF Topcliffe are sites that currently provide UK military flying training. The stations are under review as part of the UK Military Flying Training System (MFTS) procurement project which will cater for the future flying training needs of the armed forces. No decisions have yet been taken.
RAF Leeming will continue to be a core RAF site, with 90 Signals unit providing the RAF communications hub and other units providing support to operations.
The number and operation of military airfields is under constant review to ensure that the best use is made of the Defence Estate for our armed forces.
Armed Forces: Aviation
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on the procurement of commercial airline services for the movement of members of the UK armed forces; whether his Department's policy is only to procure the services of UK-owned and operated commercial airlines for such purposes; and if he will make a statement. [309609]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The procurement of commercial airline services for the movement of members of the UK armed forces is governed by the Public Procurement Requirement and MOD Standard Procurement Policy. Tasks requiring commercial airline services are not restricted to UK-owned and operated commercial airlines.
Tasks are advertised in the Defence Contracts Bulletin and the Official Journal of the European Union, thus permitting aircraft brokers and airline operators from the UK and other nations to bid for contracts. Contracts will be awarded on the grounds of technical ability to achieve the task, safety and security standards, and of offering best value for money.
Armed Forces: Families
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to consult service families' organisations on the development of his forthcoming Green Paper and Defence Review. [310058]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Service personnel issues are an important theme in the Green Paper. In December 2009, we briefed service and ex-service organisations on the themes of the Green Paper at one of the Department's regular meetings with them. Once the Green Paper has been published there will be further opportunities for service families' organisations to comment on it.
The Defence Review will be conducted in a new Parliament, and it is too early to say precisely how it will be conducted. This includes decisions about the forms of engagement that will take place during its development.
Armed Forces: Housing
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the 50 most expensive substitute (a) service family and (b) single living accommodation properties rented out in the last 12 months were. [310252]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Substitute service family accommodation (SSFA) and substitute service single accommodation (SSSA) properties may be rented to accommodate service families and single serving personnel respectively when no suitable Ministry of Defence accommodation is unavailable close or at the duty station. Substitute accommodation is only used as a last resort and often more than one service person may occupy an SSSA property.
The 50 most expensive SSSA properties rented during 2009 were as follows:
| Location | Monthly rent (£) | Number of occupants |
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