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20 Jan 2010 : Column 350W—continued


Departmental Taxis

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts his Department has with private hire taxi companies; and what expenditure his Department has incurred against each such contract in each of the last three years. [300834]

Mr. Kevan Jones: The MOD has incurred expenditure on contracts with private hire taxi companies as follows:

£

Gosport RAF Inns worth Bath British Forces Cyprus

2008-09

1,000

13,000

-

331,000

2007-08

-

-

23,000

216,000

2006-07

-

-

35,000

289,000


These contracts provide essential cover where official vehicles are not available for road journeys.

The costs for British forces Cyprus reflect the need to make increased use of contracted taxis following significant efficiency savings in MOD transport in 2005-06 resulting in net transport savings of £66,000 in 2005-06, £54,000 in 2006-07, £135,000 in 2007-08 and £29,000 in 2008-09. Further rationalisation of the provision of transport in Cyprus will lead to savings in the cost of contracted taxis from 2009-10.

Staff are instructed to use the most efficient and economic means of travel available to them.

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts his Department has with private hire taxi companies; and what expenditure his Department has incurred against each such contract in each of the last five years. [301552]


20 Jan 2010 : Column 351W

Mr. Kevan Jones: The MOD has incurred expenditure on contracts with private hire taxi companies as follows:

£

Gosport RAF Innsworth Bath British Forces Cyprus

2008-09

1,000

13,000

-

331,000

2007-08

-

-

23,000

216,000

2006-07

-

-

35,000

289,000

2005-06

-

-

43,000

269,000

2004-05

-

-

39,000

165,000


These contracts provide essential cover where official vehicles are not available for road journeys.

The costs for British forces Cyprus reflect the need to make increased use of contracted taxis following significant efficiency savings in MOD transport in 2005-06 resulting in net transport savings of £66,000 in 2005-06, £54,000 in 2006-07, £135,000 in 2007-08 and £29,000 in 2008-09. Further rationalisation of the provision of transport in Cyprus will lead to savings in the cost of contracted taxis from 2009-10.

Staff are instructed to use the most efficient and economic means of travel available to them.

HMS Sheffield

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the letter of 7 January 2006 to the hon. Member for North East Hampshire, whether the comprehensive review of the board of inquiry report into the sinking of HMS Sheffield has been completed. [310995]

Bill Rammell: As my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State for the Armed Forces announced on 2 November 2006 and 25 January 2007, Official Report, columns 23WS and 1943W, the BOI report was published through the MOD's Freedom of Information Publication scheme in November 2006, and other related documentation, including many of the annexes to the report, in August 2007. These documents are available at:

UK Defence Academy: Admissions

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many students from Estonia have attended the UK Defence Academy at Shrivenham in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [311354]

Bill Rammell: In the last five years five students from Estonia have attended courses run by the Defence Academy of the UK.

The Estonian students attendance on the Academy's courses provides them with an insight into military operational planning and the interrelationship with UK and international foreign policy. The courses also enable students from a wide range of international backgrounds to debate and develop an understanding of issues relating to management, leadership, ethics and justification of military intervention at national, joint and coalition levels.


20 Jan 2010 : Column 352W

The Defence Academy has also enhanced their relationship with the Baltic-Defence College (BDC) located in Estonia. The Dean of one of the Academy's academic providers and the BDC Dean are currently discussing the possibility of an academic faculty exchange programme. The Academy has also provided BDC with an electronic learning package and are currently discussing the further development of an electronic learning capability.

Watan Risk Management: Contracts

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department (a) has and (b) has had contracts with Watan Risk Management in Afghanistan. [311424]

Mr. Quentin Davies: The Department does not have and has not had contracts with Watan Risk Management in Afghanistan.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to answer Question 301552, on taxis, tabled on 19 November 2009. [311007]

Mr. Kevan Jones [holding answer 18 January 2010]: I replied to the hon. Member today.

Work and Pensions

Attendance Allowance: Chesterfield

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Chesterfield constituency claimed attendance allowance in each of the last five years. [310935]

Jonathan Shaw: The available information is in the following table.

Attendance allowance cases in payment for the Chesterfield parliamentary constituency for each of the last five years, as at May of each year.

Total

May 2005

3,550

May 2006

3,600

May 2007

3,640

May 2008

3,560

May 2009

3,500

Notes:
1. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example, if they are in hospital.
2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Attendance Allowance: Lewes

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Lewes constituency claimed attendance allowance in each of the last five years. [311167]


20 Jan 2010 : Column 353W

Jonathan Shaw: The available information is the following table.

Attendance allowance cases in payment for the Lewes parliamentary constituency for each of the last five years, as at May of each year

Total

May 2005

2,470

May 2006

2,580

May 2007

2,630

May 2008

2,650

May 2009

2,830

Notes:
1. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example, if they are in hospital.
2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Departmental Pay

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in her Department received bonus payments in 2008-09; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if she will make a statement. [300567]

Jim Knight: There are two pay-related employee reward schemes operating in the Department for Work and Pensions. They comprise end of year non-consolidated performance pay and in-year special awards.

End of Year Non-Consolidated Performance Pay

DWP employees below the senior civil service are eligible for an annual individual non-consolidated performance payment if they attain a "Top", "Higher" or "Majority" rating under the annual performance and development system. The actual payment awarded is determined by the employee's pay band and the performance level achieved.

For the senior civil service, end of year non-consolidated performance pay is determined by the relevant departmental pay committee, in line with recommendations by the independent senior salaries review body. The total payments made for 2008-09 were as follows:

Financial year Total number of recipients Proportion of total workforce (percentage) Total paid (£ million) Average bonus amount per head (£)

2008-09

107,726

94

23.32

216.48


The largest single payment, for a member of the SCS, was £15,000.

Special Awards :

Individuals may be awarded a special award either as cash or retail vouchers. These are one-off recognition awards, payable at any time during the performance year to recognise exceptional achievements beyond what would normally be expected.

The total number of awards made was as follows (a small number of individuals may have received more than 1 cash or voucher payment during the year in question):


20 Jan 2010 : Column 354W

Cash payments:

Financial year Total number of cash payments issued Total Paid (£ million) Average payment per head (£)

2008-09

14,612

3.04

£208


The largest single payment for a special award was £8,000.

Voucher Payments :

Financial year Total number of vouchers issued Total cost (£ million) Average value (£)

2008-09

47,121

2.02

Between 25.00 and 50.00


Disability Living Allowance: Stroud

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Stroud constituency have claimed disability living allowance in each of the last five years. [310945]

Jonathan Shaw: The available information is in the following table.

Disability living allowance cases in payment for the Stroud parliamentary constituency for each of the last five years, as at May of each year.

Total

May 2005

2,990

May 2006

3,080

May 2007

3,220

May 2008

3,380

May 2009

3,550

Notes:
1. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example, if they are in hospital.
2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.


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