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25 Jan 2010 : Column 514W—continued
Scotland
Departmental Public Expenditure
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on (a) new furnishings, (b) works of art and (c) new vehicles in each of the last two years. [312546]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office spend is shown in the following table:
| £ | |||
| Furnishings | Art | Vehicles | |
Wales
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies for which he has responsibility plan to sign up to the 10:10 campaign for cutting carbon usage; and if he will publish the research or criteria on which decisions about participation in the campaign have been based. [312469]
Mr. David: As an associated office of the Ministry of Justice, the Wales Office is covered by and contributes to the targets and sustainability framework developed by that Ministry. The Wales Office has no agencies or non-departmental public bodies.
My Department does, however, take its impact on the environment seriously, and has for example reduced carbon emissions by 85 per cent. since 1999-2000. We will continue to look for ways to reduce emissions still further.
Departmental Mobile Phones
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) mobile telephones and (b) BlackBerrys were provided to (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department since April 2009; and at what cost to the public purse. [313169]
Mr. David: The number of mobile telephones and BlackBerrys provided to Ministers and special advisers in the Wales Office since April 2009 is given in the following table:
| Number | ||
| Mobile telephones | BlackBerrys | |
The Wales Office is provided with its IT and telephone equipment through the Ministry of Justice and does not directly purchase BlackBerrys or mobile telephones. Consequently information related to cost is not held.
Departmental Public Expenditure
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on (a) new furnishings, (b) works of art and (c) new vehicles in each of the last three years. [312515]
Mr. David: In 2007 a refurbishment program was undertaken to Gwydyr House at a cost of £52,900. This involved the replacement of curtains provided for security reasons, worn carpets replaced on health and safety grounds and the replacement of worn and damaged furniture. In 2008 my Department committed no expenditure on furnishings. In 2009, following extensive structural work on the props in our basement, new furniture was purchased to provide us with a dedicated Video Conferencing Room at a total cost of £8,186.
All artwork is on loan from the National Museum of Wales or the Government Art Collection.
All vehicles used by the Wales Office are leased through the Government Car and Despatch agency.
Tomorrow's Wales
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of Tomorrow's Wales since the 2007 National Assembly for Wales election. [312800]
Mr. Hain: I have had one such meeting on 28 October 2009.
Electoral Commission Committee
Electoral Register: Second Homes
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the hon. Member for South-West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what guidance the Electoral Commission provides to second home owners on their eligibility to register to vote in their electoral area of their second home. [313091]
Mr. Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that general guidance is provided on its website at:
This explains that the decision to register an elector rests with the local electoral registration officer (ERO) who will consider the circumstances of each case. Paying council tax on a second home does not qualify a person for registration in that area. The guidance directs people to contact their ERO for clarification.
The Commission's guidance manual for EROs contains advice on registering electors in respect of a second address.
General Election
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the hon. Member for South-West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the merits of holding a national referendum on the same day as a general election. [311782]
Mr. Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it is for Parliament to decide the date when a national referendum should be held.
However, if asked for advice on a proposal to combine a referendum with an election, the Commission would consider the facts relating to that specific combination, looking at what the benefits or drawbacks to the voter would be. Relevant factors would include whether any significant change in the electoral process was being applied for the first time and the likely increase in turnout resulting from combination. The Commission's priority is that any combined event should be well run and easy for voters to understand and participate in.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the hon. Member for South-West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 22 October 2009, Official Report, column 1629W, on general elections, what evidence the Electoral Commission holds on the effects on timing of vote counting on the accuracy of the count. [311819]
Mr. Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it received representations from returning officers and electoral administrators as part of its 2005 review of the timing of counts at future combined Scottish parliamentary and local government elections, which suggested that staff fatigue arising from conducting an overnight Scottish Parliament count followed by a complex local government count the following day could lead to the accuracy of the count being called into question.
However, the Commission further informs me that specific, statistical evidence on the relative accuracy of Thursday and Friday counts would be difficult to collate, not only because there have been relatively few counts commenced on Friday morning in recent years, but also given the many different variables which could affect accuracy.
General Election 2010
Mr. Evennett: To ask the hon. Member for South- West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what information the Electoral Commission holds on the number of election counts that are not planned to commence on the evening of polling day in the general election. [312132]
Mr. Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has asked all returning officers to provide information about their current plans for counting ballot papers at the next UK parliamentary general election. This information has been made available in the House of Commons Library.
In summary, as of 7 January 2010, returning officers for 586 out of 650 constituencies had provided information. Of these, 52 currently do not plan to count ballot papers on the evening of polling day at the general election. A further 17 have indicated they may defer counting in the event that the general election is combined with local authority elections, and 187 were still undecided.
Defence
Afghanistan
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value was of allowances paid to his Department's civilian staff based in Afghanistan in 2008-09. [312722]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: A total of £2,517,957 was paid in allowances to MOD civilian staff based in Afghanistan during financial year 2008-09.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to support and promote provincial and district level governance in Afghanistan outside the Kabul district. [309374]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 6 January 2010]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development on 6 January 2010.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2009, Official Report, column 87W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, how many personnel (a) wounded and (b) deployed outside the wire of a main operating base in Afghanistan have not been issued with a morphine auto injector. [312804]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: All military personnel deployed 'outside the wire' in Afghanistan are issued with a morphine auto injector, in accordance with standard operating instructions.
Aircraft Carriers: Northern Ireland
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding he expects to allocate in respect of contract work related to the new aircraft carrier project to be undertaken in Northern Ireland. [313194]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Subcontracts for the Queen Elizabeth (QE) class are not allocated but awarded via a selection process based on competition. Contracts have been awarded to over 50 suppliers based in the UK, some of which may have facilities in Northern Ireland. However, we are not aware of any work being based in Northern Ireland at this time. A number of subcontracts have yet to be competed and companies within Northern Ireland remain free to bid.
Anniversaries
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what preparations he has made for the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain; and if he will make a statement. [312567]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The Royal Air Force is developing a comprehensive plan for a series of events to commemorate and celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Many of these events are being arranged in conjunction with service charities, veterans' organisations and associations. The principal event of the celebrations will be the Annual Service of Commemoration and Dedication to be held in Westminster Abbey on 19 September and the statue of Sir Keith Park will be also be unveiled in Waterloo Place in September. In due course a comprehensive list of activities and events will be distributed via the Royal Air Force website.
Armed Conflict
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent research his Department has undertaken on the predictability of the outbreak of future conflicts of (a) a state-against-state and (b) an insurgency nature; and if he will make a statement. [313106]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence undertakes a range of research on these topics and contributes to cross-Government work. The Defence Green Paper which I announced in July 2009 will cover findings from this work.
Armed Forces: Housing
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service accommodation properties in (a) Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency, (b) the Highlands and (c) Scotland have an energy certificate rating of (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) C, (iv) D, (v) E, (vi) F and (vii) G. [312114]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The Department does not issue energy performance certificates for service accommodation.
However, a small scale representative assessment, for proposed future investment purposes, of 58 SFA properties in Helensburgh resulted in 27 of these properties achieving a C rating, 25 a D rating and six an E rating.
Defence: Finance
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the recommendations of the 1998 Strategic Defence Review have since been fully funded. [313107]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The 1998 SDR identified a range of priorities that have evolved over the intervening period to reflect the changing strategic setting and the experience of operations. Successive spending reviews have provided resources to fund these priorities.
Departmental Consultants
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on external consultancy during 2008-09. [312655]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: A summary of the MOD's expenditure on external assistance in 2008-09, including the spend figures for Defence agencies and trading funds, was placed in the Library of the House in July 2009.
Departmental Electronic Equipment
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many iPods have been bought by his Department since 2005; and at what cost. [311907]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The Department has no central arrangements for purchasing iPods.
A comprehensive answer to this question could therefore be produced only by contacting all units and establishments to inquire whether any such items have been purchased under local arrangements. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Finance
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much and what percentage of his Department's budget was spent on (a) pay, (b) pensions and (c) equipment in each year since 1997. [305749]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The information available since 2003-04 is provided in the following table:
| Financial year | Pay (£ billion) | Percentage | Pensions (£ billion) | Percentage | Equipment (£ billion) | Percentage |
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