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9 Feb 2010 : Column 812W—continued
MOD R and D expenditure statistics are designated as having National Statistics status and as such the release of these figures is embargoed until their publication by the Office for National Statistics in late March. Therefore, the 2008-09 figures are not yet available. A complete time series detailing MOD R and D expenditure is published in UK Defence Statistics (Table 1.8). A copy is placed in the Library of the House.
Departmental Sick Leave
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last three years. [316460]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The total number of MOD civilian personnel who have had five or more periods of sick absence of less than five days in two or more of the calendar years 2006, 2007 and 2008 is 2,570. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Data for the calendar year 2009 are not yet available.
The MOD is committed to reducing sickness absence and occupational health advice and support is available to all employees and their line managers. Guidance and training is available to line managers on managing absence; we actively encourage the use of return to work interviews and have trigger points in place for the commencement of management action.
Departmental Training
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many overseas training courses were attended by his Department's civil servants in the latest period for which figures are available; how many civil servants attended each course; and what the total cost to the public purse was of each course. [305897]
Mr. Kevan Jones: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Expenditure on overseas training must be incurred in accordance with the principles of the Treasury publications "Managing Public Money" and "Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money".
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sessions of media training were organised for Ministers in his Department in each of the last three years. [310242]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Training is provided to Ministers on a range of issues, including handling the media, as part of their induction and continuing development in order to carry out their duties effectively under the Ministerial Code.
The MOD's internal media and communications training organisation has provided the following training sessions to Ministers:
| Training sessions | |
| Number | |
Explosives: Animals
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many animals have been used in tests involving explosives (a) conducted and (b) commissioned by his Department in each of the last five years. [316354]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Dstl Porton Down undertakes the MOD research programme that involves the use of animals. In accordance with UK legislation all of the research projects that involve animals are reviewed and licenced by the Home Office and annual returns are submitted to the Home Office detailing the number of procedures undertaken which involve the use of animals as defined in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
In the last five years 119 pigs have been used in MOD research studies involving explosives; this is broken down as none in 2005, 25 in 2006, 19 in 2007, 40 in 2008 and 35 in 2009.
These research studies involving explosives have followed up on identified problems with prolonged pre-hospital. resuscitation following blast injury. The studies have included evaluation of the whole body trauma caused by various blast explosive injury in order to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of improved post-traumatic methodology. This research has led to significant advances in post-traumatic techniques such as reducing blood loss from major trauma and has saved many lives in the theatres of Iraq and Afghanistan. The advances made due to this research can be utilised both in theatre and civilian scenarios particularly if there are mass casualties and evacuation to hospital is delayed. This is one of the reasons why Dstl research involving the use of animals is published in the open literature where possible.
Future Large Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current unit cost for the Airbus A400M agreed with EADS is. [316509]
Mr. Quentin Davies: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.
Hotels
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on overnight accommodation for his Department's civil servants in the last 12 months. [316440]
Mr. Kevan Jones [holding answer 8 February 2010]: This information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Military Bases
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current estimated monetary value is of the property comprising (a) Naval Base Clyde, (b) Royal Marines Condor, (c) RAF Leuchars, (d) 2nd Division HQ Craigiehall, (e) Defence Estates Hebrides and (f) Fort George; and how much his Department plans to spend on redevelopment at each of these bases. [316518]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Details of all Ministry of Defence holdings over £1 million, together with their latest asset valuations can be found in Chapter Seven of the National Asset Register, on HM Treasury's website
It will take a little more time to collect and verify information relating to how much the Department plans to spend on redevelopment at each base. I will write to the hon. Member.
We are interpreting DE Hebrides as referring principally to Ministry of Defence sites at Benbecula and St. Kilda and a few other locations.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated monetary value is of the property comprising (a) HM Naval Base Devonport, (b) RAF Valley, (c) HM Naval Base Portsmouth, (d) RAF Marham, (e) RAF Brampton, (f) RAF Honington, (g) RAF Wittering, (h) RAF Wattisham, (i) RAF Northolt, (j) RAF High Wycombe, (k) RAF Brize Norton and (l) RAF Leeming; and how much his Department plans to spend on redevelopment at each of these bases. [316519]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Details of all Ministry of Defence holdings over £1 million, together with their latest asset valuations can be found in Chapter Seven of the National Asset Register, on HM Treasury's website
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/psr_investment_nar _2007_index.htm
It will take a little more time to collect and verify information relating to how much the Department plans to spend on redevelopment at each base. I will write to the hon. Member.
Official Visits
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met representatives of the Nordic Council; and what subjects were discussed. [316517]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I have not met representatives of the Nordic Council in that forum. I regularly meet individual Defence Ministers of the Nordic Council of Ministers in multilateral fora such as NATO and the EU, and occasionally bilaterally. For example, I met my Danish counterpart, Søren Gade, at the NATO Istanbul Summit, 4-5 February 2010. All such discussions cover a range of subjects of mutual interest.
Wales
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the proportion of staff of his Department managed out in the last five years who remain working in the public sector. [313846]
Hotels
Mr. Hurd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many separate bookings at hotels graded at five star or above were made through the Expotel booking
service by his Department in the latest year for which figures are available; and at what cost such bookings were made. [315545]
Newspaper Licensing Agency
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what payments were made by his Department to the Newspaper Licensing Agency in each of the last 10 years. [315612]
Mr. David: The Wales Office has made one payment to the Newspaper Licensing Agency in January 2009 of £2,755.
House of Commons Commission
ICT
Stephen Pound: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate the House of Commons Commission has made of the outturn cost of the installation of Microsoft Vista. [315944]
Nick Harvey: It is not possible to separate the cost of installing Vista from other costs. As part of a wider refresh of the parliamentary ICT infrastructure, PICT has replaced or upgraded old hardware, the Windows 2000 operating system and Office 2003 for the House of Commons Administration. The rollout began in July 2009 and the total project cost of completing the hardware and desktop software replacement is £2,643,102 for the House of Commons. This includes licences to cover all Members of the Commons and their staff.
Stephen Pound: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the House of Commons Commission will establish the cost to the House Administration of ceasing the existing contract for the installation of Vista on all computers operated by the House of Commons Service. [316166]
Nick Harvey: Vista licences were included as an upgrade option in a general Microsoft licences agreement from 2004 to 2007. There is no cost saving to Parliament if Vista is not used. The cost of an upgrade of the operating system to Windows 7 is currently being investigated with Microsoft UK.
Stephen Pound: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the House of Commons Commission plans to install Windows 7 in all computers operated by each department in the House of Commons Service. [316194]
Nick Harvey:
Windows 7 was launched by Microsoft on 23 October 2009 and is being tested by PICT as a potential operating system for Members' equipment in the future. If the tests prove successful and if it can be financially justified, Windows 7 will be used when new equipment is issued to Members after the next election.
Testing will begin in October 2010 on the equipment of administrative staff to assess the impact of Windows 7 on parliamentary applications. At the same time alternative options, including the use of cloud-based services, will also be assessed.
Members: Communication
Mr. Hurd: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission with reference to the answer of 13 October 2009, Official Report, column 781, on Members: security, what methods of email encryption are compatible with hon. Members' computers; and if the Commission will make it its policy to provide a directory of encryption certificates used by hon. Members for the use of constituents seeking to encrypt their communications. [315614]
Nick Harvey: The House of Commons Commission does not release information relating to software configuration as to do so risks jeopardising the security of the parliamentary network. Members are welcome to consult PICT to find out what encryption software is available to them.
It is a matter for individual Members whether to make details of their encryption software available to their constituents.
Scotland
Departmental Communication
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of Lord Bates of 3 December 2009, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA68, on Government departments: annual reports, and with reference to the Government Response to the House of Lords Communications Committee's report into Government Communications, whether his Department publishes an annual report on departmental communications. [315609]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not publish an annual report on departmental communications.
Departmental Sick Leave
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last three years. [316456]
Ann McKechin: All staff are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice who as parent bodies have absence management policies that apply to those of their staff working in this office. We do not maintain a separate central record of sick absences. Such records are held by the parent bodies which publish their own sick absence statistics.
Stress
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a copy of any advice issued to staff of his Department on stress recognition and management. [316479]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not employ any staff directly. All staff in the Office are seconded from other Government Departments, mainly the Scottish Executive and Ministry of Justice. All staff have access to policies relating to stress recognition and management through their parent bodies.
Culture, Media and Sport
Blaydon
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Blaydon constituency, the effects on Blaydon of his Department's policies and actions since 2000. [315304]
Mr. Simon: My Department's aim is to improve the quality of life for everyone through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries.
The impact of bodies and policies of my Department on the Blaydon constituency since 2000 include:
£61,758 given from Arts Council England to organisations based in Blaydon in 2008-09 through the Grants for the Arts programme.
Digital Switchover is due to take place in the north-east in 2012. By the time switchover is complete at the end of 2012, 98.5 per cent. of households nationwide will be able to receive digital TV-the same number that can currently receive analogue.
£4,500 of Exchequer investment to the Blaydon constituency provided through Sport England for 2009 to 2010.
Almost £10 million of national lottery grants made to applications from the constituency since 1995.
The Blaydon constituency has also benefited from other policies and spending whose impact cannot be broken down by constituency. This includes:
£4 billion of Exchequer funding spent on culture.
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