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22 Feb 2010 : Column 14W—continued
Baha Mousa Inquiry
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value is of awards of legal aid made in respect of the Baha Mousa inquiry; and whether an estimate has been made of the total value of such awards made during the course of that inquiry. [317370]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: No awards of legal aid have been made to witnesses to the Baha Mousa Inquiry. However, all witnesses to the Inquiry are provided with free independent legal advice funded by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The MOD has so far paid £3.7 million in legal costs for witnesses to the Inquiry. Future costs are uncertain and will depend on the number of witnesses the Inquiry decides to call before it concludes.
Batteries
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on (a) rechargeable and (b) single use batteries in the latest period for which figures are available. [316720]
Mr. Quentin Davies: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Blandford Camp
Mr. Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of Blandford Camp; and if he will make a statement. [317350]
Bill Rammell: It is currently anticipated that all communications training that currently takes place at Blandford Camp will move to RAF St. Athan as part of the implementation of the Defence Training Review by the end of 2015. We are pursuing alternative defence uses for Blandford Camp, but it is still too early to say what these might be.
Blaydon
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [315303]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence delivers security for the equal benefit of all the people of the UK, and the Overseas Territories, by defending them, including against terrorism; and acting as a force for good in the world by strengthening international peace and stability. Our continuing main effort of success in Afghanistan, preventing al-Qaeda from having a secure base from which to threaten us directly, keeps our country safe from the threat of terrorism.
The Service Personnel Command Paper set out the Nation's Commitment to our Armed Forces, their families and veterans. This is a cross-Government initiative that is making real differences to the lives of our service personnel, veterans and their families and we are fully committed to upholding its key principles. The first annual report on the Service Personnel Command Paper was published on 19 November 2009. This report captured the progress made against the commitments of the Command Paper within the first year following its launch. It can be found at the following link:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Showcase/Providing ForOurPeople.htm
The report sets out the substantial progress that has been made including:
compensation for most serious injuries doubled;
free further education for service leavers;
retention of places on NHS waiting lists;
Local Connection legislation amended in England and Wales, with a similar exercise currently being worked on in Scotland, to give service leavers credit for having lived and worked in an area when applying for social housing; and
from April 2009, ex-service men and women who are seriously injured were given priority for specially adapted social homes.
Defence Statistics are not available at constituency level, but regional statistics on service personnel numbers and defence employment can be found on the Defence Analytical Service and Advice website. Location of military personnel can be found in Tri Service Publication 10 at the following link:
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index. php?page=67&pubType=0&thiscontent=100&date=2010-01-28
Regional defence employment can be found in Tables 1.11, 1.11a and 1.1 1b in UK Defence Statistics 2009 at the following link:
Additionally, although not defence-related, the Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency
level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at the following link:
Chemical Weapons: Animals
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2010, Official Report, columns 811-12W, on chemical weapons: animals, what quantities of each (a) chemical and (b) biological warfare agent are held in the UK; when such agents were manufactured; and what quantity of each agent is permitted to be held under the (i) Chemical Weapons Convention and (ii) Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention. [317542]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The UK is a State Party to both the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). In accordance with these conventions, the UK maintains small quantities of chemical and biological warfare agents for research purposes, that are not prohibited under the conventions, to ensure that UK forces are adequately protected in the event that chemical or biological weapons are used against them.
The CWC categorises chemical warfare agents under Schedule 1 chemicals. Under the CWC the UK is permitted to hold a maximum aggregate quantity of one tonne of Schedule 1 chemicals. There are no set limits on quantities of individual chemicals within this overall amount. The MOD holds some Schedule 1 chemicals within the one tonne limit. The Schedule 1 chemicals held by MOD are between approximately 10 and 40 years old, although on occasion small quantities (typically a few grammes) of Schedule 1 chemicals that are not normally held have been manufactured. These holdings are inspected by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (the OPCW), the international body set up to implement the CWC, to ensure compliance with the convention.
The BTWC does not stipulate specific agents that are prohibited, nor does it specify quantities of agents that are permitted to be held. It permits the possession of biological agents and toxins of types and in quantities consistent with prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes, recognising that such agents exist in nature and are used for legitimate purposes, including the development of protective materials and medical countermeasures to biological agents and toxins.
Defence Equipment
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) military equipment and (b) sensitive personal data were lost by his Department in the last 12 months. [317330]
Bill Rammell: The value of equipment lost or stolen, along with a range of other types of losses, is published in the summary of losses and special payments in the MOD's Annual Report and Accounts. Copies are available in the Library of the House and online at the following link:
An explanation is provided for all losses which exceed £250,000. Loss information for equipments below £250,000 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
There has been one incident involving the loss of sensitive personal data in the past 12 months.
Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monthly occupancy rate for (a) ward and (b) other beds has been at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court since January 2003. [318022]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Since May 2007, the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court, has had a total of 66 ward beds for the care of complex trauma and neurological in-patients. The majority of such patients are accommodated in these ward beds but some who have an appropriate level of function can alternatively be accommodated in 15 bed spaces in a separate building on site which are suitable for their clinical needs. These beds are part of a total of 120 hostel beds for patients whose condition (trauma or less serious musculoskeletal problem) allows them to be independent of nursing.
Occupancy rates for ward beds and other beds from 2008 are as follows:
| Ward beds | Other beds | |||
| A verage patient numbers | Percentage occupancy | A verage patient numbers | Percentage occupancy | |
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