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25 Feb 2010 : Column 676W—continued
Hercules Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many search and rescue operations took place beyond the standard operational range of the Hercules aircraft in the last five years. [318838]
Bill Rammell: None. The UK has responsibility for search and rescue operations within a specified area, which includes the north Atlantic, extending out to 30 degrees west. Hercules aircraft are capable of covering the entirety of the UK search and rescue area of responsibility.
Incapacity Benefit: Chelmsford
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on substitute accommodation in Scotland for (a) service family accommodation and (b) single living accommodation in each of the last five years. [316513]
Mr. Kevan Jones: It will take more time to collate and verify the information requested. I will write to the hon. Member.
Substantive answer from Kevan Jones to Angus Robertson:
In my answer of 9 February (Official Report, column 811W) I undertook to write to you with details of how much the Department has spent on substitute accommodation in Scotland for Service Family Accommodation and Single Living Accommodation in each of the last five years.
Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA) and Substitute Service Single Accommodation (SSSA) are only ever used as a last resort in cases where service accommodation either does not exist or is not available. SSSA properties may accommodate more than one entitled Service person of the same gender and of an equivalent rank. As part of the value for money programme that I chair, the entitlements of all Ministry of Defence employees are being considered.
The amount spent on SSFA and SSSA in Scotland in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
| Number of SSFA | Cost (£ million) | Number of SSSA | Cost (£ million) | Total expenditure (£ million) | |
Iraq Committee of Inquiry
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will (a) make available to the Iraq Inquiry and (b) place in the Library a copy of all legal advice given by his Department to military personnel prior to the beginning of the Iraq war; and if he will make a statement. [318459]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence is providing the inquiry with all the documentation that the inquiry has requested including legal advice. The Department will consider any requests to place documents containing legal advice relating to the Iraq conflict in the Library of the House on a case-by-case basis.
Military Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the maximum operational range is of the (a) MR2 and (b) Hercules search and rescue aircraft without air-to-air refuelling. [318837]
Bill Rammell: The Nimrod MR2 and Hercules C130K aircraft perform other tasks aside from long-range search and rescue. We therefore cannot comment on actual capability levels as this is classified information.
The UK has responsibility for search and rescue operations within a specified area, which includes the North Atlantic out to 30 degrees West and both the Nimrod MR2 and Hercules C130K aircraft are capable of covering the entirety of the UK's search and rescue area of responsibility. The maximum time on task is dependent on a wide range of factors including load, configuration and weather, and this can be extended through use of diversions as far afield as Iceland in the
north or indeed the Azores in the south. Additionally, the Hercules C130K has the capacity to air-to-air refuel which could significantly extend its time on task if it was required.
Nimrod Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many search and rescue missions were flown from RAF Kinloss using MR2 aircraft in each of the last five years; and what the (a) distance and (b) duration was of each such mission. [318839]
Bill Rammell: The number of search and rescue missions flown by MR2 aircraft from RAF Kinloss in each of the last five years is provided in the following table:
| Number | |
The available information relating to distance and duration of each mission in each of the last five years is provided in the following tables. The distance provided represents the nautical miles from RAF Kinloss to the search and rescue (SAR) task and does not represent the total distance flown. The duration of each mission relates only to the actual search and rescue mission and does not, in every case, represent total flying time.
| 2005 | |
| Distance NM | Duration (hours/minutes) |
| 2006 | |
| Distance NM | Duration (hours/minutes) |
| 2007 | |
| Distance NM | Duration (hours/minutes) |
| 2008 | |
| Distance NM | Duration (hours/minutes) |
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