Written Answers to Questions
Friday 12 March 2010
Defence
Armed Forces: Housing
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service family accommodation properties in England and Wales were identified as awaiting disposal or demolition in each year since 2004; and how much rent was paid to Annington Homes for those properties in each of those years. [322038]
Mr. Kevan Jones: It will take more time to collate and verify the information requested. I will write to the hon. Member.
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many thefts from unoccupied houses owned by his Department have been reported in each of the last 12 months. [322040]
Mr. Kevan Jones: A complete record of thefts from unoccupied houses, is not available because these are held by a number of Home Office police forces.
Electronic Warfare
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has conducted on the likely magnitude of an electromagnetic pulse weapon attack upon the UK and the consequences of such an attack. [319897]
Bill Rammell: The Ministry of Defence has undertaken electromagnetic pulse research in a number of areas. This information is being withheld for the purpose of safeguarding national security.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Home Department (Mr. Hanson) on 3 March 2010, Official Report, column 1282W.
Future Surface Combatant
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many variants of the Future Surface Combatant will be designed; and how many ships in each such variant he expects to be constructed. [321414]
Mr. Quentin Davies [holding answer 11 March 2010]: The Future Surface Combatant programme is expected to consist of two variants. The C1, an Anti Submarine Warfare task group enabled platform and the C2 variant, a more general purpose platform. There is a separate Mine Countermeasures, Hydrographic and Patrol Capability programme, which was previously referred to as C3.
No decisions have yet been made on the number of ships to be constructed; this will be decided at the main investment decision point for each variant.
Land Mines: Detectors
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many of his Department's hand-held mine detectors were (a) in service and (b) fit for purpose in each of the last nine years; [321365]
(2) how many (a) Vallon VMH3CS and (b) Ebinger EBEX-420PB mine detectors are (i) in service and (ii) fit for purpose. [321366]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The metal detectors currently in service are Vallon, Hoodlum and Horn. There are sufficient metal detectors to meet our current operational requirements. As at 5 March 2010, there were 3,071 Vallon hand-held metal detectors in service. The number of equipments available for use will vary daily and will depend principally on how many are in the repair loop at the time. As at 5 March 2010, an estimated 2,440 Vallon were available for use. The EBEX-420PB metal detector has been withdrawn from service.
The number of hand-held metal detectors in service and available for use in previous years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Military Aircraft: Helicopters
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when (a) he expects the last of the nine MRA4 aircraft on order to be delivered and (b) where these helicopters will be based. [321336]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Delivery of the nine Nimrod MRA4 aircraft is expected to be complete by the end of 2012. I assume that the second part of your question relates to the MRA4 and that "helicopters" is a misprint. On current planning RAF Kinloss will be the main operating base for the MRA4 aircraft.
Warships: Decommissioning
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels have been sold to other countries since 1997; and what revenue accrued to his Department from each such sale. [322037]
Mr. Quentin Davies [holding answer 12 March 2010]: Since 1997, 29 ex-Royal Navy and ex-Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels have been sold to other countries. In detail these vessels are:
Warships: Procurement
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the first ships to be procured under the Future Surface Combatant programme to enter service. [321700]
Mr. Quentin Davies: It is departmental policy to release in-service dates only for those ships for which the main investment decision has been taken. The Future Surface Combatant programme has not yet reached this stage. However, our current planning assumption is that the first vessels will enter service early in the next decade.
Cabinet Office
Census: Sikhs
Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent consideration has been given to including a separate category for Sikhs in the ethnic categories to be included in the 2011 Census. [321205]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply. A copy of their letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Jobseeker's Allowance: Young People
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for how long on average claimants aged between 18 and 24 years resident in each local authority area in the South East were in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in (a) each of the last 12 months and (b) each of the last five years. [321449]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for how long on average claimants aged between 18 and 24 years resident in each local authority area in the South East were in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in (a) each of the last 12 months and (b) each of the last five years. (321449)
The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is taken from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system. The length of a claim has been defined as the time between the start of an individual's claim and the count date in each reference month. Table 1 shows the median length of live claims for persons aged 18 to 24 resident in each local authority in the South East during the last 12 months up to the latest available period in January 2010, and for January of each of the last 5 years. A copy of the table will be placed in the Library of the House.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
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