| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
15 Jun 2010 : Column 350W—continued
Military Aircraft: Helicopters
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters are under order from his Department; and when he expects them to be delivered into theatre. [2541]
Peter Luff:
The Ministry of Defence has 62 new Lynx Wildcat helicopters on order from Augusta Westland. 34 Lynx Wildcat (Army variant) are due to be delivered incrementally between 2012 and 2016, with the remaining
28 Lynx Wildcat (Navy variant) being delivered between 2013 and 2017. Subject to operational requirements, the Lynx Wildcat should be available for deployment to theatre in 2015.
On 15 December 2009, the previous Defence Secretary announced the intention to buy an additional 22 new Chinook as part of a new Rotary Wing Strategy. These aircraft are not yet on contract.
It should be noted that under the Strategic Defence and Security Review, work has been set in hand to review all major equipment and support contracts to ensure the future programme is coherent with future defence needs and can be afforded.
Military Decorations
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he bring forward proposals to review the case for a National Defence Medal; and if he will make a statement. [2514]
Mr Robathan: The Government have announced its intention to conduct a review of the rules governing the award of medals. However, there are no current plans specifically to review the case for a National Defence Medal.
Ministry of Defence Guard Service: Finance
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Ministry of Defence Guard Service. [1901]
Mr Robathan: The forecast cost of the Ministry of Defence Guard Service for the current financial year is £112 million.
Nuclear Weapons
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement will be renewed during the life of this Parliament; and when discussions on renewal of the agreement are scheduled to commence. [2037]
Mr Gerald Howarth: While no expiry date applies for the agreement as a whole, Article III bis of the Agreement, an article relating to the transfer of Materials and Equipment which was introduced in 1959, is periodically reviewed. It was last reviewed in 2004 and expires in December 2014. At this stage, no specific timetable for any discussions on a further extension has been agreed.
Copies of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement and its subsequent amendments are in the Library of the House.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the next stocktake meeting between the Government and the US Administration under the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement is scheduled to take place; and where the meeting will be held. [2041]
Mr Gerald Howarth: Arrangements have not been finalised but it is intended that the next stocktake meeting will take place in mid September in the US.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the exchange programme between the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency Special Escort Group and the United States Office of Secure Transportation remains in force; how many (a) US and (b) UK staff have undertaken exchange visits under the terms of the programme; and whether the programme took place under the auspices of the 1958 US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement. [2042]
Mr Gerald Howarth: There is no formal exchange programme. The Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency Special Escort Group and United States Office of Secure Transportation (OST), who have similar national roles, have, over the last five years taken part in short visits and meetings to share best practice and to discuss matters of common interest.
During this period, 10 Special Escort Group Personnel have visited OST. The number of OST personnel who have visited the UK is not held in the format requested. However, I can confirm that the visits took place under the auspices of the 1958 UK/US Mutual Defence Agreement.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator's inspection programme for 2010. [2047]
Peter Luff: There is no overarching Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR) annual inspection programme. Instead, each of the bodies or activities regulated by the DNSR have specific regulatory intervention strategies and plans in place, which are tailored to their individual circumstances.
Radioactive Materials: Transport
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many operations involving the movement of defence nuclear materials the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency Special Escort Group undertook during 2009-10. [2048]
Peter Luff: These details relate to the operational programme for transporting defence nuclear materials. I am therefore withholding the requested information, because its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice national security.
Attorney-General
Members: Correspondence
Keith Vaz: To ask the Attorney-General for what reasons a reply has not been sent to the letter from the right hon. Member for Leicester East concerning Mr Martin Wheelwright and the Serious Fraud Office. [1999]
The Solicitor-General: A letter was sent to the right hon. Member for Leicester East on 9 June 2010.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Peace Negotiations
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he received on the recent peace talks held by tribal leaders in Kabul; and if he will make a statement. [1949]
Alistair Burt: The UK welcomed the Consultative Peace Jirga held in Kabul on 2-4 June 2010 as an important and positive step on the path towards concluding an enduring political settlement. The Jirga's declaration called on the insurgents to put an end to the fighting and begin a process of negotiation. We are pleased that the Government of Afghanistan now has a mandate to take this forward. We hope that the Jirga marks the start of a comprehensive and genuinely representative political process that engages the Afghan people. The UK will support the Government of Afghanistan in this effort.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has sought to make contact with Taliban leaders to hold peace talks. [2002]
Alistair Burt: No. Enduring stability in Afghanistan will require a political process that is led by the Afghans themselves, in parallel to the military and development effort. Towards that end, the UK welcomed the Consultative Peace Jirga held in Kabul on 2-4 June 2010 as a step on the path towards concluding a lasting political settlement.
Antarctic
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to introduce legislation on the Antarctic following the consultation on the draft Antarctic Bill. [2112]
Mr Bellingham: The Government announced their legislative programme in the Queen's Speech and will consider other legislative priorities in due course.
Departmental Official Cars
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK-based officials in his Department have the use of an official car and driver. [2114]
Mr Bellingham: No UK-based officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have a dedicated car or driver.
FCO Services, a Trading Fund of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, operate a small pool of vehicles and security cleared drivers used mainly for transportation of diplomatic bags and other classified material.
Certain senior officials (including the Permanent Under-Secretary) are able to draw on this pool for official and operationally necessary travel, on a pay for use basis with bookings made in advance. Use of the FCO Services car pool is subject to operational need and governed by strict internal guidelines.
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consular and diplomatic vehicles his Department has purchased since 12 May 2010; and at what cost. [2115]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has purchased no consular and diplomatic vehicles in the UK since 12 May 2010. Records relating to the purchase of vehicles by our missions overseas is not held centrally and to obtain the information would incur disproportionate cost.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when and in what form he plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by his Department over £25,000. [276]
Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has written to Cabinet Ministers reiterating transparency commitments made in the coalition programme for government, and setting out a timetable for achieving them. In particular, certain new items of central Government spending over £25,000 to be published online from November 2010. We are working with our colleagues across Government to come up with a consistent approach to this for all UK spend.
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2010, Official Report, columns 23-24W, on departmental public expenditure, what changes he expects to make to his Department's programme spend in 2010. [2107]
Alistair Burt: As per my reply of 7 June 2010 to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones), Official Report, columns 23-24W, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is currently leading a review of programme spend within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Until the review is complete, it would be premature to speculate on any likely changes to Foreign and Commonwealth Office programme spend.
Diplomatic Service: Housing
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure that members of the Diplomatic Service pay back to the public purse any increase in the value of their properties in the UK rented out while serving abroad. [1887]
Alistair Burt: No. The arrangements that employees of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office make for their private housing in the UK is a matter for them and there would be no legal basis for introducing such a policy.
EU Countries: British Nationals Abroad
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals are resident in each of the member states of the EU. [1723]
Mr Lidington: The number of British nationals resident in the member states of the EU totals 1,830,105. The latest figures available were collected in March 2007 and are as follows:
| Number | |
In January 2009 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office commissioned a study, "Making the most of the British Diaspora" by the Institute of Public Policy Research. This study includes and estimate of the number of British citizens abroad by country and will be published and available online at
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |