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16 Jun 2010 : Column 463W—continued
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to his Department's answer of 10 June 2010, Official Report, column 223W, on renewable energy: feed-in tariffs, if he will take steps to equalise the payments made to owners of micro-generation capacity used for feed-in tariffs who installed micro generation capacity before 15 July 2009 and those who installed it after that date. [2739]
Charles Hendry: I have received a number of representations on this issue and am considering them carefully in the context of our overall approach to energy and climate change. We will make an announcement in due course.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers of 11 Light Brigade have been (a) killed, (b) very seriously injured and (c) seriously injured during the brigade's operations in Afghanistan. [2148]
Dr Fox [holding answer 14 June 2010]: 11 Light Brigade deployed as Task Force Helmand between 10 October 2009 and 10 April 2010. During this roulement the UK sustained 59 fatalities, 44 very serious injured and 28 seriously injured troops.
Armed Forces: Deployment
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of service personnel stationed in (a) Germany and (b) Cyprus. [1391]
Mr Robathan: The numbers of UK Regular Service Personnel as at 1 April 2010 stationed in Germany and Cyprus are shown in the following table:
| Location | Total number |
These figures are based on strengths of armed forces personnel based in each location at a specific time and will vary as personnel change location.
A copy of the Defence Analytical Services and Advice publication TSP 10 (UK Regular Forces Stationed Location) has been placed in the Library of the House.
Armed Forces: Dogs
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the dogs deployed by each armed service to undertake each function; [1900]
(2) how many dogs in the armed forces have been put down in the last 12 months; and for what reasons. [2059]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence accounting system does not hold financial data in the format requested.
99 military working dogs have been put down in the last 12 months. 89 of these were for veterinary related problems, with the remainder due to behavioural issues, which is defined as turning on their handlers and being unsafe to work with.
The Ministry of Defence gives dogs every possible training opportunity to correct such behaviour before resorting to euthanasia.
Atomic Weapons Establishment
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 2 March 2010, Official Report, column 1081W, on the Atomic Weapons Establishment: floods, what cost was incurred by (a) his Department, (b) AWE plc and (c) commercial insurers arising from the July 2007 flooding at the Atomic Weapons Establishment sites; and if he will make a statement. [2027]
Peter Luff: The cost incurred by the Ministry of Defence as a result of the flood at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in 2007 was some £5 million. The Ministry of Defence Police based at Burghfield also incurred flood-related costs totalling £110,000 which did not form part of the AWE Management Ltd claim. A small claim from an AWE sub-contractor has still to be resolved.
The £5 million flood-related costs described above were incurred by AWE Management Ltd and their operating company, AWE plc, and were the costs claimed from the Department under non-nuclear indemnity.
No costs were incurred by commercial insurers as a result of the flood, as the non-nuclear indemnity is in place to cover such events.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what staffing targets for the Atomic Weapons Establishment for (a) permanent staff, (b) temporary staff and (c) consultants have been set for each of the next three years. [2046]
Peter Luff: Based on current contract assumptions, AWE plc staffing targets for the next three years are 4,700 permanent full-time equivalent staff, no temporary staff and 1000 integrated personnel, who are contractors employed by AWE plc to provide specific fixed-term skills and expertise. The exact figures will be dependent on programme demand.
AWE Burghfield
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action was taken to assess levels of off-site radioactive contamination resulting from scouring of drains or other causes following the 2007 floods at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Burghfield. [2028]
Peter Luff: All of the locations from which water exits the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Burghfield site, sediment in the Burghfield brook and grass samples are subject to routine sampling. The results of the sampling are reported to the Environment Agency and are available on the AWE website. Samples taken at the time of the floods indicate no abnormal levels of off-site radioactive contamination.
Clyde Submarine Base
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to replace radioactive waste facilities at HM Naval Base Clyde; whether new waste facilities will be operational by 2014; and how much funding has been allocated for this purpose. [2044]
Peter Luff: Plans for replacing the existing radioactive waste facilities at HM Naval Base Clyde are under development. A study of the future radioactive waste processing requirement is nearing completion, which will inform the options for the new facility.
Against current plans, it is anticipated that the new facility will not be operational until the latter part of this decade.
Until the new facility is operational, HM Naval Base Clyde will continue to work with the appropriate regulators, the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, to ensure that the existing waste management facilities are managed and operated in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.
Costs are not yet available at this early stage and will be developed as part of the preparation of the main gate business case.
Defence
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his planned timetable is for holding a strategic defence review. [1973]
Dr Fox: The Government are conducting a wide-ranging cross-Government strategic defence and security review under the National Security Council. This will provide coherent long-term policy direction and take the tough choices required to produce the armed forces' and wider defence capabilities the country will need in the decades ahead. It will report by the end of the year.
Defence: Procurement
Mr Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review defence procurement contracts; how many contracts will be reassessed on value-for-money grounds; and if he will make a statement. [2696]
Peter Luff: Under the strategic defence and security review, the Secretary of State has set work 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.
The Government are also reassessing spending approvals granted between 1 January 2010 and the general election to ensure that they offer good value for money and are consistent with the Government's priorities, and further announcements will be made in due course.
Departmental Internet
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the URL is of each website managed by (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental public body and agency for which his Department is responsible. [2364]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence and armed forces collectively maintain four corporate websites. The URLs are as follows:
| Website | URL |
The URLs managed by NDPBs are as follows:
| Website | URL |
The URLs managed by agencies are as follows:
| Website | URL |
The URLs managed by trading funds are as follows:
| Website | URL |
A number of other websites are managed by the Ministry of Defence:
| Website | URL |
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