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21 July 2010 : Column 336W—continued
Public Libraries: Expenditure
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much was spent on public libraries in England in each of the last five years. [7933]
Mr Vaizey: The expenditure on library services in England in each of the past five years can be seen in the following table:
| Net current expenditure( 1) (£ million) | |
| (1) Net current expenditure is defined here as the costs of staffing, heating, lighting and cleaning, together with expenditure on goods and services consumed within the year. This expenditure is offset by income from sales, fees and charges and other (non-grant) income. | |
This information was provided by the Communities and Local Government Revenue Account (RA) budget returns.
In addition, the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has used DCMS grant in aid to develop, share and promote best practice in libraries and has supported libraries to deliver projects such as Boys into Books and Book Ahead which are funded by the Department for Education. Public libraries have also benefited from lottery funding and private finance initiative credits which have been invested in individual projects.
Theatre: Concessions
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many free theatre tickets have been provided to under-26-year- olds resident in (a) Wirral South, (b) Merseyside and (c) England since 2008. [9942]
Mr Vaizey: The A Night Less Ordinary scheme gave away 225,986 tickets to under-26-year-olds across England in its first 15 months. 29,704 tickets were given away by venues in the north-west.
Details for individual theatres are commercially sensitive and cannot be provided. Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse are the Merseyside venues participating in the scheme. There are no venues in Wirral South.
Transport
A338
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to build a relief road from Bournemouth airport to the A338. [10127]
Mike Penning [holding answer 20 July 2010]: The Department for Transport currently has no plans to build a relief road from Bournemouth airport to the A338.
The Government have made clear that their most urgent priority is to tackle the UK's record budget deficit in order to restore confidence in the economy and support the economy.
Ministers are therefore reviewing all Department for Transport projects and programmes as part of the spending review to ensure they represent good value for money and are consistent with the Government's objectives.
Once the spending review has concluded, it will be for the local authority to bring forward any scheme which it believes is a strong competitor for the available funding.
A614: Nottinghamshire
Mr Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent reports he has received on the safety record of the A614 in Nottinghamshire. [7090]
Mike Penning [holding answer 15 July 2010]: The Department for Transport routinely receives reports from police authorities into all road accidents involving personal injury. I am aware of a number of fatal and serious injury accidents on the A614 in recent years and I know that the county council is working closely with Nottinghamshire police within the county's Road Safety Partnership to identify and implement measures to improve the safety record of the route.
Airports
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his timetable is for publication of the national policy statement on airports. [8610]
Mrs Villiers: The Government will issue a more detailed statement on national policy statements later in the summer.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the security of data collected by automatic number plate recognition cameras operated by his Department and its agencies is protected. [9079]
Mike Penning: All data captured by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's mobile automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras are stored securely and protected using security codes generated using Home Office Police Scientific Development Branch (PSDB 3/96) published standards for data protection. The data captured from DVLA's static cameras are held on a secure data storage server.
Data from the Highways Agency's ANPR cameras are scrambled at source into a non-unique code which can apply to more than one vehicle simultaneously. This process renders the data as non-personal under the Data Protection Act 1998.
In addition, the Highways Agency operates a system of information asset owners to ensure that data are held and used in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and with Cabinet Office Data Handling guidance issued in 2008.
Data gathered by ANPR cameras are stored at the Highways Agency national traffic control centre (NTCC). The Highways Agency's information asset owner (IAO) has ensured that the information is accredited to Information Security ISO27001 standards.
The Department uses ANPR cameras in an annual survey to estimate the rate of vehicle excise duty (VED) evasion and MOT non-compliance. All ANPR images and data collected in this survey are treated as personal. They are passed from the survey contractor to the Department in encrypted form and are stored on secure, accredited servers to which only a strictly limited number of staff have access.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition: East Yorkshire
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many automatic number plate recognition cameras operated by his Department and its agencies there are in East Yorkshire constituency. [9078]
Mike Penning: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has a mobile automatic number plate recognitions (ANPR) unit based in Leeds which travels around the area to detect the use of unlicensed vehicles. This unit will occasionally cover areas in East Yorkshire. DVLA has no static automatic number plate recognition cameras in East Yorkshire. The Vehicle and Operators Service Agency (VOSA) has one mobile ANPR unit which will occasionally cover areas in East Yorkshire.
The Department for Transport uses ANPR cameras in an annual survey to estimate the rate of vehicle excise duty (VED) evasion and MOT non-compliance. This survey operates during one month of the year, at four sites in the Humberside police force area, for two days at each site.
Bus Services
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what impact assessments his Department has conducted on (a) the effect of the provision of bus services in rural communities, (b) social inclusion and (c) the projected increase in bus fares of reductions in the Bus Services Operators Grant from the fiscal year 2011-12 onwards. [8745]
Norman Baker: Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government.
In England, an impact assessment was published in March 2008 alongside a consultation document on options for bus subsidy reform. A subsequent impact assessment was published in December 2009.
Government support for rural bus services in England is also provided through the separate Rural Bus Subsidy Grant, worth £60 million in 2010-11.
Bus Services: Finance
Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on the Bus Service Operators Grant; and if he will make a statement. [10246]
Norman Baker: We have received several letters from, and had discussions with: bus companies; their representative bodies; MPs; local government representatives and other interest groups, about the Bus Service Operators Grant.
The Government will consider Bus Service Operators Grant as part of the spending review. Decisions will be made, and announced, in due course.
Cycling: Safety
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent encouraging cyclists to wear cycle helmets in each of the last five years. [7770]
Mike Penning [holding answer 12 July 2010]: Over the last five years the Department for Transport has spent some £2.489 million on Think! Child road safety campaigns which encouraged, among other things, children to wear cycle helmets. Additionally, the Highway Code, which is a priced publication but can be viewed free online, advises cyclists to wear a cycle helmet.
Departmental ICT
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on information and communication technology in each year since 1997. [7336]
Norman Baker: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many of his Department's contracts with its suppliers are under review as a result of the recently announced reductions in public expenditure; and what the monetary value is of all such contracts which are under review; [3647]
(2) how many officials in his Department are working on renegotiating contracts for the supply of goods and services to the Department as a result of recently announced reductions in public spending; what savings are expected to accrue to his Department from such renegotiations; how much expenditure his Department will incur on such renegotiations; and when such renegotiations will be completed. [3669]
Mr Philip Hammond:
The Department for Transport's review of its contractual commitments is still ongoing and we are not therefore in a position to release such
details at this time. We are also working with the Office of Government Commerce to ensure that the Department for Transport's strategy is aligned with wider Government policy.
Departmental Utilities
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on (i) electricity, (ii) water, (iii) heating and (iv) telephone services in each year since 1997. [7587]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport was formed in 2002 and therefore no records exist for the Department prior to that date.
The following tables show all the available data for expenditure incurred on electricity, heating, water and telephone services by the Department, its agencies and NDPBs since 2002-03.
| Electricity | ||||||||
| £ | ||||||||
| Organisation | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
The increase in expenditure for NDPBs in 2005-06 is due to British Transport Police joining the Department that year. The rise in costs for executive agencies in 2008-09 is due in the main to Highways Agency's increased roll-out of technology across the network and an understatement of their costs in 2007-08 which were subsequently captured in 2008-09.
| Heating | ||||||||
| £ | ||||||||
| Organisation | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
The rise in costs for executive agencies in 2007-08 is due to this being the first year all agencies had been able to separate out heating costs from general building running costs. Previous years only contain the figures for five of our seven agencies. The significant increase in 2008-09 is as a result of the expansion of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency estate and the extended use of the combined heat and power plant.
| Water | ||||||||
| £ | ||||||||
| Organisation | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
The increase in expenditure for NDPBs in 2005-06 is due to British Transport Police joining the Department that year. The rise in costs for executive agencies in 2007-08 is due to this being the first year all agencies had been able to separate out water costs from general building running costs. Previous years only contain the figures for five of our seven agencies.
| Telephone s ervices | ||||||||
| £ | ||||||||
| Organisation | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
The increase in expenditure for NDPBs in 2005-06 is due to British Transport Police joining the Department that year. The increase in costs for executive agencies in 2005-06 is due to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency data for the previous years not being available. That data are published in their annual report and accounts under Telecommunications, which are available in the Libraries of the House.
The Department for Transport is committed to making efficiency savings and is currently planning to reduce its costs in line with Government targets.
Electric Vehicles
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what recent assessment his Department has made of the safety of electric personal assistive mobility devices; [9480]
(2) if his Department will bring forward proposals to allow the use of electric personal assistive mobility devices in cycle lanes. [9481]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport has recently conducted three public consultations about possible changes to legislation affecting:
small electric personal vehicles,
electrically-assisted pedal cycles and
mobility vehicles (known in law as "invalid carriages").
A wide range of issues were covered, including safety and the use of cycle lanes and cycle tracks.
The findings of all three consultations will be considered carefully before any decisions on next steps are taken
Government Car and Despatch Agency
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of providing (a) Secretaries of State, (b) Ministers of State and (c) Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State in his Department with (i) cars with a dedicated driver from the Government Car Service and (ii) cars from the Government car pool from May 1997 to May 2010. [5604]
Mike Penning: The annual contracted cost (excl. VAT) of providing Ministers with cars with a dedicated driver from the Government Car Service from April 2006 up to May 2010 was:
| £ | |||||
| April 2006-March 2007 incl . | April 2007-March 2008 incl. | April 2008-March 2009 incl. | April 2009-March 2010 incl. | April 2010 | |
The overall cost for Department for Transport Ministers for 2005-06 financial year is detailed in a written ministerial statement available in the Libraries of the House. To provide details prior to 2005-06 financial year would incur disproportionate cost.
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which (a) Secretaries of State, (b) Ministers of State and (c) Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State in his Department were allocated a car from the Government car pool during the period from May 1997 to May 2010. [5687]
Mike Penning: The Ministers in this Department allocated a car from the Government Car Service from April 2006 up to May 2010 are:
Alistair Darling
Douglas Alexander
Ruth Kelly
Geoff Hoon
Lord Adonis
Stephen Ladyman
Rosie Winterton
Lord Adonis
Sadiq Khan
Parliame ntary Under - Secretary of State
Derek Twigg
Tom Harris
Gillian Merron
Jim Fitzpatrick
Paul Clark
Chris Mole
Details can be provided prior to 2006-07 financial year only at disproportionate cost.
M1: Derbyshire
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason cameras are situated on a bridge over the M1 motorway in the vicinity of Tibshelf services; what the purpose of the cameras is; and if he will make a statement. [9137]
Mike Penning [holding answer 20 July 2010]: There are two bridges which cross the M1 within the vicinity of Tibshelf services. Newton Wood Lane Bridge, which carries an unclassified road, is situated 0.25 miles south of the services.
There are no cameras located on this bridge. However, the Highways Agency does have a closed circuit television camera situated a further 0.25 miles south of Newton Wood Lane Bridge. This is directly linked to the East Midlands Regional Control Centre and is used for traffic monitoring purposes.
The B6014 Mansfield Road Bridge is situated 0.5 miles north of the services. The cameras installed on this bridge are the responsibility of Derbyshire Police and not the Highways Agency. Any queries regarding their purpose should be directed to Derbyshire Police.
Merchant Shipping
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 8 July 2010, Official Report, column 14WS, on Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) Regulations, what impact assessments his Department undertook in relation to the effect of the regulations on (a) environmental protection, (b) economic growth and (c) harbour authorities. [8617]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport's Maritime and Coastguard Agency has undertaken one impact assessment on the Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) Regulations 2010. The impact assessment, and the explanatory memorandum to which it is appended, may be accessed on the Office of Public Sector Information website by means of the following link:
The Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) Regulations 2010 were laid before Parliament on 9 April 2010, and the first tranche of provisions was due to come into force on 1 October 2010.
The shipping and ports industry, and some MPs, expressed concern about aspects of the regulations. Other MPs expressed support for the regulations in their current form.
On 8 July 2010, through a written ministerial statement, I announced a review and invited all interested parties to set out their views on the regulations by 30 September 2010.
Motor Vehicles: Testing
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many MOT testing stations for taxis or private hire vehicles there are in each local authority area in England and Wales. [9273]
Mike Penning: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) does not hold this information as taxis can be issued with a Certificate of Compliance by an authorised council. Issue of this certificate is administered locally, and not held on VOSA central records.
Motorways: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr Knight:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to phase roadworks on
motorways so that motorists do not have to face consecutive sets of roadworks over a short distance; and if he will make a statement. [9136]
Mike Penning [holding answer 20 July 2010]: National guidance to all highway authorities about the minimum distance between road works sites on motorways is given in Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 8 paragraphs D3.5.2 to D3.5.4 and Table 3.3. For standard works this is 6.2 miles and for off-peak works this is 3.1 miles.
For some sites where there are several distinct work locations along a short length of motorway, it may be safer for both road users and road workers to have a continuous length of temporary traffic management (such as cones) than to individually sign and protect each site. If it is not reasonably practical to alter the construction sequence then a highway authority may accept having several sets of road works spaced more closely than recommended in the guidance. If this occurs, the site specific risk assessment for each set of works must take into account the effect of the other sets of work on both road user and road worker safety.
To avoid problems with driver fatigue, sites longer than 6.2 miles should be avoided.
Railways
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the re-opening of closed rail lines; and which closed lines have been identified for re-opening since May 2010. [4423]
Mrs Villiers: The Government have made clear that their most urgent priority is to tackle the UK's record deficit. The scope for future rail investment will depend on decisions that will be made in the comprehensive spending review in the autumn. In these circumstances we have not identified any closed lines for re-opening since May 2010.
Railways: Construction
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on a moratorium on construction on disused rail lines. [4422]
Mrs Villiers: Planning Policy Guidance (PPG13) gives guidance on the safeguarding of transport routes. We are considering issues around disused rail paths but have not yet had discussion with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government. In due course, the Government will publish and present to Parliament a consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development and setting out national economic, environmental and social priorities.
Railways: Finance
Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what cost-benefit analysis model is being used to decide which rail projects will go ahead; and what the implications are of that model for the timetable for Bromsgrove's new railway station; [6859]
(2) if he will give precedence to railway infrastructure projects that are assessed to have benefits for the environment as well as the economy. [6861]
Mrs Villiers: Important transport projects which need Government funding are currently assessed using the New Approach to Transport Appraisal (NATA). The Government are aware of the crowding issues the Bromsgrove station project would address. In assessing the case for funding the project, we will need to take into account value for money and the relative priority of the improvements proposed, as compared to competing programmes elsewhere. The decision on this issue will also be affected by the need to tackle the deficit inherited from the previous Government and the resulting constraints on the availability of funds. This will depend on the outcome of the spending review.
An assessment of the expected environmental benefits associated with different infrastructure proposals forms part of the process undertaken to reach investment decisions. The objective of collecting and assessing information on environmental benefits, alongside other relevant factors such as economic growth potential and safety issues, is to ensure that decisions are based on a full assessment of value for money. The coalition agreement contains a commitment to further reform the way decisions are made on which transport projects to prioritise, so that the benefits of low carbon proposals are fully recognised.
Railways: West Midlands
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from local authorities in the west midlands on the potential effect of a Midlands Metro link between Dudley and Brierley Hill on the volume of traffic on major roads in the region. [9614]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has received no such representations.
Retford Railway Station: Parking
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2010, Official Report, column 373W, on Retford railway station: parking, what record was made of the meeting of 24 March 2010 at his Department attended by the hon. Member for Bassetlaw on rail services to Retford and car parking at Retford station. [8910]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 15 July 2010]: I regret that there was an inaccuracy in the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 8 July.
Since my previous response, I have been informed that the hon. Member met with Chris Mole, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, on 24 March 2010 and car parking at Retford station was discussed. This should have been identified as a representation in my earlier answer. Please accept my apologies for the error.
The East Coast Main Line Company (ECML Co) has recently conducted a car park review on the East Coast route at the request of the Department. Retford station has one of the busiest car parks on the East Coast route with limited available capacity. The review concluded that due to the extensive availability of on-street parking and competitive independent off-street parking additional capacity provision by ECML Co was not felt to be urgently needed at this time.
Attorney-General
Departmental Operating Costs
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Attorney-General what steps he has taken to reduce the cost of running the Law Officers' Departments since his appointment. [9275]
The Attorney-General: The Law Officers' Departments take very seriously the need to make necessary savings in the operation of public services. To contribute to the £6 billion in year cross-Government efficiency savings, we announced on 24 May that the Departments will make extra savings of nearly £18 million during the current financial year (approximately 2.5%).
In addition, the Law Officers' Departments are currently conducting a cross-departmental feasibility study to evaluate opportunities to make cashable savings in:
Collaborative procurement
Shared IT
Estates rationalisation
Shared corporate services
Shared transactional services.
That project is expected to report shortly and outcomes will be taken forward in conjunction with Treasury guidance.
Prime Minister
Engagements
Q11. Mr Allen: To ask the Prime Minister what recent changes to the machinery of government he has made to enable the implementation of early intervention policies. [9858]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I have been asked to reply.
There is renewed interest and a great deal of work on early intervention going on across Government.
We have created a Cabinet Sub-committee on Social Justice, chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which will drive forward this work. The Childhood and Families Task Force chaired by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, and which I attend, will also take a keen interest in these important issues.
Deputy Prime Minister
Electoral Register
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the adequacy of resourcing and funding of electoral services and electoral registration departments in local authorities. [9195]
Mr Harper: The Government have not made such an assessment. However, as part of its work in developing performance standards for electoral services, the Electoral Commission launched its financial information survey across Great Britain on 10 September 2007.
Electoral registration officers and returning officers were asked to complete the survey and return it by 31 July 2008, and again in July 2009. I understand that the Commission has published its report "The Cost of Electoral Administration in Great Britain", based on survey findings and covering the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years. The report is now available on the Commission's website at:
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions: Kirklees
Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the level of carbon dioxide emissions in the Kirklees local authority area in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [8344]
Gregory Barker [holding answer 13 July 2010]: DECC has carbon dioxide emissions data for the Kirklees local authority area from 2005 to 2007. DECC does not hold emissions data for local authority areas before 2005, and 2008 data will be available this autumn.
Local authority CO2 emission estimates, published as National Statistics, cover all domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural fuel and electricity use, as well as emissions associated with transport and land use change. This dataset shows that Kirklees have reduced their per capita emissions by 5.3% between 2005 and 2007 (Annex 1).
DECC also publishes National Indicator 186. This is a subset of the above statistics, which measures the percentage reduction of the per capita CO2 emissions in the local authority area from the 2005 baseline year. This dataset involves the removal of emissions associated with motorways, diesel railways, land use, land use change, and forestry, and EU ETS, since these are emissions that LAs can be least expected to be responsible for. The National Indicator 186 dataset shows that Kirklees have reduced their per capita emissions by 7.4% between 2005 and 2007 (Annex 2, National Indicator 186).
| Annex 1. Kirklees local authority CO 2 emissions estimates : 2005-07 | ||||||
| Carbon dioxide emissions by sector (kilo tonnes) | ||||||
| Industrial and Commercial | Domestic | Road Transport | Land Use Change | Total | Per Capita | |
These data show 5.3% reduction in per capita emissions since 2005.
| Annex 2. Kirklees Local Authority National Indicator 186 CO 2 emissions estimates : 2005-07 | |||||
| Carbon dioxide emissions by sector (kilo tonnes) | |||||
| Industrial and Commercial | Domestic | Road Transport | Total | Per Capita | |
These data show 7.4% reduction in per capita emissions since 2005.
Departmental Civil Servants
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many employees of his Department attended Civil Service Live in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010; and what estimate he has made of the (i) employee working hours taken up and (ii) cost to his Department and its predecessors of such attendance in each such year. [9050]
Gregory Barker: DECC does not keep a detailed record of every member of staff that attends Civil Service Live. This information is managed by a private company (Dods) and they maintain the delegate registration.
Civil servants do not pay to attend Civil Service Live. Any travel and subsistence costs would be claimed in accordance with our departmental guidance.
Departmental Travel
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of its expenditure on travel undertaken in an official capacity by each Minister in his Department in (i) May 2010 and (ii) June 2010. [8226]
Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson) on 2 June 2010, Official Report, columns 19-20W, and to the hon. Member for York Central (Hugh Bayley) on 20 July 2010, Official Report, column 240W.
As set out in the Ministerial Code Departments will publish, at least quarterly, details of all travel by Ministers. Information for the first quarter will be published as soon as it is ready. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Nuclear Development Forum
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change who attended the Nuclear Development Forum held on 15 July 2010; what estimate he has made of the cost to the Office for Nuclear Development of hosting the Forum; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each paper submitted for discussion or information at the Forum by (a) his Department and (b) others attending. [10131]
Charles Hendry [holding answer 20 July 2010]: A copy of the attendee list for the Nuclear Development Forum held on 15 July is available on the forum's website:
All other papers submitted for information or discussion have either been made available on the website or will be shortly.
The estimated cost of hosting the Nuclear Development Forum on 15 July was £1,520.00.
International Development
BBC External Services
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to assume responsibility for funding the BBC World Service. [9976]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: All future expenditure will be considered during the comprehensive spending review.
British Council: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to assume responsibility for funding the British Council. [9992]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) will cover the official development assistance (ODA) element of core British Council grant in aid funding in 2010-11. This was already classified as ODA and meets the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rules for aid spending. DFID funding for future years is being reviewed as part of wider spending round discussions.
Departmental Billing
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information his Department holds on the time taken by contractors employed by it to pay the invoices of their sub-contractors under prompt payment arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [9250]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not maintain records on the time taken by contractors employed by it to pay the invoices of their sub-contractors. In line with the Government's policy to improve supplier payment, DFID routinely pays its suppliers within 10 days in over 90% of transactions.
Departmental Civil Servants
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees of his Department attended Civil Service Live in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010; and what estimate he has made of the (i) employee working hours taken up by and (ii) cost to his Department of such attendance in each such year. [9047]
Mr Duncan: Civil Service Live events are owned and managed by the private company Dods (the publishers of Civil Service World), who bear all of the financial risks.
The overall delegate numbers for Civil Service Live in 2008, 2009 and 2010 were approximately 6,000, 8,000 and 7,700 respectively. Delegate registration is managed centrally by Dods. Departments do not keep a detailed record of every member of staff that attends.
Civil servants do not pay to attend Civil Service Live events, but staff are eligible to claim travel and subsistence costs in line with departmental guidance.
Departmental Pay
Mr Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimates his Department makes of the level of emoluments it pays to locally-engaged staff; and what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the level of such emoluments is in line with that paid to locally-engaged staff of other Departments. [10151]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The pay bill for locally engaged staff employed by the Department for International Development (DFID), known as Staff Appointed in Country (SAIC), for the 2009-10 financial year was £14.9 million.
The pay and benefits of SAIC engaged by DFID are determined by reference to the salaries and other benefits offered by up to 12 comparator organisations within the local labour market. The comparators include large international organisations, diplomatic missions, other aid agencies and reputable local employers.
Comprehensive pay reviews typically take place every three years, with interim reviews being undertaken annually to ensure that pay rates remain within the mid-market position.
In 2008, the Cabinet Secretary mandated DFID and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to bring the pay and benefits of their respective locally engaged staff into close alignment. DFID and FCO now conduct joint pay reviews in those countries where both organisations have a presence, based on the principles outlined above. A large proportion of local staff employed by other Government Departments are recruited and paid according to the FCO's locally set terms and conditions of service, ensuring equality on emoluments.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's total (a) capital and (b) current spending was in each year since 1995 in (i) cash and (ii) constant prices; how many full-time equivalent (A) UK-based and (B) locally-engaged staff his Department employed in each such year; and how much his Department spent on consultants (1) contracted to his Department and (2) employed by other organisations under contract to his Department in each such year. [10145]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The following table shows net operating costs and the annual average full-time equivalent staff (UK-based and locally engaged) as set out in DFID's Resource Accounts. These figures have been restated using HMT GDP deflators to constant prices as at 2010-11. Figures are not available on a comparable basis before the creation of DFID in 1997.
| Financial year | Net operating cost as per resource accounts (£000) | At constant price (£000) | Total FTE |
DFID's resource accounts from 2001-02 onwards report capital spending as follows:
| Financial year | Net operating cost as per resource accounts (£000) | At constant price (£000) |
From April 2006, grants to certain International Financial Institutions were reclassified as Capital Del for budget purposes, but continue to be included as a resource cost in the accounts and the estimates.
DFID's annual reports state that the numbers of Home civil service and staff appointed in country at the end of each financial year were as follows:
| Home civil service | Staff appointed in country | |
Figures are not available on a comparable basis for earlier years DFID's financial management system shows spending on consultants for the last three years as follows:
| Consultancy spending (£000) | |
Information on a comparable basis is not available for earlier periods. Amounts recorded in DFID systems as consultancy include some items which fall outside the definition of consultancy from the Office of Government Commerce. DFID is now working to bring its account coding system in line with the Office of Government Commerce definition.
Departmental Secondment
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take to increase the number of officials seconded from his Department to the EU institutions. [9283]
Mr Duncan: At present there are around 19 officials seconded from the Department for International Development (DFID) to EU institutions. DFID focuses on posts where we can have real impact in terms of UK priorities for aid policy and delivery.
DFID may also propose staff for development-related posts in the European External Action Service (EEAS), once it is established. This will be co-ordinated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Developing Countries: Water
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to increase access to safe water in developing countries. [8971]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports programmes relating to water and sanitation in 23 countries. Last year UK aid enabled approximately 2.7 million of the world's poorest people to gain access to clean water and 1.8 million to basic sanitation.
The Secretary of State has recently commissioned a review of DFID's aid programmes to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the taxpayer and accelerate progress towards the millennium development goals (MDGs), including the targets for water and sanitation.
"The Coalition: our programme for government" clearly states that we will prioritise aid spending targeting access to clean water and sanitation. To achieve this we will place a high priority on targeting the countries that are most off-track in achieving the MDGs.
International Assistance
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his objectives are for the side event on education at the UN summit on the millennium development goals in New York. [9986]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: There are a number of side events on education planned for the UN summit in September. Specific details of these are still emerging.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow North of 8 July 2010, Official Report, column 417W, on developing countries, what objectives the Government have set for the action agenda for the September 2010 UN summit on the millennium development goals. [10133]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is making every effort to ensure that the action agenda for the United Nations summit reflects the following eight priorities for action, as set out in the international assessment of what is needed to meet the millennium development goals: fostering inclusive economic growth; supporting country-led development; increasing public investments in education, health and sanitation; scaling-up social protection programmes; investing in expanded opportunities for women; promoting low-carbon development; accelerating domestic resource mobilisation; and delivering on ODA commitments.
In addition we will be looking to secure an accountability mechanism to monitor progress and the delivery of commitments made at the summit.
Kashmir: Overseas Aid
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department sponsors in Kashmir; and how much it spent in Kashmir in the last 12 months. [9347]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: In India, the Department for International Development (DFID) funds Save the Children (SCF), which is working in India-Administered Kashmir, with five local NGOs on education and child protection, particularly for children affected by conflict. The total allocation for our work with these NGOs, funded through SCF, is £337,000 for the period 2009-14.
In Pakistan, as part of our £84 million earthquake reconstruction and rehabilitation programme, DFID is financing the building of 15 new schools and 40 bridges in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir. DFID funds have also assisted in the rebuilding of 450,000 houses destroyed or damaged by the earthquake.
DFID also supports national programmes in both countries that work in and benefit Kashmir, including health and education programmes.
Overseas Aid
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether expenditure on (a) refugees and (b) overseas students in the UK will be included in levels of official development assistance reported by his Department. [9983]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: "The Coalition: our programme for government" states that the Government will stick to the rules laid down by the OECD about what spending counts as aid. We are working with the DAC to develop clarification of its statistical reporting directives, particularly around expenditure on refugees, and will publish as soon as possible details of the adjustments required to our reporting.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) when he expects to begin the My Aid scheme; [10224]
(2) how much funding from the public purse he expects to allocate to the My Aid scheme. [10225]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The commitment to
"create new mechanisms to give British people a direct say in how an element of the aid budget is spent"
was laid out in "The Coalition: our programme for government". Further details are being developed and will be shared with Parliament in due course.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects to publish his Department's reviews of (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral aid. [10226]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: I expect to publish conclusions from both the Bilateral Aid Review and Multilateral Aid Review by early 2011.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what terms of reference he has established for his Department's reviews of (a) bilateral, (b ) multilateral and (c) humanitarian aid. [10227]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The aim of the Bilateral Aid Review is to establish: the countries in which we should retain a presence, programmes which we should close and graduation strategies when closing; the overall rationale and sector priorities for the bilateral aid programme; results that should be prioritised in each country; levels of spending for each country to 2014; and the delivery mechanisms for bilateral aid.
The aim of the Multilateral Aid Review is to ensure that DFID gets maximum value for money from our contributions to multilateral organisations. This review will consider: the relevance of the multilateral organisations to HMG development objectives and their ability to deliver results in country; the extent to which they have delivered and demonstrated value for the money in the past; their plans going forward and the likelihood of reform to improve their effectiveness; and make recommendations for how DFID should engage with the multilaterals in future to increase value for money.
The Emergency Response Review will assess the UK Government's response to humanitarian emergencies. Key areas of focus will include value for money and impact; skills and expertise; co-ordination with UN, humanitarian organisations and the private sector; delivery of aid; co-ordination with the rest of Government; and use of new technologies.
Yemen: Overseas Aid
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department gave to Yemen in the latest period for which figures are available. [9167]
Mr Duncan: The amount of bilateral assistance provided to Yemen by the Department of International Development (DFID) is published in "Statistics on International Development", which is available on DFID's website at;
DFID provided £19.3 million in bilateral assistance to Yemen in 2008-09.
The figure for 2009-10 will be published later this month in line with the International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Act 2006.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which projects in Yemen his Department was funding on 1 January 2010. [9168]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development was funding a total of eight projects on 1 January 2010. These projects are listed as follows.
| Project | Total budget (£ million) | Project time period |
|
Government of Yemen Reform Agenda-Technical Advice on Communication | ||
|
International Finance Corporation Private Sector Development |
Women and Equalities
Budget: Females
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will commission and publish research on how the provisions of the Budget will affect women. [6905]
Mrs May: I take this issue seriously. The Government Equalities Office has taken a range of measures to support other Departments in taking account of equality considerations when assessing policy options in the context of identifying departmental savings. This has included holding a series of advisory meetings with other Government Departments, organising a training seminar attended by the Regulator, the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Further seminars will be held over the summer.
I have no plans to commission separate work on how the provisions in the Budget will affect women.
Scotland
Unemployment
15. Jo Swinson To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the level of unemployment in Scotland. [8925]
David Mundell: The Government have already announced their plans for a radical reform of the welfare to work system and improved support for the unemployed through implementation of the work programme.
Departmental Billing
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department holds on the time taken by contractors employed by it to pay the invoices of their sub-contractors under prompt payment arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [9248]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office encourages its contractors to pay their sub-contractors as quickly as possible. However, no information or statistics are held by the Scotland Office regarding this process.
Departmental Buildings
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on office refurbishment in each year since 1997. [7363]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. Under the terms of its building leases the Office is required to maintain the buildings to an acceptable standard of decoration and repair. In the case of the Scotland Office's London premises this includes maintaining a grade one listed building of considerable architectural significance. The Scotland Office does not separately identify the costs of refurbishment from the routine repair and replacement of existing facilities. Over the period of the last 10 years, the Office has shared its accommodation with a number of other Government Departments.
The following figures show the gross total for repairs and maintenance of Scotland Office buildings, but does not include the contribution by the Departments towards their share of the costs.
| Expenditure (£) | |
| (1) Under the terms of the building leases the Office is required to maintain the buildings to an acceptable standard of decoration and repair, which in 2007-08 included roof and exterior repairs to Dover House in London. | |
Departmental Electronic Equipment
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on televisions in each year since 1997. [7514]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The office does not separately record the purchase of electrical devices and therefore the information requested for the early years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The spend on televisions from 2007-08 has been identified and is shown in the following table:
| Spend (£) | |
Departmental Legal Costs
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on legal advice in each year since 1997. [7577]
David Mundell: The Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland provides any necessary legal advice to the Scotland Office; the Scotland Office has incurred no expenditure on legal advice from private solicitors.
Departmental Lighting
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on light bulbs in each year since 1997. [7634]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not separately record expenditure on light bulbs.
Departmental Marketing
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on logo design in each year since 1997. [7490]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since then, the only expenditure incurred by the office on departmental branding was £2,988 in 1999-2000.
Departmental Official Cars
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on the Government Car Service since the Government took office. [7959]
David Mundell: During the period 12 May to 12 July 2010, the Scotland Office spent £12,986 on the Government Car Service.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his estimate is of the mileage travelled by each Minister in his Department in a Government car in (a) May and (b) June 2010. [8316]
David Mundell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, on 13 July 2010, Official Report, column 624W.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on hospitality in each year since 1997. [7452]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date, the office has spent the following on hospitality:
| Expenditure (£) | |
| (1) Part year | |
All expenditure has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in (a) May and (b) June 2010. [10119]
David Mundell: Scotland Office expenditure on hospitality for events hosted by each Ministers is as follows:
| May 2010 | June 2010 (£) | |
All expenditure incurred is in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Departmental Operating Costs
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to reduce the running costs of his Department since his appointment. [9819]
David Mundell: All aspects of the running costs of the Scotland Office are subject to rigorous and systematic review as a matter of course. All expenditure incurred is in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Departmental Security
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on security in each year since 1997. [7382]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. Since that date, the office has incurred the following expenditure on security:
| Expenditure (£) | |
| (1) Part year |
Departmental Stationery
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on stationery in each year since 1997. [7471]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Scotland Office provides support services to the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland (OAG) and prior to 2003-04, separate records were not maintained for the two Offices. The spend on stationery was as follows:
| Expenditure (£) | |
| (1) Part year. (2) Scotland Office and OAG | |
Departmental Training
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on employee away days in each year since 1997. [7326]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date, the office held one staff away day in 2005-06, one in 2006-07, one in 2008-09, and one in 2009-10. The costs of each were £2,457 in 2006-07, £2,660 in 2008-09, and £557.48 in 2009-10.
Information on the costs prior to 2006-07 are not separately identifiable.
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on employee training since 1997. [7656]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date, the following has been spent on training:
| Expenditure (£) | |
Departmental Travel
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on travel for its employees in each year since 1997. [7433]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Travel costs for Scotland Office officials from that date are shown in the table.
| Expenditure (£) | |
| (1) In our earlier years, the costs of the Scotland Office were not discernable from those of the Office of the Advocate-General. Therefore, the costs shown for the first two years include the costs of both Offices. (2) Part year | |
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have been driven by the Government Car Service since the Government took office; and how much each of these persons has received in expenses for use of taxis, buses and underground trains in that period. [7960]
David Mundell: The Ministerial Code sets out use of official cars. Paragraph 10.12 states that Ministers are permitted to use an official car for official business and for home to office journeys within a reasonable distance of London on the understanding that they would normally be carrying classified papers on which they would be working.
In addition, the Government publish on a quarterly basis the expenses incurred by the most senior officials which includes use of the Government car service and other travel expenses.
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee
Members' Staff: Data Protection
Glenda Jackson: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what legal advice the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority obtained on its publication of names and salaries of hon. Members' staff. [10206]
Mr Charles Walker: The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has informed me that it is not its practice to confirm whether or not legal advice has been obtained, or to release details of such legal advice where it has been obtained. No Members' staff names and salaries have yet been published as the policy on publication has yet to be finalised following the public consultation. The policy on publication will be announced in due course.
Members' Staff: Pay
Mr Allen: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority how many staff working for hon. Members (a) were not paid and (b) did not receive the correct amount of pay in (i) May and (ii) June 2010; and what steps the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is taking to correct this. [9864]
Mr Charles Walker: In May, 17 members of MPs' staff did not receive their salary, and one member of staff received an incorrect salary, out of a total number of 156 staff then on the IPSA payroll. These equate to 11% and 0.7% of the total number of staff members. For June, the figures were 81 and six respectively out of 2,345 members of staff, or 3.5% and 0.3% of the total number.
IPSA has identified a number of reasons for these errors. These reasons were: the complications of creating the payroll with information provided by different sources and in different formats; incomplete information; late amendments to pay details and new contracts being issued. IPSA does not anticipate these problems continuing.
Members: Data Protection
Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what assessment has been made of the extent of liability of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) for any financial implications for hon. Members in the event of the alleged unauthorised disclosure of personal details by the Authority. [10139]
Mr Charles Walker: It has not been possible for IPSA to provide a response to this question by the named day. IPSA will respond as soon as possible.
Helen Jones:
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what assessment has been made of the implications for hon. Members of
the alleged unauthorised disclosure of their personal information by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; and if he will make a statement. [10140]
Mr Charles Walker: An IPSA administrative report was temporarily available on the secure expenses website. IPSA removed the report immediately this was disclosed, notified the Information Commissioner, and ordered immediate changes by its IT contractor. IPSA will have these changes audited by a third party.
IPSA takes these matters very seriously. However, no sensitive personal data were made available to the public, the report was only available for a short period of time, and the report was accessed by only five MPs and six nominated proxies. These individuals are being contacted directly.
Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what steps will be taken by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to notify hon. Members in cases where personal details have been placed on the Authority's website and were accessible to other hon. Members and their staff. [10141]
Mr Charles Walker: An IPSA administrative report was temporarily available on the secure expenses website. IPSA removed the report immediately this was disclosed, notified the Information Commissioner, ordered immediate changes by its IT contractor and will have these changes audited by a third party. The report was only available for a short period of time, and the report was accessed by only five MPs and six nominated proxies. These individuals are being contacted directly.
If personal data had been made available to the public, IPSA would notify the Members concerned. However, this has not happened.
Members: Security
Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority whether the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has sought advice on the security implications for hon. Members following the alleged unauthorised disclosure of their personal details. [10088]
Mr Charles Walker: IPSA has not sought advice specifically on the security implications for hon. Members. The information was released only to a small number of MPs and their nominated proxies through the Expenses@Work system. IPSA takes incidents such as this extremely seriously and is now conducting a full investigation to determine the exact types of data that were exposed and what the scope of exposure was. When it has this information, IPSA will review the implications and take any appropriate action.
Standards
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what sanction can be applied to staff of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority where (a) a substantive reply to
an hon. Member is not given and (b) a payment to an hon. Member is not processed within a reasonable time. [10009]
Mr Charles Walker: There are no penalties. IPSA is currently dealing with very large volumes of queries and claims. While this is having an effect on the average time required to process queries and claims, IPSA is confident that the average will reduce significantly over time.
Defence
Aircraft Carriers
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions since 1997 Royal Navy aircraft carriers have been used in humanitarian operations; and if he will make a statement; [9117]
(2) what his assessment is of the role of Royal Navy aircraft carriers in (a) constituting a sea base and (b) projecting air power from the sea; and if he will make a statement; [9118]
(3) what contribution Royal Navy aircraft carriers have made to the campaign in (a) the Falklands, (b) the Gulf, (c) Afghanistan and (d) Iraq. [9119]
Nick Harvey
[holding answer 19 July 2010]: Royal Navy aircraft carriers operate as a sea base to embark a wide range of military capabilities, including fast jet
aircraft, helicopters, ground troops and special forces elements. When land bases are unavailable or when host nation support has been denied, Royal Navy carriers make a significant contribution to multi-national sea-based forces by providing a secure platform from which operations ashore and in the maritime and air environments can be projected and sustained.
The aircraft carriers in the Falkland's Task Group formed the backbone of the UK's response as the only platform capable of delivering the required air power to secure eventual campaign success. Land basing was not an option; without the carriers and their air groups, the retaking of the Islands would have been an untenable aim.
UK aircraft carriers have operated in the Gulf on several occasions since 1991. They have been involved in the operations to police the No-Fly Zones in Southern Iraq and have been a significant and important part of the UK's coalition contribution and national diplomatic engagement in the region. UK operations in Afghanistan were initiated in 2001 by a sea-based operation. HMS Illustrious was one of the first British units in theatre at the start of the Afghanistan operation, providing the delivery of early entry land forces into theatre . In 2003, the British landing on the Al Faw peninsula (its major contribution in commencing operations in Iraq) was launched from HMS Ocean and from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.
The full list of Royal Navy aircraft carriers used in humanitarian operations since 1997 is as follows:
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