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Drug Seizures
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent illegal drugs from overseas reaching the UK. [46611]
James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to strengthening our international efforts to deter drug trafficking to the UK and to maximise success in tackling drug smuggling at our borders and traffickers at source and in transit countries. The Government’s Drugs Strategy, “Reducing Demand, Restricting Supply, Building Recovery”, was published in December 2010 and our approach to restricting the supply of illegal drugs from overseas is outlined on pages 14-17. The Strategy is available in the House Libraries and at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/drugs/drug-strategy/drug-strategy-2010?view=Binary
We continue to work with international partners, such as the European Union, G8 and United Nations, to encourage greater international effort.
We are also joining up our capacity with that of international partners in order to tackle the international drugs trade by making more effective use of all of the Government’s capabilities overseas, including our diplomatic and other assets.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) scheduled and (b) unscheduled checks of (i) English language schools and (ii) other educational institutions the UK Border Agency performed in each of the last five years. [46962]
Damian Green [holding answer 15 March 2011]: We are unable to provide figures on the number of checks conducted by the UK Border Agency to English language schools and other educational institutions in each of the last five years. Although data are available from 2008, the information requested is not centrally recorded in the format required and could be obtained only by a manual check of all records at disproportionate cost.
We are able to provide data on the number of Tier 4 announced and unannounced visits undertaken since October 2010 until the end of February 2011. The number of Tier 4 announced visits is 269. The number of Tier 4 unannounced visits is 93. This includes pre-licence, post-licence and highly trusted sponsor visits.
The figures provided are based on management information that is not subject to the detailed checks that apply for national statistics. They are provisional and subject to change.
Immigration
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications for the UK of the proposals in the EU Agenda for new skills and jobs in respect of migration; what assessment she has made of likely trends in migration to the UK from (a) EU and (b) non-EU countries; and if she will make a statement. [46853]
Damian Green: We do not anticipate that the EU New Skills and Jobs agenda will have any significant implications for migration to the UK. The Government will work to ensure that any specific legislative proposals respect national competence and the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, and are accompanied by a full impact assessment.
We use Office for National Statistics long-term international migration data to assess likely trends in migration to and from the UK. Historical data are available on the Office for National Statistics website. We monitor the trends in EU migration to the UK, as well as the number of British citizens returning and leaving. In recent years these have broadly balanced out, with the majority of net migration being explained by the balance of non-EU nationals. Our assessment of the likely trends in net migration from non-EU countries will be discussed in impact assessments supporting policies aimed at reducing net migration. These will be made publicly available on the UK Border Agency website.
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Missing Persons
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to provide support for the Missing Rights campaign; and if she will make a statement. [46128]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 14 March 2011]: Family members going missing is a distressing and difficult experience for those left behind. Access to advice and support during this period can make a significant difference. The Missing People charity’s Missing Rights campaign has suggested a range of steps which Government and others could take to improve services to missing people and their families. Those steps will help to inform our continuing work in this area.
Offences against Children
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent child sexual exploitation. [41211]
Tim Loughton: I have been asked to reply.
To tackle child sexual exploitation effectively there must be a collaborative approach involving Ministers from a range of Government Departments as well as local authority children’s services, Local Safeguarding Children Boards, and organisations such as the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), Barnardo's and others, including voluntary organisations around the country.
Within Government, working particularly closely with the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (James Brokenshire), who has responsibility for crime prevention, Prevention, the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (James Brokenshire), and with national and local partners, I am leading our urgent work on what action needs to be taken to safeguard children and young people from sexual exploitation. This will build on existing guidance and our developing understanding of this appalling abuse including through local agencies’ work around the country on effective prevention strategies, identifying those at risk of sexual exploitation, supporting victims, and taking robust action against perpetrators.
I met Barnardo’s chief executive, Anne Marie Carrie, in January following the publication of their “Puppet on a string” report on child sexual exploitation to discuss this issue. In April I am holding a roundtable meeting with Ministers across Government and key local and national partners to discuss the further action necessary to address this issue.
UK Border Agency: Public Appointments
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to appoint a permanent chief executive of the UK Border Agency. [46036]
Damian Green: An open competition for the recruitment of a permanent chief executive of the United Kingdom Border Agency will be under way very shortly.
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Transport
Ambulance Service: Safety Belts
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the merits of introducing an exemption from requirements to wear seatbelts in motor vehicles for staff of ambulance services. [46508]
Mike Penning: The proposal to exempt ambulance crew from seat belt wearing would raise a variety of concerns. There is clearly a risk of personal injury to paramedics being unrestrained, not only to themselves but to patients and other passengers when an ambulance is being driven at speed in an emergency.
We would, however, be prepared to consider representations on this issue from the authorities responsible for providing ambulance services, and to establish what the current practice is and how far they support your proposal.
Bembridge Harbour
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on the future of Bembridge Harbour. [46313]
Mike Penning [holding answer 14 March 2011]: Since May 2010, we have received four representations on the future of Bembridge Harbour. A number of representations have also been addressed to officials.
Biofuels
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to promote the greater use of wheat-based bioethanol; and if he will make a statement. [44661]
Norman Baker: The Government support the development of a sustainable biofuels industry, including wheat based bioethanol, through the renewable transport fuels obligation (RTFO). The RTFO requires fossil fuel suppliers over a certain size to supply a specified percentage of renewable fuel. Obligated suppliers are required to report on the sustainability of the biofuels they supply and the Government set voluntary greenhouse gas, environmental and social sustainability targets. Further information on the RTFO is available at
www.renewablefuelsagency.gov.uk
The European renewable energy directive (RED) requires member states to source 10% of transport energy from renewable sources by 2020 and sets mandatory sustainability standards for biofuels and bioliquids. We will consult shortly on proposals to amend the RTFO to meet the requirements of the RED.
Bus Service Operators Grant
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what payments of Bus Service Operators Grant were made to each operator in 2009-10; and what estimates he has made of the payments to be made to each such operator in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15. [46332]
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Norman Baker: Data showing Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) payments made to bus operators in England are available on the DFT website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/buses/busgrants/bsog/661224
The data relate to the last full year period for which an operator has submitted a certified BSOG claim. These ‘claim years’ vary from operator to operator and they do not relate to a single financial year, but largely relate to the period 2009-10.
As an estimate, we expect to provide around £423 million in BSOG grants to local bus operators in England in 2010-11. No estimate is available of how much will be paid to individual operators. No estimate is available of payments from 2011-12 to 2014-15.
Bus Services: Concessions
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to his Department was of funding free bus passes for the elderly in the latest period in which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [46512]
Norman Baker: The majority of funding for concessionary travel is provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) through Formula Grant. From April 2011 the responsibility for the administration of travel concession schemes will move from lower tier authorities to upper tier authorities and all funding will be provided to those authorities through Formula Grant. Local authorities spend around £1 billion a year on statutory and discretionary concessionary travel schemes.
From 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2011, the Department for Transport also provided Special Grant funding to local authorities by way of transitional help to cover the extra costs of the England-wide off-peak bus travel concession, which was introduced on 1 April 2008. The Special Grant funding was £212 million in 2008-09, £217 million in 2009-10 and £223 million in 2010-11.
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the take-up rate was by elderly people of free bus passes in the latest period in which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [46515]
Norman Baker: The National Travel Survey 2009 estimates that 76% of eligible older people take up their entitlement to free bus passes.
Bus Services: Finance
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the savings accruing to his Department from changes to the Bus Service Operators Grant in the next four financial years. [42316]
Norman Baker:
As part of the spending review, we announced that the rate of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) would be maintained at its present level for 2011-12, then reduced by 20% from 2012-13. It is not possible to work out the exact saving this will bring, as
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the total amount of grant will depend on how much fuel is used by eligible bus services in each year, and how many buses are eligible for each of the specific incentives.
As an estimate, we expect to provide around £423 million in BSOG grants to local bus operators in England in 2010-11. Assuming a similar level of BSOG claims in each of the next four financial years, that would suggest a spend of £1,692 million if we had maintained the current BSOG rate. With a 20% reduction from 2012-13, we would expect spending of around £1,438 million, a saving of approximately £254 million.
Departmental Energy
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has saved in (a) energy costs and (b) carbon dioxide emissions since bringing in real time energy display. [39634]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport introduced real time energy display in July 2010. Real time energy display is one of many initiatives that the Department has introduced to reduce energy usage. Attributing actual savings to specific initiatives is not currently possible due to the number of initiatives that have been introduced; nor indeed do we have an equivalent baseline period against which to compare.
However, the introduction of this technology has enabled the Department to look at ways of trying to reduce its electricity base load and also investigate any peaks in consumption.
Departmental Written Questions
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day between 27 May 2010 and 9 March 2011 did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer. [46566]
Norman Baker [holding answer 14 March 2011]: Between 27 May 2010 and 9 March 2011 the Secretary of State for Transport received 608 questions for answer on a named day. Of these, 276 were answered on the day in question and four were transferred to another Department to reply. Six recent questions are due to be answered on future named days.
The number of questions that did not receive a substantive answer on the named day is 322 (53%).
The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis. Statistics relating to Government Departments’ performance for the 2009-10 Session were recently provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.
Highways Agency: Finance
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are planned to reduce the cost of contracts for the Highways Agency; and what estimate has been made of the level of savings that will arise from each planned action in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [46642]
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Mike Penning: The Highways Agency Procurement strategy outlines the changes in approach to the supply chain that are being made to increase focus on “Value, Delivery and Sustainability” to deliver savings for the agency. These include implementing category management, changes to contract forms and closer engagement with the supply chain to encourage innovation.
The Highways Agency is also reviewing technical requirements as well as introducing them in to a new form of maintenance contract, the first of which will be tendered in 2011-12, to deliver savings from 2012-13 onwards. In the case of major projects, the introduction of category management, reducing waste and change in standards will be the key to achieving savings across the Highways Agency’s programme. These will contribute to the savings detailed in the document published on the 28 October, “Investment in Highways Transport Schemes”.
Southeastern Franchies: Service Delivery
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) capacity benchmark figures and (b) service delivery benchmark figures have been in each month of operation of the Southeastern rail franchise. [43565]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 2 March 2011]:The Cancellations and Service Delivery Benchmarks for the Southeastern franchise are set out in Appendices 5 and 7 of the Southeastern franchise agreement. This can be found at the following address:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/publicregister/current/lser/lser_franchise.pdf
Ports: Bankruptcy
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what responsibilities he has with respect to the operation of ports and harbours which enter into bankruptcy. [46314]
Mike Penning [holding answer 14 March 2011]: The Secretary of State has no general powers to intervene in the business activities of ports.
The Secretary of State would consider what action to take in the event of a port or harbour's bankruptcy given individual circumstances and having regard to the legislation applicable to that port or harbour.
Railways: Passengers
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the report of Passenger Focus on the operation of the assisted passenger reservation system, if he will take steps to encourage the rail industry to (a) install a new booking system that allows for monitoring of service delivery, (b) publish findings of the monitoring system and (c) set a service level target in each franchise. [35201]
Norman Baker:
In response to the previous Passenger Focus report into the assisted passenger reservation system, published in 2008, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) launched a project to
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improve the system. This is due to begin testing in the next few weeks and the Department for Transport is contributing £141,000 towards the cost from the Access for All Programme.
The new system will allow the Association of Train Operating Companies to monitor performance by train operator and individual station and we expect that the industry will publish this information. We are considering introducing service targets for each franchise once an industry wide consensus on fair and objective targets can be agreed.
Road Traffic
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to reduce road congestion. [45783]
Mike Penning: This Government's vision is for a transport system that is an engine for economic growth. A key part of this is tackling congestion and the unreliable journey times that congestion generates.
In regard to local highway authority managed roads, we have published a Local Transport White Paper. It explains how the Government are placing localism at the heart of the transport agenda, and taking measures to empower local authorities when it comes to tackling issues, such as congestion, in their areas.
In addition we are intending to commit £1.5 billion to local authority major transport schemes in the spending review period and a further £560 million through a new Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
On the strategic road network, we are taking forward a range of measures. This includes investment in 14 new major improvement schemes and delivery of a new National Traffic Information Service to enable motorists to make informed decisions about how to avoid congestion and thereby contribute to its reduction.
The Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service continues to play a vital role in swiftly clearing incidents and incident related congestion. We have also recently completed a review of motorway closure incidents, focusing on what improvements could be made to reduce incident durations. We are committed to ensuring that any improvements identified from the review are taken forward by December 2012.
Sea Rescue
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure the (a) evidence and (b) recommendations and the conclusions of the Transport Select Committee inquiry into coastguard reorganisation will be considered as part of the Department’s consultation on the future of HM Coastguard. [45173]
Mike Penning [holding answer 8 March 2011]:I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 14 March 2011, Official Report, column 3WS.
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Attorney-General
Departmental Assets
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Attorney-General whether receipts from the sale of assets owned by regional development agencies are reflected in the spending plans of the Law Officers' Departments for (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14. [47419]
The Solicitor-General: The sale of such assets has no impact on the Law Officers' Departments spending plans.
Fraud: Prosecutions
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General if he will place in the Library a copy of each representation the Law Officers' Departments have received on the introduction of deferred prosecution agreements in respect of allegations of fraud and bribery. [46249]
The Solicitor-General: No such documents are available to be placed in the Library.
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate: Manpower
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate expects to employ at the end of (a) March 2011 and (b) each subsequent financial year of the comprehensive spending review period. [46227]
The Solicitor-General: HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate’s (HMCPSI) staff is composed of permanent staff and staff on loan from other Government Departments. At the end of March 2011 HMCPSI’s staff complement is 43 of whom six are on loan from other Government Departments.
Currently there are no plans to change the number of full-time permanent staff during the comprehensive spending review period. HMCPSI will manage the numbers of staff on loan from other Government Departments as necessary.
Serious Fraud Office: Finance
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General (1) what the (a) resource and (b) capital budget of the Serious Fraud Office will be in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period; [46258]
(2) what the (a) resource and (b) capital budget is of the Serious Fraud Office in 2010-11. [46259]
The Solicitor-General: The resource and capital budget for the SFO for 2010-11 to 2014-15 is:
| £000 | ||
|
|
Resource | Capital |
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Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2011, Official Report, column 805W, on public expenditure, by how much the Serious Fraud Office expects to reduce expenditure under each budget heading in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [46267]
The Solicitor-General: The information requested is contained in the following table.
| £000 | ||||
| Resource DEL | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
The Department’s expenditure reduction plans are kept under continuous review and the value of individual components may change over time.
Serious Fraud Office: Manpower
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General (1) how many staff the Serious Fraud Office expects to employ (a) at the end of March 2011 and (b) at the end of each subsequent financial year of the comprehensive spending review period; [46257]
(2) how many witness care officers the Serious Fraud Office (a) employed at the end of 2009-10 and (b) expects to employ at the end of (i) 2010-11 and (ii) each financial year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; [46263]
(3) how many people the Serious Fraud Office expects to employ as (a) investigators and (b) lawyers in its Proceeds of Crime Unit at the end of (i) March 2011 and (ii) each subsequent financial year in the comprehensive spending review period. [46264]
The Solicitor-General: The information requested for 2010-11 is outlined as follows.
|
|
Staff | Witness care officers | Proceeds of crime unit investigators | Proceeds of crime unit lawyers |
Plans are currently under way to increase the numbers of proceeds of crime investigators from 11 to 14, and proceeds of crime lawyers from six to seven in 2012.
Staffing levels beyond April 2011 will be kept under review in order to ensure that the SFO is able discharge its functions efficiently and effectively and within the resources available to it.
House of Commons Commission
Salt Awareness Week
Mr Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the House of Commons catering service has plans to promote Salt Awareness Week. [46803]
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John Thurso: The House of Commons catering and retail services will be marking Salt Awareness week (21-25 March 2011) in all cafeterias across the parliamentary estate by displaying notices publicising Salt Awareness Week and reminding customers that, routinely, a lower sodium-based salt is used in all cooking processes. There will also be flyers on display produced by Consensus Action on Salt and Health to help raise awareness. Lo-salt is provided in all cafeteria salt cellars.
Prime Minister
Libya: Higher Education
Robert Halfon: To ask the Prime Minister whether 10 Downing Street has (a) had any discussions with and (b) provided any assistance to British universities in securing (i) contracts and (ii) financial support from Libya in the last 10 years. [46072]
The Prime Minister: Since I took office there have been no such discussions or assistance. I am not responsible for the actions of the previous Administration.
Defence
Air Force: Military Bases
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library each item of correspondence his Department has received from HM Treasury in respect of its RAF basing review. [46211]
Nick Harvey: The analysis of the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s estates and basing requirements goes far beyond a “RAF basing review”. The MOD is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the estates and basing implications of the conclusions of the Strategic Defence and Security Review and the comprehensive spending review. This does include the consequences of the changes to the RAF's force structure, but also includes the basing, accommodation and training requirements in the UK of units returning from Germany; changes to the structure of the Army; reductions in the overall numbers of service personnel and MOD civil servants; and the requirement to achieve efficiencies from better use of the Defence estate. As a matter of routine business this work is being undertaken with the involvement of officials from HM Treasury, but it would not be appropriate to place correspondence from Treasury officials on the policy making process in the Library of the House.
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence his Department received from hon. Members in respect of its RAF basing review. [46212]
Nick Harvey: Correspondence between hon. Members and Ministers is not normally disclosed in order to protect confidentiality.
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Air Force: Redundancy
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trainee pilots on courses of study leading to qualifications for flying Harrier aircraft have been made redundant to date under his Department's recent redundancy programme. [46297]
Ammunition
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the operational life is of the (a) L16, (b) L17 and (c) L18 propellant charges used for kinetic energy penetrator ammunition; [45750]
(2) whether his Department plans to (a) replace or (b) extend the life of the propellant charge used in kinetic energy penetrator ammunition. [46048]
Peter Luff: The life of L16, L17 and L18 propellant charges in kinetic energy penetrator ammunition depends on whether the ammunition has been issued to operational (deployed) units or whether it is held in conditioned storage. In the case of deployed ammunition, the life of the charges is normally six months; for ammunition in conditioned storage this varies from between five and 10 years.
The life of the propellant charges used in kinetic energy penetrator ammunition is extended provided it is shown to be safe and suitable for continued service. This is demonstrated through a rigorous in-service surveillance programme. While there are currently no plans to replace the propellant charge used in kinetic energy penetrator ammunition, we do investigate options to replace existing charge systems when the current in-service systems can no longer be supported.
Amphibious Vehicles
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the suitability of Bay-class landing ship docks for humanitarian assistance duties; [46287]
(2) what estimate he has made of the average lifespan of a Bay-class landing ship dock; [46288]
(3) what assessment he has made of the suitability of Bay-class landing ship docks for undertaking the duties of Atlantic Patrol Ship (North); [46290]
(4) what assessment he has made of the suitability of (a) RFA Fort George and (b) RFA Largs Bay for counter-piracy operations. [46293]
Nick Harvey: The Royal Navy has a range of vessels that are used to carry out humanitarian assistance, Atlantic patrol and counter-piracy operations.
The standard service life of Bay Class Landing Ship Dock Auxiliary (LSDA) is 25 years as articulated in the staff requirement document and reflected in the Royal Navy Plan 2010. The Bay class LSDA when appropriately enhanced with aviation and surface manoeuvre assets (eg Landing Craft, Mexefloat rafts), has been suitable as a platform from which to deliver humanitarian aid such as RFA Largs Bay’s contribution to the international humanitarian mission in the wake of the earthquake in
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Haiti in January 2010. When enhanced with aviation assets, Royal Navy and Royal Marine specialist manpower, it has been suitable for the task of Atlantic Patrol Task (North). For example, in December 2007 RFA Largs Bay had a successful counter-narcotics interdiction in the Caribbean in which the items seized had a street value of £20 million. When enhanced with aviation assets, Royal Marine Boarding Teams and Royal Navy Medical Staff, the units have the capability to be employed as platforms conducting counter-piracy operations. For example, RFA Fort Victoria conducted a successful patrol in the Somali Basin in 2010.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role RFA Largs Bay undertook in providing humanitarian relief to Haiti following the earthquake in that country in 2010; and if he will make a statement. [46292]
Nick Harvey: At the Department for International Development's request, the Ministry of Defence sent a Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship, RFA Largs Bay, to carry vital relief supplies to Haiti. These included shelter materials to rebuild homes as well as critically needed port handling equipment and vehicles for use by Save the Children, the International Federation of the Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies
RFA Largs Bay arrived in Haiti on 18 February 2010, delivered her cargo of aid and then provided further support to the World Food Programme under the direction of the Department for International Development. This principally consisted of distributing food aid from Port-au-Prince to more remote locations around the Haitian coast.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of RFA Fort Victoria to counter piracy activities; and whether further such contributions are planned; [46294]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of HMS Cornwall to international counter-piracy activity. [46295]
Nick Harvey: RFA Fort Victoria and HMS Cornwall, among other Royal Navy vessels, have made valuable contributions to the international counter-piracy missions off the Horn of Africa in the past 12 months.
RFA Fort Victoria is currently scheduled to take part in counter-piracy activity this year. However, the tasking of assets is subject to change in order to allow flexibility to meet evolving operational requirements.
Armed Forces: Pay
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rate of local overseas allowance is payable to personnel based in each overseas location. [44721]
Mr Robathan
[holding answer 7 March 2011]: The local overseas allowance is a cost of living allowance tailored for each country. The pay ranges in the following table reflect the payments for those who are posted unaccompanied and those who are accompanied without children. The rates paid to individuals then vary based on other factors such as the number of children, the
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length of posting or whether food and accommodation are provided. All figures are presented in pound sterling and represent the daily rate payable in each country.
| Daily rate | ||
| Country | Unaccompanied pay range | Accompanied pay range |
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| n/a = not applicable | ||
Armed Forces: Redundancy
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral answer of 15 February 2011, Official Report, column 815, on the armed forces (redundancies), on what date and at what time (a) the private office of each Minister in his Department and (b) he and each other Minister in his Department was first informed that emails had been sent to service personnel to inform them of the termination of their employment; and by whom each was informed. [46655]
Mr Robathan: Ministerial outer offices were horrified to learn of this matter during the early hours of 15 February 2011 and subsequently informed their respective Ministers. The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), made clear on 15 February 2011, Official Report, column 815, his displeasure at the handling of this matter and explained that arrangements have been put in place to ensure that this does not happen again.
Army: Redundancy
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many regional brigade headquarters his Department plans to close; how many redundancies he expects to result from such closures; and whether this figure has been reckoned among the 25,000 civilian staff redundancies already announced; [46465]
(2) how many redundancies he estimates there will be as a result of the closure of each of the regional divisional headquarters; and whether this figure has been reckoned among the 25,000 civilian staff redundancies already announced. [46466]
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Mr Robathan: As we set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) White Paper (CM 7948) we plan to replace the Army’s four regional divisional headquarters with a single UK support command and to close at least two of the Army’s 10 regional brigade headquarters, thereby enhancing our focus on front-line capabilities. Detailed planning is currently being undertaken to examine how best to take the SDSR direction forward, taking account of work ongoing across all three services on future basing requirements. Announcements will be made in due course.
It is too early to say how many military and civilian posts will be saved by the reduction in the number of Army regional headquarters. It is also too early to say whether any civilian redundancies will be required either to manage these changes or to meet the MOD’s overall civilian personnel reduction target of 25,000. Every effort will be made to avoid redundancies through the established measures laid down for managing surplus staff.
I can confirm, however, that they will be included in the 25,000 civilian staff reduction targets announced in the SDSR White Paper.
Cyprus: Birds
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received on the illegal trafficking of songbirds at UK sovereign bases in Cyprus. [47160]
Nick Harvey: I am not aware of any reports of the illegal trafficking of songbirds in the UK sovereign bases in Cyprus but the illegal trapping of songbirds is a recognised issue across the whole of Cyprus. Combating this issue is one of the key priorities for the UK sovereign base area police who have a dedicated team specifically tasked with policing this activity.
Departmental Pay
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that his published departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum in his Department and in the non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible. [43532]
Mr Robathan: The coalition Government are committed to improving transparency and the coalition programmes include commitments to publish salary information for the most senior civil servants and to publish organograms for the entire organisation.
As a first step, the Government published the details of 345 senior officials in departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in post at 31 March 2010 whose rate of pay was £150,000 or more. Publication of name, job title and base salary details was then extended to some lower levels of the senior civil service (SCS) as part of the organograms that were published last October.
Although individualised salary details for the most junior level of the SCS (Pay bands 1 and 1A) were not released, the numbers and grades of staff in each of
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their teams and the total salary costs of the team were published. Organograms will next be updated by the end of May to show structures as at 31 March 2011.
Good progress is being made across the civil service and beyond in improving transparency of how government works and uses its resources. We are now in a period of consolidating and embedding transparency processes into business as usual. We are always looking to go further and we will continue over the coming months to review, and where necessary improve, the quality and extent of data being released.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what estimate he has made of the potential saving to his Department from the reductions in expenditure on (a) food, (b) energy, (c) professional services and (d) other commodities committed to in the strategic defence and spending review; [46463]
(2) whether his Department has estimated the potential cost savings from the commitment in the strategic defence spending review to rationalise wider equipment holdings in the light of experience on operations and fleet management; [46467]
(3) what estimate he has made of the potential savings to his Department of a reduction in defence equipment and support; and whether the proposed reduction will entail redundancies. [46468]
Peter Luff: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 November 2010, Official Report, column 582W. It is too early to say what potential savings may accrue from the strategic defence and security review in all of the detailed categories listed. Where estimates of itemised savings have been made, I am withholding these as their premature disclosure would be likely to prejudice the formulation of Government policy and the Ministry of Defence’s commercial interests. Much work is now required to work through the detailed implications of strategic defence and security review decisions and their implementation. We will be providing the fullest possible information as progress is made.
Departmental Travel
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on travel in each month in the period from January 2009 to March 2010. [45852]
Mr Robathan: Ministry of Defence monthly expenditure on travel between January 2009 and March 2010 was as follows:
|
|
Expenditure (£ million) |
16 Mar 2011 : Column 360W
These figures include, for both service and civilian staff, the cost of travel and accommodation booked centrally, the reimbursement of expenses incurred when using their own vehicle for duty journeys, most rail fares not booked centrally and some car hire costs. The figures also include expenses reimbursed to civilian staff for overnight accommodation, subsistence, taxi, bus and underground fares, parking charges and road tolls, and most of their air fares not booked centrally. Costs of the MOD's White Fleet are not included as they are not recorded on a monthly basis; however, we estimate that White Fleet contract and fuel costs averaged around £4.5 million a month. The figures also do not include all travel and subsistence costs reimbursed to service personnel, but we are currently improving the accessibility of these in the interests of transparency.
By whatever means staff travel, they must do so in a way that is the most economical in both money and official time.
Departmental Written Questions
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day between 27 May 2010 and 9 March 2011 did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer. [46554]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence received 781 written questions tabled for answer on a named day between 27 May 2010 and 9 March 2011, of which 41% (323) did not receive a substantive answer on the day named. The Government are committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to Government Departments' performance in answering written parliamentary questions on a sessional basis. Statistics for the 2009-10 session were recently provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.
European Fighter Aircraft: Radar
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the suitability of an active electronically scanned array for the third tranche of Typhoon aircraft; [46672]
(2) what discussions his Department has had with the EuroRadar consortium on the research and development of the Captor-E Active Electronically Scanned Array; [46675]
(3) whether (a) current in-service Typhoon aircraft and (b) Typhoon aircraft that have not yet been delivered will be equipped with a Captor-E Active Electronically Scanned Array; [46676]
(4) what recent discussions he has had with EuroRadar consortium on equipping Typhoon aircraft with the Captor-E Active Electronically Scanned Array. [46677]
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Peter Luff: We are continuously reviewing Typhoon’s capability to meet operational needs. The Ministry of Defence has recognised the benefits which Electronically Scanned Radar could bring to Typhoon and has commissioned Selex-Galileo, the UK partner company in the EuroRadar consortium, to undertake a Technology Demonstrator Programme to increase the maturity of some aspects of the technology.
A decision has not yet been taken on equipping in-service Typhoon aircraft or those yet to be delivered with an Electronically Scanned Radar. Constructive discussions have been held between the four partner nations and industry on equipping Typhoon with an Electronically Scanned Radar for national and export customers, and UK aircraft within the third tranche of Typhoon are being provisioned to enable such updates to be performed in the most economical way at the appropriate time.
Germany: Military Bases
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what proportion of the soldiers currently based in Germany will live in existing service accommodation upon their transfer to UK bases; [45765]
(2) what assessment he has made of the new infrastructure which will be required to be built to accommodate troops returning from Germany (a) before 2015 and (b) before 2020. [45897]
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what estimate he has made of the unit cost to the public purse of relocating to the UK families of Army personnel stationed in Germany; [45926]
(2) what timetable his Department has set for the relocation to the UK of service families resident in Germany. [46001]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 14 March 2011]: Detailed work is currently under way which will determine how the Government will implement the Germany rebasing policy announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). Until that work has been completed and final decisions have been taken, it is not possible to provide the information. Details of costs, timetables and infrastructure requirements are all contingent on the precise way in which the rebasing will take place and the use to which the UK Defence estate will be put.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 582W, on returning troop costs (Germany), what estimate he has made of the financial savings from withdrawal of forces from Germany in each of the next 10 years; [45830]
(2) how much he expects his Department to save from troops currently based in Germany becoming based in the UK in each financial year from 2015 to 2030. [45898]
Nick Harvey:
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not yet have detailed estimates of the overall financial savings arising from the Government's rebasing policy, or a profile for the realisation of these savings over the coming years. Such information depends on the way in
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which the policy is implemented. This has yet to be finalised. The MOD can, however, provide details of expected savings in personnel costs. The latest estimate (January 2011) is that the saving to the Defence budget from repatriation would be approximately £5.5 million per unit (approx 600 personnel) per annum—so approximately £183 million per annum once all 20,000 personnel have been returned to the UK. This figure includes allowances, travel and subsistence and posting costs (approximately £2.3 million per unit per annum) and approximately £3.2 million per unit per annum in health care and education costs, because Defence is the sole provider for British soldiers and their dependants when posted in Germany. The MOD will also expect to make considerable savings in infrastructure and operating costs.
Harrier Aircraft
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether his Department has plans to recover (a) equipment and (b) systems installed in Harrier aircraft for use elsewhere; [46284]
(2) whether his Department plans to (a) sell and (b) dismantle any Harrier aircraft; [46285]
(3) what plans his Department has for the Harrier aircraft deleted from service. [46654]
Peter Luff: The fleet of Harrier aircraft is currently in storage while disposal options, including sale to other countries, are explored. It is too early to say what the final disposal arrangements will be or whether onboard equipment and systems will be used on other in-service aircraft.
HMS Astute
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Board of Inquiry to issue its report on the recent grounding of HMS Astute; and if he will place in the Library a copy of that report upon issue. [46678]
Nick Harvey: The service inquiry report into the grounding of HMS Astute is still under consideration as further investigations are currently taking place as a result of matters identified in the report.
In accordance with standard departmental procedures the service inquiry report will be placed on the Ministry of Defence website in due course.
Improvised Explosive Devices
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on capability to counter the use of improvised explosive devices in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2010-11. [45866]
Peter Luff: This information is not held centrally and, given the wide range of techniques and procedures involved, could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, as announced by the Prime Minister on 10 June 2010 up to an additional £67 million from the reserve was allocated last year to support the campaign to counter the improvised explosive device (IED) threat in Afghanistan.
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Military Aircraft: Helicopters
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to purchase helicopters for the RAF. [45930]
Peter Luff [holding answer 14 March 2011]: As announced in the strategic defence and security review, there is a capability requirement for additional helicopter capacity and the planned procurement of 12 additional Chinooks, plus a further two to replace those lost on operations in Afghanistan in 2009, remains the best way to meet that requirement. The Department is currently engaging with Boeing to secure the best deal for the armed forces and the taxpayer.
We are in the process of completing our annual planning round, which will allocate programme budgets. We will announce any significant procurement decisions to Parliament in the usual way.
Navy: Ships
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Naval ships have participated in anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia in each of the last five years. [45384]
Nick Harvey: Currently HMS Richmond is supporting Op Atalanta (EUNAVFOR counter-piracy) and will support Op Ocean Shield (NATO counter-piracy) later in the year. HMS Cornwall is the current flag ship for the Multi- National Maritime Task Force for Counter Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the east coast of Somalia.
The following Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels have participated in anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia in the last five years.
2010
HMS Northumberland
HMS Chatham
RFA Fort Victoria
HMS Cumberland
HMS Lancaster
HMS Montrose
HMS Cornwall
2009
HMS Cornwall
HMS Lancaster
RFA Wave Knight
HMS Richmond
HMS Cumberland
2008
HMS Northumberland
HMS Argyll
HMS Montrose
HMS Sutherland
HMS Chatham
HMS Kent
HMS Lancaster
HMS Portland
2007
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None specifically for counter-piracy but HMS Argyll, HMS Campbeltown and HMS Richmond were deployed for broader maritime security, east of Suez.
New Zealand: Earthquakes
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department considered the merits of providing naval assistance to New Zealand following the recent earthquake in that country. [46291]
Nick Harvey: On hearing of the earthquake, the Secretary of State telephoned the New Zealand Defence Secretary to pass on his condolences and to extend an offer of assistance from the UK. After assessing the damage and the type of recovery work to be undertaken, the New Zealand Government only made a formal request to the UK for specialised search and rescue assistance.
As naval assistance was not required by the Government of New Zealand, the UK Ministry of Defence discontinued any further consideration of the merits of providing such maritime assistance.
Point Class Ships: Public Finance
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) cost to the public purse and (b) difference in cost compared to the original estimate is of the procurement of six commercial Point Class ships under the private finance initiative which are available for use as naval auxiliaries to the British armed forces. [45353]
Peter Luff: Under a private finance initiative arrangement, the Ministry of Defence charters from Foreland Shipping Ltd the services of up to six roll-on/roll-off (RORO) sealift ships (the Point Class) to carry out defence resupply and sustainment tasks.
The contract was placed in 2002 at a price of £806 million with provision for variation of price in line with inflation. The contract will run to the end of 2024 and is currently meeting the performance, cost and time targets that were set in the original business case.
Actual spend against the contract up to August 2010 is £260 million.
Seas and Oceans: Piracy
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to explore the widest possible range of private sector defence alternatives for combating piracy on the high seas. [45351]
Nick Harvey: The Department for Transport and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office lead on Her Majesty's Government (HMG) maritime security policy and engagement with the maritime industry.
HMG remains open to all proposals which seek to assist in combating piracy off the Horn of Africa.
Somalia: Piracy
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he made of the threat to international shipping from Somali piracy. [46457]
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Nick Harvey: In 2010 there were 184 pirate attacks on shipping of which 43 were successful compared to 2009 where there were 190 attacks of which 47 were successful.
We therefore continue to take the situation off the coast of Somalia very seriously and have played an important role in developing the military response to pirate activity. We have key command roles within all of the international task forces and regularly contribute assets to them.
Piracy is a symptom of wider instability in Somalia and the Ministry of Defence continues to work comprehensively with other Government Departments and the international community as part of a coherent strategy to address the root causes of piracy.
Strategic Defence and Security Review
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much he expects his Department to save as a result of sale of the (a) Defence Support Group, (b) Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre and (c) Defence stake in the telecommunications spectrum in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [45924]
Peter Luff: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 November 2010, Official Report, column 582W. It is too early to say what potential savings may accrue from the strategic defence and security review in all of the detailed categories listed. Where estimates of itemised savings have been made, I am withholding these as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. Much work is now required to work through the detailed implications of strategic defence and security review decisions and their implementation. We will be providing the fullest possible information as progress is made.
Surveillance
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with its (a) US and (b) NATO counterparts on sharing surveillance capabilities. [45904]
Mr Gerald Howarth: Ministers and officials regularly discuss surveillance platforms with our US and NATO allies. This includes co-operative surveillance projects such as Rivet Joint and Scavenger.
Type 22 Frigates
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average running cost to a Type-22 batch 3 frigate was in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [46296]
Peter Luff: The in-service operating costs of an individual Type 22 frigate can vary as these costs are heavily influenced by an individual ship’s operational tasking and upkeep and maintenance regime during any particular 12 month period. Taking account of this, the Department has calculated that the average running cost of a Type 22 frigate in financial year 2009-10 was £33 million. This figure includes maintenance, safety certification, military upgrades, manpower, inventory, satellite communication, fuel costs and depreciation.
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Type 26 Frigates
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes to design costs there have been as a result of the decision to combine the C1 and C2 requirements into a single variant for Type 26 Global Combat Ship design. [46674]
Peter Luff: The cost to the Department of progressing the Type 26 Global Combat Ship from the concept stage through to the completion of the four-year assessment stage is estimated to be approximately £170 million. This figure, which includes the design cost for the vessel, remains unchanged following the strategic defence and security review.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent progress in reaching local and regional political settlements in Afghanistan. [45378]
Mr Hague: Any political settlement in Afghanistan needs to be Afghan-led. In October last year, the Afghan Government established the High Peace Council to lead its efforts. The work of the council so far includes convening Governors’ Roadshows in six provinces to take forward the reintegration of former fighters into mainstream communities and outreach visits to Pakistan and Turkey. We welcome these steps as evidence that the Afghan Government are making progress, locally and regionally, towards a political settlement.
BBC World Service: India
Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of regular weekly listeners of BBC World Service Hindi-language radio broadcasts in each year since 2006. [44704]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The BBC World Service analyses audience figures for the BBC Hindi short wave radio broadcasts. Listenership was 19.1 million in 2007 and 10.9 million in 2010. No full audience surveys were carried out in the intervening years.
Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what cost benefit analysis his Department conducted prior to the decision to end BBC World Service transmission of Hindi-language radio broadcasts from 1 April 2011. [44707]
Mr Jeremy Browne:
Under the broadcasting agreement between the BBC World Service and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the BBC World Service has managerial independence, except for the opening or closing of language services which requires the written authority of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. The original decision to end short wave broadcasts in Hindi was a platform change,
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rather than closure of a language service, so the FCO was not consulted. Following the announcement on 26 January 2011, the BBC World Service decided to retain the short wave service for one hour per day. The BBC Hindi service will continue to be transmitted on FM and online.
China: Prisons
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits to prisons in China have been made by British embassy staff in the last 12 months; and how many (a) UK nationals and (b) non-UK nationals were seen. [46958]
Mr Jeremy Browne: In the last 12 months, staff at our embassy and consulates general in China made thirty-one prison visits to UK nationals in China. In addition staff visited two Chinese prisons in connection with human rights project work.
European Court of Human Rights
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK plans to send representatives to the Council of Europe high level conference on the future of the European Court of Human Rights in April 2011; and if he will make a statement. [47090]
Mr Lidington: The UK will be represented. It will be decided nearer the time at what level the UK will be represented, in the light of ongoing discussions about the format and subject matter of the conference.
Hungary: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with their Hungarian counterparts on political reform in Hungary. [45319]
Mr Hague: UK Ministers and officials have had regular contact with their Hungarian counterparts over the past few months. I meet the Hungarian Foreign Minister, János Martonyi, every month, while the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), also spoke with his Hungarian counterpart in January 2011. These discussions covered political and economic developments across Europe.
Libya: British Nationals Abroad
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates his Department chartered each aircraft to evacuate UK nationals from Tripoli; and on what date and at what time each (a) arrived at and (b) departed from Tripoli Airport. [44432]
Alistair Burt:
As soon as it became clear on the night of 21 February 2011 that there would be no further commercial flights to the UK from Tripoli, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs decided that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) should charter flights to bring those British nationals who wished to leave Tripoli back to the United Kingdom.
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The FCO worked continuously to establish the number of British nationals wishing to leave Libya and chartered aircraft or arranged other exit routes to ensure that those who wanted to leave were able to do so.
The FCO organised six aircraft to evacuate British nationals from Tripoli:
FCO charter flight 1 arrived at Tripoli airport at 2.47 am on 24 February 2011 and departed at 9.21 am on 24 February 2011.
FCO charter flight 2 arrived at Tripoli airport at 6.9 pm on 24 February 2011 and departed at 1.40 am 25 February 2011.
FCO charter flight 3 arrived at Tripoli airport at 10.49 pm on 24 February 2011 and departed at 3.13 am on 25 February 2011.
FCO charter flight 4 arrived at Tripoli airport at 11.55 pm on 24 February 2011 and departed at 4.35 am on 25 February 2011.
FCO charter flight 5 arrived at Tripoli airport at 8.35 am on 25 February 2011 and departed at 4.45 pm on 25 February 2011.
FCO charter flight 6 arrived at Tripoli airport at 1.7 pm on 26 February and departed at 7.30 pm on 26 February 2011.
In addition, a flight originally chartered by another company but used by the FCO to evacuate British nationals arrived at Tripoli airport at 5.53 pm on 23 February 2011 and departed at 3.40 am on 24 February 2011.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any (a) British and (b) non-British citizens who were evacuated by the Royal Navy from Libya paid for their passage. [46705]
Alistair Burt: All British citizens and non-British citizens who were evacuated from Libya on Royal Navy ships did so without charge. In an evacuation, the Government cover the cost of transport out of the affected country if there are no commercial means available.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many (a) British and (b) non-British nationals who used the flights from Libya chartered by his Department have not paid for those flights. [46706]
(2) what charge his Department made to each (a) British and (b) non-British national who was evacuated from Libya on aeroplanes chartered by his Department. [46707]
Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to my response to him of 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1146W.