Departmental Manpower
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what public sector job reduction targets have been set for his Department and its non-departmental public bodies for each of the next 24 months; and what steps he plans to take to meet such targets. [51526]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not have monthly targets for job reductions.
As set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), the MOD civilian work force is expected to decrease by around 25,000 to 60,000 by 2015. Of these, we expect around 5,000 to be transferred outside of Defence through the sale of certain trading funds such as the Defence Support Group. The remainder will be managed through natural turnover, a near freeze on external recruitment, outsourcing, the release of certain locally engaged civilian staff working overseas, and the early release of others.
26 Apr 2011 : Column 68W
We launched a civilian voluntary early release scheme as a first stage, with a goal of some 4,000 voluntary exits by 31 March 2012. We are currently considering how best to manage subsequent stages of reductions, and will bring forward further proposals in due course in consultation with the Department's trades unions.
The SDSR also set out reductions of around 17,000 service personnel by 2015:
the Royal Navy will decrease by around 5,000 personnel to a total of circa 30,000;
the Army by around 7,000 to circa 95,000;
the Royal Air Force by around 5,000 personnel to circa 33,000.
Some of these will be delivered through natural turnover and some through redundancy. We will continue to recruit to prevent critical skills shortages in certain roles; and maintain the right mix of trained and experienced personnel for the future. The Secretary of State for Defence set out in his statement of 1 March 2011, Official Report, column 21WS, the process and timetable for the armed forces redundancy schemes, which will be conducted in a series of tranches. The RAF set out the areas in which it was planning first tranche reductions on 1 March and the Royal Navy and Army on 4 April. Under this tranche the Royal Navy is seeking a reduction of around 1,600, the Army of around 1,000, and the RAF of around 1,100. Individuals will be notified if they have been selected for redundancy in this first tranche on 1 September for the Army and RAF, and 30 September for the Royal Navy.
Departmental Mobile Phones
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in his Department are provided with mobile communication devices; and how much his Department spent on mobile telephones and related data services in the last year for which figures are available. [51416]
Mr Robathan: We do not hold this information in the format requested as we do not record the numbers and costs of mobile communication devices allocated to officials alone.
We do, however, hold information on the combined number and cost of official devices allocated to Ministers, members of the armed forces and civil servants as part of the Defence Fixed Telecommunications Service, which provides for most of our mobile communication requirements. In 2009-10 the total number of mobile communications devices (including mobile phones, BlackBerrys and 3G data cards) in issue at the end of the financial year was 45,306 and their cost (including rental, calls and data services) was some £6.6 million.
Official mobile communication devices are provided for the conduct of business in a similar way to desk-based telephones, a computer or a laptop. Technology-enabled mobile working helps increase our efficiency, support flexible working patterns and drive down administrative costs.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the provision of separate trading accounts for agencies within his Department. [48836]
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Mr Robathan: Of the Department’s agencies the Trading Fund accounting officers, under the Government Trading Funds Act 1973, have to produce an annual statement of accounts in a form approved by the Treasury. There is no separate departmental policy.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made on planning round 11; and if he will make a statement. [51813]
Dr Fox: The Ministry of Defence has concluded planning round 2011. The outcomes of the planning round take forward the decisions made in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). I will make a statement to the House on the progress of implementing the SDSR and the Department’s finances shortly.
Departmental Travel
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date (a) he and (b) each other
26 Apr 2011 : Column 70W
Minister in his Department last travelled by London underground services on Government business; how many times (i) he and (ii) each other Minister in his Department has travelled by London underground services on Government business since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [50078]
Mr Robathan: Given the nature of Defence business, the need for privacy to be able to read documents and to discuss issues with others often precludes the use of any means of transport where Defence Ministers could be overseen or overheard. This maximises the time available to conduct ministerial duties. In the case of the Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), his travel is orchestrated by the Metropolitan police. Since 12 May 2010 the instances where Defence Ministers have therefore been able to use the London underground are set out in the following table:
From 1 May to 11 May 2010, during the previous Government, no Defence Minister travelled on the London underground on Government business.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has initiated the Managing Staff Surpluses Agreement. [50882]
Mr Robathan: This agreement was drawn up with the trade unions as the basis for managing staff surpluses. Its primary aim is to provide a framework for examining measures with the aim of minimising or avoiding compulsory redundancy and it is consistent with the overarching efficiency and relocation support programme. We have invited the Trade Unions to take part in discussions about possible measures. A number of the measures referred to in the Managing Staff Surpluses Agreement are already in place and the use of voluntary early release, as a principal response to the challenges set by the strategic defence and security review and spending review 2010, and the need to deal with the deficit in the defence budget, is explicitly provided for in that agreement.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to prevent skill shortages developing within his Department as a consequence of staff seeking voluntary release as part of the reduction in the number of civil servants in his Department. [50883]
Mr Robathan: Civil servants provide the Ministry of Defence (MOD) with a broad spectrum of skills ranging from policy and administrative support to nuclear engineering. Each functional skills area is assigned a skills champion to provide a strategic input into civilian skills planning for their function. They advise on major trends and issues affecting their community; seek to enhance professionalism; identify key corporate work force/skills needs; and help shape and influence appropriate interventions to address those needs.
When introducing the Voluntary Early Release Scheme (VERS) we recognised the need to implement it in such a way as to retain critical skills. Early in the process, skills champions identified the skills that needed to be retained by the Department and within individual business areas; their advice was used in the design of the criteria which will be used to select individuals for release.
Skills champions will be asked to review individual release decisions to ensure the Department’s wider needs are considered before any offer of voluntary release is made.
All redundancies following the SDSR are a matter of regret, but they are a necessary measure to deal with the deficit in the defence budget.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding has been allocated to meet the costs of future reductions in the number of civil servants in his Department in each of the next four years. [50884]
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Mr Robathan: The Voluntary Early Release Scheme closed for applications at the end of March. It is therefore too early to say how much funding will be allocated over this period to meet the costs of reductions of civil servants in the Department.
Departmental Secondment
Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff of his Department have been (a) seconded and (b) attached or on loan to Defence Equipment and Support Project teams in its prime contractors since 2005. [50446]
Peter Luff: According to the Ministry of Defence’s human resources system, 13 staff from Defence Equipment and Support have had secondments with the private sector since 2008; four staff are currently on secondment. Those secondments began in the following years:
|
|
Number |
Information about numbers on secondment was not held centrally before December 2007.
Information is not held centrally about the whether the companies to whom these secondments were made were prime contractors. I will write to the hon. Member with this information.
Substantive answer from Peter Luff to Christopher Pincher:
I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 5 April 2011 (Official Report, column 759W), about whether the companies to whom Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) staff had been seconded since 2008 were prime contractors.
The 13 DE&S staff were seconded under the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Interchange arrangements which present a useful way of bringing new skills and perspectives into the Civil Service and into the MOD as a partner of industry. Of these, 10 were seconded to companies with whom the MOD held a direct contract at the time. The companies were as follows:
Aerosystems International Ltd
Babcock International Group
Babcock Marine (two staff)
BAE Systems
GPT Special Project Management Ltd
Interserve Defence
MBDA UK Ltd
Remploy Ltd
Serco Defence, Science & Technology
Departmental Travel
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on ministerial travel by (a) ministerial car, (b) train, (c) bus, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010. [50223]
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Mr Robathan: In order to keep costs as low as possible our Department uses an electronic booking system together with Hogg Robinson Group that search for and provide the cheapest and competitive prices available through their travel search engines.
Our data currently only extend to January 2011 and are provided in the following table:
| Form of transport | Amount spent from May 2010 to January 2011 (£) |
Employment Agencies
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in the last year for which figures are available. [51400]
Mr Robathan: External recruitment to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for grades below the senior civil service (SCS) is carried out by the People Pay and Pensions Agency (PPPA). Where external recruitment for SCS level posts is required, recruitment agencies may be asked to carry out an initial search for suitable candidates. In financial year (FY) 2010-11 the MOD spent £90,015 on recruitment agency fees in connection with SCS level recruitment.
MOD support to staff who are leaving on redundancy or voluntary release includes access to the outplacement service (MODOPS). MODOPS is a contractor-operated service which helps staff to find work outside the civil service, giving guidance on subjects including job-searching, CV writing, interview preparation and financial planning. MODOPS also provides on line support for a period of time after leaving. In FY 2010-11, the MOD spent £72,515 on MODOPS programmes. These costs reflect the previous contract pricing; a new pricing structure has recently been negotiated which will significantly reduce costs.
The Defence Academy is the primary provider of training and education to civilian personnel, both through courses run on-site, and through the provision of e-learning, including the running of Defence e-learning centres. Specialist and functional training is also procured from a range of external suppliers. Some training is also delivered locally, usually by civilian or military staff for whom training is not a full-time responsibility, but the costs of locally delivered training are not separately identified and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. Details of expenditure on staff training in FY 2010-11 are not yet available. In FY 2009-10, this expenditure was £65.127 million.
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Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on what occasions (a) officials, (b) Ministers and (c) military personnel in his Department met their counterparts from (i) Syria, (ii) Yemen, (iii) Qatar and (iv) Egypt between 2 May 1997 and 1 January 2010; [50948]
(2) on what occasions (a) officials, (b) Ministers and (c) military personnel in his Department met their counterparts from (i) Lebanon, (ii) Israel, (iii) Nigeria and (iv) Uzbekistan between 2 May 1997 and 1 January 2010; [50949]
(3) on what occasions (a) officials, (b) Ministers and (c) military personnel in his Department met their counterparts from (i) Afghanistan, (ii) Burma, (iii) Rwanda and (iv) Somalia between 2 May 1997 and 1 January 2010; [50950]
(4) on what occasions (a) officials, (b) Ministers and (c) military personnel in his Department met their counterparts from (i) Guinea, (ii) Turkey, (iii) United Arab Emirates and (iv) Chad between 2 May 1997 and 1 January 2010; [50951]
(5) on what occasions (a) officials, (b) Ministers and (c) military personnel in his Department met their counterparts from (i) Burundi, (ii) Kenya, (iii) Sudan and (iv) Zimbabwe between 2 May 1997 and 1 January 2010; [50952]
(6) on what occasions (a) officials, (b) Ministers and (c) military personnel in his Department met their counterparts from Bahrain between 2 May 1997 and 1 January 2010; [50953]
(7) on what occasions (a) officials, (b) Ministers and (c) military personnel in his Department met their counterparts from (i) Tunisia, (ii) Libya, (iii) Kuwait and (iv) Saudi Arabia between 2 May 1997 and 1 January 2010; [50954]
(8) on what occasions (a) officials, (b) Ministers and (c) military personnel in his Department met their counterparts from (i) Iraq, (ii) Ivory Coast, (iii) Liberia and (iv) Burkina Faso between 2 May 1997 and 1 January 2010; [50955]
(9) on what occasions (a) officials, (b) Ministers and (c) military personnel in his Department met their counterparts from (i) Sri Lanka and (ii) Pakistan between 2 May 1997 and 1 January 2010. [50956]
Nick Harvey: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
HMS Endurance
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2010, Official Report, column 1316W, on HMS Endurance, when he expects to announce a decision on the future of HMS Endurance; and whether he has estimated the cost of repair to the present vessel. [50867]
Peter Luff:
On current plans, a decision on the future of HMS Endurance is now expected to be taken in 2012. I am withholding information relating to estimated costs as its disclosure would prejudice the Ministry of Defence’s commercial interests.
26 Apr 2011 : Column 74W
However, as Lord Astor of Hever said in another place on 21 March 2011,
Official Report
,
House of Lords
, columns 451-52, HMS Protector will provide the interim replacement ice patrol ship capability for at least the next three years while we consider the long-term future of HMS Endurance.
Libya: Armed Conflict
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether depleted uranium munitions have been used by coalition forces in Libya. [50940]
Nick Harvey: None of the weapons supplied to UK armed forces for uses over Libya contain depleted uranium (DU).
Other coalition forces over Libya may choose to use DU munitions fired from aircraft guns against armoured targets if they have that capability, but that is a matter for them alone.
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what British forces have been flown into Gibraltar in preparation for use in military operations over Libya; and if he will make a statement; [52036]
(2) which ships of (a) the Royal Navy and (b) navies of other countries have called at his Department’s bases in Gibraltar en route to military operations over Libya; [52037]
(3) what assessment he has made of the role of his Department’s bases in Gibraltar on military operations over Libya. [52038]
Nick Harvey: No British forces have been flown to Gibraltar in preparation for operations over Libya. HM Naval Base has provided support to HMS York, HMS Westminster, HMS Liverpool and to HM Canadian Ship Charlottetown as they deployed. HMS York, HMS Westminster, HMS Cumberland and USS Providence and USS Florida also visited Gibraltar when returning from operations off Libya.
The Strategic Defence and Security Review confirmed the importance of the Permanent Joint Operating Base in Gibraltar to the UK’s ability to mount a range of deployments from there. Gibraltar’s response to the demands placed on it by current operations has been impressive and the experience clearly confirms Gibraltar’s operational significance.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have discussed the use of Raptor in Libya; [52046]
(2) whether (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have discussed with the armed forces the use of Raptor in Libya. [52047]
Mr Robathan:
Ministers regularly discuss the provision of capability in support of current operations with military commanders and officials. For reasons of operational security, it is not our policy to comment on specific capabilities; we will keep our
26 Apr 2011 : Column 75W
operationalrequirements for all capabilities under constant review to ensure that they continue to meet our mission objectives.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have discussed with the armed forces any transfer to Libya of capabilities deployed in Afghanistan. [52053]
Nick Harvey: There are a number of capabilities deployed in Afghanistan that are common to those being used in support of Op Ellamy in Libya, including reconnaissance, air to air refuelling, ground attack and surveillance capabilities.
Various discussions at an official level have occurred between the Department and Single Service Commands to determine what assets were available to deliver the capabilities required to enforce UNSCR 1970 and 1973.
To date, the only equipment transferred from Afghanistan to Op Ellamy has been a number of dual-mode Brimstone missiles, given the higher demand for this type of weapon on Op Ellamy. This has not created a capability gap in Afghanistan.
Military Aircraft: Operating Costs
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost per hour of using the (a) Harrier, (b) GR4 Tornado and (c) Apache in close air support operations. [50564]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 1 April 2011]: The Harrier is no longer in operational service. The estimated average full cost per funded flying hour for financial year 2010-11 is £35,000 for Tornado GR4 and £42,000 for Apache AH1. These figures include forward and depth servicing, fuel costs, crew costs, training costs, cost of capital charge, depreciation and amortisation.
The average marginal cost per funded flying hour for financial year 2010-11 is £5,000 for both Tornado GR4 and Apache. The marginal costs include only direct running costs, which are principally made up of consumables like fuel costs.
Military Decorations
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the review of the rules governing the award of military medals will report. [52008]
Mr Robathan: The Government are undertaking a review of the rules governing the awarding of military medals in line with its commitment in the programme for government. The review is currently with the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for final evaluation. I hope to announce the conclusions of the review shortly after Easter.
MOD Sealand
Mark Tami:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2011,
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Official Report
, column 948W, on Sealand, what recent discussions he has had with the Defence Support Group (DSG) management on the proposed visit to DSG at Sealand by the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside. [52546]
Mr Robathan: The Secretary of State for Defence has held no discussions with Defence Support Group (DSG) management on the proposed visit to DSG Sealand by the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside, and nor has any other Minister.
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2011, Official Report, column 948W, on Sealand, whether the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans had been informed of the proposed visit to the Defence Support Group at Sealand by the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside. [52547]
Mr Robathan: I was unaware of the hon. Gentleman’s wish to visit the Defence Support Group at Sealand until he raised the matter with the Secretary of State for Defence during Defence questions on 14 March 2011.
Navy: Officers
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the likely number of sea-going commands for Royal Navy officers of the rank of captain in (a) 2015 and (b) 2020. [51118]
Nick Harvey: On current planning it is expected that there will be six sea-going commands for the rank of Captain Royal Navy in 2015 and five in 2020; in 2015 they are expected to be HMS Ocean, HMS Bulwark, HMS Albion, a T23 frigate and a T45 destroyer, and the Ice Patrol Ship. In 2020 the five are expected to include one of the two new Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers, HMS Bulwark or HMS Albion, a T23 frigate and a T45 destroyer, and the Ice Patrol Ship.
Nimrod Aircraft
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the planned primary roles of the Nimrod MR4 can be carried out by (a) unmanned aerial vehicles and (b) satellite surveillance. [51306]
Peter Luff: The UK currently has no unmanned aerial systems or satellite surveillance capability that can perform the primary maritime patrol aircraft tasks planned to be undertaken by the Nimrod MRA4 programme. We do however have a range of other maritime and air assets that are able to provide similar capability.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by how much the Tornado GR4 has exceeded its planned fatigue life expectancy. [51307]
Peter Luff: The Tornado GR4 aircraft entered service with the RAF in 1998. Since that date, no Tornado aircraft has exceeded its fatigue life.
26 Apr 2011 : Column 77W
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) MR1 and (b) MR2 Nimrod aircraft have been withdrawn from service and destroyed in the last 12 months. [51375]
Peter Luff: The decisions to withdraw the Nimrod R1 and MR2 were taken by the previous Government.
No Nimrod R1 aircraft have been withdrawn from service or destroyed in the last twelve months.
The fleet of 14 Nimrod MR2 aircraft were withdrawn from service on 31 March 2010. Three of the aircraft were sold for recycling by the Disposal Services Authority, generating receipts for the UK taxpayer.
Five complete aircraft, one nose section and one forward fuselage have been sold to Aviation museums across the UK, and one aircraft has been gifted to the RAF Museum in Cosford.
One aircraft was transferred to the Defence Fire training and development centre to be used for training. The remaining aircraft have yet to be disposed of.
Nuclear Submarines
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has considered purchasing reactors for any Trident replacement submarines from the US; and if he will make a statement. [51457]
Peter Luff: The 2006 White Paper on the future of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent set out our intention to build the replacement Vanguard submarines in the UK, for reasons of national sovereignty, nuclear safety regulation, operational effectiveness and maintenance of key UK scientific and industrial skills. This includes the reactors.
Marine Petrol Aircraft
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his US counterparts on the future lease of (a) Poseidon-8 and (b) RC-135 Rivet Joint. [51374]
Peter Luff: We have had discussions with the US Government on maritime patrol aircraft capability but currently have no plans to lease Poseidon-8 aircraft. However, as stated, following the decision not to bring the Nimrod MRA4 into service, we are keeping our future requirements for maritime patrol aircraft under review. In March 2010, the Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with the US Government to purchase three Rivet Joint aircraft and associated training and ground systems as a replacement for the Nimrod R1.
RFA Fort George
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors he took into account in deciding to decommission RFA Fort George rather than an older fleet replenishment ship. [51119]
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Peter Luff: RFA Fort George is one of only two Auxiliary oilers replenishment in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and both ships are the same age. The decision to withdraw Fort George from service instead of her sister ship Fort Victoria took into account the material state of each ship, their respective maintenance requirements and the estimated savings that the retirement of each ship would deliver.
RFA Largs Bay
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire of 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 354W, on amphibious vehicles, how much aid was delivered by RFA Largs Bay; and how many people received medical treatment facilitated by RFA Largs Bay and her crew. [51257]
Nick Harvey: In support of the United Nations-led relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, RFA Largs Bay delivered 595 linear metres of relief supplies and equipment, including fork lift trucks, four-wheel drive vehicles and corrugated sheeting, together with the required cargo handling and beach landing capabilities. These capabilities facilitated the delivery of much-needed medical supplies to communities otherwise unreachable by road and air following the earthquake. It is not possible to identify specifically how many people benefited from this. Largs Bay did not land personnel in Haiti, and no direct medical treatment was provided to Haitians onboard the ship.
Special Forces: Manpower
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Coventry North East of 21 January 2011, Official Report, column 1022W, on marines, what assessment he has made of the effect of reductions to the size of the (a) Royal Marines and (b) Parachute Brigade on the overall size and recruitment pool of special forces units; and if he will make a statement. [51193]
Nick Harvey: As highlighted in the strategic defence and security review, the immense contribution of our highly professional special forces is necessarily largely unreported. It is the long-standing policy of the Ministry of Defence not to comment on matters concerning UK special forces.
Strategic Defence and Security Review
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on revisiting the outcomes of the strategic defence and security review. [51812]
Dr Fox: We have received a number of representations including letters from individual citizens and Members of Parliament, to Ministers and the Department directly and in the press, and various interventions on the Floor of the House.
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Tornado Aircraft
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many urgent operational requirements have been commissioned for the Tornado GR4 in the last 12 months. [51302]
Peter Luff: Two Urgent Operational Requirements for Afghanistan have been approved for the Tornado GR4 in the last 12 months.
Tornado and Harrier Aircrafts
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average number of staff hours required in maintenance per flying hour was for the (a) Tornado GR4 and (b) Harrier GR9 in the latest period for which figures are available. [51183]
Peter Luff: For the period 1 December 2010 to 28 February 2011, the maintenance staff hours per flying hour for the Tornado GR4 squadrons, including the Operational Conversion Unit, was 5.49 hours.
Harrier GR9 was withdrawn from service in December 2010. The latest period for which figures are available for Harrier GR9 is 1 July to 30 September 2010. The maintenance staff hours per flying hour were 6.07 hours.
Trident
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Trident replacement Initial gate report will include details of the (a) cost and (b) technical matters considered for each of the four successor design options during the concept phase; [51175]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost differential between each of the four design options considered during the concept phase of the Trident replacement programme. [51176]
Peter Luff: The initial gate parliamentary report will outline the work that has taken place since the parliamentary vote of March 2007 and an overview of the analysis of the options investigated during the concept phase. We will provide a description and revised cost estimate of the selected design in the initial gate parliamentary report, but not for those designs that have been rejected.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected budget is for design and technology development during the Trident replacement programme assessment phase. [51458]
Peter Luff: I am withholding details of the projected budget as to release the figures would prejudice commercial interests.
War Pensions
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assumptions he made in his revision of the forecast of war pensions payments between November 2010 and March 2011. [51562]
Mr Robathan:
The main supply estimate and supplementary estimates for financial year 2010-11 for war pensions benefits did not change and remained at £972 million. However, the unaudited end of year forecast
26 Apr 2011 : Column 80W
for financial year 2010-11 is now £935 million. This equates to a 3.8% reduction, which reflects the fall in the number of benefits paid and new claims processed each year due to the age of the war pensions scheme’s customer base and the introduction of the new Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme in April 2005.
The estimate for financial year 2011-12 prepared in January 2010 was £965 million. This was reduced by 2.8% to £938 million in January 2011 based on an overall 4% reduction due to mortality rates in the number of claimants or potential claimants and the change from retail prices index to consumer prices index as the basis for indexation.
Warships
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the operational tasking is of (a) HMS Albion, (b) HMS Bulwark, (c) RFA Lyme Bay, (d) RFA Cardigan Bay and (e) RFA Mounts Bay. [51121]
Nick Harvey: HMS Albion, RFA Cardigan Bay and RFA Mounts Bay are part of the Responsive Force Task Group which is currently planned to deploy as part of the wider Cougar deployment on 26 April.
RFA Lyme Bay is currently deployed on Op Telic and HMS Bulwark is in Devonport prior to an assisted maintenance period.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many ships were tasked with maritime security in UK waters in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010; and which ships were so tasked. [51123]
Nick Harvey: When not conducting specific National Operational tasking all Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships conduct maritime security in UK waters.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in disposing of one Bay-class ship; and if he will make a statement. [51124]
Peter Luff: There has been significant interest from foreign Governments in acquiring RFA Largs Bay and I am pleased to confirm that the Australian Government have been selected as the preferred bidder. Officials are now working with the Australian Department of Defence to complete the sale.
Transport
Aviation: Health Hazards
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many reports the Civil Aviation Authority has received of airline pilots or other air crew using oxygen masks in circumstances where poisonous fumes were released into passenger aircraft in the last five years for which figures are available. [51337]
Mrs Villiers:
Incidents where aircrew have required the use of oxygen masks are reported to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK's independent
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aviation regulator, through the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme (MORS). The following table gives details of the number of reports for the last five years..
It is not possible to determine from those reports whether the use of oxygen was related to poisonous fumes or non-poisonous fumes or smoke, and aircrew are trained to don their oxygen masks as a precaution. The Committee on Toxicity concluded in 2007 that the evidence available did not establish a link between cabin air and pilot ill health, but nor did it rule one out. In-flight research by Cranfield university to fill that evidence gap by assembling data on substances in cabin air and in what concentrations will be published soon.
| Reports of use of oxygen masks (UK passenger flights) | Number of UK passenger flights | Number of passengers carried on UK aircraft | |
| (1) Estimate | |||
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the merits of introducing regulations to require the operation of air quality detection systems on commercial aircraft carrying fee-paying passengers. [51338]
Mrs Villiers: The introduction of such regulations on board a commercial aircraft is the responsibility of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), rather than the UK GAA.
Cranfield university is completing research into real time sampling of cabin air to determine what chemicals occur in cabin air and in what concentrations. This research will be published soon. We expect this research to inform future decisions on the matters raised by my hon. Friend and will ensure that EASA are made aware of its conclusions.
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the incidences of exposure of aircraft passengers to the organophosphate TCP in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [51339]
Mrs Villiers: Cranfield university are completing research into real time sampling of cabin air to determine what chemicals occur in cabin air and in what concentrations. This includes sampling for the presence of organophosphates, including TCP. This research will be published soon.
BRB (Residuary)
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) savings will be made and (b) costs will be incurred from abolishing BRB (Residuary) Ltd in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14 and (v) 2014-15. [46480]
26 Apr 2011 : Column 82W
Mrs Villiers: The Government are seeking powers through the Public Bodies Bill to make reforms to a number of public bodies including BRB (Residuary) Ltd. Subject to the enactment of that Bill, the Department for Transport expects to be in a position to abolish BRB (Residuary) in 2013.
Exact future costs and savings cannot be predicted with certainty. However, we estimate the net administration costs of abolishing the company may be in the order of £1 million. Thereafter, the Department estimates that savings in the order of £2.5 million to £2.8 million per annum are achievable in administration expenditure.
Departmental Contracts
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contracts his Department and its associated public bodies signed with Lockheed Martin in each of the last 10 years; and for what purposes each such contract was let. [50701]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002. Since that date, no contracts have been signed with Lockheed Martin by either the Department or its associated public bodies.
Departmental Manpower
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff are employed full-time in his Department to undertake work on or relating to (a) fossil fuels, (b) biofuels and (c) electric vehicles. [46353]
Norman Baker: Staff across the Department for Transport (DfT) work on these issues; the majority are in Greener Transport and International directorate, including:
14 working in the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, focusing on ultra-low emission vehicles. These staff are drawn from DfT, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Energy Savings Trust.
18 work in the Low Carbon Fuels Team, focusing on renewable transport fuels.
Other staff across DfT and other Government Departments work on issues that relate to these subject areas as part of their jobs.
Departmental Mobile Phones
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in his Department are provided with mobile communication devices; and how much his Department spent on mobile telephones and related data services in the last year for which figures are available. [51428]
Norman Baker: The number of mobile communication devices and the cost is set out in the following table for both the central Department and for its seven Executive agencies. Mobile phones and BlackBerrys are normally provided on an individual basis, although some will be for team use. Some 3G data devices are provided to business units to facilitate remote data capture.
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| Mobile communication devices | Number | Cost 2010-11 (£) | |
| (1) The DFT(C) spend excludes VAT. (2 )HA and VOSA spend is for 2009-10. Roll-out of the HA BlackBerry service was just beginning and device and usage costs fall into 2010-11. | |||
Departmental Plants
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on indoor and outdoor plants and trees since his appointment. [48415]
Norman Baker: The requested information is provided in the following table:
| Spend (£) | |||
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| (1) Includes termination cost of maintenance agreement. Expenditure on plants is now set to be approximately £450 per annum with effect from March 2011. (2) Nil spend on indoor and outdoor plants. Above excludes grounds maintenance contract. (3) Relates to purchase of one plant for “Families Room” (where MAIB speak to bereaved relatives etc). (4) Includes purchase and maintenance of indoor and outdoor plants, majority of costs relate to maintenance. (5) Relates to spend at agency HQ and Eastgate House, Newcastle. Following contract termination and expiry future expenditure at these sites will be nil. The agency has contracts for the provision of grounds maintenance services over its operational estate. The amount spent on outdoor plants and trees can be provided only at disproportionate cost. (6) The Highways Agency has been working to cancel all remaining contracts for the provision of plants. In most cases charges were incurred due to contractual obligations and prohibitive cancellation fees reflecting the initial capital outlay by the contractor on plants. Contracts for four sites remain in place, due notice has been given to the suppliers to cancel contracts and end dates agreed. (7) Relates to winter bedding plants. Costs at agency HQ and training centre are built into the maintenance contract of the estate and are not easily identifiable. (8) The information requested is not recorded and could be only obtained at disproportionate cost. Note: 2009-10 data cover the period from 1 April 2009 February 2010. | |||
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Public Bodies Reform Programme
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the change in function of Passenger Focus/Passengers’ Council. [48764]
Mrs Villiers: The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement on 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
The budget of Passenger Focus for 2011-12 is £4.7 million which compares to a budget in 2010-11 of £8.2 million. We estimate that the budget for the remainder of the spending review period to 2014-15, will remain at similar levels to that set for 2011-12.
Departmental Travel
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are entitled to travel first class by rail within the UK. [47064]
Norman Baker: An historical entitlement to first class UK rail travel is retained by higher grades in the central Department and five of its seven agencies. However, the current policy of this Department and its agencies is to require all travel to be booked at standard class, irrespective of grade, unless there are compelling reasons to travel first class or, where a first class discount or advance ticket is cheaper.
Driving Offences: Insurance
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to fund research on international experience in reducing the number of personal injury claims relating to motor insurance. [51096]
Mike Penning: There are no current plans to do so. However we are considering the Transport Select Committee's recommendation included in its report on the cost of motor insurance.
Driving Tests
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made an assessment of the feasibility of replacing the Pass Plus advanced driving course with other means of proving competence to insurers. [51098]
Mike Penning: The Driving Standards Agency has been reviewing both the purpose and content of the Pass Plus scheme. The agency is also continuing to explore with the insurance industry other options for improving market confidence so that we can maximise both the incentives and take up of post-test training initiatives.
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Driving: Young People
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made an assessment of the merits of deploying and publicising new technology to assess how cars are driven by young drivers for the purposes of reducing casualty rates. [51097]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport has been in regular contact with vehicle manufacturers and suppliers on developments in new vehicle technology, including driver information systems and parental controls. I recognise that technology which helps to demonstrate how young drivers are driving provides important information on behaviour and their insurance and casualty risks. The insurance industry is already starting to make use of technologies and new products, where young drivers are willing to accept restrictions or training. The Government are keen to work with the insurance industry and others to look at new approaches and are planning several seminars on ways of reducing the risks of young drivers with key stakeholders.
Greater Anglia Railways
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has allocated to the costs of tendering for the Greater Anglia franchise. [50872]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport anticipates that the costs of tendering for the Greater Anglia franchise will be in the order of £718,000.
Great Western Main Line: Electrification
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of not electrifying the Great Western main line between Cardiff and Swansea. [45244]
Mrs Villiers: The electrification to Cardiff and the delivery of the new train fleet will boost the south Wales economy with more seats for passengers and faster trains. Swansea to London trains will complete the journey 20 minutes faster in two hours and 39 minutes. This can be expected significantly to enhance the attractiveness of the area for inward investment.
Because the south Wales main line is constrained by speed limitations dictated by the geometry of the line, there would be no time saving benefits from electrifying the line from Cardiff to Swansea.
High Speed Two
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a map of the revised proposed route of High Speed 2 marking the location of all (a) tunnels, (b) embankments, (c) deep cuttings, (d) properties that will require noise insulation and (e) properties facing extremely high levels of noise. [43661]
Mr Philip Hammond:
A set of plan and profile maps have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. They
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contain information on tunnels, embankments and deep cuttings. Maps of properties that will require noise insulation and those facing high levels of noise (73 dB and above) can be found in the ‘Appraisal of Sustainability’, published as part of the high speed consultation, and copies of which have been placed in the House of Commons Library.
LEK Consulting
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has paid to LEK Consulting in 2011 to date. [49876]
Norman Baker [holding answer 29 March 2011]: The Department for Transport has paid a total of £138,062.50 to LEK Consulting in 2011. LEK Consulting has been appointed to develop and evaluate alternative structures for railway operation focusing on cost reduction as part of the Rail Value for Money Study. The contract was placed following a mini-competition under the Department for Transport’s modelling and appraisal framework.
Level Crossings
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department provides guidance on the maximum acceptable time for a level crossing to be closed to road traffic in any one hour. [52543]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport does not provide guidance on the maximum acceptable time for a level crossing to be down in any hour. Management of level crossings is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. Additionally the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) publishes guidance for level crossings on its website. The hon. Member may wish to contact Network Rail’s chief executive at the following address for a response to his question:
David Higgins
Chief Executive
Network Rail
Kings Place
90 York Way
London, N1 9AG
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions the Ely level crossing has been closed to trains in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and on how many occasions damage occurred to the crossing barrier as a result of road vehicles. [52542]
Mrs Villiers: This is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. Network Rail can be contacted at the following address:
David Higgins
Chief Executive
Network Rail
Kings Place
90 York Way
London, N1 9AG
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Motorcycles
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many submissions he has received since June 2010 from (a) motorcycle trainers and (b) provisional motorcycle licence holders on (i) the national network of multi-purpose test centres and (ii) a single motorcycle test event; and what arrangements he has made for representation of the views of motorcycle trainers and provisional motorcycle licence holders on the motorcycle test review working group; [51575]
(2) what the name is of each current and former member of the motorcycle test review working group. [51576]
Mike Penning: A public consultation was held on the scope of the motorcycle test review in June-July 2010. There were 489 responses, of which 105 were from motorcycle trainers and 30 from learner motorcyclists. 49 of the submissions from motorcycle trainers and 11 from learner motorcyclists mentioned the national network of multi-purpose test centres. 19 of the submissions from the motorcycle trainers mentioned a single motorcycle test event, but none of the submissions from learners.
The motorcycle test review working group and technical sub group include a number of representatives of motorcycle trainers and motorcycle user groups.
Individual names of people who have served on working groups are private data, but we will seek the agreement of all members to their disclosure and expect to provide all names in the main review report. The organisations represented on the motorcycle test review working group and technical sub-group are as follows:
Department for Transport
Driving Standards Agency
Motorcycle Industry Association
Motorcycle Industry Trainers Association
Motorcycle Action Group
British Motorcyclists Federation
Public and Commercial Services Union
Road Safety Great Britain
Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents
The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety was also involved in the initial stages of the review.
Members of the technical sub group
Department for Transport
Driving Standards Agency
Motorcycle Industry Association
Motorcycle Industry Trainers Association
Motorcycle Action Group
Public and Commercial Services Union
Biketrain Wales
CamRider
Streetwise Training
Fast-Trak Training was also involved in the initial stages of the review.
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John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member of Ceredigion of 23 June 2010, Official Report, columns 245-46W, on motorcycles: driving tests, what the location is of each multi-purpose test centre; how many are (a) leased and (b) publicly owned; what the length of each lease agreement is; what the break options in each case are; and what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of termination in each such case. [51600]
Mike Penning: The Driving Standards Agency has 52 Multi Purpose Test Centres (MPTC). Of these:
45 are leasehold properties of which five are ground leases
Six are freehold properties
One property is subject to a Civil Estate Occupation Agreement (CEOA)
The location and lease information of each MPTC has been placed in the Libraries of the House. QSA has not estimated the cost of terminating each lease agreement. To end any lease agreement DSA would have to activate break clauses under the terms of the lease, and to do this successfully the Agency must comply with all the lease covenants. Actioning a break clause does not depend on negotiating a financial settlement.
Ebbw Valley Line
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of passengers using the Ebbw Valley Line over the next Network Rail control period. [48108]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport has made high level estimates of the change in passenger numbers between London and Wales. However, the Department looks to the Welsh Assembly Government and the train operator, Arriva Trains Wales, for detailed route estimates.
Parking: Disabled
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to provide for enforcement of disabled parking bays. [51252]
Norman Baker: A parking bay for the use of Blue Badge holders only, when put in place with a Traffic Regulation Order made under the relevant provisions of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, is fully enforceable. Where the local authority has Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) power under the Traffic Management Act 2004, the local authority may serve a higher level Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) if a vehicle is parked without clearly displaying a valid Blue Badge. Where the local authority does not have CPE power, it would be for the police to take enforcement action. In addition to any PCN or Fixed Penalty Notice issued, if the motorist is misusing someone else’s Blue Badge to park in the bay, they could be prosecuted and fined up to £1,000.
Parking enforcement in private car parks is a matter for car park operators and their customers. However, I wrote to the main supermarkets on 22 March 2011, to further encourage them to actively monitor and enforce their disabled parking bays. I wait to hear their plans.
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Parking: Fees and Charges
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislative proposals to prevent local authorities from setting scales of the fees for parking permits based solely on vehicle emissions. [51206]
Norman Baker: We have no plans to do so. Parking charges are a matter for the relevant highway authority.
Ports
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 March 2011, Official Report, column 98W, on ports, for what purposes the proceeds from the proposed sale of the Port of Dover will be used. [51625]
Mike Penning: No decision on the application by Dover Harbour Board for a transfer of the port undertaking under the Ports Act 1991 has yet been taken. Only in the event of a favourable decision would the port be for sale.
Trust ports are not owned by the Government, though the Ports Act provides for a levy on the proceeds of the initial sale to be payable into the Consolidated Fund.
Railway Heritage Committee
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what (a) costs will be incurred and (b) savings will be made from abolishing the Railway Heritage Committee in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14 and (v) 2014-15; [46482]
(2) what residual functions will remain following the abolition of the Railway Heritage Committee; which organisation will carry out each such function; what the estimated costs of each such function are; and what transfer of funds will be made to each organisation to carry out each such function; [46483]
(3) what the budget for the Railway Heritage Committee (a) was in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11 and (b) will be for (A) 2011-12, (B) 2012-13, (C) 2013-14 and (D) 2014-15. [46652]
Mrs Villiers: The Railway Heritage Committee's (RHC) budget was £140,000 in 2009-10 and £114,000 in 2010-11. The RHC's budget for 2011-12 is £99,974.69.
We currently intend to abolish the Railway Heritage Committee (RHC) towards the end of 2011-12, though this will depend on the parliamentary progress of the Public Bodies Bill. Discussions are continuing with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the transfer of functions to the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum. The abolition of the RHC is expected to involve one-off costs associated with the termination of the contract of one employee of BRB (Residuary) Ltd. If the power of designation is transferred, modest ongoing costs are likely to be incurred, most of which are likely to be absorbed by the Museum of Science and Industry.
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Railways: Cost-effectiveness
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings he has had with members of the McNulty review on value for money in the rail industry in 2011; and on what dates such meetings took place. [49885]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 29 March 2011]: The Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), met with Sir Roy McNulty and Ian Dobbs on the following dates:
17 January
21 February
8 March
21 March
In addition, the Secretary of State for Transport attended an industry seminar organised by Sir Roy McNulty on 9 March 2011.
Railways: Finance
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 28 February 2011, Official Report, columns 17-18WS, on local and regional rail services, what estimate he has made of the economic effects of changes to funding arrangements for local rail schemes up to April 2015. [45257]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport will consider taking on the funding of local and regional rail services currently funded by local authorities and passenger transport executives (PTEs) from April 2015 rather than April 2014. Changing this date results in the promoters having to fund these services for a further year at a total additional cost of between £1.0 and £1.2 million for the year 2014-15.
Railways: Kent
Mr Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger rail services on High Speed 1 will run between London and points east of (a) Ashford and (b) Faversham under the new timetable for Southeastern passenger rail services. [50579]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 4 April 2011]:Services which operate east of Faversham serve Whitstable, Herne Bay, Birchington, Margate and Broadstairs. Services which operate east of Ashford to Dover Priory serve Folkestone West and Folkestone Central. Services which operate east of Ashford to Margate serve Canterbury West, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.
The number of Southeastern high-speed rail services which will operate east of Ashford International station and Faversham station from the May 2011 timetable change will not differ from the current specified level of services.
41 high-speed services currently operate daily on a Monday to Friday to and from London to destinations east of Ashford International and Faversham in the current Southeastern timetable.
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The two services from St Pancras in the evening peak which currently terminate at Faversham are scheduled to be diverted to Maidstone West in the May 2011 timetable.
Railways: Overcrowding
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps he has taken to reduce overcrowding on the railways in Greater Manchester. [49533]
Mrs Villiers: An additional 16 carriages are planned to commence operation in December 2011 enhancing capacity in the Greater Manchester area.
This capacity will be delivered through the Department’s HLOS‘—high-level output specification—’programme, with eight additional carriages being introduced into the Northern franchise and a further eight carriages introduced on the Liverpool—Manchester—Nottingham route through the East Midlands franchise.
The Department is also planning to introduce the new electric trains to the Transpennine Express franchise in December 2013. These vehicles will increase capacity between Manchester and Scotland as well other Transpennine services through a cascade of the displaced rolling stock currently operating on that route.
The Department is also discussing the provision of further vehicles to ease crowding in the Northern franchise area, but the services and dates on which this capacity may be added have not yet been finalised.
Railways: Suffolk
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the potential (a) costs and (b) benefits of electrification of the rail line between Peterborough and Haughley Junction. [52544]
Mrs Villiers: The Government support a progressive electrification of the rail network in England and Wales as a way of reducing the cost of running the railways, increasing passenger comfort and reducing carbon. We continue to work with Network Rail to look at the case for further electrification in the next rail control period starting in 2014.
Rescue Services
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what impact assessment he has undertaken in respect of the abolition of the Maritime Incident Response Group; and if he will make a statement. [51172]
Mike Penning: We are finalising a risk assessment on the review of Maritime Incident Response Group which we hope to publish shortly.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultation was undertaken with the Fire and Rescue Service on withdrawal of funding for the Maritime Incident Response Group by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency; and if he will make a statement. [51173]
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Mike Penning: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is in the process of consulting with the Fire and Rescue Services about the future of the Maritime Incident Response Group. Final decisions on future arrangements will be taken once this consultation is complete.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the expected monetary value is of the contract to provide a replacement emergency towing vessel service; and when he expects the contract to be let. [51509]
Mike Penning: The Government do not expect to let a contract for a replacement service once the current Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) contract expires in September 2011. However, the MCA are working with interested parties to assess how alternative localised arrangements could work following the expiry of the existing contract.
Rescue Services: Finance
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the withdrawal of funding for the Maritime Incident Response Group by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency; and if he will make a statement. [51171]
Mike Penning: As announced last year, we are discussing with a number of interested parties, including the Department for Communities and Local Government, the options for the Maritime Incident Response Group in the future.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reduction in the level of funding for the Maritime Incident Response Group has been authorised by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [51174]
Mike Penning: We will await the outcome of the consultation currently being held before a level of future funding is determined.
Roads: Motor Sports
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the merits of amending Section 12 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to permit a local authority to close roads for the purpose of holding a motor racing event; and if he will make a statement. [50059]
Mike Penning [holding answer 31 March 2011]: I am currently considering the case for making it easier for local authorities to close their roads for major on-road sporting events and intend to consult in due course.
Shipping: Contracts
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to tender a replacement contract for the provision of emergency towing vessels. [50909]
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Mike Penning: There are no plans to tender a replacement contract for the provision of emergency towing vessels.
Between now and the end of September the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will be working with interested parties in the UK to assess the arrangements following expiry of the existing contract.
We will provide information on the outcomes of these discussions in due course.
Shipping: Emissions
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on raising international climate finance from the regulation of shipping emissions. [51234]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport has regular meetings with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change at which various matters are discussed including proposals to reduce emissions from the transport sector.
Transport: Emissions
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department made prior to the introduction of the draft local authority basic carbon tool of its suitability for calculating non-road-based transport carbon emissions. [51092]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport undertook extensive research with local authorities, and used in-house analysts, to assess the suitability of a basic carbon tool to calculate emissions from small scale transport interventions. The draft tool can be used to assess emissions from non-road based interventions, including introducing travel plans and behaviour change initiatives. Its introduction has been welcomed by local authorities.
Travel: Concessions
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the merits of standardising the age at which a person is considered an adult for the purposes of (a) concessionary travel fares, (b) taxation rates for clothing, (c) purchasing cigarettes, (d) driving, (e) concessionary entertainment rates and (f) other purposes. [50869]
Norman Baker: There are no plans to standardise the age at which a person is considered an adult for these purposes.
(a) The fare structure and the level of fares charged by bus operators, including the age at which discounts on buses are offered to young people, are matters for the commercial judgment of operators.
(b) Certain goods and services are reduced-rated, zero-rated, exempt, or outside the scope of VAT. Clothing that is made for young people under the age of 14 is zero-rated. Agreements with our European partners do not allow us to introduce new zero rates or extend existing ones.
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(c) The age of sale of tobacco products in England was raised in 2007 from 16 to 18 years. There are no plans to change or review these arrangements.
(d) There are no plans to change the legal minimum age for driving.
(e) A range of promotional and discounted rates for entertainment and other purposes are available on a commercial basis—the age at which they are available is a matter for those promoting the discount or concession.
Waterloo Station
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what cost-benefit analysis his Department has undertaken in respect of reopening Waterloo International railway terminal for (a) domestic and (b) international rail services. [49848]
Mrs Villiers: The Government wish to see the former Eurostar platforms at Waterloo International terminal brought back into use for domestic passenger services. The Department for Transport is engaged in negotiations with Stagecoach South West Trains to agree the best solution in terms of operational effectiveness and value for money for taxpayers. A cost-benefit analysis will be undertaken to ensure that any agreement does represent value for money.
No cost-benefit analysis has been undertaken by the Department with regards to any operation of international services into Waterloo International.
Health
GP Pathfinder Consortia
19. Mr Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of progress by GP pathfinder consortia in delivering improvements in NHS services. [52567]
23. Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of progress by GP pathfinder consortia in delivering improvements in NHS services. [52571]
Mr Lansley: I can report that pathfinder consortia now cover almost 90% of the country. These consortia are receiving support through the Pathfinder Learning Network, which is an online resource offering a range of tools and resources. The network includes a number of examples of where clinician-led commissioning is already delivering benefits for patients.
Patient Choice
24. Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to extend the choice patients have over the treatment they receive from the NHS. [52572]
Mr Lansley: The Government have consulted on proposals to give patients greater choice and control over their care and treatment. We have deferred publication of our response to the consultation to enable us to take into account the results of the listening exercise.
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Health and Social Care Bill
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amendments he plans to table to the Health and Social Care Bill. [52561]
Mr Lansley: As I told the House on 4 April 2011, Official Report, columns 767-69, we are taking the opportunity presented by a natural break in the legislative process to pause, listen, reflect and improve our plans for modernisation of the health service.
We will consider what amendments are required in light of this.
Hospital Services
Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements he has made for continuity of provision of existing hospital services under his proposed reforms of the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [52569]
Mr Lansley: Commissioners will remain responsible for securing health services to meet the needs of their populations.
Under the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill, Monitor would support commissioners in this through the additional regulation of ‘designated services’. This will give additional safeguards for services not currently provided under existing legislation.
As a last resort, in the event of failure, continued provision of ‘designated services’ would be secured through a process of special administration.
Accident and Emergency Departments: Lancashire
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he expects the outcome of the pilot studies on accident and emergency and urgent care centre nomenclature in (a) East Lancashire, (b) Manchester and (c) Salisbury to be published; [51598]
(2) To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken in the NHS in the (a) North West and (b) South West to standardise the definition of (a) accident and emergency and (b) urgent care centre for the purposes of assisting commissioners and creating clarity for patients; and if he will make a statement. [51599]
Mr Simon Burns: Work is being carried out by NHS North West working with colleagues in NHS South West to look at the possibility of creating a common offer for England to ease navigation of the urgent and emergency care system for patients. No date has been set for publication of the findings.
Air Ambulance Services
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with what (a) clinical and (b) operational standards his Department requires air ambulance services to comply. [51814]
Mr Simon Burns: From April 2011 providers of independent sector ambulance services (including air ambulances) are required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
26 Apr 2011 : Column 96W
The CQC is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the 2008 Act) all providers of regulated activities, including national health service and independent providers, have to register with CQC and meet a set of essential requirements of safety and quality.
The 16 registration requirements reflect the essential levels of safety and quality of care that people should be able to expect, and are built around the main risks inherent in the provision of health and adult social care services. These are set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what date he expects all air ambulance providers to be registered with the Care Quality Commission. [51815]
Mr Simon Burns: Since 1 April 2011, transport services by means of a vehicle which is designed for the primary purpose of carrying a person who requires treatment, has been a regulated activity under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. The Care Quality Commission is currently completing the registration of air ambulance and other providers requiring registration from April 2011.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding each ambulance trust has provided to air ambulance charities in England in each of the last 10 years. [51816]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not hold this information centrally.
In order to strike an appropriate balance between the cost to operate air ambulances, and the role they can play in assisting the national health service in delivering emergency care, the NHS has—since 1 April 2002—normally met the cost of clinical staff on air ambulances. However, it remains for NHS trusts to decide whether they provide any additional funding to air ambulance charities.
Babies: Bottles
Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to implement the provisions of Commission Directive 2011/8/EU restricting the production, import and retail of polycarbonate infant bottles manufactured using Bisphenol A; and if he will make a statement. [51259]
Anne Milton: Commission Directive 2011/8/EU was implemented in the United Kingdom by the Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (SI2011/231) and separate, equivalent, Regulations relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Breast Cancer: Screening
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women did not have a breast scan until more than one year after their 50th birthday in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010; and how many such women were subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer. [51027]
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Paul Burstow: The Information requested is not held centrally. In England, the NHS Breast Screening Programme invites women aged 50 to 70 to be screened every three years. To make the service more convenient and accessible to women, 80% of the programme is provided by mobile screening units, which visit different areas covered by the local breast screening service in a three-year cycle. Therefore, women do not necessarily receive their first invitation in the year of their 50th birthday. As long as a woman is registered with a general practitioner, she should be invited for breast screening before her 53rd birthday. The objective is to cover as many women as possible in the three-year screening round.
In order to ensure that all women receive their first invitation for breast screening by their 50th birthday, the programme is currently being extended to women aged 47 to 49. The extension is being conducted as part of a randomisation project with women aged 71 to 73, which will give directly comparable mortality data on the effectiveness of screening in these ages. The project is being run over two three-year screening rounds, with all local screening services expected to be screening women in both age groups from 2016.
As at the end of March 2011, 43 of the 82 local screening services in England had extended, and it is anticipated a further 16 will have extended by the end of May. “The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011/12” states that commissioners should ensure that all screening services continue to take part in the breast screening age extension randomisation project.
We will continue to work with NHS Cancer Screening Programmes to ensure local programmes begin the age extension as soon as possible.
Cataracts
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to reduce the numbers of primary care trusts which restrict access to cataract treatments; [51178]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of NHS patients assessed as requiring cataract treatment who have been refused treatment by (a) Portsmouth NHS and (b) primary care trusts in England in the latest period for which figures are available. [51179]
Mr Simon Burns: No such estimate has been made. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for service commissioning, taking into account the available evidence and the needs of the local population.
PCTs are required to make decisions on the funding of drugs and treatments rationally, and following proper consideration of the evidence. If a PCT decides not to fund a drug or treatment, it should explain its decision.
Cataracts: Surgery
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cataract operations were carried out on NHS patients in each year since 1996-97. [51635]
Mr Simon Burns: The following table provided by the Information Centre for health and social care shows the number of finished consultant episodes for cataract surgery, from 1996-97 to 2009-10.
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Total episodes (1) |
| (1) The figures do not represent the number of different patients, as the same person may be admitted on more than one occasion. | |
Dementia: Research
Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to support research into dementia. [52558]
Paul Burstow: Dementia is a priority for the coalition Government. The Ministerial Group on Dementia Research that I chair has now completed its work and produced a comprehensive set of proposals. These will be set out in a ‘Route Map for Dementia Research’, to be published before the summer recess.
Departmental Mobile Phones
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in his Department are provided with mobile communication devices; and how much his Department spent on mobile telephones and related data services in the last year for which figures are available. [51422]
Mr Simon Burns: On 17 January 2011 there were 1,741 staff in the Department with mobile communication devices.
The Department spent £738,301 during the last four quarters ending in December 2010 on mobile assets. This includes contract and usage charges.
Departmental Public Appointments
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2011, Official Report, column 668W, on departmental public appointments, for what reasons the answer referred to a website address that is inaccessible; and how many (a) women and (b) men who held public appointments in bodies sponsored by his Department are no longer in those roles as a result of decisions to merge, close or reorganise such bodies taken since his appointment. [51442]
Mr Simon Burns:
The answer of 18 March 2011, Official Report, column 668W, included a link (web) which provides a path to the page containing all the Cabinet Office Public Bodies reports. The reports contain information of departmental public bodies and the gender of their public appointees. We are not aware of
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any reason why this should have been inaccessible as the link had been tested successfully. The full address line of the page accessed by the link is
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/resources/ndpbs.aspx
and at the time of writing the latest version of the report is “Public Bodies 2009” which can be accessed via that page or directly at
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/Assets/PublicBodies2009_tcm6-35808.pdf
The Department is currently implementing the changes of its arm’s length bodies review and the public bodies review. The changes will be enacted from 2012 onward. Therefore, to date, there has been no direct impact on public appointments held by men and women as a consequence of decisions to merge, close or reorganise bodies sponsored by the Department.
Departmental Manpower
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the staff vacancy rate in his Department was in 2010-11; and what vacancy rate has been assumed in his Department’s budget for 2011-12. [51386]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not use or monitor a “vacancy rate” nor does it employ any dynamic measure reflecting the variation of vacancies over time. The Department is not required to report dated vacancy counts to any central data collection bodies, such as the Cabinet Office or the Office of National Statistics.
However, recently, vacancies have been reported by all Government Departments in the form of organisation charts. The latest organisational, chart for the Department can be found at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/structure-charts-department-health
The Department’s central budgetary calculations do not involve assumptions about vacancy counts or vacancy rates but these may be implicit in the local staff figures produced or predicted by sections and provided to the Department’s central financial management for budgetary purposes.
Donors: Transplant Surgery
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the use of organs from British donors for private transplants paid for by patients from overseas. [50844]
Anne Milton: NHS Blood and Transplant allocates organs for transplantation in line with directions made by the Secretary of State for Health. Priority is given to people who are in a group 1 listing, which includes people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, residents of countries with whom the UK has bilateral health agreements and certain persons who are entitled under European Union law. Arrangements may be made for the actual transplantation to be undertaken on a private basis. The organ allocation is made on the basis of clinical need. The Buggins review “Allocation of Organs to Non-UK EU Residents”, published in July 2009, found no evidence that people having their transplant as a private patient were allocated an organ more quickly.
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Drugs
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent representations he has received on the manufacture and supply of generic drugs for the treatment of (a) HIV/AIDS and (b) hepatitis; [50977]
(2) what recent representations he has received on the potential effects on the pharmaceutical price agreement of the proposed EU-India Free Trade Agreement. [51030]
Mr Simon Burns: In the period 12 May 2010 to 30 March 2011, the Department is not aware of any representations relevant to either question. However, in this period, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, as part of its regular licensing activity, has granted one licence application for a generic drug to treat HIV/AIDS, with a further six under consideration, and have one application for a generic drug to treat hepatitis under consideration.
Drugs: Rehabilitation
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that its drug recovery payment by results system does not discourage treatment providers from supporting the recovery of individuals with the most intractable drug dependence. [52062]
Anne Milton: We are piloting the payment by results system. We will work in partnership with the eight local areas that will pilot this approach to co-design the detail over the next six months. This will include ensuring that providers are incentivised to continue to work with the hardest to reach and are not able to ‘cherry pick’ the easiest clients.
Employment Agencies
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in the last year for which figures are available. [51394]
Mr Simon Burns: For the integrated structure (staff of grades Administrative Officer to Grade 7) no money has been spent on outplacement during the last year for which figures are available (2010-11). The Department had no contract in place as we were not then in a period of restructuring.
The Department will be putting a contract in place for outplacement services during the period of transition commencing May 2011 onwards.
For the senior civil service, the Department has spent £44,959 on recruitment agency fees from April 2010 to date.
Corporate/central departmental spend on Learning and Development (L&D) for financial year 2009-10 (the most recent complete year for which figures are available) is set out in the following table.
| £ | ||
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Budget | Spend |
The figures outline corporate L&D spend only i.e. training that is funded centrally by Human Resources.
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Individual directorates also have L&D budgets. However that expenditure is not tracked and figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The above figures therefore do not reflect total departmental spend on training.