These estimates are based on provisional information on families receiving tax credits as at April 2010. Further details about these data can be found in the HMRC snapshot publication ‘Child and Working Tax Credits. Geographical Analysis, April 2010’. This is available at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
Results for local authorities with less than 25 households receiving the 50+ element have been suppressed in order to avoid being disclosive.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Press Releases
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions his Department has provided embargoed media briefings prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010; in respect of how many such briefings his Department was informed that the embargo had been breached; what steps were taken as a result of each such breach; and on how many occasions his Department has provided media briefings without an embargo prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010. [31928]
Chris Grayling: The Department provided an embargoed briefing to select media, MPs and stakeholders in advance of the oral statement marking the publication of the welfare reform White Paper, “Universal Credit: Welfare that Works”. This embargo was respected by the parties concerned.
Otherwise, the Department has not provided any media briefings without an embargo prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010.
Disability Living Allowance
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of carrying out a medical assessment on all recipients of disability living allowance. [35188]
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1010W
Maria Miller: Medical assessments are not carried out on all recipients of disability living allowance therefore we are not able to say what the estimate of the cost to the public purse is of carrying out a medical assessment on all recipients of disability living allowance.
There is expenditure on medical evidence which amounts to £14.4 million for the 2009-10 financial year for disability living allowance.
Notes:
1. Medical evidence can involve a physical examination requested by PDCS and physical examinations carried out on behalf of employment support allowance (and the former incapacity benefit) that PDCS can request sight of; and
2. Other types of medical evidence that has been sought that does not involve a physical examination, for example a general practitioners factual report.
Source:
Department for Work and pensions Activity Based Management System.
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what his most recent estimate is of the number of people of each (a) age, (b) sex, (c) employment status and (d) disability in receipt of the lowest care component of disability living allowance; [35278]
(2) what his most recent estimate is of the number of people in receipt of the lowest care component of disability living allowance. [35280]
Maria Miller: Information on the most recent estimate of the number of people in receipt of the lowest care component of disability living allowance—also broken down by age, gender and disability—has been placed in the Library. This information is not available by employment status. This is because disability living allowance can be paid in or out of work and information on employment status is therefore not collected in order to administer the benefit.
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which (a) individuals, (b) organisations and (c) independent specialists are referred to in his Department’s consultation document on the reform of disability living allowance in respect of the development of the new assessment for disability living allowance. [35279]
Maria Miller: We are developing the proposals for the new assessment for personal independence payment in collaboration with a group of independent specialists in health, social care and disability, including disabled people. The group includes individuals from a range of relevant fields, such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychiatry, social work, general practice and community psychiatric nursing, as well as representatives from RADAR and Equality 2025.
Since DLA reform was announced in the Budget in June 2010, we have been consulting on our proposals informally with disabled people and a broad range of disability organisations, including representatives of the Disability Charities Consortium, the Disability Benefits Consortium and the Disabled Peoples Organisations Group. We launched our formal public consultation on our proposed reforms to DLA on 6 December 2010. We will have ongoing discussions with more disabled people
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1011W
and disability organisations to ensure that our reforms will assess more accurately and consistently who would benefit most from additional support, while continuing to tackle the inequalities faced by disabled people to lead full and active independent lives.
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each ward of Liverpool, West Derby constituency claim disability living allowance. [35282]
Maria Miller: The total number of disability living allowance recipients in Liverpool, West Derby parliamentary constituency as at May 2010 is 9,430. As ward boundaries do not exactly match constituency boundaries we are unable to provide you with information in the format you have requested.
However, the following table provides you with information on the number of disability living allowance recipients in each ward for Liverpool local authority. The only two wards that we have been able to confirm are fully in the Liverpool, West Derby constituency have been italicized in the table.
| Disability living allowance recipients in each ward for Liverpool local authority—May 2010 | |
| Ward | Number |
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1012W
| Notes: 1. Caseload figures by Parliamentary Constituency are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures do not include people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. 4. Ward level caseload has been rounded to the nearest five. 5. These geographical areas are 2003 census CAS wards. All data are derived from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) used to produce national, regional and local authority caseload information. 6. Highlighted wards are the only two identified from the postcode directory as being fully in Liverpool, West Derby constituency. Therefore as ward boundaries do not exactly match constituency boundaries we have provided the data for all wards in Liverpool local authority area. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. |
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of an indefinite award for disability living allowance in each of the last 10 years. [35379]
Maria Miller: The information requested in contained in the following table.
| Number of disability living allowance indefinite awards in payment in each of the last 10 years—GB | ||
|
|
All | Indefinite awards |
| Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate DLA figures are from 5% sample data. The preferred statistics on benefits are now derived from 100% data sources. However, the 5% sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100% data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling condition of DLA claimants. DWP recommends that, where the detail is only available on the 5% sample data, or disabling condition (DLA) is required, the proportions derived should be scaled up to the overall 100% total for the benefit. | ||
Employment: Young People
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) whether his Department has an economic model which can be used to evaluate trends in youth unemployment; [35454]
(2) what methods his Department uses to forecast likely levels of youth unemployment; [35455]
(3) if he will place in the Library a copy of each economic model his Department uses to predict trends in youth employment. [35456]
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Chris Grayling: The Department does not produce forecasts of unemployment. The Department produces projections for business planning purposes which are aligned to the overall independent claimant count forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as part of the autumn forecast.
Housing Benefit
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of (a) pensioners, (b) people of working age in work, (c) people of working age who are unemployed, (d) social sector tenants and (e) private sector tenants receiving housing benefit in (i) Wirral South constituency and (ii) the Wirral local authority area. [35457]
Steve Webb: The economic status of all housing benefit recipients is not available nor is the information available by constituency.
At present geographic breakdowns are available at local authority or regional level only. However, an exercise is being undertaken to add other geographical areas to the data which will include parliamentary constituencies.
Detailed information is only available for those housing benefit recipients whose claim is not passported: that is for those who do not receive either income support, jobseekers allowance (income-based), employment and support allowance (income based), or pension credit (guaranteed credit). A small proportion of the passported cases will be in part-time employment.
The available data for The Wirral local authority area is shown in the following table:
|
|
All tenants | Social tenants | Private sector tenants |
| Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. An Extended Payment is a payment that may be received for a further four weeks when they start working full-time, work more hours or earn more money. 4. Tenure Type does not include recipients with unknown tenure type. 5. Passported Status does not include recipients with unknown passported status. 6. Claimants not in receipt of a passported benefit and are recorded as being in employment if their local authority has recorded employment income from either the main claimant, or partner of claimant (if applicable), in calculating the housing benefit award. People receiving passported benefits who are working part-time cannot be identified. 7. Age groups are based on the age on the count date (second Thursday in the month), of either: a. the recipient if they are single, or b. the elder of the recipient or partner if claiming as a couple. | |||
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1014W
| 8. Housing benefit caseload and average weekly amounts are available at local authority area level and these are published on the Department's website at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbctb.asp Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE), October 2010 |
Robert Oxley
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of the recovery of the Motability car from the home of Mr Robert Oxley of Colchester on 17 January 2011. [35177]
Maria Miller: I am unable to comment on individual cases and the information you requested is not held by the Government. Motability is an independent charitable organisation, wholly responsible for the administration of the Motability scheme.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each ward of Liverpool, West Derby constituency claim jobseeker’s allowance. [35283]
Chris Grayling: The total number of job seekers allowance recipients in Liverpool, West Derby parliamentary constituency at December 2010 was 3,861.
The number of jobseeker’s allowance recipients in each ward for Liverpool local authority at December 2010 was as follows:
|
|
Number |
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1015W
| Notes: 1. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. 2. These geographical areas are 2003 census CAS wards. 3. Highlighted wards are the only two identified from the postcode directory as being fully in Liverpool, West Derby constituency. Therefore as ward boundaries do not exactly match constituency boundaries we have provided the data for all wards in Liverpool local authority area. 4. Caseload data are unrounded. 5. Data are published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk Source: Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (including clerically held cases) | |
Jobseeker's Allowance
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of the working age population of Wirral South constituency are in receipt of (a) jobseeker’s allowance, (b) unemployment allowance, (c) carer’s allowance, (d) disability living allowance, (e) widow’s benefit and/or bereavement benefit and (f) other income support. [35458]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Working age client group split by statistical group in South Wirral constituency—May 2010 | ||
| Statistical group | Caseload | Population (percentage) |
| Notes: 1. Data is rounded to the nearest 10, percentages to one decimal place. 2. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. 4. Percentage population figures have been calculated using ONS Population estimates as at 2007 for South Wirral Constituency for working age claimants, i.e. males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59. 5. State Pension Age: The age at which women reach State Pension age will gradually increase from 60 to 65 between April 2010 and April 2020. This will introduce a small increase to the number of working age benefit recipients and a small reduction to the number of pension age recipients. As percentages were required this table has been prepared using males aged 16-64 and females aged 16-59 and will therefore not match published figures. 6. Statistical Group is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. For example a claimant of Disability Living Allowance and Jobseekers Allowance would appear in “Job Seeker”, not in “Disabled”. 7. Lone Parents are defined as claimants on Income Support with child under 16 and no partner. Lone Parent Obligations were introduced from 24 November 2008 affecting the age of the youngest child. 8. From November 2008 the “incapacity benefits group” includes Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). ESA replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. Prior to this the “incapacity benefits group” referred to claimants of Incapacity Benefit (including credits only) or Severe Disablement Allowance including people claiming IS on the grounds of incapacity. | ||
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1016W
| 9. Caseload figures used for AA, CA and DLA include those cases with entitlement but where payment is currently suspended (for example, because of an extended stay in hospital or an overlapping benefit). 10. The key benefits which are currently included in the working-age client group data are: Bereavement Benefit Carer’s Allowance Disability Living Allowance Incapacity Benefit Severe Disablement Allowance Income Support (including Pension Credit for males aged 60 to 64) Jobseeker’s Allowance Widow’s Benefit Sources: 1. DWP Information Directorate 100% WPLS 2. ONS Mid-Term Population Estimates, 2007 |
Pensions: Females
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of women whose state pension age will increase by exactly two years under the proposed new timetable for state pension age. [35361]
Steve Webb: We estimate that approximately 33,000 women in Great Britain could face an increase of two years in their state pension age, relative to the current timetable, under the changes proposed in the Pensions Bill 2011.
Defence
Armed Forces: Compensation and Pensions
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest annual compensation payment has been to service personnel who have served in Iraq. [34098]
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many service personnel who served in Kosovo are in receipt of the armed forces pension; [34305]
(2) who served in Kosovo are in receipt of both an armed forces pension and payment from a compensation scheme. [34306]
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many service personnel who have served in Afghanistan are in receipt of (a) compensation benefits and (b) a service pension; [34602]
(2) what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest annual pension payment has been to service personnel who have served in Afghanistan; [34603]
(3) what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest annual compensation payment has been to service personnel who have served in Afghanistan. [34604]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 18 January 2011]: This information is not held in the format requested. The compensation and pension IT systems do not record the geographical or operational details of where an individual served.
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much compensation has been paid to service personnel injured in Afghanistan in each regiment in each of the last nine years. [35027]
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1017W
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many service personnel who have served in Iraq are in receipt of both an armed forces pension and a compensation scheme payment; [35373]
(2) how many service personnel who have served in Iraq are in receipt of an armed forces pension; [35374]
(3) what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest annual compensation payment was to service personnel who served in Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available; [35375]
(4) what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest annual pension payment was to service personnel who served in Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available; [35376]
(5) what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest annual pension payment made by his Department to service personnel who have served in Iraq has been in the latest period for which figures are available. [35377]
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many former service personnel who have served in Northern Ireland are in receipt of the armed forces pension; [35290]
(2) how many former service personnel who served in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Bosnia are in receipt of both an armed forces pension and a compensation payment; [35371]
(3) what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest annual pension payment is in respect of former service personnel who served in Bosnia in the latest period for which figures are available. [35372]
Mr Gerald Howarth [holding answer 20 January 2011]:This information is not held in the format requested. The compensation and pension IT systems do not record the geographical or operational details of where an individual served.
Armed Forces: Housing
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) long-term and (b) short-term plans he has for the disused married quarters in and around Shackleton Road, Gosport. [33645]
Mr Robathan: A recent review of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) within the Gosport area has identified a surplus of properties when set against the Ministry of Defence’s future requirement.
It is anticipated that a number of properties on the northern side of Shackleton Road will be handed back to Annington Homes Ltd.
The remaining SFA across the area is considered core stock, and will continue to be used to house entitled service personnel and their families.
Armed Forces: Officers
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the number of senior officers in the Royal Navy compared with the number of such officers in the navies of major NATO allies; [34439]
(2) what assessment he has made of the number of senior officers in the Royal Air Force compared with the number of such officers in the air forces of major NATO allies; [34443]
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1018W
(3) what assessment he has made of the number of senior officers in the British Army compared with the number of such officers in the armies of major NATO allies. [34444]
Mr Gerald Howarth: The armed forces of each of our NATO allies have a different shape and structure to meet that nation's particular defence requirements and its contribution in support of coalition objectives. It would therefore be pointless to compare the service structure of those serving in the UK's armed forces with those of our major NATO allies and, accordingly, no such assessments are made.
Armed Forces: Pay
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what salary bands were applied in each rank in each of the armed forces in the latest period for which figures are available. [35179]
Mr Gerald Howarth: Pay for members of the armed forces holding the rank of Commodore, Brigadier or Air Commodore and below is recommended by the independent Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body. Their 39th report can be found in the Library of the House, or at:
http://www.ome.uk.com/AFPRB_Reports.aspx
Pages 48 to 59 contain the recommended salary bands for this group and these recommendations were accepted in full.
Pay for those officers holding the rank of Rear Admiral, Major General or Air Vice Marshal and above is recommended by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body. Their 32nd report is also available in the Library of the House, or at
http://www.ome.uk.com/SSRB_Reports.aspx
Pages 28 to 30 contain the recommended salary bands for this group and these recommendations were accepted in full.
Armed Forces: Pensions and Social Security Benefits
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the change in the level of (a) disablement pension, (b) disablement gratuity for a specified minor injury, (c) unemployability allowance and (d) invalidity allowance for a member of the armed forces at each rank in each of the three forces who lived to (i) 60, (ii) 65, (iii) 70, (iv) 75, (v) 80, (vi) 85, (vii) 90, (viii) 95 and (ix) 100 years and had (A) 10, (B) 20, (C) 25, (D) 30 and (E) 35 years' service as a result of the proposal to link pensions to consumer price index rather than the retail price index. [34965]
Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the estimated change is in the level of the benefit for unmarried dependents living as a spouse to be paid annually as a result of the change to link such pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index; [35366]
(2) what the estimated change is in the level of the orphans' pension to be paid annually (a) for the first child and (b) for subsequent children as a result of the change to link such pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index; [35367]
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1019W
(3) what the estimate change is in the level of the annual rent allowance as a result of the change to link that allowance to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index; [35368]
(4) what the estimated change is in the level of an adult orphan's pension to be paid annually as a result of the change to link such pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index. [35369]
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will estimate the change in mobility supplement payable to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until (a) 60, (b) 65, (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90, (h) 95 and (i) 100 years following (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 25, (iv) 30 and (v) 35 years of service arising from a calculation on the basis of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index; [35271]
(2) if he will estimate the change in comfort allowance payable to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until (a) 60, (b) 65, (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90, (h) 95 and (i) 100 years following (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 25, (iv) 30 and (v) 35 years of service arising from a calculation on the basis of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index; [35272]
(3) if he will estimate the change in constant attendance allowance payable to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until (a) 60, (b) 65, (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90, (h) 95 and (i) 100 years following (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 25, (iv) 30 and (v) 35 years of service arising from a calculation on the basis of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index; [35273]
(4) if he will estimate the change in exceptionally severe disablement allowance payablesave-line3 to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until (a) 60, (b) 65, (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90, (h) 95 and (i) 100 years following (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 25, (iv) 30 and (v) 35 years of service arising from a calculation on the basis of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index; [35274]
(5) if he will estimate the change in severe disablement occupational allowance payable to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until (a) 60, (b) 65, (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90, (h) 95 and (i) 100 years following (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 25, (iv) 30 and (v) 35 years of service arising from a calculation on the basis of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index. [35275]
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will estimate the change in (a) compensation benefit and (b) pension payments per annum a 27 year-old corporal who lost both legs in Afghanistan would receive as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer price index if he or she lived until (i) 60, (ii) 65, (iii) 70, (iv) 75, (v) 80, (vi) 85, (vii) 90, (viii) 95 and (ix) 100 years old and if in each such case he or she had served for (A) 10 and (B) 15 years; [35285]
(2) if he will estimate the change in pension a widow of a senior NCO would receive in total as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer price index if she was widowed at the age of 40 and if she lived
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1020W
until
(a)
60,
(b)
65,
(c)
70,
(d)
75,
(e)
80,
(f)
85,
(g)
90,
(h)
95 and
(i)
100 years old and if, in each such case, her spouse had served for (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 25, (iv) 30 and (v) 35 years; [35286]
(3) if he will estimate the change in widows' pension (a) a widow and (b) a widower with children of members of each rank of each armed service would receive per annum as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer price index if he or she lived until (i) 60, (ii) 65, (iii) 70, (iv) 75, (v) 80, (vi) 85, (vii) 90, (viii) 95 and (ix)100 years old and if, in each such case, their spouse had served for had served for (A) 10, (B) 20, (C) 25, (D) 30 and (E) 35 years; [35287]
(4) if he will estimate the change in widows' pension (a) a widow and (b) a widower with no children of each armed service would receive per annum as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer price index if he or she lived until (i) 60, (ii) 65, (iii) 70, (iv) 75, (v) 80, (vi) 85, (vii) 90, (viii) 95 and (ix) 100 years old and if, in each such case, their spouse had served for had served for (A) 10, (B) 20, (C) 25, (D) 30 and (E) 35 years; [35288]
(5) if he will estimate the change in clothing allowance a member of each rank of the armed forces would receive as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index if he or she lived until (a) 60, (b) 65, (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90, (h) 95 and (i) 100 years old; and if, in each such case, they had served for (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 25, (v) 30 and (v) 35 years. [35289]
Mr Gerald Howarth [holding answer 20 January 2011]: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 17 January 2011, Official Report, columns 587-589W) to the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire (Gemma Doyle) and the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones), and to the ministerial statement made by the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Mr Robathan), on 9 December 2010, Official Report, columns 34-36WS.
Departmental Procurement
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have taken to comply with the Guidance of the Office of Government Commerce on promoting skills through public procurement issued in 2009. [31324]
Peter Luff: The guidance from the Office of Government Commerce in 2009 on promoting skills through public procurement was incorporated into Ministry of Defence (MOD) policy in August 2009. This included guidance and some standard wording for the supplier selection and contract award processes for all of the MOD's acquisition teams to use where it is relevant and proportionate to the specific procurement. I have also recently published a Green Paper which further considers the skills base within the UK defence sector.
Domestic Visits
Mr Kevan Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits in an official capacity (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department have made to (i) the north-east, (ii) the north-west,
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1021W
(iii) Yorkshire and Humberside, (iv) Scotland, (v) Wales, (vi) London, (vii) the south-east, (viii) the south-west, (ix) the east-midlands and (x) the west-midlands since May 2010. [35523]
21 Jan 2011 : Column 1022W
Peter Luff: The information requested is provided in the following table:
|
|
Secretary of State | Minister for the Armed Forces | Minister for International Security Strategy | Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology | Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans | Under-Secretary of State |
The figures in the table include dinners, receptions and speeches as well as formal visits.
Hercules Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many C-130 aircraft are at a high-level of readiness for search and rescue missions; and what the location is of each such aircraft. [34223]
Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 October 2010, Official Report, columns 450-51W, to the hon. Member for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow (Mr McCann), the right hon. Member for Coventry North East (Mr Ainsworth) and the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones). The UK will continue to provide search and rescue services using a range of assets depending on the response required. This includes C-130 aircraft, which are tasked as required to support long-range search and rescue (SAR) missions. Long-range SAR is not a primary role for C-130 aircraft.
The main operating base for the C-130 aircraft is RAF Lyneham; however C-130 aircraft operates from a number of locations around the world carrying out a range of military tasks.
Light Protected Patrol Vehicle Foxhound
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the order of a second tranche of the Light Protected Patrol Vehicle Foxhound. [35187]
Peter Luff: An announcement on any future buy of Foxhound will be made following confirmation of the wider requirement.
Marines
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of the implementation of the measures contained in the strategic defence and security review on the (a) size, (b) capability and (c) deployability of the Royal Marines; and if he will make a statement. [35186]
Peter Luff: The Royal Marines will bear a share of the reduction in Naval manpower announced in the strategic defence and security review, although the exact numbers have yet to be determined. The Royal Marines’ 3 Commando Brigade will provide a key element of our high readiness response force. With the Royal Navy’s amphibious shipping, 3 Commando will have strategic reach and will be able to land and sustain from the sea a commando group of up to 1,800 personnel, together with protective vehicles and other equipment. Other elements of the Royal Marines will continue to undertake a wide range of tasks including protecting the nuclear deterrent and contributing to operations against piracy in the Indian ocean.
Marines: Recruitment
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of his Department's requirement for Royal Marine recruits in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011; [34942]
(2) how much his Department spent on advertising for Royal Marine recruitment in the last six months for which figures are available; [34943]
(3) how many people joined the Royal Marines in the last six months for which figures are available. [34944]
Mr Gerald Howarth [holding answer 20 January 2011]: A training year runs from April to March. In 2010-11, the gains to trained strength (ie fully trained status) target for Royal Marines Other Ranks was set at 695: we currently forecast achieving 730, from a total of 1,200 recruits entering the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM). For the same period, the target for Royal Marines Officers was set at 39: we are forecasting achievement of 45, from a total of 50 Officer recruits.
We have assessed the gains to trained strength requirement for the 2011-12 training year to be 550 Other Ranks and 40 Officers. We anticipate that this will be achieved by an intake in the region of 840 Other Ranks and 50 Officer recruits to CTCRM.
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In the period July to December 2010, the Department spent £260,000 on recruitment advertising for the Royal Marines.
In the six months from 1 May 2010 to 31 October 2010, 50 Officers and 670 Other Ranks entered CTCRM. These figures represent intake from civilian life and not all of them will have completed their training successfully. They do not therefore include promotions from Ranks to Officers or transfers in from another service.
Other than the gains to trained strength targets, all figures have been rounded to the nearest five or 10.
Nimrod Aircraft
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what potential options for alternative use of the Nimrod MRA4 his Department considered prior to its cancellation. [34172]
Peter Luff [holding answer 17 January 2011]: The decision not to bring Nimrod MRA4 into service followed careful consideration of the aircraft's broader utility, and was taken as part of the strategic defence and security review. My officials then assessed a variety of alternative uses for the aircraft.
The Government are satisfied that we considered all realistic uses, and that once the decision not to bring the aircraft in to service was made, the most cost-effective option was to cancel the project immediately. Work to remove component parts and equipment from the aircraft has now begun, with a view to start dismantling them in the next few weeks.
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Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any electronic equipment planned to be used on the Nimrod MRA4 is to be used on other Royal Air Force aircraft. [34461]
Peter Luff: Major items of electronic equipment which were planned to be used on the Nimrod MRA4 to fulfil its operational role are being retained while potential future use on Royal Air Force aircraft or to meet other Ministry of Defence requirements is explored.
USA: AWE Management
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2010, Official Report, column 458W, on nuclear weapons, if he will publish the letter to the hon. Member for Newport West on visits to US establishments by AWE personnel in the last three years. [34160]
Peter Luff: Yes. A copy of my letter will be published in the Official Report and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
Substantive answer from Peter Luff to Paul Flynn:
In my answer to your Parliamentary Question on 13 December 2010, (Official Report: Column 458W), I undertook to write to you and provide details on the US establishments visited by personnel from the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE).
This information has now been collated: the attached annex details the US establishments visited by AWE personnel in the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. This table covers those visits made under the terms of the US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement, which was the basis for the Answer to the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) on 17 June 2010 (Official Report, column 503W).
| Annex—Breakdown of US establishments visited by AWE personnel in each of the last three years | |||
| Number of visits by AWE staff to each establishment | |||
| US establishments visited by AWE personnel under the terms of the US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
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|
Air Force Technical Applications Centre Patrick Air Force Base |
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The total numbers differ from those in the June 2010 answer as some staff visited more than one facility.
War Widows: Pensions
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many women are in receipt of a war widows pension from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as a result of the death of a spouse serving in Afghanistan; [33994]
(2) how many men are in receipt of a war widowers pension from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme; [34077]
(3) how many men are in receipt of a war widowers pension from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as a result of the death of a spouse serving in Afghanistan. [34078]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 17 January 2011]: The Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) is the occupational pension scheme for the three services including the reserves. The War Pension Scheme (WPS) is a benefit programme that provides no fault compensation to former service personnel and their dependants for injuries and death as a result of service before 6 April 2005.
Under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) financial support is available in the form of a Survivor’s Guaranteed Income Payment (SGIP) for the surviving dependants of service personnel who have died as a result of service on or after 6 April 2005. Surviving dependants include spouses (husband/wife/entitled partner) and children.
The number of women and men in receipt of a pension under AFPS, WPS or a SGIP under AFCS, due to the death of a spouse or partner in Afghanistan, is set out in the following table:
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Widows | Widowers |
| (1) Figures for AFPS are as at 14 January 2011. (2) Fewer than 5. (3) Figures for WPS and AFCS are as at 30 September 2010. Note: All figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. | ||
The total number of men in receipt of a widower’s pension under AFPS, WPS or a SGIP under AFCS is set out in the following table:
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Number |
| (1) Figures for AFPS are as at 14 January 2011. (2) Figures for WPS and AFCS are as at 30 September 2010. (3) Fewer than 5. Note: All figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. | |