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New Millennium Experience Company:Staff Numbers
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many people were employed by the
New Millennium Experience Company on
(a) 31 December 1999; and (b) 31 January 2000.[HL1017]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: On both 31 December 1999 and 31 January 2000, the New Millennium Experience Company employed 2,077 people.
Millennium Dome: Catering Contracts
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many contracts were awarded by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) to caterers to operate on the site of the Millennium Dome; what net revenue was received by the NMEC from the granting of those contracts; how many of those contracts were awarded after a process of competitive tendering; and how many of those contracts are still in force.[HL1021]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Sixteen catering and supply contracts have been awarded by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) to contractors to operate in and around the Dome. All contracts have been let following competitive tender processes and all contracts are still in force. Each contractor will pay NMEC an agreed percentage of net sales as a concession fee, the precise details of which are commercially confidential while the contracts are current.
Millennium Dome: Defective Equipment
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many zones at the Millennium Dome have equipment that had broken down as at
(a) 31 December 1999 and (b) 31 January 2000.[HL1055]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Each zone has, at some time or other, experienced defects of some nature in its operation. These defects range from overloading of electrical or computer systems to faulty light bulbs. These defects are being corrected by upgrading or replacement.
Marriage Education
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether it is their intention that the support to be given in schools to the institution of marriage will be confined to marriage between persons of the opposite sex, or whether it will be extended to other lasting relationships between persons of the opposite or same sex.[HL1041]
The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has made clear his intention that sex and relationships education should be firmly rooted within the Personal, Social and Health Education framework for schools issued last November. That framework clearly states that when learning about developing good relationships and respecting the differences between people, pupils should be taught about the nature and importance of marriage for family life and bringing up children. Marriage is defined in English law as "the voluntary union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of others". The Government also recognises that there are strong and mutually supportive families and relationships outside marriage and that many unmarried couples remain together throughout their children's upbringing and raise their children as successfully as married parents.
NHS Hearing Aids
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they are taking to rectify the position outlined in Note 134 from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology that the best model hearing aids "are not always available through the National Health Service".[HL1038]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Note 134 is misleading in its use of the word "best". There is no one "best" hearing aid that can be supplied to hearing impaired people in general or to an individual. Each user has different requirements, preferences and circumstances which can change with time. The hearing aid user wants to be able to have the choice from a wide range of hearing aid models. The National Health Service has always made available cost efficient and beneficial hearing aids to its patients. It has always provided all kinds of hearing aid types which have been supplied by all the high quality world famous manufacturers.
However, technology is always advancing and a project will start in England later this year to trial digital hearing aids for NHS patients. This project will help to inform our plans to modernise hearing aid services. Detailed proposals for the scheme are being developed but we anticipate that the project will cover 20 hearing aid departments and that an estimated 20,000-30,000 patients will benefit from the scheme.
The project is intended to lead to improvements for all NHS patients.FV430 Series Armoured Vehicles
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the FV430 range of armoured personnel carriers was first developed in its current form; and[HL1094]
Whether the FV432 armoured ambulance can be penetrated by a .50" AP machine gun or sniper round; and[HL1095]
For how much longer the FV430 range of armoured personnel carriers will remain in service; and[HL1096]
What is the maximum road speed of the FV432 armoured ambulance; and how this compares with CVR(T) and the Warrior ranges of light armoured vehicles; and[HL1097]
What is the mean distance between engine power pack failures for the FV430 range of armoured personnel carriers; and[HL1098]
What type of radio is fitted to the FV432 armoured ambulance; and what is its maximum reliable range when mobile.[HL1099]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The FV430 series completed development in the early 1960s, and entered service in 1964. On present plans the vehicles will be progressively replaced between 2006-2018 by the Future Command and Liaison Vehicle, the Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle, and the Armoured Battlegroup Support Vehicle. The reliability of the power pack varies with environmental conditions and terrain. The vehicles achieve some 3,500 miles between engine failures.
On the specific questions relating to the FV432--the armoured ambulance variant--the vehicle is fitted with the Clansman VRC 353 radio and the maximum road speed is 30 mph, which compares to 46.5 mph and 45 mph for the Warrior and CVR(T) variants respectively. Information regarding the vulnerability of the vehicle to certain types of munitions, and the operating range of the radio, is classified and, therefore, withheld in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to defence, security and international relations.
Military Exercises: Cancellations
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many sea, land and air training exercises have been cancelled or curtailed during 1999; and why these exercises could not take place or why the duration of the exercise was shortened.[HL947]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: A list of cancelled exercises and the reason for cancellation is
set out in the tables. No exercises were curtailed or shortened. The lists do not include international exercises where UK forces were to have participated but which were either cancelled by other nations or there was reduced involvement but still UK participation.| (i) | (ii) | ||
| Serial | Name | Reason | Dates |
| 1 | Open Spirit | Ship re-deployed to NATO Standing force (Mine Countermeasure Force North) to ensure that the ship originally allocated to MCM Force did not breach harmony guidelines following additional tasking. | August 1999 |
| 2 | Sandy Coast 99* | Ship allocated was involved in ordnance clearance operations in Adriatic under NATO auspices. The operation was extended which precluded her participation in Sandy Coast. | September 1999 |
| 3 | Falcon Nut* | Ship re-deployed with Amphibious Task Group to Mediterranean in order to achieve a more cohesive force package. | October 1999 |
| 4 | Flotex | In Year Budget Management Measure | November 1999 |
| 5 | Cadence Brake | In Year Budget Management Measure | November 1999 |
| 6 | Squadex 45/99 | The opportunity arose to operate with French carrier, which was considered to provide greater training benefits. |
* UK unit allocated to NATO participated but there was no direct UK involvement.
(i) (ii)
Serial Name Reason Dates
1 Arcade Guard Kosovo Ops March 1999
2 Cygnet Spear Lack of Air Transport Fleet support (involved in Kosovo Ops) April 1999
3 Lion Sun 4/99 Kosovo Ops April/May 1999
4 Devils Hat Kosovo Ops May 1999
5 Cygnet Vine Lack of Air Transport Fleet support (involved in Kosovo Ops) May 1999
6 Ardent Ground Kosovo Ops May 1999
7 Lion Sun 7/99 Kosovo Ops May/June 1999
8 Glow-worm/ Rattlesnake Kosovo Ops June 1999
9 Courageous Bat Kosovo Ops June 1999
10 Comd Ops Recce Kosovo Ops June 1999
11 Log Study Period Kosovo Ops June 1999
12 Med Man 2/99 No unit available* June/July 1999
13 Lion Sun 8/99 Kosovo Ops June/July 1999
14 Lion Sun 10/99 Kosovo Ops July/August 1999
15 Stoney Run/Mill Race Kosovo Ops May/October 1999
16 Larksong/Foxtrot Kosovo Ops May/October 1999
17 Adventure Exchange Kosovo Ops September/October 1999
18 Lion Sun 14/99 Kosovo Ops October/November 1999
19 Arrcade Fusion Kosovo Ops October/November 1999
20 Lion Sun 15/99 Kosovo Ops November/December 1999
* The exercise was cancelled in the planning stages because a suitable unit could not be identified that had undertaken pre BATUS training on Challenger II.
(i) (ii)
Serial Name Reason Dates
1 Brilliant Foil Kosovo Ops April 1999
2 Distant Thunder Kosovo Ops May 1999
3 Tridente Kosovo Ops May/June 1999
4 Maple Flag Kosovo Ops May/June 1999
5 JMC 99/2 Kosovo Ops June 1999
6 Roving Sands Kosovo Ops June 1999
7 Central Enterprise Kosovo Ops June 1999
8 Crown Eagle Kosovo Ops June 1999
9 TLP 99/4 Kosovo Ops June/July 1999
10 NAM Kosovo Ops September 1999
11 Ample Train Kosovo Ops September 1999
12 Western Vortex Kosovo Ops April/October 1999
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