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Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many aircraft movements there have been from RAF Northolt in the most recent 12-month period for which they have data; and whether they will indicate by broad category the purpose of these flights.[HL5654]
Lord Bach: The last 12-month period for which figures are available is July 2001 to June 2002. In that time there were a total of 11,477 movements, a movement being defined as a take-off or landing. This total was made up of 3,128 movements by RAF aircraft, 334 movements by civilian aircraft on United Kingdom government business, 1,160 movements by other military aircraft and 6,855 civilian aircraft movements.
Armed Forces: Vaccines
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, if antidotes to anthrax, plague and other life-threatening diseases are required by members of the Armed Forces on active service, all the vaccines likely to be used will have been fully tested and approved.[HL5677]
Lord Bach: It is not our policy to use unlicensed vaccines for Armed Forces personnel, except in emergencies where no other treatment is available, and on the basis of expert medical advice.
In certain circumstances the Ministry of Defence may consider offering unlicensed vaccines to specialist individuals who risk contact with rare and dangerous diseases by virtue of their specialisation, for example laboratory workers. This would be done only where we have full confidence in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, where no licensed vaccine or other treatment is available, and on the basis of expert medical advice.
Gulf Veterans: Deaths
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 24 July (WA 81–83) about mortality among Gulf veterans, whether they will now relate the comparisons made between the numbers of deaths and causes of deaths among Gulf veterans and the control group to (a) regular and (b) reservist members of the Armed Forces deployed to liberate Kuwait.[HL5679]
Lord Bach: Of the 52,323 regular members of the United Kingdom Armed Forces who were deployed to the Gulf between 1 September 1990 and 30 June 1991, 533 had died as at 30 June 2002. Of these, the underlying cause of death is known for 525 cases. In 204 cases death was disease-related and in 321 cases due to accidental causes. Of the 1,086 reservists and volunteers known to have deployed to the Gulf in the same period, there had been 18 deaths as at 30 June 2002. Of these, the underlying cause of death is known for 17 cases. In nine cases death was disease-related and in eight cases due to accidental causes. There is no statistically-significant difference in the mortality rates of the regulars or of the reservists and volunteers who deployed to the Gulf when compared to the Era comparison group. The Government are not able to provide a more detailed breakdown of cause of death information because this might lead to the identification of individuals.
Russian Servicemen: Housing
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What extent they or any of their NATO or European Union allies have contributed to solving housing problems for the Russian military within Russia.[HL5715]
Lord Bach: The United Kingdom has made no specific contribution to the solution of housing problems for the military within Russia. Instead, the United Kingdom's focus has been on retraining servicemen for civilian life after retirement or redundancy. Since 1995 over 15,000 Russian servicemen have received training, of whom over 70 per cent have secured employment within four months of completing their course.
The Government are aware of two housing projects by NATO allies dating from the mid-1990s. The German Government built around 35,000 housing units in Russia as part of the withdrawal programme of Soviet Forces from Germany and the United States Government undertook a more modest pilot scheme to build houses in rural Russia.
Intercalating Students
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether all intercalating students are eligible for either education or social security support.[HL5373]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): Generally, intercalating students are eligible for either HE student or social security support. The student loans system is the prime means of support for full-time higher education students. Support is provided to students who are absent from their courses because of illness for the first 60 days of absence. Local education authorities (LEAs) have the discretion to decide whether they should continue to receive support after the first 60 days' absence and also when students suspend their studies for reasons other than illness, such as caring responsibilities, financial problems, bereavement, or premature termination of a work placement. We strongly encourage LEAs to exercise this discretion. Additional assistance for students who are absent from their courses may also be available through the hardship funds, which allow universities and colleges to provide discretionary support for students in particular need.
So far as social security benefits are concerned students in the "vulnerable groups" as defined in social security legislation (such as lone parent or disabled students) continue to be eligible for income related benefits during periods of intercalation and students who have been ill for 196 days become eligible to claim income support during their period of illness. Students who, with the permission of their higher education institution, have interrupted their course because of caring responsibilities or illness but those caring responsibilities have ceased or they have recovered form that illness may claim jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit from the date their caring responsibilities ceased until they are permitted to return to the course, but, to ensure they return as soon as practicable, the claim period is limited to one year.
Some intercalating students who are not ill, lone parents or disabled may not receive LEA discretionary student support, as well as being ineligible for social security benefits. One example is students intercalating for academic reasons, such as those who have failed their exams and only return to their HE institution to retake them a year later.
Student Support
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which students, if any, are eligible for either educational or social security support.[HL5374]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Support for full-time higher education students comes from the student support system, which is designed for their needs, and not from the social security system. The vast majority
of students, once they begin a full-time course of study, are not eligible to claim the income-related benefits.However some students in the "vulnerable groups" as defined in social security legislation, principally lone parents and disabled students, may have additional costs unassociated with their studies and these students retain their eligibility for the income-related benefits subject to satisfying eligibility and income criteria. They may be eligible for both higher education student support and social security benefits.
Full-time students in these vulnerable groups continue to be eligible for income related benefits during periods of intercalation. This now includes students who, with the permission of their HE institution, have interrupted their course because of caring responsibilities or illness but those caring responsibilities have ceased or they have recovered from that illness but cannot return to their course until an agreed time in the academic year. These students may claim jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit from the date their caring responsibilities or illness ceased until return to the course; but, to ensure they return as soon as practicable, the claim period is limited to one year. A student who intercalates and has been ill for 196 days also becomes eligible to claim income support during their period of illness thereafter.
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many days after withdrawal from their courses students cease to be eligible for educational support through normal channels.[HL5375]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Loans for living costs and grants for higher education students in respect of their dependants are payable in three instalments during each academic year. Students are not eligible for any instalments of living costs support payable during any quarters of the academic year that remain after the quarter during which they withdraw from their course. They may be eligible for an instalment of support during the quarter in which they withdraw, but this is subject to the discretion of the local education authority concerned, taking into account the circumstances leading to the student's withdrawal. Once they have withdrawn they are not eligible to apply to their institution for support from access or hardship funds.
If students withdraw from their courses before the first three months of the academic year have expired, they will not be eligible for grant support towards the income-assessed contribution they are expected to make towards their tuition fees.
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