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  • Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what arrangements are in place for the pension entitlement and employment status of firefighters under the new pension arrangements if they are unable to maintain required fitness levels.

    Brandon Lewis

    Where a firefighter cannot maintain operational fitness, the fire and rescue authority will assess the reasons for the loss of fitness. Where the loss is due to a permanent medical reason, the firefighter will be considered for ill-health retirement under the rules of the pension scheme. Where there is no permanent medical reason, the firefighter will receive support and training to increase fitness to the required level.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the radio spectrum is earmarked for (a) military purposes, (b) radar purposes and (c) public service broadcasting.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Officials have consulted Ofcom who hold such information. Ofcom advise that they do not hold such information for bands below 87.5MHz, but have provided information for bands from 87.5MHz-30GHz.

    Ofcom has identified the proportion of spectrum accessed for public sector uses (not limited to the military), defined as all spectrum bands used by the public sector with Crown immunity (i.e. without need for authorisation by Ofcom). For the purpose of this analysis, this category includes all aeronautical uses of spectrum.

    Crown use of spectrum as a % of total weighted spectrum

    87.5 MHz

    30 GHz

    54%

    26% of the total weighted spectrum in the 87.5MHz to 30 GHz is allocated for radiolocation services/radar.

    Ofcom cannot provide specific information with regards to spectrum in use for public service broadcasting as the national allocation of frequencies does not distinguish between public service broadcasting and non-public service broadcasting. The table below provides information with regards to the proportion of total weighted spectrum in use for terrestrial broadcasting, split into TV and radio.

    Terrestrial broadcasting spectrum as a % of total weighted spectrum

    TV

    Radio

    87.5 MHz

    30 GHz

    8%

    7%

    1%
  • Philip Hollobone – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Philip Hollobone – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what comparative assessment he has made of high speed broadband coverage between (a) Northamptonshire and other counties and (b) the UK and other EU nations.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    According to the most recent data from Ofcom, in 2013 superfast broadband was available to 73.8 per cent of premises in Northamptonshire, compared with 73 per cent of premises across the UK as a whole. The average speed in Northamptonshire was 17.5Mbps, compared with the UK average of 14.7Mbps. Ofcom’s European Broadband Scorecard published in March 2014 showed that the UK had the highest superfast broadband coverage of the five largest EU Member States.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the (a) 30-300MHz, (b) 300-3000MHz and (c) 3-30GHz bands of the radio spectrum is in the operation of the private sector.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Officials have consulted Ofcom who hold such information. Ofcom advise that they do not hold such information for bands below 87.5MHz (as frequencies above this are considered to be the most important and usable), but have provided information for bands from 87.5MHz-30GHz.

    The table provides an overview of the proportion of total weighted spectrum accessed for market uses by band.

    Lower frequency

    Upper frequency

    Spectrum authorised for Market uses as a % of total weighted spectrum

    87.5 MHz

    328.6 MHz

    47%

    328.6 MHz

    3.1 GHz

    73%

    3.1 GHz

    30 GHz

    80%

    The Public Sector Spectrum Release Programme aims to release 500MHz of sub-5GHz spectrum from public sector use by 2020. The most recent Programme update can be found on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spectrum-strategy

    “

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many individuals have been awarded a war disablement pension for mesothelioma since 1994; what estimate he has made of the number of former members of the armed forces who have gone on to develop mesothelioma; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is unable to provide the number of individuals awarded a War Disablement Pension (WDP) for Mesothelioma since 1994 in the time scale requested. However, as at 31 March 2013, 50 individuals were in receipt of a WDP for a recorded condition of Mesothelioma.

    The MOD has no estimated data of former personnel with Mesothelioma.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when each Type 45 Destroyer will be installed with the ECPINS-W Subs software; and what estimate he has made of the total cost of that installation.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Electronic Chart Precise Integrated Navigation System software is planned to be installed on the Type 45 Destroyers (T45) as the primary element of the Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS) navigation capability. This will enhance the Type 45’s navigation capability, which currently uses a mix of paper charts and an Electronic Charting System, commonly used on commercial shipping. The new WECDIS system will remove the need for paper charts and includes additional warfighting command and control functionality.

    The programme will ensure the system and training arrangements comply with the latest international standards, which were defined after the T45 build contract was awarded.

    The rollout of WECDIS on the six T45s is scheduled to take place from early 2016, subject to the ships’ operational programme, and is expected to cost £5.6 Million for all six platforms. This covers the cost of development, acceptance, testing and trials, platform rollout and user training.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) press officers, (b) internal communications officers, (c) external communications officers, (d) communications strategy officers and (e) other personnel with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

    Anna Soubry

    Communicators are employed across Defence and the Armed Forces. They have an important task in explaining to the public, the media, our own people and other audiences – at the local regional, national and international levels – the role of Defence, Defence activities, capabilities and operations. Over the last several years substantial savings have been made across the communications area, and further efficiencies will continue to be made.

    The latest figures for the numbers involved in communications roles as at 31 March 2013 are shown in the attached table, and include all posts for which over 50% of the post’s core duties are communications. These figures include both military and civilian posts worldwide. In the 2013 exercise communications staff in Non-Departmental Public Bodies were not surveyed. As such, this data was requested separately.

    Also shown are the figures for 31 March 2010, demonstrating a reduction of 12% (over 160 posts) in this time.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the stealth characteristics of the joint strike fighter against all digital very high frequency active electronically steered radar arrays.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    It is part of normal MOD business to continuously assess the stealth performance of the F-35 against very high frequency digital radar.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to extend the Duty Holder Concept Regulations to apply to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department.

    Anna Soubry

    Under the policy introduced across Defence, a Duty Holder is an official (military or civilian) who owns, manages and is accountable for risks to life of people in his or her area of responsibility. Senior Duty Holders, who head the Department’s Top Level Budget areas and Trading Fund Agencies, are required by the Secretary of State’s Policy Statement on Health, Safety & Environmental Protection to refer to him any risks that they consider cannot be reduced as low as reasonably practicable.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of all invoices submitted by public interest lawyers for work undertaken in relation to Al-Sweady Inquiry.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The Al-Sweady Inquiry has cost the public purse £28.4 million to 31 March 2014. The potential cost of the Inquiry to its completion is £31.1 million.

    The information requested is commercial in confidence and cannot be provided without a significant level of redaction of sensitive information.

    However I am able to provide a summary of costs incurred by Public Interest Lawyers for work undertaken in relation to the Al-Sweady Inquiry up to 31 March 2014.

    Summary of Payments made to Public Interest Lawyers
    in relation to the Al-Sweady Inquiry.

    Date of Payment Amount of Payment (£)

    March 2010 6,921.60

    August 2010 68,060.36

    October 2010 45,752.15

    February 2011 41,581.11

    May 2011 94,154.64

    June 2011 6,210.00

    July 2011 33,828.33

    September 2011 10,113.68

    November 2011 6,445.34

    December 2011 2,421.51

    January 2012 68,343.35

    February 2012 37,838.53

    April 2012 21,775.17

    May 2012 47,491.94

    June 2012 16,328.20

    July 2012 5,200.00

    August 2012 220.60

    September 2012 10,115.00

    November 2012 100,587.10

    December 2012 46,352.33

    January 2013 99,208.41

    February 2013 51,117.56

    March 2013 74,356.24

    May 2013 197,070.38

    Junuary 2013 107,544.50

    July 2013 164,335.64

    August 2013 85,516.25

    September 2013 33,091.25

    October 2013 176,401.67

    November 2013 187,376.83

    January 2014 174,806.09

    February 2014 36,133.25

    March 2014 59,093.74

    April 2014 301,909.00

    Grand Total 2,417,701.75