View PDF - United Kingdom Parliament

29W
Written Answers
26 OCTOBER 2009
Written Answers
30W
The output of the Territorial Army, University Officer
Training Corps (UOTC) and Cadet Forces is focused on
training and therefore all activity is either directly or
indirectly attributable to planning, organising or conducting
training.
British Forces Post Office
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence what his plans are for the future of the British
Forces Post Office; and if he will make a statement.
[295253]
Bill Rammell: The information was published in Defence
Internal Brief, Serial 2009DIB/37 dated 6 October 2009,
copies of which are available in the Library of the
House.
Defence Board
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement
of 15 October 2009, Official Report, columns 34-36WS,
on defence acquisition (independent review), who the
members of the new sub-committee of the Defence
Board are; and if he will make a statement. [295775]
Mr. Quentin Davies: As recommended in Bernard
Gray’s recent report on Defence Acquisition, the members
of the new Defence board sub-committee on equipment
are the Permanent Under Secretary, the Chief of the
Defence Staff, the 2nd Permanent Under Secretary, the
Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff and the Director-General
Finance. The sub-committee is charged with determining,
for agreement by the Defence board and Ministers, an
equipment plan that is aligned with strategy, affordable
and realistic.
Defence Medical Services
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence how many compensation claims have been
submitted by armed forces personnel in respect of
malpractice on the part of Defence Medical Services;
how many such claims were upheld; and how much was
paid out against such claims in each year. [295645]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The number of new clinical negligence
compensation claims is not recorded on the Department’s
claims database in a format that differentiates between
service personnel, service dependants and civilian cases.
The number of claims upheld and the amount of
compensation, including legal costs, paid out each year
to service personnel is identifiable. The figures are shown
in the following table. Information relating to clinical
negligence can be found in the Department’s Claims
Annual Report which has been issued each year since
1997-98, a copy of which is held in the Libraries of the
Houses.
All new clinical negligence claims received Service personnel claims upheld Compensation/legal costs (£ million)
1997-98 308 21 0.4
1998-99 255 51 2.3
1999-2000 147 49 2.5
2000-01 128 49 6.1
2001-02 142 39 0.8
2002-03 119 39 3.9
2003-04 92 24 2.6
2004-05 86 17 3.3
2005-06 69 21 3.8
2006-07 67 14 1.5
2007-08 86 10 2.9
2008-09 55 17 5.3
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
what the (a) actual strength, (b) establishment and (c)
percentage difference between establishment and actual
strength is of each speciality of qualified medical personnel
(a) in the Army and (b) tri-service. [295646]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Manning statistics for the Defence
Medical Services are updated twice a year, in April and
October. The October 2009 figures are currently being
collated, and verified figures should be available by the
end of November. I will place these figures in the
Library of the House.
Defence: Procurement
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement
of 15 October 2009, Official Report, columns 34-36WS,
on defence acquisition (independent review), what
arrangements he plans to make to provide greater visibility
of project management costs in the Defence Equipment
and Support Organisation to the Capability Sponsor in
head office; and if he will make a statement. [295776]
Mr. Quentin Davies: We are currently reviewing how
best to provide greater visibility of project management
costs, and this will be addressed as part of the Strategy
for Acquisition Reform to be published in the new year.
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement
of 15 October 2009, Official Report, columns 34-36WS,
on defence acquisition (independent review), what
steps he plans to take (a) to improve the way in which
projects in the equipment plan are costed, (b) to use
better and more sophisticated techniques applied more
consistently and (c) to ensure that investment
decisions are based on the most reliable forecasts; and
if he will make a statement. [295777]