PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES - United Kingdom Parliament

1009W
Written Answers
26 MARCH 2013
Written Answers
1010W
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the
responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have
asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics
(ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary
Question to ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his
estimate is of the number of expatriate UK citizens who have
lived overseas for more than 15 years and are as a consequence
not allowed to vote in UK general elections. [149479]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not collect
information regarding UK citizens resident outside the UK, and
so is unable to answer your question.
For more information about UK migrants abroad, please see
the World Bank publication “Migration and Remittances
Factbook 2011”
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTLAC/Resources/
Factbook2011-Ebook.pdf
Alternatively, an individual country breakdown for Europe
can be found on the Eurostat website:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/
population/data/database
Constituencies
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet
Office pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2013,
Official Report, column 439W, on constituencies, if he
will change the range of questions used in future
censuses to help overcome any obstacles to using the
census as the basis for boundary reviews. [148429]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the
responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have
asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated 14 March 2013:
As Director General of the Office for National Statistics I
have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question
about whether the range of questions used in future censuses will
be changed to help overcome obstacles to using the census as the
basis for boundary reviews (148429).
The Office for National Statistics is currently engaged in a
major programme of work, the Beyond 2011 Programme, to
assess options for meeting future requirements for population
and small area socio-demographic statistics. At this stage it is too
early to know whether or not there will be another census in
England and Wales and, if so, what questions will be asked.
DEFENCE
Armed Forces: Food
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence what proportion of the food supplied as
operational rations to UK armed forces is sourced in
the UK; and what steps he is taking to increase that
proportion. [150182]
Mr Francois: For armed forces personnel serving on
operations, overseas exercises and HM Ships there is a
single food supply contract with Purple Foodservice
Solutions Ltd (PFS). PFS lists approximately 1,150
different food-related items for the armed forces in the
core range price list. Currently, they estimate that
approximately 60% of lines listed, excluding fresh
produce, are sourced from suppliers within the UK.
The percentage of UK produced goods changes
regularly as a result of seasonality, value for money
incentives and changes of supplier. All food procured
through the PFS contract is produced to UK and EU
production standards, farm assurance or equivalent.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is bound by
European Union Public Procurement Directives which
demand fair and open competition for all food
contracts involving the expenditure of public funds.
The directives do not permit the MOD to specify only
British products or to only source products from a
particular region.
Armed Forces: Housing
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence what the (a) length of contract and (b) other
terms are of the private finance initiative with
Bannockburn Homes Ltd in respect of service family
accommodation for Redford and Dreghorn Barracks.
[149594]
Mr Francois: The private finance initiative contract
with Bannockburn Homes Limited was let in 1999 for
20 years and expires on 17 August 2019. Further details
about the contract can be found at the following
website:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/infrastructure_data_pfi.htm
Despite the announced future closures of Craigiehall
and part of Redford Barracks, there is still a
requirement for service families accommodation in the
Edinburgh area, including the PFI properties, to meet
the continuing demand from personnel based at other
sites in the region.
Armed Forces: Housing Benefit
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2013,
Official Report, column 74W, on armed forces: housing
benefit, what the outcome was of the meeting between
the Minister of Personnel, Veterans and Welfare and
Lord Freud regarding housing benefit and the armed
forces held in January 2013. [145714]
Mr Francois [holding answer 1 March 2013]: I refer
the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on
20 March 2013, Official Report, column 685W.
Army: Redundancy
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence if he will provide the Government Actuary’s
estimate of the total remuneration package, including
pension and redundancy, from leaving aged 39 to age
65 for a Major on pay level 6 (a) made redundant at
15 years 364 days’ pensionable service and (b) made
redundant at 16 years’ pensionable service with more
than three years remaining on their current contract.
[149205]
Mr Francois: The Government Actuary’s
Department (GAD) has based its estimate upon
two scenarios—redundancy at 15 years 364 days
pensionable service and redundancy at 16 years
pensionable service. The GAD has estimated the
discounted present capital value of pension and
redundancy payments, made between age 39 and age 65
to a member of Armed Forces Pension Scheme 75
holding major’s rank, pay level 6 and aged 39.
The following assumptions were used in preparing
these estimates: the discount rate is 5% per annum,
consumer price index inflation is 2% per annum, there