Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I shall be delighted to write to the noble Countess on that point. Of course, I shall put a copy of my letter in the Library of the House as I know that many noble Lords are interested in the subject.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: On 1 January 2000 there were 1,561 members of the Royal Air Force who had applied for Premature Voluntary Retirement.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We have no plans to remove depleted uranium based anti-tank ammunition from service.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Ministry of Defence is well aware of the suggested link between exposure to DU and the illnesses being experienced by some Gulf veterans. However, this is only one of a number of factors which have been suggested as causes of Gulf veterans' illnesses and, pending further medical and scientific evidence, the Ministry of Defence is keeping an open mind. The Ministry of Defence is aware of...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: As part of the department's ongoing efforts to reduce overstretch in the Army, we are pleased to announce that a contract has been let to provide for less manpower intensive and more modern communications equipment in the Balkans. The contract, with BAe Systems, will provide for wide area communications in support of the UK's contribution to the NATO Multi National Divisions in Bosnia and...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The 2000 Report of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body has been published today. Copies are available in the Vote Office and the Library of the House. We are grateful to the Chairman and members of the Review Body for the work they have put into them. In the Comprehensive Spending Review the Government made it clear that public sector pay settlements would need to be fair and affordable and...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Following a comprehensive review, the Queen Alexandra's Royal Nursing Sevice (QARNNS) will be incorporated into the Royal Navy (RN) from 1 April 2000 as the Service's specialised nursing branch. QARNNS is currently a separate Service within the Naval Service. This will bring the status of QARNNS into line with that of the Army and RAF. It will also mean that QARNNS personnel commissioned or...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, the answer is no. That is because the Question is based on the erroneous premise that government can instruct contractors when to submit bills. As the noble Lord knows, what we do every year is to discuss with industry how to manage expenditure most effectively. This year is no different.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, no instructions are given. The MoD routinely enters into agreements with its suppliers to promote commercial relationships which benefit both parties. Details are commercially confidential between us and the individual companies. Arrangements are freely entered into on both sides.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The systematic literature review is being carried out over a period of three years by a team led by Professor Glyn Lewis at the University of Wales and funded by the Ministry of Defence through the Medical Research Council (MRC). Professor Lewis has provided two progress reports to the MRC. The MRC has explored whether those reports can be made public, but it is Professor Lewis's view that...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Medical Research Council Gulf War Illness Research Programme Steering Committee has met five times since its inception in early 1997.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Defence Housing Executive (DHE) is responsible for arranging for the treatment of infestations of rats where there is evidence of their presence in service families accommodation (SFA) or gardens. Any infestation is dealt with either by the local authority or a local specialist contractor and funded by DHE.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The net annual change in the trained strength and requirement of the Army over the three-year period to 1 April 1999 is shown in the table. Trained Strength1 UKTAP2 GURTAM3 Total Strength Requirement Strength Requirement Strength Requirement 1 April 1996 99,516 104,018 4,027 4,037 103,543 108,055 1 April 1997 97,756 103,353 3,598 3,006 101,354 106,359 ...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, we recognise the importance of maintaining a sound system of discipline in the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces Discipline Bill includes measures to ensure that service personnel rights under Articles 5 and 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights are maintained in a way consistent with service discipline.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I know that the noble Lord, Lord Renton, was consistent and assiduous in pursuing this point during the passage of the Bill through your Lordships' House. In introducing the Bill into the House I signed a certificate, which I did on advice, that nothing in the Bill was in conflict with the European convention. My honourable and right honourable friends in another place signed a...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, there is nothing in the Human Rights Act or in the Bill currently under discussion in another place which prevents proceedings being taken for offences. When we discussed this matter in your Lordships' House I said that operational considerations would remain paramount. There should not be any misunderstanding on this point. The Government, like any other responsible government,...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I am very sorry. I shall try again. Operational considerations will be paramount. That is an unequivocal statement. I said that I did not believe there should be any misunderstanding on the point. We debated this matter fully in your Lordships' House when we were dealing with the Armed Forces Discipline Bill and I would not want to be misunderstood in any way on it. If I am being...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I cannot think of every possible exigency that might occur where the commanding officer's word was challenged. If I may say so, the noble Lord is asking me to gaze into the future in a way that is a little difficult for me to do. I have said that operational effectiveness is the crucial issue and, of course, where the commanding officer's discipline was being exercised in pursuit of...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, that is precisely why we dealt with the Bill in the way that we did--because such an issue would be a matter for the courts. The noble and gallant Lord asked me about the exercise of a commanding officer's disciplinary authority. What I have said is that, where that disciplinary authority, properly exercised, is in pursuit of operational effectiveness, we should expect that. The...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, my noble friends are urging me that that question was somewhat wide of the mark. However, I am rather grateful to the noble Lord. He has raised a matter that appeared in the newspapers today and I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to say to him that we do not accept that there is any equivalence--that is an issue that has been raised--between legally held military weapons...