HL Deb 21 March 1995 vol 562 cc63-5WA
Viscount Allenby of Megiddo

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the costs arising from the closure of 23 Armed Forces careers information offices (AFCOs), as set out in Lord Henley's Written Answer of 6th February 1995 (WA 5), under the following heads:-

  1. (a) the additional costs to the Careers and Employment Services of sending potential military personnel to AFCOs for initial visits;
  2. (b) the additional cost of subsistence and loss of earnings payments, and of travel, to potential military personnel resident in areas where AFCOs have closed;
  3. (c) the cost of redundancy payments for civilian staff;
  4. (d) the cost of the proposals to resite satellites and clinics of AFCOs in other centres; and
  5. (e) the cost of refurbishing and re-equipping AFCOs to cater for new activities and house additional military and civilian personnel.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Henley):

The information requested is as follows:

  1. (a) These costs are a matter for the Careers and Employment Services.
  2. b) There has been no significant change in the cost of travel and subsistence for potential recruits due to the closure of careers information offices during the present financial year. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force do not reimburse potential recruits for loss of earnings, and the Army only does so when candidates attend one of its recruit selection centres.
  3. (c) There have been no redundancies amongst civilian staff as a result of the closure of careers information offices during the present financial year.
  4. (d) It is not possible at present to estimate the costs of proposals to resite satellite offices in other centres, as work is still at the planning stage. There is no change in the use of Army "clinics" as these will remain at their present locations and be manned as required.
  5. (e) It is not possible at present to estimate the costs of refurbishing and re-equipping Armed Forces careers information offices to accommodate additional personnel as they are still being assessed. The costs are expected to fall during financial year 1995/96 or later, and will be balanced against savings to be made from the closure of offices.

Viscount Allenby of Megiddo

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Following the Written Answer of Lord Henley of 6th February 1995 (WA 5), what are the costs arising under penalty clauses in tenancy agreements of closure or prospective closure of Armed Forces careers information offices.

Lord Henley:

It is not possible at present to give details of the costs which will be incurred under penalty clauses in tenancy agreements as a result of closures of Armed Forces careers information offices during the financial years 1994/95 and 1995/96.