Defence Medical Services (Hansard, 22 February 1999)

§ 29. Mr. Viggers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the defence medical services. [70520]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
The future strategy for the Defence Medical Services was outlined by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 14 December 1998,Official Report, column 329. Work on the implementation of the proposals identified in the Strategic Defence Review and the future strategy for the Defence Medical Services is now well in hand.

§ Mr. Viggers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 14 December 1998,Official Report, column 329, if the harmonising of different conditions of service within the Defence Medical Services will extend to civilian employees and co-workers. [70877]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
No. The work on harmonisation is focused exclusively on eliminating differences in the terms of service of Defence Medical Service military personnel undertaking similar functions.

§ Mr. Viggers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he informed the Secretary of State for Health of his policy of direct targeting of nurses and specialist registrars for recruitment into the Defence Medical Services. [70880]
26W

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 8 December 1998.

§ Mr. Viggers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 14 December 1998,Official Report, column 329, concerning the Defence Medical Services, if he will provide a breakdown of the funding to be provided over the next four years for investment in additional medical personnel and equipment. [70898]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
Of the additional £140M which we announced in the SDR that we planned to spend on Defence Medical Services over the period 1998–99 to 2001–02, some £50M represents personnel costs, with the remainder attributed to a wide range of equipment, infrastructure and IT enhancements, including Primary Casualty Receiving Ship, Medical and Dental Equipment, and Medical Stores and Supplies over this period.

§ Mr. Viggers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 14 December 1998,Official Report, column 329, how he intends to identify overstretch in the Defence Medical Services; and what deadlines he has set for this. [70876]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
New work is currently being undertaken in Surgeon General's Department to establish a better understanding of the maximum level of medical deployment which we can sustain on a continuous basis. The results of this work will allow us to better match resources to tasks and will help operational planners to identify not only current overstretch but also the implications of proposed new deployments. The initial work should be completed by 1 March 1999.