HC Deb 20 June 2003 vol 407 cc514-6W
Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people work for the Defence Secondary Care Agency; how many are employed in Scotland; what the personnel costs of the agency are; and how these figures compare to 2002. [119286]

Mr. Caplin

The Defence Secondary Care Agency was disbanded on 31 March 2003 and its functions were subsumed by the Defence Medical Education and Training Agency and the Defence Medical Services Department. The Agency employed an average of 2,282 military and civilian people between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003 of which 11 were employed in Scotland. This compares with 2,317 in the preceding financial year of which 10 were employed in Scotland. The personnel costs of the Agency for the financial year ending 31 March 2003 are subject to the outcome of routine audit by the National Audit Office and will form part of the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts which is expected to be published in July and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House. The Agency's personnel costs in the financial year ending 31 March 2002 were £87.73 million.

Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people work for the National Codification Bureau; how many are employed in Scotland; what the personnel costs of the agency are; and how these figures compare to 2002. [119288]

Mr. Caplin

As at 1 January 2003 there were 95 people in post working for the United Kingdom National Codification Bureau (UKNCB), all of which are employed in Glasgow. The total annual personnel costs of UKNCB as at 1 January 2003 were approximately £2.6 million. For the comparable 12 month period as at 1 January 2002 there were 99 people in post employed by UKNCB, all in Scotland. The comparable annual personnel costs of the Agency as at 1 January 2002 were £2.3 million.

Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people work for the Directorate General Commercial Organisation; how many are employed in Scotland; what the personnel costs of the agency are; and how these figures compare to 2002. [119289]

Mr. Caplin

The Director General Commercial is the Professional Head of the Ministry of Defence's Commercial Function. He is professionally responsible for all commercial posts throughout the MOD, some 1,900 staff in total. Approximately 150 of these are based in Scotland. These staff figures are unchanged from 2002. The Director General Commercial Organisation is a term used to describe collectively the commercial staff within the MOD. It is neither an agency, nor a budgetary element within the Department. The costs of commercial staff are borne by their parent Top Level Budget organisations.

Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people work for the Disposal Services Agency; how many are employed in Scotland; what the personnel costs of the agency are; and how these figures compare to 2002. [119292]

Mr. Caplin

I refer the hon. Member to page 36 of the Disposal Services Agency (DSA)'s Annual Report and Accounts 2001–02, which was laid before the House on 19 July 2002. For Financial Year 2002–03 the personnel costs are approximately £3 million, subject to audit. Of the 87 personnel employed in 2003, three personnel are employed in Scotland, the same number as last year.

Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people work for the Defence Bills Agency; how many are employed in Scotland; what the personnel costs of the agency are; and how these figures compare to 2002. [119293]

Mr. Caplin

The Defence Bills Agency do not employ any staff in Scotland. The forecast costs and the average number of whole-time equivalent people employed (including Agency senior managers) was as follows:

Forecast Full-time equivalents Personnel costs (£000)
2003–04 572 11,991
2002–03 591 11,572

The Agency's Annual Report and Accounts for 2002–03 is expected to be published before the summer recess. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.