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Equal Opportunities
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amounts of money have been paid out by (a) his Department and (b) executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and other organisations for which he is accountable to Parliament, to how many staff or former staff in respect of (i) alleged equal opportunities breaches which do not proceed to tribunals or courts and (ii) equal opportunities breaches which proceeded to tribunals or courts in (1) the current year and (2) the two previous years. [22510]
Mr. Waldegrave: My Department has not made any payments under either category in this or the previous two years. Executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and other organisations for which I am responsible to Parliament and for which information is available have paid a total of £18,500 in respect of six cases that did not proceed to tribunals or courts in the previous two years. No compensation has been awarded as a result of any cases which proceeded to tribunals or courts in this or the previous two years.
DEFENCE
Cyprus (Service Personnel)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost to the British Government of the trial of the three military personnel convicted of the manslaughter of a Danish tour guide in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. [24559]
Mr. Soames: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 3 April to the hon. Member for Delyn (Mr. Hanson), Official Report, column 262.
17 Apr 1996 : Column: 502
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when a Minister from his Department will visit Cyprus to discuss with the Cyprus Government and senior military personnel the behaviour of British forces when off-duty on the island of Cyprus; [24563]
- (2) what discussions he plans to have with (a) the Commander-in-Chief of British Forces, Cyprus, and (b) the Government of Cyprus in respect of the conviction of three British service personnel of the manslaughter of a Danish tour guide. [24561]
Mr. Soames: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence plans to make a short visit to the sovereign base areas in Cyprus towards the end of May. While in Cyprus, he will discuss a number of issues, including the convictions resulting from the manslaughter of Miss Jensen and the conduct of off-duty British service men more generally.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he is having with the family of the Danish tour guide for whose manslaughter three British service personnel in Cyprus have been convicted as to compensation which may be paid to them; and if he will make a statement. [24553]
Mr. Soames: As yet, no claim has been received. If one were to be submitted, it would be looked at sensitively and sympathetically.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what pay and allowances the three British service men convicted in Cyprus of the manslaughter of a Danish tour guide currently receive; and if he will make a statement. [24555]
Mr. Soames: While in custody, each soldier has received approximately £20 per week for incidental expenses such as telephone calls and toiletries.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has (a) to review the general rules of behaviour of British service personnel on the island of Cyprus and (b) to investigate complaints made by Greek Cypriots as to the behaviour of British military personnel based in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. [24565]
Mr. Soames: Both the educational and disciplinary arrangements relating to the behaviour of British service personnel in Cyprus are kept under constant review. Any complaints by Cypriots against such personnel are investigated fully either by the Cypriot police or service police, depending upon where jurisdiction lies.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department now plans to discharge the three service personnel convicted of the manslaughter of a Danish tour guide from the British army; and what benefits they will be entitled to on their discharge. [24562]
Mr. Soames: Discharge procedures have been initiated for all three soldiers. No immediate benefits are payable, but all three will be entitled to a preserved pension, based on length of service, which will be payable when they attain the age of 60 years.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it is the policy of senior British military personnel to visit areas of Cyprus to monitor how British service personnel conduct themselves when off-duty; and if he will make a statement. [24552]
17 Apr 1996 : Column: 503
Mr. Soames: Senior British military personnel do not visit areas in Cyprus to monitor how British service personnel conduct themselves when off-duty. They monitor the behaviour of personnel off-base through daily situation reports provided by the service police.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what personal contact has been made by (a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) senior British military personnel in Cyprus with the family of the Danish tour guide for whose manslaughter three British service personnel in Cyprus have been convicted; and if he will make a statement. [24554]
Mr. Soames: The then Commander of British Forces Cyprus wrote a letter of condolence to the parents of Louise Jensen on 29 September 1994.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military police personnel patrol areas of the Republic of Cyprus which British service personnel are known to frequent during off-duty hours; and if he will make a statement. [24558]
Mr. Soames: The tourist areas of Limassol and Larnaca are patrolled regularly by members of the Royal Military police and the RAF police. Precise numbers vary according to the perceived requirement.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which areas of the Republic of Cyprus are out of bounds for British service personnel and their families. [24560]
Mr. Soames: The area of Ayia Napa remains out of bounds to the vast majority of British service personnel and their dependants. The tourist areas of Limassol and Larnaca are subject to a 1 am curfew. Other areas and individual establishments are placed out of bounds for specific periods from time to time.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports are made by British military personnel on the behaviour of individual British service personnel serving on the island of Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. [24566]
Mr. Soames: Daily situation reports are produced locally in Cyprus by the service police and reviewed by the chain of command. Depending on the nature or gravity of the incident, details may be reported up through command advisers or specialist staffs to central staffs in MOD.
National Audit Office
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many files marked "Not for National Audit Office Eyes" are currently held by his Department. [24852]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The marking "Not for NAO Eyes" is used in accordance with an agreement between the Treasury and the National Audit Office, under which documents relating to the handling of relations between Departments and the NAO and Public Accounts Committee are not automatically available to the NAO while they are current.
Because my Department operates a decentralised registry system, the number of files so marked could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.
17 Apr 1996 : Column: 504
Sea Empress
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made by his marine accident investigation branch with its investigation into the grounding of the Sea Empress off Milford Haven on 15 February and the subsequent salvage operation; and if he will make a statement. [25849]
Sir George Young: The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has assured me that the investigation is progressing satisfactorily. The inspectors have interviewed many of the people from whom they need to take evidence and this process is continuing. All parties are co-operating with the inspectors.
There has been a good response to the public notices placed in the press inviting people to make representations to the inspectors which would assist them both in determining the circumstances and causes of the grounding and in relation to the subsequent salvage operations. The chief inspector has received 35 detailed representations and a further 63 letters from people, some of whom wish to give evidence to the inspectors.
The chief inspector's target for investigations of this kind is to submit his final report to me within 12 months of the date of an accident. Within this time, he has to carry out a consultation process on the draft, a statutory requirement which normally takes two months or more. If at any stage of the inquiry the chief inspector feels that he can usefully and properly publish interim recommendations, he will do so.
In order to carry out the investigation speedily and thoroughly, the chief inspector tells me that he has appointed five of his nine inspectors to the investigation.
I hope to publish the chief inspector's final report as soon as possible after receiving it.
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