| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Indonesia
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the implications of the US $23 billion IMF package for Indonesia for the human rights situation in that country. [16045]
Mrs. Liddell: I have been asked to reply.
Indonesia's tough programme of reform marks an important step in the process of restoring confidence in financial markets in South-East Asia. It commits the Suharto government to a tight financial framework, together with a number of measures to tackle structural economic weaknesses and open the economy. We fully support these measures, which will lead to improved quality of governance and transparency in policy implementation. This should allow Indonesia to maintain its high rate of economic growth, and contribute to the benefits of growth being widely shared in all sectors of the population.
The programme will be supported by loans of $18 billion-$10 billion from the IMF $4½ billion from the World Bank and $3½ billion from the Asian Development Bank. The remaining part of the projected $23 billion financing need will involve use of Indonesia's own external assets. We support this exceptional access to IMF
25 Nov 1997 : Column: 496
resources, particularly in view of the prudent macroeconomic policies which Indonesia has pursued over a long period of time.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the MOD inspectors who investigated the recent COPEX were provided with an attendance list of military, security and police officials and delegations; which of these delegations were from countries whose military, security and police units have records of human rights violations; and if he will make this attendance list available. [14370]
Mr. Spellar:
MOD inspectors were not provided with an attendance list.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral answer of 3 November 1997, Official Report, column 14, to the hon. Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Todd), if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the minutes of the meeting with the joint inter-agencies on Gulf War syndrome and (b) all documents provided to his Department from the United States authorities on Gulf War syndrome. [14714]
Dr. Reid:
The Government are committed to co-operating very closely with the US authorities on this issue and regularly exchange information with our US colleagues. We are equally committed to being open in the dealings with Gulf veterans, and have pledged to make all relevant information available. A wide range of documentation issued by the US authorities is already publicly available. However, information contained within documents received in confidence from a foreign Government is covered by exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, as part of his Department's investigation of Gulf War illness, he will examine the research conducted by Dr. Robert Davies at Taunton Hospital into the contribution made by exposure to organophosphate pesticide. [16848]
Dr. Reid:
My Department will continue to take account of all research published in appropriately peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals which may be relevant in taking forward our work to address the health concerns of Gulf veterans. We have not yet seen the results of Dr. Davies' research and await its publication with interest.
Mr. Alan Johnson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the MOD role of Commander John Brookes in Hull. [16689]
Dr. Reid:
It is my Department's policy to prevent the disclosure of information about any person (including a deceased person) or any other disclosure which could constitute or could facilitate an unwarranted invasion of
25 Nov 1997 : Column: 497
privacy. I am, accordingly, withholding the information requested under exemption 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mr. Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the numbers of (a) individuals, nationally and (b) ex-employees of Chatham Dockyard who (i) registered under the counselling scheme he announced on 4 June, (ii) required, initially, a copy of their past dose record, (iii) elected for counselling directly, (iv) having required a copy of their past dose record, have been advised that no dose records can be found and (v) having required a copy of their past dose record have subsequently elected for counselling. [17422]
Mr. Spellar:
I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Bruce George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the fire retardant standards of the standard issue battledress issued to serving troops in each of the services; [16222]
(3) what representations he has received as to the quality of items of the standard issue battledress issued to troops in each service; and if he will make a statement;[16224]
(4) what estimate he has made of the cost of issuing battledress with higher fire-retardant standards. [16225]
Dr. Reid:
I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Bruce George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision is made for troops serving with SFOR to phone the United Kingdom. [16219]
Dr. Reid:
A Welfare Telephone Allowance, currently £22 per month, is paid to troops as a contribution towards the cost of their telephone calls. A very few troops in isolated locations where it is not commercially viable to install public telephones, do not receive an allowance, but use the Military MENTOR Satellite System to telephone home.
Those troops based at Gorni-Vakuf have access to the BT Satellite Ground Terminal which has a telephone facility incorporated. The remainder make use of the service provided by Terralink Europa under a supported PFI agreement.
The Croatian PTT is also available in Split, but it is more expensive than Terralink Europa.
Mr. Bruce George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what allowance is paid to United Kingdom troops serving with SFOR for phone calls; and what data
25 Nov 1997 : Column: 498
he has collated on allowances paid to troops from other nations for this purpose. [16220]
Dr. Reid:
A Welfare Telephone Allowance, currently £22 per month, is paid to troops as a contribution towards the cost of their telephones calls. A very few troops in isolated locations where it is not commercially viable to install public telephone, do not receive an allowance, but instead have access to Military MENTOR Satellite System to telephone home.
Data have not been collated on allowances paid to troops of other nations for this purpose, but pay and general allowances have been researched in the past. Because of differing Terms of Service and different economic factors between nations, it would not be meaningful to compare individual elements of the allowances package such as the telephone allowance.
Mr. Bruce George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the (a) average cost and (b) range of costs per minute of phone calls to the United Kingdom made by troops stationed in Multi-national Division (South West) of SFOR. [16221]
Dr. Reid:
The average cost of a telephone call from MND SW to the United Kingdom is approximately 87p a minute.
The range of costs are as follows:
Mr. Bruce George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average case load is of consultant-level surgeons and physicians serving with SFOR. [16226]
Dr. Reid:
I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Bruce George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the average number of nights out of bed experienced by troops serving with SFOR. [16228]
Dr. Reid:
Every night that an individual does not spend at his or her unit's permanent station is classified as a night out of bed. Technically, therefore, personnel serving in former Yugoslavia spend nights out of bed for the duration of their deployment.
The average number of nights which troops currently serving in former Yugoslavia have spent away from their base in that country is 1.38 per week. Such absences occur for a variety of reasons, most notably the requirement to patrol.
Mr. Bruce George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many chaplains are serving with United Kingdom troops in SFOR; if this represents a normal full complement; and if he will make a statement. [16391]
25 Nov 1997 : Column: 499
Dr. Reid:
There are currently eight Army chaplains serving alongside United Kingdom troops in the NATO-led stabilisation force in Bosnia. This represents a normal complement in relation to the number of major units and soldiers deployed there. In addition, Royal Air Force (RAF) chaplains make regular visits to RAF personnel thereby providing them with full pastoral support; and Royal Navy chaplains accompany ships and Royal Marine units when they are deployed in theatre.
(2) what tests were undertaken of the fire retardant standards of materials used to make the current standard issue battledress issued to serving troops; [16223]
(a) Terralink Europa--60p a minute.
(b) British Telecom--90p per minute.
(c) PTT (Public Telephone)--95p per minute.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |