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Green Transport Plans

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the introduction of a green transport plan for his Department. [82838]

Mr. Robin Cook: Since last July's Integrated Transport White Paper, which set targets for the introduction of green transport plans for Government Departments, we have completed a draft plan covering the FCO's UK estate. This covers all headquarters and main building, as well as other key buildings to which the White Paper's March 2000 target applies. The plan will be finalised shortly.

Ascension Island

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the future use of the airfield on Ascension Island and on the level of resulting (a) income and (b) expenditure. [83838]

Mr. Tony Lloyd: The United States Base on Ascension is provided free from rent and charges to the US Space Command under the terms of the Agreement between the UK and US Governments Concerning the Extension of the Bahamas Long Range Proving Ground by the Establishment of Additional Sites in Ascension Island signed in 1956, as amended.

Wideawake Airfield, which forms part of the US Base, is a key link in the RAF airbridge to the Falkland Islands. We are currently negotiating with the US Government to allow the use of Wideawake by civil charter flights. If these negotiations are successful this will improve access to both Ascension and St. Helena, some 700 miles away.

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Until we reach agreement with the US Government over the future use of the airfield no figures on any resulting levels of income and expenditure are available.

DEFENCE

Training Exercises

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many personnel were deployed on the 15 training exercises in Cyprus carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72777]

(2) what was the cost of the 15 training exercises in Cyprus carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [72776]

Mr. Doug Henderson: 1,755 personnel took part in the 15 Lion Sun exercises during this period. It has not been possible to identify separately the costs of these exercises.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the infantry company exercise in Kenya carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; what was the cost of the exercise; and which countries had armed forces which took part; [72781]

(2) how many personnel were deployed on the infantry company exercise in Kenya carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72782]

(3) what was the cost of, which countries had armed forces involved in, what assessment he has made of the value of, what where the principal benefits of, and how many personnel were deployed on the infantry company exercise in Kenya carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [76602]

Mr. Doug Henderson: Exercise Mono Prix 97-98, which took place in Kenya from 29 March to 27 April 1997, involved 140 personnel of No.2 Company 1 Irish Guards. No other personnel were involved. This exercise was designed to enable these personnel to gain extensive and realistic training experience, including live firing and jungle training, in a demanding environment, and I understand that these objectives were achieved. Records for the cost of this exercise are no longer held but the cost of the similar exercise in 1998 was £49K.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what his assessment is of the value of the NATO joint exercise in France carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72927]

(2) what was the cost of, which countries had armed forces involved in, and how many personnel were deployed on the NATO joint exercise in France carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [76599]

Mr. Doug Henderson: Exercise Strong Resolve, which took place in March 1998 jointly in Norway and in Portugal, and which involved some 50,000 military personnel, consisted of two halves; exercise Crisis South, in Norway, and exercise Crisis South, in Portugal. The pre-training to exercise Crisis South involved a combat enhancement phase which took part in France. The aim of exercise Strong Resolve was to exercise NATO's ability to cope with multiple, simultaneous crises in separate geographic regions, drawing on the resources of

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both major NATO Commanders, and involving the full spectrum of NATO missions. I understand that the exercise is assessed to have succeeded in its aim. Members of the Armed Forces of the following nations participated in the southern half of Strong Resolve, Crisis South; Belgium, the Czech Republic, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The costs of the combat enhancement phase of Crisis South, which took place in France, are not separately identifiable.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the cost of the NATO joint exercise in Portugal carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; and what was the cost of UK participation; [72836]

(2) how many personnel were deployed on the NATO joint exercise in Portugal carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; and what was the United Kingdom's share of the costs. [72977]

Mr. Doug Henderson [holding answer 1 March 1999]: Exercise Strong Resolve, which took place in March 1998 jointly in Norway and in Portugal, consisted of two halves; exercise Crisis North, in Norway, and exercise Crisis South, in Portugal. Some 25,000 personnel were deployed on exercise Crisis South, the total cost of which is not held centrally by NATO. The cost of the UK participation was £80k, excluding the costs of ammunition and spares consumed during the exercise as these costs are not separately identifiable.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries had armed forces involved in, what assessment he has made of the value of, and how many personnel were deployed on the airborne exercise in France carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [76601]

Mr. Doug Henderson: 80 personnel from C(Gurkha) Company, 2 PARA trained with the French armed forces during Exercise Quickstep which was held in France from 8 to 16 September 1997. The exercise was designed to train participants in a demanding environment and to expose them to a foreign army's tactics and equipment. I understand that the exercise succeeded in its aims.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of, which countries had armed forces involved in and what assessment he has made of the value of the airborne exercises in Ukraine carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [76596]

Mr. Doug Henderson: Exercise Cossack Steppe 97, which took place in the Ukraine between 13 to 21 September 1997, involved personnel from the armed forces of Poland, the Ukraine and the UK. The aim of the exercise was to test the ability of non-aligned forces to operate jointly, and I understand that the exercise fulfilled this aim. The total cost of the exercise is not available, but the cost of the UK contribution, 140 personnel from 2 PARA, was £39K. This cost excludes the cost of movement by RAF transport aircraft to and from the Ukraine, as these figures are no longer available, and also excludes the costs of ammunition and spares consumed during the exercise, as these costs are not separately identified.

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Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of, and which countries had armed forces involved in, the mountain and cold weather exercise in Romania carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [76591]

Mr. Doug Henderson: Only UK Armed Forces were involved in this exercise, the cost of which was £22,000, exclusive of the costs of movement by RAF transport aircraft used to and from the exercise and the cost of ammunition and spares consumed during the exercise. These costs are not separately identifiable.

Fair Trade Products

Ms Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to introduce fair trade products at (a) meetings, (b) events and (c) catering facilities within his Department. [82863]

Mr. Spellar: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to her by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, on 5 May 1999, Official Report, column 410.

Defence Storage and Distribution Agency

Mr. Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future location of the headquarters of the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency. [83905]

Mr. Doug Henderson: The formation of the new Defence Storage and Distribution Agency, for the management of non-explosive stores, was announced as part of the Strategic Defence Review. The Agency was formally established on 1 April of this year.

Following consultation with the Trades Unions and other interested parties, I have decided that the headquarters of the new Agency should be established at the MOD's Depot at Bicester in Oxfordshire, which will form a major part of the new Agency.

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