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DEFENCE
European Security and Defence Identity
10. Ms Rosie Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the European Security and Defence Identity. [96131]
24. Ms McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the European security and defence identity. [96146]
Mr. Hoon:
The Government are committed to strengthening the European Security and Defence Identity within NATO. We want European nations to improve their combined military capabilities and to develop the means to act in support of their foreign and security policy objectives. We are making good progress with our Allies and Partners both in the European Union and in NATO.
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11. Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on collaboration between the Royal Marines and the Royal Netherlands Marine Force. [96132]
Mr. Spellar:
The Royal Marines and the Royal Netherlands Marine Force have worked closely together for 26 years. This relationship was formalised in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 1997. Most recently, the UK Royal Marines and the Netherlands Royal Marines worked closely on Exercise BRIGHT STAR, an amphibious multinational exercise in Egypt last month.
12. Mr. Wilkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the RAF's requirement for heavy-lift transport aircraft. [96133]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
The Strategic Defence Review concluded that we needed to improve our strategic airlift, to allow us to move forces quickly to an overseas theatre. We are considering solutions to both our short and long-term requirements. In the short term, we expect to do this through acquiring four C-17 aircraft or their equivalents. In the longer term, we would need a suitable replacement for our remaining transport aircraft. We expect to make an announcement early next year.
13. Mr. Peter Bradley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in concluding the multi-national agreement on the Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle project; and if he will make a statement. [96134]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
As announced on 5 November, the UK and Germany have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, and have placed a contract with ARTEC GmbH, a consortium including Alvis Vehicles Ltd. from the UK, for the development of a family of armoured utility vehicles, known in the UK as the Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle.
14. Mrs. Gilroy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the Smart procurement initiative. [96135]
Mr. Hoon:
Smart Procurement is at the heart of our effort to reform radically the way we acquire equipment capability. The programme to roll out Integrated Project Teams is on track with 33 now fully operational. 39 further teams formed up in September and 141 will be fully operational by April 2000.
15. Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to increase the strength of the Territorial Army; and if he will make a statement. [96136]
Mr. Spellar:
The Strategic Defence Review made a number of changes to the Territorial Army, including increases in support functions such as medical services and signallers. The new structure was implemented on
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1 July this year, and is making the TA more relevant and useful. There are therefore no plans to change the conclusions reached on the size of the Territorial Army.
16. Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement regarding his plans for the mobilisation of TA units. [96137]
Mr. Spellar:
We are examining the feasibility of deploying a formed TA unit or sub-units to sustain peace support operations in the Balkans. No decisions have yet been taken.
22. Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently enlisted with the Territorial Army; how many there were five years ago; and what his projection is for the figures in 12 months' time. [96143]
Mr. Spellar:
The strength of the Territorial Army as at 1 September, the latest date for which figures are available, was 45,047. The strength of the Territorial Army on l September 1994 was 61,047. These figures exclude Non Regular Permanent Staff.
The estimated strength of the Territorial Army in 12 months' time will be our target establishment of 41,200.
Mr. Ottaway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact mobilisation of the Territorial Army would have upon the National Health Service. [97246]
Mr. Spellar:
My Department and the Department of Health currently have work in hand to assess the implications for the National Health Service of deploying substantial numbers of Territorial Army and other medical Reservists on military operations.
Mr. Ottaway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many more doctors he plans to recruit into the Territorial Army or reserve forces; and in what time span. [97244]
Mr. Spellar:
At present, the three Services are seeking to recruit some 545 doctors into the Volunteer Reserve Forces to meet current shortfalls. There is no specific timescale for achieving this figure but the aim is to recruit the doctors as soon as possible.
17. Lorna Fitzsimons:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on troop levels in Bosnia. [96138]
20. Mr. Roy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on troop levels in Bosnia. [96141]
Mr. Hoon:
The UK remains fully committed to supporting NATO operations in Bosnia. In conjunction with Allies, we have recently completed a careful assessment of the current security situation in Bosnia. This has improved sufficiently in the four years since the deployment of the Implementation Force (IFOR) for NATO to be able to move safely to a restructured force of some 20,000 members. The implication for UK forces is that 900 personnel will now return to the UK, without replacement, before Christmas. The UK contribution to the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) will then stand at some 3,300.
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18. Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the environmental consequences of the conflict in Kosovo and Serbia. [96139]
Mr. Spellar:
The UN's Balkans Task Force issued its report on the environmental consequences of the Kosovo conflict on 5 October. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library of the House. This Government have not conducted a separate assessment of the environmental consequences of the conflict in Kosovo and Serbia.
19. Ms Oona King:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of depleted uranium munitions. [96140]
Mr. Spellar:
My Department has conducted extensive monitoring programmes of the environmental effects of depleted uranium munitions at the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency's firing ranges at Eskmeals and Kirkcudbright. The monitoring programme has confirmed that there are only low levels of DU contamination, which are well below anything that could be considered a health hazard. The results of this monitoring are published annually.
25. Dr. Julian Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the decision was made to transfer the Army's northern headquarters from York to Edinburgh. [96147]
Mr. Spellar:
The decision to transfer the Army's northern HQ from York to Edinburgh was made on 4 March.
26. Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the learning forces initiative. [96148]
27. Mr. Michael J. Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the learning forces initiative. [96149]
32. Mr. Pickthall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the learning forces initiative. [96154]
Mr. Spellar:
I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, North (Mr. Rapson) on 8 November 1999, Official Report, columns 683-84.
28. Mr. Savidge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current security situation in East Timor. [96150]
Mr. Hoon:
The security situation in East Timor is much improved. The Australian-led International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) has now reached a total strength of 8,100 personnel, and includes significant contributions from Canada, Fiji, South Korea, New Zealand,
8 Nov 1999 : Column: 400
Philippines, Thailand, UK and the US. INTERFET has a firm base in Dili and is operating patrols along the border with West Timor. Remaining militia on the eastern side of the island, together with those based in West Timor, are still a cause for concern. The Indonesian Armed Forces have been co-operative. Some refugees have returned as peace is being restored. British Army Gurkhas have played an important role from the start of INTERFET operations in East Timor, and most recently in the Ambeno enclave. Gurkhas have been involved in conducting security patrols, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance and providing medical relief.
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