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DEFENCE
Nancekuke Base, Cornwall
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence further to his answer to the hon. Member for Salisbury of 11 November 1999, Official Report, columns 707-08W, on work at Nancekuke, if any additional information has come to light. [104505]
Mr. Spellar: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Ms Atherton) on 11 January 2000, Official Report, columns 125-26W.
Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on substances buried at the Nancekuke base in Cornwall. [105606]
Mr. Spellar: A Land Quality Assessment is currently under way at RAF Portreath, formerly Nancekuke, in line with the Ministry of Defence's policy of undertaking such assessments over a 10 year period from 1996. As part of this work, surface soil and water samples have been taken for laboratory analysis. This analysis has revealed no signs of contamination from toxic agents.
Common Foreign and Security Policy
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answers of 6 December 1999, Official Report, columns 343-44W, on the common foreign and security policy, if he will make a statement on developments in the issues referred to in his answers following the European Council in Helsinki in December 1999. [105657]
Mr. Hoon:
At the Helsinki European Council, EU member states committed themselves to improving their military capabilities so that they will be better able to assemble, deploy rapidly and sustain effective forces for NATO or EU-led operations. In particular, they agreed a headline goal, specifying that by 2003 they should be able to deploy within 60 days, and sustain for at least one year, military forces of up to 50,000-60,000 persons capable of undertaking the full range of Petersberg tasks.
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The Helsinki European Council also confirmed the political and military structures that will be necessary for the EU to decide and act in response to crises, where NATO as a whole is not engaged. To this end, EU member states agreed to establish a permanent EU Political and Security Committee, an EU Military Committee, and an EU Military Staff, with interim bodies to be established by March 2000.
This work will be taken forward under the Portuguese Presidency of the EU.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the level of availability of ration packs for training exercises in the field; and what orders have been issued to limit distribution of such items. [105590]
Mr. Spellar:
A food war reserve of Operational Ration Packs (ORP) is maintained to support operational deployments. ORP is a lifed product and stock is turned over accordingly. The ORP that is turned over is made available for training and exercises and its distribution is agreed annually with the Services in line with availability. Reductions in the amount of stock carried as a war reserve have reduced the amount of ORP turned over. The implications for the training programme are currently being evaluated, including the option to procure additional ration packs specifically for training.
Dr. Brand:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the British contribution to the intervention in Kosovo to the end of 1999; and what are the projected costs for 2000. [105503]
Mr. Hoon:
As at the end of October, the Ministry of Defence had incurred net additional expenditure of £125 million on Kosovo operations this financial year. The figure is expected to rise to just below £400 million by the end of 1999-2000.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the costs of the Kosovo deployment for the current financial year. [105618]
Mr. Hoon
[holding answer 18 January 2000]: The net additional expenditure incurred this financial year on Kosovo operations is expected to be just below £400 million. I have agreed with my Treasury colleagues that these costs will be covered by the Reserve and I am currently discussing the details in the context of my Department's Spring Supplementary Estimates.
Mr. Michael J. Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rights of access currently exist for hunting wild mammals with dogs on his Department's land. [105496]
Mr. Spellar:
There are 35 licensed fox hunts and beagle packs that have access to areas of Ministry of Defence land. The areas into which access is permitted are agreed, with each individual hunt or pack, at the time the annual licence is issued. Entry into these areas is
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determined throughout the licence period against the military training requirement, which will always take priority.
Mr. Ottaway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 January 2000, Official Report, columns 97-98W, concerning HMS Westminster and the In Year Budget Management Measure, what were the sums allocated for fuel for the Fleet in the current year and in the two previous years; and what provision is made in the budget for increases in fuel prices. [105148]
Mr. Spellar:
The sums allocated for fuel for the Fleet (HM Warships and RFAs) in the current year and the two previous years were as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 34.572 |
| 1998-99 | 40.283 |
| 1999-2000 | (18)37.924 |
(18) The allocation for the current year includes £9.5 million over and above the original allocation.
No specific provision is made in the budget for increases in fuel prices, however my Department uses normal in year management flexibility to cope with the effects of short-term changes such as this.
Departmental Properties
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those properties held by his Department and agencies responsible to him which are (a) wholly and (b) mainly unoccupied at present, giving locations and when they became so unoccupied in each case. [105306]
Mr. Kilfoyle: I will write to the hon. Gentleman and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Meteor Missiles
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards have been offered to ensure that the UK maintains control over the sale of Meteor missiles as part of the package with Eurofighter Typhoons to third countries. [105648]
Mr. Hoon: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Armed Forces Discipline Bill
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Special Investigation Bureau investigators are currently employed and at what locations; and by how many he will expand the service following the enactment of the Armed Forces Discipline Bill. [105649]
Mr. Spellar: The information requested is as follows:
- The Naval Service
- The Royal Naval Special Investigation Branch comprises a total of 20 investigators, all of whom are based at Portsmouth, but who have a Fleet and world-wide remit. It is not intended to expand their numbers following the enactment of the Armed Forces Discipline Bill.
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- The Army
| Location | Number |
|---|---|
| Upavon | 5 |
| Colchester | 6 |
| Aldershot | 13 |
| Shorncliffe | 2 |
| Bulford | 11 |
| Plymouth | 1 |
| Bulford (HQ) | 15 |
| York | 5 |
| Catterick | 6 |
| Hounslow | 8 |
| Edinburgh | 7 |
| Donnington | 7 |
| Preston | 1 |
| Chichester (Trg) | 9 |
| Hohne | 7 |
| Osnabruck | 7 |
| Bielefeld | 3 |
| Gutersloh | 6 |
| Rheindahlen (Inc) | 16 |
| Sennelager | 7 |
| Northern Ireland | 20 |
| Cyprus | 4 |
| Canada (BATUS) | 11 |
| Total | 167 |
The table shows the number of Special Investigation Branch investigators by their permanent location. Eleven of the 167 are currently on overseas short detachments (five to Kosovo, five to Bosnia, and one to East Timor).
There are no plans to increase specific SIB numbers due to the enactment of the Armed Forces Discipline Bill. However, planning for the implementation of the likely provisions of the Act once it has passed into law is under way, and current plans provide for an increase in the overall number of Royal Military Police (other than SIB). As that work progresses over the coming months, that number will be refined and confirmed.
The RAF
The following table shows the number of RAF personnel employed in the criminal investigation element of the RAF's Provost and Security Services (P&SS).
| Location | Number |
|---|---|
| RAF Henlow (HQ) | 34 |
| RAF Cranwell | 10 |
| RAF Linton-on-Ouse | 11 |
| RAF Buchan | 7 |
| RAF Halton | 11 |
| RAF Innsworth | 14 |
| Rheindahlen | 7 |
| Cyprus | 5 |
| Gibraltar | 1 |
| Falkland Islands | 1 |
| Total | 101 |
The RAF has no plans to expand the P&SS organisation following the enactment of the Armed Forces Discipline Bill.
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