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Depleted Uranium Munitions (Friendly Fire)
6. Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow): What scientific evaluation was made (a) in 1991 and (b) subsequently of the effects on UK troops of friendly fire involving depleted uranium munitions; and if he will make a statement. [109400]
The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. John Spellar): Obviously, the right hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth) is keener to turn up late at night to talk about irrelevancies than to come and deal with the real business of the House.
The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any friendly fire incidents during which British troops were injured or killed by depleted uranium-based ammunition during the Gulf conflict. The historical and technical evaluation of the records from the friendly fire incidents that occurred during the Gulf conflict has concluded that there is no evidence to show that DU munitions were involved. Therefore, there has been no scientific evaluation of the effects of exposure to depleted uranium on British troops involved in friendly fire incidents.
Mr. Dalyell: As a member of an incoming Administration, is my hon. Friend entitled to know all the facts of what was, or was not, asked on depleted uranium in 1991?
Mr. Spellar: I am not entirely sure of the context in which my hon. Friend asks that question. In answer to a previous question that he posed in this regard, I said:
- "The US Department of Defense informs us that there is no 'US Army Depleted Uranium Assessment Unit'. The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any 'friendly fire' incidents during which British troops were injured or killed by depleted uranium-based ammunition during the Gulf conflict."--[Official Report, 10 January 2000; Vol. 342, c. 90W.]
Armed Services (Family Friendly Working Practices)
7. Mr. Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe and Sale, East): If he will make a statement on the development of family-friendly working practices within the armed services. [109402]
The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. John Spellar): The key family-friendly policies for the services are to provide adequate time for family life and, during deployment, the ability for family members to communicate with each other. We have reduced the number deployed on operations, introduced post- operational tour leave and a bonus payment for those experiencing the greatest separation, and increased the welfare telephone allowance from three to 20 minutes per week. That is an impressive record of achievement.
Mr. Goggins: I want to acknowledge the tremendous sacrifices that our armed services staff and their families make on our behalf. What steps is my hon. Friend taking to encourage staff to take up their new entitlements to parental leave and to time off in family emergencies, both of which were recently introduced by the Government?
Mr. Spellar: Armed forces personnel are entitled to parental leave, as allowed for in the parental leave
directive. It is service practice, operations permitting, to allow personnel to take paid annual leave to attend childbirth. On family emergencies, the armed forces have an excellent compassionate system in place that is specifically designed to deal with serious family emergencies; it can include both paid leave and free travel back home.
Mr. Julian Brazier (Canterbury): In that seemingly impressive list of measures to help families, where would the Minister put the £11 million cut in the budget for repairing married quarters, coming as it did just after a study had shown that the backlog of repairs is much worse than was previously thought?
Mr. Spellar: I am glad that the hon. Gentleman drew attention to the backlog of repairs, which was overlooked by the Conservative Government, who, in the rushed sale of property to Annington Homes, underestimated the amount required to bring the properties up to category 1 by £112 million. That has led to the stretching of the programme to 2005. We have been able to put some additional money back into the programme in the past few weeks. The hon. Gentleman should really look to the people who previously occupied the Government Benches. I regret to say that he backed out on that argument in the end.
Armed Services (Recruitment)
8. Mr. Hilary Benn (Leeds, Central): What account is taken of the previous convictions of applicants to the armed services in deciding whether to recruit them. [109403]
The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. John Spellar): Each service has slightly different regulations concerning such applicants. In general, the armed forces accept inquiries from young minor offenders who have completed the rehabilitation period in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 after they have served their sentence. Each case is considered on its merits.
Mr. Benn: Does my hon. Friend agree that the armed services have a role to play in giving ex-offenders who want to go straight the opportunity of proving that they are capable of doing so?
Mr. Spellar: Yes, subject to the qualification that they have to be acceptable to the armed forces and that there must be evidence that they have genuinely changed their ways and will not be a bad influence. As I have said previously from the Dispatch Box, we believe that people have a right to repair the mistakes that they have made, subject to that being consistent with the interests of the armed forces. We believe that many such youngsters will make good soldiers, sailors and airmen, which will be good for the country and very good for them and their families.
Cadet Services
9. Mr. Bob Russell (Colchester): If he will provide extra funding for Army, Air and Sea Cadets and bring forward proposals to increase recruitment to the cadet services. [109404]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Dr. Lewis Moonie): My Department has provided more than £58 million in funding for the Army, Air and Sea Cadets in the current financial year, as well as over £6 million for the Combined Cadet Force. In 1998, we made an extra £3 million available over four years to pay for enhancements to training, equipment and infrastructure following the strategic defence review. The cadet forces undertake their own recruitment, with practical support from the services wherever possible. The total number of cadets has increased steadily each year, and we expect to see a continuation of that trend.
Mr. Russell: Will the Minister confirm that the numbers of service men and women are still under strength across all the armed forces? Bearing in mind the fact that the cadet movement is a good recruiting ground, does he not agree that it would be good sense and good value for money to invest more in our cadets for recruitment purposes, and--in the spirit of joined-up government--for purposes of social inclusion, dealing with the causes of crime and giving our young people things to do other than be in the classroom the whole time?
Dr. Moonie: I am tempted just to answer yes, Madam Speaker, because I know that you favour short questions and answers. Alas, I am sorry to disappoint you, although my answer will be short. Between March and September 1999, the number of Army Cadets rose to 42,114, the highest for 10 years, in the wake of the "Attitude" campaign. Numbers in other cadet forces are also at satisfactory levels and, generally speaking, the extra money that we have put in is bearing fruit.
Mr. Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port and Neston): My hon. Friend may not have been in his post long enough to understand what a superb job the Navy cadets do in my constituency with Training Ship Forward. They contribute tremendously to the development of the service ethic among young people, as well as contributing to every civic occasion in the town. My hon. Friend will be aware that the funding arrangements for the Sea Cadets are not the same as for the other services, and that is presenting us with problems in finding a long-term base for them. Will he have discussions with his colleagues in other Departments to see if improvements can be made in the funding regime?
Dr. Moonie: We would be prepared to look at that. It has not been our practice in the past to provide direct support, for example, for accommodation. However, we give the Sea Cadets much non-cash support, for example through the loan of sailing craft and small powered craft.
Mr. John M. Taylor (Solihull): I wonder whether the Minister can tell me--or perhaps he could write to me--about the rehousing of the Army, Air and Sea Cadets in Shirley in my constituency, who have traditionally paraded at the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve centre that his Department is closing.
Dr. Moonie: I will clearly have to write to the hon. Gentleman about the detail of the question, although I can
say that when closures occur, we do our best to re-accommodate the cadet forces involved, as should be the case in Shirley.
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