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Training and Logistics Support
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what request his Department made to the US Government on the sale of training and logistics support to back up the lease of four Boeing C17 Transport Aircraft; what is the cost to his Department of this support and over what time it would run; and if he will make a statement. [124555]
Mr. Hoon: Further to my statement of 16 May 2000 in which I announced that it is our intention to lease four C-17 Globemaster aircraft to meet the Royal Air Force short to medium term airlift requirement: following termination of the original Short Term Strategic Airlift competition on 5 August 1999, the Ministry of Defence explored a number of options. These included discussions with Boeing and the US Government on ways of reducing the cost of meeting the RAF's requirement with a possible C-17 lease package. These discussions focused on the most cost-effective means of providing training and logistic support. Following our decision to lease four C-17 aircraft, a UK/US Government agreement has now been signed to provide C-17 training and training support services for the programme at an approximate cost of £8 million. A similar agreement will be put in place to cover the logistic support for the aircraft, but the details, including final costs, have yet to be agreed. Both agreements are expected to run for the full term of the aircraft lease.
Army Cadet Death
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what persons are to be disciplined as a result of the events surrounding the death of Army cadet Claire Louise Shore; [124356]
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- (2) what assessment he has made of (a) the report of the Health and Safety Executive and (b) the Army Board of Inquiry into the death of Army cadet Claire Louise Shore; [124354]
(3) if he will ensure that the parents of Army cadet Claire Louise Shore receive a detailed personal de-brief of the Army's Board of Inquiry proceedings. [124355]
Mr. Spellar: There has been a thorough investigation into this tragic incident by the Ministry of Defence Police, the Army's Training Accident Investigation Team and the Health and Safety Executive. The evidence from these investigations has been considered by the Crown Prosecution Service and by the Army chain of command and it has been found to be insufficient to support a prosecution under civil or military law, nor do they reveal any grounds for disciplinary action against any individual. They do, however, make criticisms of the organisation of the cadet camp and the training safety procedures. The Army accepts these criticisms and will accept the formal censure to be issued later this month. Action is in hand to improve these procedures.
The Army's Board of Inquiry has not yet been completed. On completion, the Army will be happy to give a copy to Claire Shore's parents and to de-brief them in person.
Military Bases (Foreign Personnel)
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military bases in the United Kingdom where foreign nationals are based, indicating in each case, the (a) nationality and (b) number of individuals involved. [123759]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 5 June 2000]: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Bonus Payments (Overseas Deployment)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have qualified for the bonus payments for overseas deployment under the recently introduced procedures; what delays in making these payments to service personnel there have been, and for what reason; how many claims are outstanding; and if he will make a statement. [124476]
Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Advanced Composite Armoured Vehicle
Platform
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost to date of the work carried out to develop the Advanced Composite Armoured Vehicle Platform; what was the total budget provision and completion date for development and trials; and if he will make a statement. [124540]
Dr. Moonie: The total cost to the MOD of the Advanced Composite Armoured Vehicle Platform is expected to be £6 million, which is within the total budget provision when the programme started in 1993. The
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initial automotive trials have been successful and the development and trials process is expected to be complete in October 2000.
Mr. Liam Clarke
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 May 2000, Official Report, column 462W, concerning the Metropolitan Police investigation of Mr. Liam Clarke, what were the times and occasions when complaints were made by him to the Metropolitan Police Service concerning alleged breaches of the Official Secrets Acts following the publication of articles in The Sunday Times concerning interviews by Liam Clarke and Martin Ingram. [124678]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 5 June 2000]: At a meeting with the Crown Prosecution Service on 8 September 1999 my Department raised its concerns that a breach of the Official Secrets Act may have been committed by Martin Ingram. Subsequent investigations have been a matter for the police.
Wireless Transmitter Station, Stubbington
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what price the site of the former wireless transmitter station at Stubbington was sold. [124682]
Dr. Moonie: The price was £2.085 million.
WALES
Magistrates Courts
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Lord Chancellor's Department concerning the future of rural magistrates courts; and if he will make a statement. [124426]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have had no such discussions with the Lord Chancellor.
The Government consider that magistrates courts are best managed locally by magistrates courts committees under the provision of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997. Decisions concerning the future of magistrates courts in Wales, whether rural or urban, are for the relevant magistrates courts committee to determine, in consultation with the paying authority or authorities.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Pakistan
Mr. Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her plans for provision of bilateral development assistance to Pakistan. [124773]
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards restoring the bilateral aid programme to Pakistan. [124564]
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Clare Short: I have agreed to provide technical assistance to assist the Administration to prepare some of the key reforms which would enable the UK and multilateral institutions to re-engage in Pakistan.
PRIME MINISTER
OSPAR Convention, Copenhagen
Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister which (a) Departments and (b) Ministers will represent the Government at the forthcoming OSPAR convention in Copenhagen on 26 June. [124242]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 5 June 2000]: The annual meeting of the OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic will be held on 26 to 30 June. It is a meeting of officials from the Contracting Parties to the OSPAR Convention, which Ministers would not normally expect to attend.
Although the exact composition of the UK delegation has yet to be finalised, I understand it is likely to comprise officials from DETR and DTI.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Schengen Agreement
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of Greek participation in the Schengen Agreement on the future level of illegal immigration to Western European states by Albanian nationals; and what recent representations he has made on this issue. [123629]
Mrs. Roche: The evaluation of Greece's readiness to participate in Schengen arrangements was made by the existing Schengen states, which did not include the United Kingdom. That evaluation covered the question of security of Greece's external frontiers. The Schengen arrangements, as incorporated within Treaty structures, provide for a continuing process of evaluation by participating states of adherence to the Schengen acquis, including the maintenance of the external frontiers of the Schengen area. The United Kingdom's participation in the Schengen agreement does not include external frontier arrangements and our participation in the evaluation process is limited to those areas in which we will ourselves participate. We shall continue to operate our own controls to tackle illegal immigration in the way that best suits our national circumstances. The Government have not, therefore, made any representations on this issue to European Union partners.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department will compile a list of those (a) elements of acquis, (b) working documents and (c) reports, pertaining to Schengen, to which his Department has to date not had access. [123622]
Mrs. Roche: We have had access to all the Schengen acquis as defined in Council Decision 1999/435/EC. Since the incorporation of the acquis into the Treaty on European Union, the United Kingdom as a member of the Council sees all Council working documents and reports.
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