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Staff Secondments

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 2000, Official Report, columns 109-10W, concerning secondments, which of the secondees listed were appointed for a period of 12 months or less. [124829]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 7 June 2000]: My Department had nine inward secondments of 12 months or less from the following companies:

BMT Defence Systems

Vickers

Vosper Thorneycroft

BAe

Gardiner and Theobald

Simmons and Simmons

Defence Acquisition Group (x2)

PA Consulting Group

Slovenia

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the extent is of joint working with Slovenia on military matters; how many UK personnel work in Slovenia on training and related matters; and if he will make a statement. [124884]

Mr. Spellar: Slovenia is one of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe included in the Ministry of Defence's Outreach Programme of bilateral assistance. My officials hold annual Defence Staff Talks with their Slovenian counterparts and from these discussions a programme of bilateral assistance is constructed. The main area of assistance is in English language training, but we also conduct seminars on various Defence related subjects, discussions on codification and standardisation, and arms control training. There are also VIP and working level short visits to UK by Slovenian Ministry of Defence officials and members of their Armed Forces, including

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attendance on TA summer camps, and reciprocal visits by UK Ministry of Defence officials and members of UK Armed Forces.

At present there are no MOD UK personnel working in Slovenia, however the UK Defence Attache to Slovenia, who is currently cross-accredited to Austria and resident in Vienna, is moving to Slovenia on 13 June 2000. Additionally, an MOD civil servant is due to take up post as Adviser on Defence Policy and Planning in the Slovenian Ministry of Defence in September 2000.

Latvia

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the extent of joint working with Latvia is on military matters; how many UK personnel work in Latvia on training and related matters; and if he will make a statement. [124887]

Mr. Spellar: The UK has an extensive programme of defence assistance to Latvia as part of the MOD's "Outreach" initiative to promote stability and security in central and eastern Europe. The UK's programme of assistance to Latvia is underpinned by English language training, defence management training and military training which is provided both in-country and in the UK. We also assist Latvia through our contribution to the joint Baltic projects: the Baltic Security Assistance forum; the Baltic Peacekeeping Battalion; the Baltic Naval Squadron; the Baltic Defence College; and the Baltic Air Surveillance Network. Another substantial area of co-operation is the deployment of a 10 strong Latvian contingent with BRITFOR in Kosovo.

Currently we have six personnel working permanently in Latvia on training and related matters, with a civil servant seconded to the Latvian Defence Ministry to advise on programming and budgeting systems and five Royal Marines working with the Baltic Peacekeeping Battalion Training Team. However, Short Term Training Teams (STTTs) provide most of the military training, visiting Latvia for between two weeks to three months each summer; this year the STTTs will involve approximately 15 personnel. In addition to those involved directly in training, the Defence Attache in Riga, assisted by an Assistant Defence Attache, liaises with the Latvian Defence Ministry to ascertain their training and assistance requirements for each year.

Sierra Leone

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been so far of UK involvement in Sierra Leone; if any of that cost will be claimed from the United Nations; and if he will make a statement. [124886]

Mr. Hoon: The additional costs of Operation Palliser, the evacuation deployment to Sierra Leone which commenced on 5 May, are still being established, but it is estimated that they will amount to some £8 million. As Operation Palliser is not a United Nations operation, we do not expect to claim any of those costs from the United Nations.

Missile Defence Systems

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the Exocet missile launcher has

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been removed from HMS Sheffield; what plans there are to replace it; and what similar work has been undertaken on other ships of this class. [125083]

Mr. Spellar [holding answer 8 June 2000]: The Exocet missile launcher has been removed from the batch 2 Type 22 Frigate HMS Sheffield because the variant of the missile used by the RN is now obsolete and no longer in Naval service. There are no plans to replace the launcher. HMS Sheffield remains armed with a potent mixture of weapons and sensors including Seawolf Anti-Air Missiles, Stingray Anti-Submarine Torpedoes and a helicopter able to carry the Sea Skua Anti-ship missile. There are no plans to remove the launchers from the remaining batch 2 vessels in this class as, given their relatively short remaining life, it would not be economic to do so. The latest Batch (3) Type 22 Frigates carry the Harpoon anti-ship missile system.

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the programme of work that is being undertaken by his Department in relation to ballistic missile defence. [125009]

Mr. Hoon [holding answer 8 June 2000]: Following the policy on ballistic missile defence set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the Ministry of Defence is undertaking a three-year programme of studies known as the Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment Programme. This programme is monitoring developments in the risks posed by ballistic missiles and in the technology to counter them. It is due to be completed next summer. The terms of reference for the programme were announced on 27 July 1999, Official Report, column 203W. In addition, we are contributing to NATO preparations for studies into the feasibility of theatre ballistic missile defence. We expect these studies to start next year.

Project Aquatrine

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department will issue invitations to submit outline proposals for Project Aquatrine; and if he will make a statement. [125317]

Dr. Moonie: In accordance with the timetable announced at the Project Aquatrine bidders conference in March this year, I expect that invitations to submit outline proposals for the initial package of the project will be issued very shortly.

Rudloe Manor

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what considerations other than price will affect the sale of Rudloe Manor. [125392]

Dr. Moonie: When selling surplus property the Ministry of Defence follows Government Accounting procedures seeking to achieve the full market value. This is usually best determined by offering the property for

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sale on the open market with a specific date for the submission of bids. In selecting a preferred purchaser for Rudloe Manor, my Department also paid regard to the proposed uses, the ability of bidders to finance the purchase and their timescales for completing the sale.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account he will take of the potential for job creation in his decision on the purchaser of Rudloe Manor. [125393]

Dr. Moonie: Rudloe Manor has been offered for sale with reference to the policy for the site, identified in the North Wiltshire District Council Local Plan and the modifications to the Draft Local Plan which the Council has agreed. It is for the Local Planning Authority properly to consider the issue of job creation, as part of any future planning application for the site.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many tenders there were for the purchase of Rudloe Manor; and how many of them were within the original specification. [125394]

Dr. Moonie: Sixteen bids were received, all of which complied with the original specification.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reach a conclusion about the sale of Rudloe Manor; and if he will make a statement on the sale. [125391]

Dr. Moonie: A purchaser has now been identified for Rudloe Manor and the terms of sale have been agreed, subject to contract. Considerable interest was shown in the property and all unsuccessful bidders have now been notified.

Asbestosis

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the level of compensation paid to civilian dockyard workers for work-related asbestosis contracted while working (a) on Royal Navy vessels and (b) in Royal Naval dockyards. [124934]

Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

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