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Strategic Defence Initiative Contracts

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the contracts awarded since 1 September 1998 under the Letter of Offer and Acceptance, 0006-98-C-0015, signed under the 1985 Strategic Defence Initiative Memorandum of Understanding, specifying in each case the name of the contractor, the value of the contract and the date of the award. [157281]

Mr. Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 March 2001, Official Report, column 620W.

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Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment

Programme

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when the Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment Programme is expected to be completed; and if he will publish an unclassified version of its conclusions when it is completed; [157344]

(2) if he will place in the Library copies of unclassified documents which have been (a) issued to the contractors and (b) made public during the Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment Programme. [157401]

Mr. Hoon: The Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment Programme is planned for completion in the autumn of 2001. An unclassified summary of the report will subsequently be published and a copy will be placed in the Libraries of the House. The only unclassified document made available to contractors and made public, is that covering the Terms of Reference. In this regard I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 27 July 1999, Official Report, column 203W.

Nuclear Warheads

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which locations nuclear warheads withdrawn from active service are stored; and if he will make a statement on the use to which nuclear material recovered from redundant warheads is put. [156376]

Mr. Hoon: Nuclear warheads are stored at Faslane and Coulport, before they are returned to the Atomic Weapons Establishment for dismantling.

Nuclear material retained for defence purposes, including that recovered from redundant warheads, is recycled within the UK's defence programme. Nuclear material recovered from redundant warheads which is surplus to defence needs either has been or will be transferred into safeguard arrangements and will be subject to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Territorial Army Reserve

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list (a) the designated strength and (b) the number enlisted in each battalion or unit of the Territorial Army Reserve; what action is being taken to fill vacancies; and if he will make a statement; [157090]

(2) how many members of the Territorial Army Reserve attached to units which were disbanded under the Strategic Defence Review (a) transferred to other Army TA units, (b) transferred to other reserve occupations and (c) joined the services full time; how many left the TA; and if he will make a statement. [157091]

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

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the designated strength of the Territorial Army Reserve is; and what the number enlisted is. [157092]

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Dr. Moonie: The latest available figures give the numbers enlisted into the Territorial Army as 40,684 against an establishment of 41,204.

Foot and Mouth

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces were deployed in the first instance in support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to deal with the foot and mouth outbreak; and how many members of the armed forces were so deployed on 3 April. [157418]

Mr. Spellar: In response to initial requests from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), a small number of military specialists--vets and logistic planners--were deployed on 16 March to help in dealing with the foot and mouth outbreak. Since then, the armed forces have continued to respond to further requests for support. The total number of troops deployed as at 3 April was 1,544. Additional troops are on reduced notice to move, pending further requests for assistance.

Atlantic Star

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seek advice from his Department's Historic Branch on the contribution made in the battle of the Atlantic by the Polar Bears, in securing Iceland in 1941, and on whether they are entitled to the Atlantic Star. [157420]

Dr. Moonie: The men of the 49th West Riding Division whose divisional sign was a Polar Bear, formed the core of the British garrison of Iceland between the late spring of 1941 until the end of 1942 when responsibility for the garrison passed wholly to the United States forces who began to arrive there in the summer of 1941.

The securing of Iceland by this garrison made possible the subsequent basing there of Allied aircraft to carry out anti-submarine patrols and thus provide further support to the Allied convoys on which so much depended. Further, the island was used as an assembly point for convoys to Russia.

However, the land garrison did not participate directly in the operations contributing to the Battle of the Atlantic, and accordingly land service on Iceland was not included among the categories of service conferring eligibility for the Atlantic Star. This campaign award and the other Campaign Stars and War Medals, were considered by the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals for the 1939-45 War and subsequently agreed by the King.

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seek advice from his Department's Historic Branch on the contribution made by 269 Squadron while operating out of Iceland in securing the Enigma code technology from a captured U-Boat; and if Squadron members are entitled to the Atlantic Star. [157419]

Dr. Moonie: Number 269 Squadron made a distinguished contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic, including sinking several enemy submarines and playing a major role in the capture of U-570 in August 1941. The

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surrender of U-570 did produce valuable intelligence on enemy submarines. Unfortunately, the unavoidable lapse in time between the surrender of the vessel to 269 Squadron and the arrival of a Royal Navy surface warship allowed the U-boat crew to throw overboard, or otherwise destroy, all the submarine's Enigma equipment and codebooks.

Members of 269 Squadron who meet the necessary qualifying criteria are eligible for the award of the Atlantic Star.

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Minister for Veterans' Affairs will meet representatives of the 49th Infantry Division Association to discuss members' entitlement to the Atlantic Star. [157421]

Dr. Moonie: The basic qualifying criteria for Second World War medals were agreed by the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals in 1946. It would not be appropriate to attempt to review, with a view to altering contemporary decisions, events which happened more than 50 years ago. A meeting with the members of the 49th Infantry Division Association would not, therefore, be helpful to them.

Medal entitlement is examined on an individual basis. Members of the 49th Infantry Division Association who feel that they are entitled to the Atlantic Star should write, individually, to the Army Medal Office enclosing as much information concerning their service as possible. Their case will then be considered.

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria were laid down for service men and women to be entitled to the Atlantic Star; and if he will make a statement. [157417]

Dr. Moonie: The qualifying criteria for the campaign stars and medals instituted for service during the Second World War, including the Atlantic Star, were published by the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals in Command Paper 6633 in May 1945 and amended by Command Paper 6833 in June 1946. Copies of both these documents are in the Library of the House.

Iraq

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if bombs coated with depleted uranium were used in the most recent bombing of Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [157415]

Mr. Hoon: Bombs coated with depleted uranium were not used on the most recent occasion that coalition aircraft patrolling the southern no fly zone responded in self-defence against the Iraqi Air Defence System.

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the reasons for the most recent bombing of Iraq by the UK and USA. [157414]

Mr. Hoon: Coalition aircraft carrying out legitimate patrols of the Iraqi no fly zones are authorised to respond in self-defence to Iraqi efforts to shoot them down. This is the only basis on which weapons have been released over Iraq since Operation Desert Fox in December 1998.

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