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Eurofighter Typhoon

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he will provide the cockpit training environment needed to train pilots for the Eurofighter Typhoon. [11572]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 31 October 2001]: We intend that pilots should undertake both simulated training, provided as part of the Eurofighter Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids (ASTA) project, and live airborne training in two-seat and single-seat Eurofighter aircraft. A single source collaborative development, production and in-service support contract for ASTA was placed in April this year with Eurofighter GmbH, who will also provide the aircraft to be used for training.

FADEC System

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was (a) the mean time between failure rate of the FADEC system on the Chinook Mk2 in its first year of operational service and (b) the target figure agreed with the manufacturer; if his Department's contract with Textron Lycoming included a reliability warranty for the FADEC system; if this was met; and if he will make a statement. [11779]

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

Ministry of Defence Police

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on (a) the reasons for and (b) the circumstances relating to the departure of the deputy head of the Ministry of Defence Police. [11766]

Dr. Moonie: The contract of Mr. Tony Comben as Deputy Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police was terminated on Wednesday 24 October 2001. I am withholding the reasons for his departure under Exemption 8 (Public Employment) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Mr. Comben's departure was completely unrelated to complaints against him from members of the public, currently being investigated.

Combat Effectiveness Gender Study

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Combat Effectiveness Gender Study will be published. [11746]

Mr. Hoon: I am currently considering the conclusions of a review on the employment of women in the armed forces and will make a further statement in due course.

Departmental Staff

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the number of staff employed by his Department by region and nation of the UK; and if he will make a statement. [6828]

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Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 1009–12W to the Member for North Tayside (Pete Wishart).

Porton Down

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what biological or biologically derived samples have been supplied by the Defence and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down to (a) USA, (b) France, (c) Belgium, (d) Sweden, (e) Australia, (f) Germany, (g) Austria, (h) Spain, (i) Netherlands, (j) Norway, (k) Italy, (l) Japan and (m) Canada since 1990. [11502]

Dr. Moonie: Since 1990 the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down has supplied in excess of one hundred biological or biologically derived materials to these countries for medical and veterinary research purposes.

The majority of this material has been supplied under International Collaboration Research agreements relating to biological detection capability and potential medical countermeasures. However, it would not be appropriate to publish a list of the biological material supplied to these countries as this could reveal operational capabilities and deficiencies. I am therefore withholding this information in the interests of National Security under category 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Batch Two Frigates

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the costings are for the Romanian acquisition of the two ex-Royal Navy 22 Batch Two frigates; how much the reactivation, refits training and long-term support package will cost; and if he will make a statement. [11782]

Dr. Moonie: Negotiations concerning the disposal of ex-Ministry of Defence equipment involve matters of commercial and customer confidentiality. I am therefore withholding the information under Exemption 1 and 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Cluster Bombs

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to recommend a ban on the manufacture of cluster bombs by UK companies. [11884]

Mr. Hoon: There are no plans to recommend a ban on the manufacture of cluster bombs by UK companies.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she will answer the question tabled by the hon. Member for Yeovil on 20 July [ref. 422]. [9960]

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Hilary Benn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development replied to the hon. Member in her letter dated 1 October; a copy was placed in the Library of the House.

Cheap Medicines

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations (a) her Department made to the Department of Trade and Industry and (b) she will make to the WTO Summit on providing developing countries with access to cheap medicines. [11465]

Clare Short: We work closely with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) among others on access to medicines. The UK Government are working with the European Union and others to ensure that the WTO's existing rules on intellectual property help developing countries gain access to medicine. This means making sure that new medicines are developed while at the same time allowing developing countries to take appropriate measures to protect public health in national emergencies.

Intellectual property rights need to be part of wider action to address the problems facing developing countries in developing effective healthcare to all their citizens. That is why the UK strongly supports the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and why the Prime Minister asked me to form a high level working group to report back by May 2002 on what else needs to be done. On 8 October, I chaired the first meeting of the high level working group on access to medicines, at which Government Ministers and officials—including representatives from DTI—met with a range of key stakeholders to look at ways of increasing research and development into the diseases of the poor.

The UK supports the development of a meaningful declaration on this issue at the Doha ministerial conference, which should affirm and clarify flexibilities within the TRIPS Agreement to allow developing countries to protect their public health needs.

Devolved Administrations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is with regard to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department giving evidence to (i) Scottish Parliament, (ii) Welsh Assembly and (iii) Northern Ireland Assembly committees; and to what categories of document she gives (A) full access, (B) restricted access and (C) no access to (1) Scottish parliament, (2) Welsh Assembly, (3) Northern Ireland Assembly and (4) House of Commons Select committees. [7033]

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, Official Report, 15 October 2001, column 1003W.

World Trade Organisation

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will urge the WTO to commit itself to achieving the international development targets at the next round of WTO negotiations. [11150]

Clare Short: The UK Government believe that the WTO should commit itself to achieving the international development targets. This would send a strong message

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that the WTO is part of the fight against poverty and that its promotion of trade liberalisation is a means for development, rather than an end in itself.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposal the United Kingdom Government plans to make at the next multilateral round of WTO negotiations to ensure that it is a development round. [11479]

Clare Short: The UK Government are committed to pushing for a development round of trade negotiations at the WTO, to be launched at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, 9 to 13 November. This should bring substantial benefits to developing countries, particularly by increasing their access to markets for products of interest to them, such as agriculture and textiles. We are pushing for an agenda for the negotiations that will satisfy the varying needs of developing countries. Once such a round is launched we will continue to work hard for an outcome that will benefit the poor in developing countries.

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