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British War Graves
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the maintenance of non-world war I and world war II war graves overseas in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [15235]
Dr. Moonie: Precise figures are not available before financial year 1997–98; however it is estimated that £150,000 per annum was spent. A payment is also made to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) who maintain a number of non-world war graves on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. The figures are set out in the table.
| Financial year | Actual spend | CWGC payment |
|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | (22)150 | 431 |
| 1993–94 | (22)150 | 471 |
| 1994–95 | (22)150 | 579 |
| 1995–96 | (22)150 | 533 |
| 1996–97 | (22)150 | 536 |
| 1997–98 | (22)150 | 513 |
| 1998–99 | 152 | 578 |
| 1999–2000 | 116 | 600 |
| 2000–01 | 302 | 557 |
| 2001–02 | (23)— | 627 |
(22) Estimated
(23) Not available
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Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution his Department has made to the South African Heritage Resources Agency for the maintenance of British war graves in each of the last 10 years. [15233]
Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence has contributed the following amounts to the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), formerly the National Monuments Council, over the last 10 years:
| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 3,100 |
| 1993 | 10,000 |
| 1994 | 10,000 |
| 1995 | 10,000 |
| 1996 | 10,000 |
| 1997 | 10,000 |
| 1998 | 10,000 |
| 1999 | 15,000 |
| 2000 | 15,000 |
| 2001 | 15,000 |
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his annual departmental budget is for the maintenance of non-world war I and world war II war graves overseas. [15236]
Dr. Moonie: It is estimated that in financial year 2001–02 £627,000 will be paid to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) for the maintenance of overseas non-world war Graves (NWG) which the CWGC maintain on our behalf. A further £185,000 will be spent on the maintenance of NWG in countries where the UK formerly had garrisons, and which are maintained under the auspices of the Defence Attachés, either through contracts or local organisations.
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are in place for the maintenance of British war graves overseas of servicemen who perished in conflicts other than world wars I and II; and if he will make a statement. [15237]
Dr. Moonie: The term overseas non-world war graves (NWG) includes those who have died from normal causes or accidents, and who were buried overseas. It also includes dependants in countries where there are existing garrisons (Cyprus, Falkland Islands, Germany etc.). Non-war graves are maintained by property managers who are under the control of the local commander. In Korea, 885 British NWG are maintained by the UN commission to which we make an annual contribution. In South Africa there are 20,000 graves in 340 sites and these are maintained by the South African Heritage Resources Agency. In Malaysia and Hong Kong there are 3,694 graves in 20 sites maintained by local firms under contracts managed by the local Defence Adviser and Vice Consul respectively. In 11 other countries there are a total of 852 graves which are maintained through a variety of agreements with ex patriots, Christian churches or local communities, for which we pay basic costs. All these are managed through Defence Attachés.
Procurement
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans the Defence Procurement Agency has to
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centralise the information on the number of small and medium enterprises with which his Department has signed procurement contracts. [16158]
Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence is considering whether it should centralise information on the number of small and medium enterprises with which it has signed procurement contracts. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is completed, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Swift Sword II
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the Army used (a) civilian contractors and (b) the Omani armed forces for the purpose of transporting tanks in connection with exercise Swift Sword II. [17076]
Mr. Ingram: No civilian contractors were used to transport Challenger 2 tanks during the exercise.
Saif Sareea was a combined UK/Omani exercise, designed to practice and improve the interoperability of each nations' armed forces. Working closely together with the Omanis was therefore, by design, a major feature of the exercise. A total of 30 tanks and other heavy armoured vehicles were transported by the Omanis to facilitate their recovery from the exercise area to the port of departure from Oman.
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many tank transporters were unserviceable during exercise Swift Sword II; and if he will make a statement. [17075]
Mr. Ingram: Thirty tank transporters were deployed on exercise Saif Sareea. The harsh desert environment and high tempo of activity during the exercise made this a very demanding test. Inevitably, routine maintenance and servicing led to occasional periods of non-availability of individual tank transporters. Overall, however, their average availability during the exercise was in excess of 85 per cent.
Given the known limitations of the current fleet of tank transporters and the testing conditions in which the exercise was conducted, this was an entirely satisfactory figure. Notwithstanding, we are now in the final states of negotiations for a replacement and are confident that this will be in service by late 2003.
Suez Campaign Medal
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 5 November 2001 to the hon. Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham), Official Report, column 26W, on the Suez campaign, what recent discussions he has had with ex-servicemen's organisations on the question of awarding a medal for service in the Canal Zone in the early 1950s. [17953]
Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence has not had any recent discussions with ex-servicemen's organisations about the retrospective institution of a new campaign medal to mark service in the Canal Zone during the early 1950s.
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Public Bodies
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list those public bodies to which his Department appoints members and which are not listed in Public Bodies 2000; [17579]
- (2) if he will list those public bodies which are the responsibility of his Department and which are not listed in Public Bodies 2000. [17580]
Dr. Moonie: Public Bodies 2000 sets out information on Non Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), certain public corporations (including nationalised industries) and NHS bodies. There are four types of NDPB: executive NDPBs; advisory NDPBs; tribunal NDPBs; and boards of visitors to penal establishments. The next edition will be published around the end of the year. Information about taskforces, annual reports and ad hoc advisory groups is set out in an annual report published by the Cabinet Office. Copies of Public Bodies 2000 are in the Library of the House and may be accessed via Cabinet Office's website: http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/ caboff/pb00/pb00.htm. Copies of the annual report on taskforces and similar bodies have also been placed in the Library of the House and the report is being made available on Cabinet Office's website.
The Ministry of Defence currently sponsors 33 Non Departmental Public Bodies (seven executive NDPBs and 26 advisory NDPBs):
- Executive NDPBs
- Fleet Air Arm Museum
- National Army Museum
- Oil & Pipelines Agency
- RAF Museum
- Royal Marines Museum
- Royal Naval Museum
- Royal Navy Submarine Museum
- Advisory NDPBs
- Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors 1
- Advisory Group on Medical Countermeasures
- Animal Welfare Advisory Committee
- Armed Forces Pay Review Body
- Central Advisory Committee on War Pensions
- Dartmoor Steering Group (jointly sponsored with DEFRA)
- Defence Nuclear Safety Committee
- Defence Scientific Advisory Council
- Independent Board of Visitors for the Military Corrective Training Centre
- National Employers Liaison Committee
- Review Board for Government Contracts
- Royal Military College of Science Advisory Council
- Nuclear Research Advisory Committee
- War Pensions Committees (13 separate committees)
- 1 Appointments to the ACCO are made by the Lord Chancellor
The MOD currently sponsors the following reviews/ task forces:
- Depleted Uranium Oversight Board
Independent Panel on Vaccines Interaction Research
Services Families' Task Force.
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- The Navy Army Air Force Institute (NAAFI)
Two "ethnics" committees (to provide oversight of defence research)
The Historic Buildings Advisory Group.
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