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Type 45 Destroyers

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a decision has been made on which of the companies downselected for the supply of the medium frequency sonar for the Type 45 destroyers will be chosen; on what basis the decision is made; and if he will make a statement. [29804]

Dr. Moonie: BAE Systems Electronics, the Type 45 Prime Contract Office (PCO) announced on 18 January 2002 that Ultra had been selected as the preferred supplier for the Medium Frequency Sonar (MFS) for the Type 45 Destroyer. Ultra are teaming with the US sonar and combat system specialist EDO Corporation to supply the MFS-7000, a development of the proven sonar system supplied to the Brazilian Navy.

The tenders were of high quality and the Ultra bid was selected on the grounds of performance and programme risk.

Arms Sales (India)

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role he is playing in the promotion of arms sales to India; and what assessment he has made of the impact of sales on the (a) dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and (b) stability in that region. [29684]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 25 January 2002]: In accordance with the need to maintain a strong defence industry, which is a vital part of our strategic defence capability, it is Government policy to help promote legitimate UK defence exports in co-ordination with industry.

Assessment such as my hon. Friend describes are performed across Government as part of the case by case consideration given to export licence applications against the consolidated national and EU arms export licensing criteria.

29 Jan 2002 : Column 220W

MOD Guard Service

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the PPP to replace the MOD Guard Service. [30794]

Dr. Moonie: None. There is no general public-private partnership initiative to replace the Ministry of Defence Guard Service.

War Pensions

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent changes have been made to the statutory criteria to facilitate and determine the level and payment of war pensions; [30776]

(2) on what date the present statutory criteria were issued to facilitate and determine the level of payment of war pensions. [30777]

Dr. Moonie: The first War Pension Scheme was established in 1917. The scheme has undergone many changes, the latest being the introduction of extended appeal rights under section 57 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000.

Gulf War

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what status Iraqi prisoners who were captured during the Gulf war had. [31271]

Mr. Ingram: Iraqi combatants taken prisoner during the Gulf war were classified as prisoners of war in accordance with the 3rd Geneva Convention 1949.

European Technology Acquisition Programme

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the European Technology Acquisition Programme Memorandum of Understanding. [31103]

Dr. Moonie: Yes.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Director of Public Prosecutions

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Solicitor-General what was the average time taken by the Director of Public Prosecutions to make a decision in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months; and when the Director of Public Prosecutions will issue his direction in respect of ref 875/01. [30207]

The Solicitor-General: Information maintained by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland indicates that the average time taken between the receipt of a police investigation file and the issue of a direction as to prosecution is 38 days.

The director has sought the independent advice of senior counsel in relation to ref. 875/01 which he anticipates he will receive in February 2002. Thereafter, decisions as to prosecution will be taken as soon as possible.

29 Jan 2002 : Column 221W

NORTHERN IRELAND

David McCombe and Padraig McCracken

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland further to his answer of 30 January 2001, Official Report, column 135W, on David McCombe and Padraig McCracken, what the outcome was of complaints filed against the RUC concerning the arrest of David McCombe and Padraig McCracken in Belfast in December 2000; and if he will ensure that an assessment of the handling of this incident is included in the UK Periodic report under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. [29247]

Jane Kennedy: The Police Ombudsman's Office advises that the investigation of a complaint lodged on behalf of David McCombe and Padraig McCracken against the police has been completed. Following referral of the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who has directed no prosecution, the Police Ombudsman is now considering whether or not disciplinary proceedings should be brought.

The UK Periodic report under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a general report where references to specific cases would not normally be made. Therefore it would be inappropriate to include an assessment of the handling of this case in the report.

Departmental Expenditure (Publications)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his estimate is of the expenditure of his Department on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each of the last four years. [30097]

Dr. John Reid: Details of the Department's (including its agencies) expenditure (£000) on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each of the last four years are as follows:

Year	£000
1998–99	67.3
1999–2000	60.6
2000–01	56.6
2001–02(13)	53
2001–02(14)	(15)70.6

⁽¹³⁾ To date

⁽¹⁴⁾ Full year

⁽¹⁵⁾ Estimate

RUC Training

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the numbers were and what the drop out rate was during RUC training programmes conducted in (a) 1982, (b) 1992 and (c) 1997. [29813]

Jane Kennedy: The table shows the number of recruits and drop out rate for each of the specified years:

	Recruits	Dropped out	Percentage drop out
1982	555	4	0.72
1992	420	2	0.48
1997	287	3	1.05

29 Jan 2002 : Column 222W

Environmental Appraisals

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officials from his Department have attended the Environmental Appraisal and Integration into Policy training course run by the Civil Service College. [29032]

Dr. John Reid: To date, no officials from the Northern Ireland Office have attended the Environmental Appraisal and Integration into Policy training course run by the Civil Service College.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Nepal

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the components are of the planned short-term increase in development aid for Nepal; what proportion is (a) military, (b) policing and (c) intelligence-related; and if she will make a statement. [30341]

Clare Short: There is no short-term increase in UK development assistance to Nepal. The aid framework for 2001–02 is £20 million and DFID Nepal expects to spend all of this on development activities, including a number of short-term initiatives to deliver development benefits to people in conflict affected areas.

DFID Nepal has worked to assist the Nepal police to develop into a more open and accountable service, and we are discussing the possibility of continuing support for reforms and modernisation. We have not of course used development assistance to fund any military or intelligence-related activities. The UK has provided training and logistics support to the Royal Nepal Army through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, which is jointly funded by MOD, FCO, HMT and DFID.

Zimbabwe

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when her Department stopped providing funds directly to the Government of Zimbabwe. [30399]

Clare Short: Our direct co-operation with the Government of Zimbabwe reduced substantially in 2000. In April 2001 I halted our remaining Government to Government programmes. One programme of capacity building for rural district councils was allowed to run until its planned end date of September 2001. We continue to support a Government initiative to promote the inheritance rights of poor women, but money for this does not go through the Government. We support activities where the principal partner is not central Government, but which operate within Government systems where they are the only means of providing direct services to the poor, and where we are satisfied that they remain effective and impartial. These include the national HIV/AIDS prevention programme where our support is partially channelled through the public health system, and funding to complete long-standing commitments to rural water and sanitation projects through local government.

29 Jan 2002 : Column 223W

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