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Contracts (KPMG)

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts his Department has with KPMG; and what the value is of each one. [31326]

Dr. Moonie: There are currently 29 extant contracts with KPMG. The values of individual contracts are withheld under Exemption 13 (third party's commercial confidences) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; however, the total value of all of the extant contracts is around £59 million.

European Capabilities

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for a central pot of European funding for the extra investment needed to achieve the Helsinki Headline Goal; and if he will make a statement. [31621]

Mr. Hoon: None. Achievement of the Headline Goal is based on the principle of intergovernmental co-operation and a voluntary approach. Member states have offered national capabilities for potential EU-led operations and are now working together within the European Capabilities Action Plan to address the remaining shortfalls. The funding for any initiatives emerging from this process will be a matter for the member states involved.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the relevance of the Helsinki Headline Goal in the post-11 September security environment; and if he will make a statement. [31617]

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Mr. Hoon: The European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) aims to enhance the ability of European nations to perform crisis management operations. The potential need for such operations remains. Many of the capabilities required by the Headline Goal would also be highly relevant in a military response to international terrorism.

Light Anti-Armour Weapon

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what budget cuts have been made to the Next Generation Light Anti-Armour Weapon programme. [31102]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 29 January 2002]: As with other equipment, we keep under review the number of missiles for the Next Generation Light Anti-Armour Weapon to meet our requirement. Recent analysis suggests that we may be able to reduce numbers below current assumptions, but this is subject to further work. If resources were so released, we would use them elsewhere in the Defence programme to fund other high priority equipment.

Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department intends to place in the Library the demonstration and manufacture contract for the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile with MBDA. [31104]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 29 January 2002]: The contract for the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile is currently being negotiated. We do not expect it to be concluded before the summer. I do not plan to place a copy of the contract in the Library of the House as it will be a commercial agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the company MBDA, and will be withheld in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. We do however intend publishing details of the contractual breakpoints in this contract, as stated by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence in his statement to the House on 16 May 2000.

A400M

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department intends to place in the Library the demonstration and manufacture contract for the A400M with Airbus Military Company. [31105]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 29 January 2002]: The A400M development and manufacture contract between OCCAR (acting as agent for the eight nations participating in the A400M programme) and Airbus Military was signed on 18 December 2001 but it will not be effective until German participation receives appropriate Bundestag approval. As the contract is a commercial arrangement, and involves relations with other governments, I plan to withhold it in accordance with Exemptions one and 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information which relate to international relations and third party's commercial confidences.

Afghanistan

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral statement given by the Secretary of

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State for International Development on 28 January 2002, Official Report, columns 21–36, if he will publish the terms of the Scoping Study on how to provide security across Afghanistan and begin the process of demobilisation and disarmament and the building and training of an Afghan army and police force; and if he will make a statement. [31811]

Mr. Hoon: In keeping with our role as current lead nation for the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, the UK is committed to assisting the Afghan Interim Administration (AIA) as it begins the rebuilding of Afghanistan. The Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence are in the process of jointly commissioning a scoping study on security sector reform in Afghanistan, to be carried out in consultation with the AIA, the UN and other international partners. Its terms of reference are being finalised, and I will place a copy in the Library of the House in due course.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment was made of the provisions of articles 41 and 42 of the United Nations Charter before the military conflict in Afghanistan was begun. [31058]

Mr. MacShane: I have been asked to reply.

Following the terrorist outrages on 11 September 2001, the Security Council adopted Resolutions 1368 (2001) on 12 September 2001 and 1373 (2001) on 28 September 2001, which condemned international terrorism. The latter imposed a series of measures to combat international terrorism in accordance with Article 41 of the Charter.

Military operations against the al-Qaeda organisation and the Taliban regime which supported it were undertaken in the exercise of the inherent right of individual and collective self-defence, recognised in Article 51 of the Charter, to avert the continuing threat of attacks from that source. This right of self-defence was reaffirmed in Resolutions 1368 and 1373.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Disabled People

Mr. Gray: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what steps the Committee is taking to ensure that deafness and hearing loss are not barriers in contacting hon. Members. [31250]

Mrs. Roe: None. This is not the responsibility of the Administration Committee. However during the last Parliament the Committee considered a report of an audit by the RNID disability consultancy on the services and facilities provided in the Palace for deaf and hard of hearing people. Following that review a number of improvements were made. The House of Commons Information Office also advertises the fact that it welcomes calls via Typetalk.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what training the Committee has initiated for hon. Members and their staff in sign language and lip speaking. [31252]

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Mrs. Roe: None. However I understand that in the past both the House authorities and voluntary organisations have offered seminars on providing services to constituents with disabilities. The Employers' Forum on Disability, to which the House authorities subscribe, has produced a publication called the MPs' Guide on Disability. This includes brief guidance on communicating with lip readers and communicating via an interpreter with a sign language user. Copies are available from the Department of Finance and Administration.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what plans the Committee has for providing (a) Braille translation facilities, (b) Braille typing facilities, (c) text phone availability and (d) text answer phone supply for hon. Members. [31249]

Mrs. Roe: None. This is not strictly a matter for the Committee. I understand that in the past Members with certain disabilities have benefited from additional facilities and equipment. Following the Resolutions of the House of 5 July 2001, a proportion of the new General Services Budget is available to meet certain extra costs incurred in making adjustments to the working conditions of Members with disabilities, or in providing special equipment. This could include the provision of special telephone equipment or Braille equipment, and training in its use.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what steps the Committee is taking to make methods of contacting hon. Members available to those people who are hard of hearing or visually impaired, known to these communities. [31253]

Mrs. Roe: None, this is not the responsibility of the Administration Committee. However the Department of Finance and Administration is able to advise on disability issues including methods of communication, and individual Members may publicise their willingness to receive BT TextDirect and RNID Typetalk calls.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what plans the Committee has for promoting the RNID Typetalk service with hon. Members. [31251]

Mrs. Roe: None. RNID Typetalk is a free service which relays conversations between people who use textphones and people who use voice telephones; Members do not need a dedicated telephone number in order to receive Typetalk calls.

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