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Ammunition Supplies

Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the MOD's ammunition supplies over the next five years will be sourced from overseas (a) directly and (b) indirectly from a UK supplier. [33027]

Dr. Moonie: The complete information requested on future supplies is not available. Many ammunition requirements have either not yet been tendered, are currently subject to tender evaluation and/or have not been placed to contract.

During the past year, the proportion of the Ministry of Defence's ammunition supplies obtained directly from overseas was approximately 8 per cent. by value. The remaining 92 per cent. was sourced from UK suppliers, largely Royal Ordnance. Data on ammunition supplies sourced from overseas via a UK supplier is not readily available.

Computer Hacking

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in 2001 attempts were

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made to gain unauthorised access to computers in his Department by hacking; and of those how many were successful. [32740]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 4 February 2002]: The Ministry of Defence, in common with any organisation that is connected to the internet, is subject to widespread and frequent attempts to probe its electronic boundaries. There is no evidence of any successful incursion from an external source to any Departmental computer system.

During 2001, 12 incidents of computer hacking were reported, of which two were website defacements and 10 were internal incursions. None of these had any impact on the conduct of military operations or other core Defence business.

Pakistan Ordnance Factories

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what UK-based training was provided by Royal Ordnance for engineers and staff of Pakistan Ordnance Factories in relation to munitions and weapons manufactured by POF under licensed production deals agreed with Royal Ordnance prior to 1987. [32280]

Dr. Moonie: In the 1970s, prior to the privatisation of the Royal Ordnance Factories (ROF), assistance was provided to the Pakistan Ordnance Factories by ROF. This assistance was related to technology transfer and training for the manufacturing of the 105 mm L64 Tungsten core Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot tank ammunition. The Ministry of Defence is continuing to ascertain the exact amount of training provided under these arrangements.

Lost/Stolen Property

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years. [34212]

Dr. Moonie: Reported cases of stolen equipment are held centrally on a summary basis only and relate to suspected theft by Crown Personnel and contractors of stores and equipment usually recorded, especially in respect of lower value items, as multiples or combinations of items such as tools, items of clothing, foodstuffs etc. The Ministry of Defence does not keep fully detailed records of individual or non-aggregated items valued at less than £50 proven to have been stolen or recorded as lost. The information requested therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tritium

Mrs. Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements his Department has made to obtain tritium supplies in the event that tritium production is halted in the UK. [34000]

Dr. Moonie: The UK has sufficient stocks of tritium to meet the needs of the Trident programme for the foreseeable future.

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HMS St. Albans

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if HMS St. Albans will enter service in September. [34401]

Dr. Moonie: HMS St. Albans is planned to enter service in September, on completion of her current weapon equipment set-to-work and trials programmes.

Military Demonstration (Copehill Down)

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the nature of the demonstration of military capability given to the Afghan Government's Ministers at Copehill Down on 1 February. [34417]

Mr. Hoon: General Fahim Khan and a team from the Afghan Interim Administration visited the United Kingdom between 29 January and 3 February for discussions with the United Kingdom Government. They also paid visits to a number of units of the British Army.

The demonstration they witnessed was of a company attack in an urban environment, represented by a mock-up of a village in Copehill down training area. The attack consisted of indirect fire using battlefield simulation, sustained small arms and main armament engagements supported by tanks, from the edge of, and in, Copehill Down village. The demonstration lasted approximately thirty minutes. The Afghan visitors then had the opportunity to meet the troops involved and view their equipment.

Procurement

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on agreements reached at the UK/French Government's industry conference on defence procurement. [34415]

Dr. Moonie: At the France/UK Government and Industry Conference held on 29 January, the French and UK Ministries of Defence agreed to examine practical measures to improve access to each others' markets. These include: exchanging data on small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs); holding another conference addressed specifically at SMEs; exploring the potential to conduct international co-operative PFI projects; and assessing the extent of defence trade between the UK and France.

War Pensions

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many war pensions were granted by the War Pensions Agency to armed forces personnel last year. [34558]

Dr. Moonie: A claim for war disablement pension may only be made after discharge from the armed forces.

The total number of war pensions granted by the War Pensions Agency from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 was 7,209.

Service Pay

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rates of annual pay are for (a) a private in the

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Army and (b) a marine in the Royal Marines (i) at commencement of basic training and (ii) once basic training has been completed, at age (A) 17, (B) 18, (C) 19, (D) 20 and (E) 21 years. [34960]

Mr. Ingram: All adult private soldiers and marines (aged 17 and above) who enter the Army or Royal Marines receive an annual pay rate of £10,344.10, irrespective of age. On completion of appropriate training (basic/trade) or, in the case of Army recruits, after 26 weeks if this is sooner, they move on to the next pay rate which is £12,070.55 per annum. The pay rates quoted are for the current year 2001–02.

Human Rights Cases

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the legal cases brought against his Department and the armed forces since 1997 citing (a) the European Convention of Human Rights and (b) the Human Rights Act 1998, stating in each case (i) whether the case was found for the plaintiff or for his Department, or settled out of court, (ii) the net cost to his Department of fighting the case, including of any damages paid, (iii) action taken to, pursuant similar cases being brought in the future and (iv) the cost of that action. [34830]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 8 February 2002]: The Ministry of Defence does not record separately those cases brought against the Department raising issues under the European Convention of Human Rights or the Human Rights Act 1998. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Civilian Contractors (Gulf)

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his response to the recommendation in paragraph 92 of the seventh report of the Defence Committee, session 1999–2000, concerning civilian contractors who served in the Gulf; whether he intends to make provision to compensate Paul Connolly; and if he will make a statement. [34915]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 11 February 2002]: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces Pension Scheme

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence of those members of the armed forces pension scheme who retired between 1975 and 1977, how many (a) survive and (b) are survived by a widow or widower to whom a pension is paid. [33619]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 11 February 2002]: This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost to the armed forces pension scheme (a) for existing service personnel and (b) for those who have already left the services of paying full half pensions to surviving widows or widowers for the whole of their remaining lives notwithstanding re-marriage. [32764]

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Dr. Moonie: This information is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army service personnel have been granted war disablement pensions since the earliest date for which he recently examined the records. [32678]

Dr. Moonie: A claim for war disablement pension may be made only after discharge from the armed forces. The War Pensions Agency is responsible for administration of the War Pensions Scheme.

Information on war disablement pensions in payment to former members of each service is not available. However, as at 31 December 2001 a total of 223,000 war disablement pensions were in payment.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 857W, on service pensions, if he will make a statement on the findings of his inquiries when they are completed. [35739]

Dr. Moonie: I will provide the hon. Member with further advice first when we have completed our work to try to clarify precisely when the problem arose and then later when we have a clearer idea of the numbers of service personnel affected.

Work to try to establish the start-point for the error should be completed in a few weeks. Establishing the numbers affected is expected to take significantly longer. The publicity given to the problem has already generated a considerable number of inquiries and we will deal with these as quickly as possible.

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