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15 Oct 2002 : Column 552W—continued
MOX
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications his Department has had with the Belgian Government since March 2001 in respect of the manufacture of lead test MOX assemblies for the United States Department of Energy. [73554]
Common European Security and Defence Policy
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the Common European Security and Defence policy. [73836]
Mr. Hoon: The European Security and Defence Policy seeks to strengthen Europe's military capabilities and to support the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, while enabling a better and more coherent European contribution to NATO. It gives the EU the ability to take military decisions, and to take control of crisis management operations where NATO as a whole is not engaged.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the threat posed to Britain by weapons of mass destruction. [73904]
Mr. Hoon: We remain concerned about the threat from weapons of mass destruction to the United Kingdom and to UK interests. We continue to monitor developments closely. The Government's dossier on the threat from Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was published on 24 September.
Although we assess that terrorists are more likely to mount conventional attacks, as long as Al Qaeda views the United Kingdom as a target, we cannot rule out the risk of a terrorist attack using chemical, biological or nuclear materials on the UK or its interests.
Army Training Estate
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the civilian recreational groups which have had access to the Army Training Estate, Salisbury Plain, since January; and if he will make a statement. [72611]
Dr. Moonie: Since January this year, the following civilian recreational groups and organisations have had access to the Army Training Estate Salisbury Plain:
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Veterans
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many veterans of the armed services have made applications for skilled nursing care; and how many of these have been successful in the last five years; [74252]
- (2) how many veterans of the second world war have had nursing care paid by the War Pensions Agency in the last five years. [74253]
Dr. Moonie: The Veterans Agency administers the War Pensions Scheme, including discretionary payments for skilled nursing care where this is required due to disablement for which a war pension has been awarded.
The following information shows the number of applications for skilled nursing care payments made by
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war disablement pensioners in the last five financial years and the number of these that were successful:
| Year | Applications | Successful |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–1998 | 197 | 104 |
| 1998–1999 | 132 | 52 |
| 1999–2000 | 85 | 23 |
| 2000–2001 | 34 | 1 |
| 2001–2002 | 51 | 15 |
| Total | 499 | 195 |
Separate records are not held for Second World War veterans in relation to skilled nursing care.
Food Supplies
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the total food purchased for the armed forces in the last 12 months was purchased overseas. [73804]
Mr. Ingram: In the last 12 months, approximately 28 per cent. of the food supplied to the armed forces by the Ministry of Defence's food supply contractor, ''3663,'' was purchased overseas. This figure includes foods that are not produced in this country and others that have to be purchased overseas for Service personnel serving abroad, due to export or customs restrictions. Of the food purchased for use in Operational Ration Packs only 14 per cent. is purchased overseas.
Annington Homes
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many dwellings in the Taunton constituency were sold to Annington Homes; when the sale took place; how many dwellings are available for married soldiers; how many have been demolished; and how many have been sold. [74090]
Dr. Moonie: 139 out of a total of 140 Ministry of Defence properties in the constituency of Taunton were sold to Annington Homes Limited (AHL), as part of the sale and leaseback of Service Families' Accommodation in November 1996. 41 of these properties have since become surplus to requirements and been handed back to AHL. 99 properties are currently available for Service families. MOD has not arranged the demolition of any properties in Taunton. The future of properties released to AHL is a matter for that company.
Defence Equipment (Israel)
Mr. Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) categories and (b) quantities of defence equipment have been purchased from Israel since 8 November 2001; and if he will make a statement. [74250]
Dr. Moonie: Since 8 November 2001, a total of three contracts have been placed with prime contractors based in Israel as follows:
| Category of Equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Simon Rounds | 20 |
| Light Machine Guns | 7 |
| Assembly of Aircrew Equipment Assemblies | 3 |
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Sapper Alfred Graham Manship
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investigation was held into the death of Sapper Alfred Graham Manship of 26 Amphibious Regiment Royal Engineers in 1992 in Osnabruck, West Germany; how long the investigation took; when the investigation ended; who conducted the investigation; what the conclusion of the investigation was; and if he will make a statement. [73822]
Dr. Moonie: The Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police (SIB RMP) was responsible for investigating the death of Sapper Manship in Osnabruck, Germany, in 1992. The investigation began when the SIB RMP was informed of Sapper Manship's death in the early hours of Monday 6 April 1992 and was completed on 16 April 1992. The investigation was led by an experienced SIB RMP investigator of the rank of Staff Sergeant and, as for all SIB RMP inquiries, was overseen by the Officer Commanding the SIB RMP Detachment. The investigation concluded that there was no evidence to indicate foul play and that Sapper Manship had taken his own life.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the period of time was between the discovery of the body of Sapper Alfred Graham Manship of 26 Amphibious Regiment Royal Engineers in 1992 in Osnabruck, West Germany and (a) a doctor being called to attend the scene and (b) a doctor arriving on the scene; and if he will make a statement. [73820]
Dr. Moonie: Sapper Manship's body was discovered by another soldier at approximately 0237hrs on 6 April 1992. The emergency services were summoned and a doctor attended the scene at around 0255hrs. Sapper Manship was declared dead at the scene at 0258hrs.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the weapon of Sapper Alfred Graham Manship of 26 Amphibious Regiment Royal Engineers was found to have been fired when examined after his death in 1992 in Osnabruck, West Germany; and if he will make a statement. [73821]
Dr. Moonie: Following the certification of death of Sapper (Spr) Manship, his weapon was recovered from the scene and handed to the Class 1 Armourer at 25 Regiment Royal Engineers for examination. The practice of submitting weapons subject to investigation to qualified personnel outside the unit in whose charge they are is standard for Royal Military Police (RMP) investigations.
In the statement recorded from the Armourer, he opined that the weapon was found to be serviceable and no faults could be discovered in its mechanical function. The Armourer did not make any specific reference to whether the weapon had been fired.
RMP enquiries established that Spr Manship had been issued with an SA80 Assault Rifle, plus 30 rounds of ammunition for his guard duty. The batch number of the spent ammunition recovered from the scene was found to be that of the ammunition issued to Spr Manship. In view of this, the location of the wound site, and all other enquiries conducted, the RMP investigating officer concluded that the submission of
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the weapon or spent ammunition to scientific analysis would not achieve any investigative purpose and would serve only to delay the release of Spr Manship's body to his family.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the (a) cause, (b) circumstances and (c) coroner's verdict on the death of Sapper Alfred Graham Manship of the 26 Amphibious Regiment Royal Engineers in 1992 in Osnabruck West Germany. [73881]
Dr. Moonie: Sapper Manship died on 6 April 1992 from a single gunshot wound to the head whilst on guard duty at Woolwich Barracks, Osnabruck, Germany. Following the subsequent Post Mortem Examination, Sapper Manship's body was repatriated to Scotland from Germany and the Procurator Fiscal was informed of the death. Under the legislation which allows for the holding of a Fatal Accident Inquiry, the Procurator Fiscal will only hold such an inquiry where the death occurred in Scotland or on an offshore installation, aircraft or ship. Since the death did not occur within Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal did not hold an inquiry in this case; this decision was not within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the result was of the post mortem conducted on Sapper Alfred Graham Manship of 26 Amphibious Regiment Royal Engineers after his death in 1992 in Osnabruck West Germany; and if he will make a statement. [73880]
Dr. Moonie: The Post Mortem Examination was conducted by the Consultant Pathologist at the British Military Hospital at Rinteln. On the death certificate, dated 6 April 1992, the cause of death was recorded as Gunshot Head Injuries.
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