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28 Feb 2003 : Column 729W

Written Answers to Questions

Friday 28 February 2003

CABINET OFFICE

Government Car and Despatch Agency

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the total cost in 2002 to the Government Car and Despatch Agency for which departmental reimbursement would have been sought in congestion charge payments if the present scheme in London had been in operation throughout 2002 and the pattern of car use unchanged. [99914]

Mr. Alexander: The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive Mr. Nick Matheson to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

DEFENCE

International Military Services

Mr. Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) legal and (b) other costs incurred by International Military Services Ltd in the course of its arbitration with the Government of Iran were. [98868]

Mr. Hoon: International Military Services Ltd. is a private limited company, albeit one owned by the Secretary of State for Defence. The company is under the direct control and management of a board of directors who are responsible for the conduct of its affairs. Questions of costs incurred by the company in the course of its business are routinely for the company to address.

Continuous Attitude Surveys

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for deciding which members of the armed forces will be asked to complete the Continuous Attitude Surveys; what methodology is used to select recipients; and if he will make a statement. [99709]

Dr. Moonie: In the Royal Navy the sample groups for each survey are selected entirely at random by Service number. In the Army the selection criterion works on a rolling basis using the last two digits of Service numbers.

The RAF uses a rank stratified, randomly drawn sample. This means that while the number of personnel at each rank to whom the form is issued is determined in advance, taking into account previous response rates, the individuals who actually receive the surveys are chosen at random, using the last three digits of their Service number.

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Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to publish the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Surveys; and if he will make a statement. [99710]

Dr. Moonie: We are currently reviewing the range of survey material to release and appropriate ways of putting it into the public domain.

Inoculations (Armed Forces)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what inoculations were given to members of the British armed forces (a) prior to and (b) during the Gulf War for the purposes of health protection during the conflict. [99676]

Dr. Moonie: The immunisation programme for armed forces personnel in the Gulf conflict involved a number of vaccines. These can be can be divided into three categories: those which were part of the anti-biological warfare (BW) immunisation programme; routine Service health immunisations and travel and specific immunisations against the risks associated with individuals' particular employment. These are listed as follows.














The majority of personnel deployed during Operation Granby whose routine immunisations would have been in date would not have required occupational immunisation.

Details of the anti-BW immunisation programme, including datasheets on the vaccines used, were published in the Ministry of Defence paper: "Background to the Use of Medical Countermeasures to Protect British Forces during the Gulf War (Operation Granby)" in October 1997. A further paper entitled "Implementation of the Immunisation Programme against Biological Warfare Agents for UK Forces during the Gulf Conflict 1990/1991" dated January 2000 provides details on how the anti-BW immunisation programme was implemented, including estimates of the numbers immunised and on the other immunisations given. Copies of both papers are available in the Library of the House and on the Ministry of Defence's website at: www.mod.uk/gulfwar/issues.

JAC Molesworth

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the silos at JAC Molesworth were last

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inspected under the terms of the INF Treaty 1987; what is stored in the silos; who has control of this; and if he will make a statement. [99261]

Mr. Hoon: RAF Molesworth is an RAF base made available to the United States Visiting Forces under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement of 1951. The United Kingdom Government retain ownership of the base and control over its facilities.

The last inspection of RAF Molesworth under the terms of the INF Treaty was undertaken between 19–21 May 1999. The silos no longer contain equipment which falls under the terms of the Treaty, and are currently used for general storage.

Missile Defence

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding drawn up with the US Government concerning the US Missile Defence System and the US use of RAF Fylingdales. [99208]

Mr. Hoon: Once such arrangements have been negotiated, we will consider whether it is possible to make the texts publicly available, subject to their classification and to discussions with the United States Government.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Deep Space Tracking Centre and the Near Space Facility at Feltwell are capable of being used in the US Missile Defense System. [99260]

Mr. Hoon: No.

Nuclear Weapons

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to withdraw British troops from military action where an ally uses nuclear weapons. [99670]

Mr. Hoon: The Government do not comment on hypothetical scenarios involving the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

QinetiQ

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to conclude the deal with the Carlyle Group for the partial sale of QinetiQ. [98041]

Dr. Moonie: As is normal in a major transaction of this type, there are a number of conditions that must be satisfied between signing and formal completion. These include:





We anticipate that all these conditions should be satisfied within the next few weeks with formal completion taking place shortly after this.

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Service Providers (MOD)

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the 20 largest external providers of services to the Ministry of Defence, together with their turnover with the Ministry of Defence, in the latest available full year. [99527]

Dr. Moonie: Due to the nature of Ministry of Defence contracting it is not possible to distinguish between suppliers of services and suppliers of equipment in all cases, however the list of organisations which were paid £5 million or more (banded by value) by the Ministry of Defence in financial year 2001–02 can be found in United Kingdom Defence Statistics 2002, Chapter 1, table 1.17, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

UN Relief Workers Association

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much is being contracted (a) this year and (b) next year to the UN Relief Workers Association as aid for the Palestinians; what measures are in place to ensure this money is not directed from humanitarian assistance to other purposes, with particular reference to the purchase of arms; and if she will make a statement. [100020]

Clare Short: My Department's contributions to UNRWA in recent years have been £25.6 million (2001) and £21.7 million (2002). This money is used to provide urgently needed health, education and emergency services for Palestinian refugees. This helps to relieve the growing humanitarian crisis resulting from the on-going conflict and closures. We expect our funding to continue at a similar level in 2003. UNRWA has sophisticated and robust financial, accounting and audit systems. There is no evidence of any kind that their funds are used for anything other than intended purposes.

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