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Battlegroup Thermal Imaging

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the in service date for battlegroup thermal imaging has been delayed; and if he will make a statement. [99799]

Mr. Ingram: The in service date for Battlegroup Thermal Imaging (BGTI) equipment has been revised so that it better aligns with the conversion programme for Bowman. This minimises the disruption to front line units as vehicles that are to receive both BGTI and Bowman will only need to be withdrawn from service for a single period, during which both conversions will be completed.

Biological/Chemical 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 (a) biological and (b) chemical weapons. [99669]

Mr. Hoon: Our NATO allies are State Parties to both the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and have renounced the use of such weapons.

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Bowman

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) operational field trials for Bowman, and (b) the conversion of the first unit to the communications system, are on target to take place this year; and if he will make a statement. [99800]

Mr. Ingram: Yes. We continue to make good progress on the Bowman tactical communications system programme in our aim to introduce it to all three Services as planned between 2004 and 2007. The 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment will begin its Bowman conversion and training programme in July 2003 in advance of operational field trials in November 2003.

Domestic Security

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reservists participated in domestic security operations in January and February. [99859]

Mr. Ingram: Domestic security in the United Kingdom is primarily the responsibility of the Home Office and the police. Military assistance is, however, provided on a regular basis and contributes significantly towards the security of United Kingdom citizens. No reservists were engaged in providing such assistance during January or February this year.

European Defence Concept

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the development of a European strategic concept for defence. [100286]

Mr. Hoon: NATO provides the collective defence mechanisms for its Members including those in Europe. This is articulated in the Alliance's Strategic Concept which was agreed at the Washington Summit in 1999. There are no plans to produce an alternative strategic concept.

Fire Dispute

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy (a) ships and (b) personnel are being diverted from other operational tasks to ensure their availability for fire fighting duties in the event of a firefighter strike; and if he will make a statement. [99851]

Mr. Ingram: Almost 3,300 Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel were used on fire-fighting duties during the last fire-fighters strike. A significant number of personnel used were taken from ships and submarines undergoing periods of refit or maintenance or which had returned from operational deployments and were not programmed to undergo further deployments. Only two of the ships from which personnel had for fire-fighting duties were prevented from undertaking operational tasks.

With the exception of 330 people currently undergoing training, the individuals used for fire-fighting have now returned to their units where, whilst remaining on standby for fire-fighting duties, they have resumed their normal duties. As the Honourable

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Member will appreciate, the Royal Navy's involvement in fire-fighting duties has not prevented the deployment of a substantial Task Force to the Gulf.

Logistical Support (Gulf)

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the logistical operations in support of the deployment of UK forces to the Gulf. [99861]

Mr. Ingram: Logistic operations in support of the deployment of United Kingdom forces to the Gulf are fully effective. They will result in an equivalent quantity of material to that supplied for the last Gulf conflict being deployed to theatre in half the time. The deployment has required a significant strategic air and sea lift, and is supported by arrangements to sustain and manage continuing supply chain activity.

Nuclear Weapons

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the USA about their obligations under the Non Proliferation Treaty to (a) limit the spread of nuclear weapons and (b) actively move towards the elimination of US nuclear weapons. [99672]

Mr. Hoon: I have had no such discussions. However, Ministry of Defence officials have regular contact with their counterparts from the United States and several other states on issues relating to the non proliferation treaty.

Primary Casualty Receiving Ship

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the decision to use a conventional procurement route for the primary casualty receiving ship was made; and if he will make a statement. [99801]

Mr. Ingram: The decision was taken at the end of 2002. Our working assumption had been that some form of private sector involvement would be beneficial. A series of studies, however, demonstrated the absence of a private market for such a ship's facilities and also that a service-provision contract would be incompatible with the operational requirement.

Remote Influence Minesweeping System

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money was invested in the Remote Influence Minesweeping System before the project was cancelled in April 2002; why the project was cancelled; and if he will make a statement. [99802]

Mr. Ingram: Expenditure on the Remote Influence Minesweeping System amounted to some £2.7 million at out-turn prices. The investment afforded us valuable insights which will be exploited in the future.

The decision to discontinue the project was taken as part of the normal departmental planning process. The same process has freed up resources for a programme of incremental technology insertion which will enhance the Royal Navy's mine countermeasures capabilities from the middle of the present decade and will include, early in the next decade, a remote capability.

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HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol Abstinence Orders

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many alcohol abstinence orders have been given in each of the last five years. [98176]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 25 February 2003, Official Report, column 416W.

Angel Group

Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what allowances, benefits and support of other kind other than tax credits is provided to employees of the Angel Group and its subsidiaries from public funds. [99704]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 27 February 2003]: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has a contract with the Angel Group to provide accommodation for asylum seekers. The contract price does not include specific payments to the Angel Group in relation to allowances, benefits and other support for its staff.

Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the contracts which the Angel Group and its subsidiaries have agreed with local authorities for the provision of services for asylum seekers and other specific groups of individuals; [99687]

(2) if he will list the contracts let and the dates on which they were let by his Department and its agencies to the Angel Group and its subsidiary companies; [99702]

(3) for how many contracts the Angel Group and its subsidiary companies applied to the Home Office and its agencies, and with what results, in the last five years. [99705]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 27 February 2003]: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has one contract with the Angel Group which was signed on 3 April 2000 and runs for five years. I am unable to supply information on tenders submitted by the group during the last five years since this is commercial in confidence. NASS is not aware of any contracts the Angel Group has entered into with local authorities and other agencies regarding the provision of services for asylum seekers.

Asylum Centre (Daedalus Site)

Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Minister of State responsible for immigration will visit Lee-on-the-Solent to meet residents in advance of any decision being taken on whether to apply for planning permission for an asylum centre at the Daedalus site. [100158]

Beverley Hughes: I can confirm that I will visit Lee-on-the-Solent to hear the views of local people. The timing of that meeting will be determined in consultation with Gosport borough council.

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