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16 May 2003 : Column 451W—continued

Mr. Sean O'Callaghan

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what payments have been made to Mr. Sean O'Callaghan. [112549]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 13 May 2003]: I am withholding the information requested in accordance with Exemption la of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Naval Nuclear Regulatory Panel

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the minutes of meetings of the Naval Nuclear Regulatory Panel since 1997. [114074]

Dr. Moonie: The Naval Nuclear Regulatory Panel formed in 1999. As part of the panel's commitment to make information about inspection and regulatory activities publicly available, quarterly reports are

16 May 2003 : Column 452W

routinely issued to regulated sites for distribution to members of site Local Liaison Committees. I am arranging for past copies of these quarterly reports to be placed in the Library of the House.

Next Geneation Light Anti-armour Weapon

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the NLAW will use depleted uranium; how much will be procured; when the forecast in-service date is; and if he will make a statement. [111829]

Mr. Ingram: There are no plans to use depleted uranium, in the Next Generation Light Anti-Armour Weapon (NLAW) programme. NLAW has an approved In-service Date of 2007.

Non-precision Weapons

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the margin of error for non-precision weapons is when used from a height of 150,000 ft. [113245]

Mr. Ingram: Aircraft do not generally fly at 150,000 ft and would not drop bombs from this altitude. I have therefore assumed an altitude of 15,000 ft. when answering this question. When dropped from this altitude, the average accuracy for non-precision weapons is as follows:

540 lb and 1,000 lb free-fall bomb: 200 ft


RBL-755 cluster bomb: 230 ft

This will of course depend on the weapon delivery profile and operational circumstances. The accuracy of both precision and non-precision weapons and the need to minimise, as far as possible, collateral damage is considered during the targeting process. We continue to make efforts to improve the accuracy of both precision and non-precision weapons by enhancements to aircraft navigation systems and through our ability to calculate more precise target co-ordinates.

Nuclear Weapons

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution the UK has made to the USA's programme for a new generation of earth penetrating nuclear weapons. [112196]

Mr. Ingram: There is no United Kingdom involvement in these United States studies.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken since the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Review and Extension Conference in 2000 to increase the transparency of United Kingdom nuclear weapons capability. [111706]

Mr. Ingram: During and since the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, the United Kingdom has taken various steps to enhance transparency about its nuclear weapons capability.

The UK has given a figure for our total nuclear warhead stockpile which is unprecedentedly precise, and has given an exact figure for the number of

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warheads carried by the submarine on deterrent patrol. No other nuclear weapon state has given such detailed information. We have also:

continued to provide updated information about the costs of the Trident system;


placed fissile material no longer required for defence purposes under international safeguards and all enrichment and reprocessing facilities in the UK are now liable to international inspection. We have also been more transparent about our nuclear and fissile material stockpiles and begun national historical accounting for fissile material produced, including the publication in April 2000 of a report on Historical Accounting and Plutonium; and


agreed an Additional Protocol to our safeguards agreement with the IAEA and EURATOM. It will enter into force when the rest of the EU has completed the necessary steps.

The Government are committed to transparency and openness about the defence nuclear programme when compatible with continuing security requirements and the UK's international obligations under Article 1 of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Operation Endeavour

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the command of Operation Endeavour; [112008]

(2) what contribution (a) the UK and (b) Spain is making to Operation Endeavour; and if he will make a statement. [112010]

Mr. Ingram: NATO's maritime Operation Active Endeavour was mounted as a part of NATO's Article 5 response following the World Trade Centre attacks in 2001. The operation now covers the entire Mediterranean, with NATO warships conducting surveillance and interdiction operations in the east, and those working in the west, ie the Straits of Gibraltar, conducting monitoring, surveillance and escorting duties.

Command of the Operation is exercised through the NATO Command Structure. The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) exercises command through the Joint Force Commander, the Commander in Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH) based in Naples. Day to day command of the operation is exercised by the local Maritime Component Commander, Commander Naval Forces Southern Europe, again based in Naples.

The United Kingdom and Spain have participated in the operation since its outset, primarily through the deployment of NATO's Standing Naval Forces.

Currently, the UK commits two ships to the operation, HMS Cornwall and HMS Northumberland. Command of the formations rotates between the NATO Nations; currently the UK is commanding Standing Naval Forces Atlantic, which is conducting the eastern element of the operation, from HMS Cornwall, while a Spanish officer commands the western element from SPS Extramadura. This ship is in lieu of her Standing Naval Force commitment, and is supported by a Spanish corvette, or fast patrol boat and a helicopter operating from ashore.

16 May 2003 : Column 454W

Operation Telic

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the construction of Marchwood military port to the success of Operation Telic. [112252]

Mr. Ingram: The Sea Mounting Centre Marchwood played an essential part in the success of Operation Telic, since it is configured and roled for just such an operational deployment Of the 46 vessels which deployed from the UK, 32 were loaded at Marchwood.

Peacekeeping (Africa)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress the United Kingdom has made with developing a plan which will enable Africa by 2010 to deploy a brigade sustainable in the field for 18 months for peacekeeping operations. [113659]

Mr. Ingram: Since the G8 summit at Kananaskis in June 2002, G8 nations, including the United Kingdom, have been working with African partners to develop a joint action plan so that, by 2010, African countries and regional and sub-regional organisations are able to engage more effectively to prevent and resolve violent conflict on the continent, and undertake peace support operations in accordance with the United Nations Charter.

A draft plan is still under discussion with the African Union and other partners. No decisions have yet been made on the size or sustainability of a possible African standby peacekeeping force.

RAF Coltishall

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to announce a decision on the future of RAF Coltishall. [112565]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 13 May 2003]: A decision on the future use of RAF Coltishall, the base for the Jaguar, will be made nearer the time of the Jaguar's withdrawal from RAF service, which is planned to take place by 2009.

Regimental Strengths

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) strength is of (i) 1 Bn The King's Regiment, (ii) 1 Bn The King's Own Scottish Borderers and (iii) 1 Bn The Queen's Lancashire Regiment. [113959]

Dr. Moonie: The establishment and strength, as at 1 April 2003, of 1 Bn The Kings Regiment, 1 Bn The King's Own Scottish Borderers and 1 Bn The Queen's Lancashire Regiment are detailed in the following table:

	Establishment	Strength
1 Bn The King's Regiment	586	541
1 Bn The King's Own Scottish Borderers	556	505
1 Bn The Queen's Lancashire Regiment	555	543

16 May 2003 : Column 455W

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Dr. Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects (a) RFA Largs Bay and (b) RFA Lyme Bay to enter service. [112270]

Mr. Ingram: The First of Class Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary), RFA Largs Bay, is expected to enter service in autumn 2004. RFA Lyme Bay is due in service by summer 2005.

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the work of Royal Navy minehunters during the Gulf conflict. [112272]

Mr. Ingram: During the recent conflict with Iraq the Mine Countermeasures Vessels HMS Ledbury, HMS Grimsby, HMS Sandown, HMS Brocklesby, HMS Blyth and HMS Bangor operated as part of a combined UK/US Task Unit under the Command of a United Kingdom Mine Countermeasures Commander. Their role was to clear the approaches to the Iraqi primary commercial port of Umm Qasr of any sea mines to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered as quickly as possible.

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the work of RFA Argus during the Gulf conflict. [112269]

Mr. Ingram: During the recent conflict with Iraq, RFA Argus provided support to the Amphibious Task Group and operated as the Primary Casualty Reception Facility, providing for the medical needs, both routine and emergency, of Service and displaced personnel

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