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Strategic Airfield Study

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the future of RAF Lyneham; [112690]

(2) for what reason the Strategic Airfield Study was not published before the Easter recess; and when the Strategic Airfield Study will be published. [112689]

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Mr. Ingram: The outcome of the Strategic Review into the future of RAF Brize Norton, RAF Lyneham and RAF St Mawgan was not published before the Easter recess because of the requirement to take into account the experience of Operation TELIC. I hope to be in a position to announce the outcome of the review in the next few weeks.

Territorial Army (NHS Personnel)

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans are in place to return NHS employees to the United Kingdom following service with the TA medical services in the Gulf; and if he will make a statement. [113898]

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Territorial Army medical staff in the Gulf will return to their jobs in the national health service; and if he will make a statement. [114566]

Dr. Moonie: The majority of Territorial Army medical personnel are serving with either 34 Field Hospital (34 Fd Hosp) or 202 Volunteer Field Hospital (202 (V) Fd Hosp). On current plans, 34 Fd Hosp personnel should return to the United Kingdom by the end of May 2003. 202 (V) Fd Hosp personnel will be released from theatre through a staged process beginning in the next few weeks. It is hoped that all should have returned by the end of July 2003. There are some additional singleton appointments undertaken by medical personnel who will leave theatre as and when their parent Regular unit leaves theatre. TA personnel will be able to return to their employment with the national health service once they have been through the demobilisation process and taken their post operational tour leave which is commensurate with the period of their mobilised service.

Troop Deployments (Persian Gulf)

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of British troops deployed in the Persian Gulf have now returned home. [110705]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence's Written Statement of 30 April 2003, Official Report, columns 15–16WS.

As at 11 May, over 11,000 United Kingdom servicemen and women had returned to their home bases from operations in the Gulf. This represents around 25 per cent of the total number deployed to the region.

UN Non-proliferation Treaty

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Government's contribution is to the UN Non-Proliferation Treaty conference in Geneva. [112096]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 May 2003, Official Report, columns 84–85W, by my hon. Friend (Mr. O'Brien) the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith).

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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

African Union Peace and Security Council

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have (a) signed and (b) ratified the African Union Peace and Security Council. [112172]

Mr. Rammell: The following countries have signed the African Union protocol relating to the establishment of the Peace and Security Council: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Western Sahara, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Algeria and Mali have completed ratification.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which members of the African Union have (a) signed and (b) ratified the African Peace and Security Council. [112731]

Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her today (UIN 112172).

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to the UN force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [112180]

Mr. Rammell: We are in regular contact with MONUC (the UN force in the Democratic Republic of Congo) and with the UN in New York. Our aim is the deployment of MONUC at its mandated strength of 8,700 to support the peace process in the DRC, including Ituri.

Entry Clearance (Waiting Times)

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for entry clearance are awaiting determination at the British high commission in Islamabad; how many have been outstanding for more than (a) six months and (b) three months; and if he will make a statement. [114565]

Mr. Rammell: In the six months from 16 November 2002–16 May 2003, the Visa section in Islamabad has received 37,881 applications for entry clearance. Of those applications, 22,416 resulted in visas being issued and 2,820 applications were refused. There were 12,645 unresolved applications.

For the three month period between 16 February and 16 May, Islamabad received 20,067 applications. Of those applications 14,303 were successful and 784 were refused. 4,990 applications are unresolved.

Out of these unresolved applications, we estimate that about 2 per cent. will lead to a decision. The remaining applications are those which cannot be resolved without an interview. As a result of the security situation, Islamabad is unable to offer such interviews and the

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remaining unresolved applications will therefore be returned to the applicant with a request that they make new applications once interviewing is resumed.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether United Kingdom military forces are authorised to kill Saddam Hussein if they receive reliable and authenticated details of his whereabouts. [111238]

Mr. Hoon: I have been asked to reply.

There are of course circumstances in which Saddam Hussein could be killed as a result of military operations to achieve our published campaign objectives. I am withholding information on the details of the Rules of Engagement under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. We will continue to act fully within the constraints of international law governing military conflict.

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when (a) Foreign Office officials and (b) Government Ministers were informed of the visit to Iraq in December 1999 by the hon. Member for Glasgow, Kelvin (Mr. Galloway); and what assessment the Foreign Office then made as to the purpose of the visit. [114182]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 16 May 2003]: My hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Kelvin has a long and well publicised association with Iraq. Like all hon. Members he enjoys the privilege of free association, without obligation to inform the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of his visits overseas. As far as we are aware, the FCO was aware of this visit as a matter of routine and courtesy.

Nigeria

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Government of Nigeria regarding (a) the conduct of the presidential and gubernatorial elections and (b) the murders of Dr. Harry Marshall and Mr. Ogbannaya. [112730]

Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs issued a press statement on 29 April following the Presidential elections noting the re-election of President Obasanjo, and expressing the UK's desire to support the President in pursuing strategic policies on economic and government reform. The statement also reflected our concern at reports of serious fraud and irregularities.

Following the murder of Marshall Harry on 5 March, we condemned the use of political violence in the conduct of elections, and welcomed the Nigerian Government's declared intention to ensure a swift and rigorous investigation. Before the elections, our High Commissioner frequently called on the leadership of the main political parties to avoid violence and to take action against those who used it.

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Public Relations

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on public relations advice in the past five years. [93866]

Mr. MacShane: The total expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on public relations work in the past five years is:

	£ including VAT
2002–03	360,899.46
2001–02	815,842
2000–01	347,857
1999–2000	nil
1998–99	59,337

This includes advice, design, branding, development and implementation of PR campaigns. It would take disproportionate costs to establish the element of this that was purely advice.

The bulk of the funding for 2001–02 and 2002–03 relates to the "Know Before You Go" public awareness campaign aimed at encouraging UK travellers to be better prepared when travelling overseas.

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what public relations companies his Department is consulting. [93867]

Mr. MacShane: The FCO's "Know Before You Go" campaign is managed by a firm of London-based communications consultants: Biss Lancaster Euro RSCG.

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