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4 Jun 2003 : Column 444W—continued

Departmental Advertising

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total expenditure on advertising by the Department was in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; and what the level of planned expenditure is for (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05. [114438]

Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence's advertising and publicity expenditure in 2001–02 was published in the annual Departmental Performance Report, broken down into categories of RN, Army, RAF and civilian recruitment, PR, marketing and business support services, Chief of PR, sales promotion, scholarships and National Employers' Liaison Committee. Copies of this document are available in the Library of the House.

The 2002–03 Departmental Performance Report is due to be published in the Autumn and will include information on advertising and publicity expenditure; this may be in a revised format due to the introduction of Resource Accounting and Budgeting. Final costs for 2002–03 are not yet available. However, advertising and publicity expenditure is estimated to be approximately 54 million, including recruitment publicity.

Planned expenditure for 2003–04 is 54 million including recruitment publicity. Detailed plans for 2004–05 have not yet been agreed.

Discharged Personnel (Call-up)

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel discharged following a manning control point review have been called up for service in all operations; and how many are currently serving on operations. [108204]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 10 April 2003]: Eight service personnel who, having been discharged since 1997 under Queen's Regulations for the Army 1975 Paragraph 9.413 'Not required for a full Army Career', have subsequently been called-out for military service on operations. Six of these individuals are currently still serving.

Fred Nerac and Hussein Osman

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Royal Military Police will provide on the ground assistance in the search for the missing ITN crew members Fred Nerac and Hussein Osman; [116226]

Dr. Moonie: Subject to the constraints of the security situation on the ground, British troops in southern Iraq, including members of the Royal Military Police (RMP), have been providing ITN investigators with whatever assistance they reasonably could in trying to establish what has happened to Fred Nerac and Hussein Osman.

The Ministry of Defence's position has always been that the RMP would only undertake a formal investigation into the disappearance of the two men if they had sufficient grounds to suspect that a war crime might have been committed. Following new information

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that has recently come to light, however, the RMP Special Investigations Branch will now investigate the disappearance of Fred Nerac and Hussein Osman.

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what representations he has received from the United States regarding the disappearance of Mr. Nerac and Mr. Osman; [116228]

Dr. Moonie: Officials in the Ministry of Defence and British troops in southern Iraq have been in close contact with representatives of the United States concerning the disappearance of Mr. Nerac and Mr. Osman and, particularly, the original shooting incident in which Terry Lloyd was killed and the two men went missing.

The US military are formally investigating this incident. They have requested our assistance and we have co-operated fully with them on this.

Iraq

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many targeted weapons of mass destruction sites have been inspected in Iraq by Coalition forces; and what has been found. [110268]

Mr. Hoon [holding answer 28 April 2003]: As at 20 May 2003, Coalition forces had initiated investigations into 99 sites within Iraq which may be connected to programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction. Investigations have been initiated into a further 53 sites identified since the conflict began.

Such sites are only one potential form of evidence. Others forms of evidence could include samples of chemical or biological agents, delivery systems, documentation or interviews with relevant Iraqi personnel. Coalition forces have identified materials which may be related to Iraqi programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction, including vehicles which appear to match descriptions of mobile biological agent production facilities in the document "Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction" published on 24 September 2002, and as presented to the United Nations Security Council by the United States Secretary of State. Investigations continue. We expect gathering and collating evidence from these sites and from other sources to be a long and complex task.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many depleted uranium weapons have been dropped on Iraq since the start of recent hostilities by (a) value and (b) total weight by (i) UK and (ii) US forces. [110269]

Mr. Hoon [holding answer 28 April 2003]: A total weight of around 1.92 tonnes of depleted uranium ammunition has been fired in Iraq by United Kingdom forces since the start of recent hostilities. I am withholding information regarding these munitions in accordance with exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Ordnance expended by US forces is a matter for the US authorities.

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Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what correspondence he has received from Mr. Abed Hassan Hamoudi of Basra; and if he will place copies of (a) such correspondence and (b) his response in the Library. [111108]

Mr. Ingram: Although Mr. Hamoudi has not written to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence directly, Ministers were made aware of a letter which Mr. Hamoudi sent to General Officer Commander 1 (UK) Division and were consulted on the terms of the reply. I am withholding copies of the correspondence under Exemption 12 of Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (privacy of the individual).

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sorties were flown by Iraqi military (a) aircraft, (b) helicopters and (c) unmanned aerial vehicles during the recent conflict; how many were destroyed by Coalition forces; and how many are now in the possession of Coalition forces. [114834]

Mr. Ingram: Since 19 March 2003, no sorties have been flown by Iraqi military aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles, although a number of helicopter sorties were flown in support of operations. Approximately 100 aircraft and 40 helicopters were destroyed by coalition forces during Operation TELIC and coalition forces are currently in control of approximately 400 aircraft, 250 helicopters and a number of unmanned aerial vehicles that remain in Iraq.

Cadet Organisations

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial assistance his Department is providing in this financial year to the (a) Sea Cadet Association, (b) Air Training Corps, (c) Combined Cadet Force and (d) Army Cadets; and if he will make a statement. [116638]

Dr. Moonie: For the financial year 2003–04, the Cadet Organisations will receive the following funding from the three Services:

Service£ million
Sea Cadet Association (RN)8.0
Army Cadet Force (Army)50.0
Air Training Corps (RAF)20.0
Combined Cadet Force
Royal Navy1.5
Army10.0
RAF1.0
Total combined Cadet Force12.5

Ministerial Transport

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department was in 2002. [101536]

Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon Member to the answer my hon Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr Alexander) gave on 20 May 2003, Official Report, column 663W.

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A contract for a taxi service is in place and expenditure against this contract for 2002 is £15,786. This figure excludes any amounts spent on taxi hire outside of this contract reclaimed by officials as travel and expenditure. That information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence Commercial Policy Group

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) members of the Ministry of Defence Commercial Policy Group, (b) organisations which have contracts to supply services to UK forces and (c) value of those contracts in each case. [115039]

Mr. Ingram: A list of the members of the Ministry of Defence/Industry Commercial Policy Group is set out in the list. All the industry members attend the group as representatives of the trade associations indicated on the list and not as members of the organisations that employ them.

In the Financial Year 2002–03 the employing organisations of the Commercial Policy Group's industry members were awarded a total of 525 contracts valued at £2.096 billion.

I am withholding the values of contracts within the total under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Commercial Policy Group

List of members

Industry Co-Chairman
































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Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used by his Department when appointing commercial organisations as members of the Ministry of Defence Commercial Policy Group; and whether there are restrictions placed on foreign commercial organisations becoming members of this group. [115040]

Mr. Ingram: Industry representation on the Commercial Policy Group (CPG) is co-ordinated by the Defence Industries Council (DIG) who seek to ensure membership representative of the United Kingdom defence industry.

There are no restrictions placed on overseas commercial organisations becoming members of the CPG. However, they are not usually members of the trade associations represented on the CPG unless they have also established a UK based capability to supply goods and services to MOD.

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sustainable development guidelines are issued to the Ministry of Defence Commercial Policy Group. [115041]

Mr. Ingram: None. The aim of the Commercial Policy Group is to provide a forum for Ministry of Defence and Industry to consider the development of future policy issues raised as part of the implementation of Smart Acquisition. The Commercial Policy Group may become involved later if it becomes clear that new or commercial processes Defence Contract Conditions (DEFCONS) will be needed to deliver MOD's contributions to the sustainable development agenda.

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are in place to ensure that members of the Ministry of Defence Commercial Policy Group do not gain an unfair advantage when tendering for contracts to supply goods and services to the Ministry of Defence. [115042]

Mr. Ingram: The Commercial Policy Group (CPG) acts as a forum for Ministry of Defence and Industry to develop future commercial policy and encourage best practice.

The CPG's Terms of Reference require that its work is reported to MOD, Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Defence Industries Council (DIC). This ensures that all its stakeholders have full visibility of its activities. The policy guidelines produced by the CPG, as well as its Terms of Reference, are also placed in the public domain using the MOD Acquisition Management Website (AMS) which can be accessed via the internet at www.ams.mod.uk.

The CPG plays no part in MOD's tendering processes or contract award decision making.

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