---

11 Jun 2003 : Column 910W—continued

Television Licence Fee

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the future of the television licence fee. [118527]

Dr. Howells: The Government intends that the television licence fee will remain the main source of BBC funding at least until the expiry of the BBC's current Royal Charter at the end of 2006. The arrangements for funding the Corporation after that date will be considered as part of the Charter review process.

Youth Sports

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport [pursuant to her answer of 24 March, Official Report, column 54W], on youth sports, how many (a) specialist sports colleges, (b) school sport co-ordinators, (c) Step into Sport programmes, (d) Community Development Club programmes, (e) Sporting Playgrounds, (f) coaches and (g) club and development programmes there were in October 2002,

11 Jun 2003 : Column 911W

broken down by region; and how many there are expected to be in each region in (i) October 2003, (ii) October 2004 and (iii) October 2005. [117842]

Mr. Caborn: In October 2002, there were 161 specialist sports colleges designated and operational, 769 School Sport Coordinators in post and 525 schools involved in Step into Sport. The Community Club Development programme had not commenced, and no Sporting Playgrounds projects had been completed. Robust information on coaches is not currently available; a major data-collection exercise will shortly be conducted to address this. Work to build and enhance school/club links had also not commenced.

The information for 2002 and expectations for future years, where available, could only be broken down by region at disproportionate cost.

DEFENCE

Agency Annual Reports

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the (a) naval bases and Supply Agency Annual Report and Accounts for financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01, (b) RAF Logistic Support Services Annual Report and Accounts for financial years 1997–98 to 1999–2000, and (c) Ships Support Agency Annual Report and Accounts for financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01. [117506]

Mr. Ingram: The Annual Report and Accounts for the Naval Bases and Supply Agency and the Ships Support Agency for financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01 have been placed in the Library of the House under classified set 942 and 685 respectively.

The first Annual Report and Accounts for the RAF Logistics Support Services were produced for the financial year 1998–99. A copy of the report for this year is available in the Library of the House under reference number classified set 879.1.

The RAF Logistics Support Services ceased to be a Defence Agency on 31 March 2000. For the financial year 1999–2000, the Agency was treated as a conventional management grouping by HM Treasury. No accounts direction was given by the Treasury, and accordingly the Agency did not produce a set of Annual Report and Accounts.

Army (Gulf)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the Army is deployed to the Gulf region. [118529]

Dr. Moonie: As at 6 June 2003, some 12 per cent. of the Army was deployed to the Gulf region.

Army Disbandment

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are applied in relation to the disbandment of (a) a regiment and (b) part of a regiment of the Army. [118013]

11 Jun 2003 : Column 912W

Mr. Ingram: There are no predetermined criteria for disbanding or restructuring Army units. All military force structures are based on operational need given the current and future security environment in which the armed forces are likely to operate.

AWE

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the (a) personnel, (b) date and (c) purpose of the forthcoming US weapons laboratory visit to AWE. [118403]

Dr. Moonie: Visits by United States officials to AWE Aldermaston occur regularly. I am withholding specific details of such visits and their purpose in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Defence, Security and International Relations).

Cluster Munitions

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has a programme to deal with unexploded ordnance left by cluster bombs. [117039]

Mr. Ingram: We have some 200 personnel in the United Kingdom area of operations in Iraq involved in the clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO), including unexploded cluster bomblets. Royal Engineers are also involved in marking and fencing of bomblet strike and mined areas as part of a coalition-wide operation. In addition, we are providing information on UK use of munitions to civilian clearance organisations to assist in achieving rapid clearance of UXO.

Colombia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK military personnel are in Colombia; and under which command they operate. [118599]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 10 June 2003]: In addition to military personnel attached to the British Embassy in Bogota, there are a small number of other personnel providing advice and training assistance to the Columbians, the nature of which is confidential between governments. I am therefore withholding further information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (information the disclosure of which would be harmful to national security, defence or international relations).

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training facilities are offered to members of the Colombian military in (a) the UK and (b) Colombia; and if he will make a statement. [118600]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 10 June 2003]: An invitation for a Colombian military officer to attend the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, commencing in August 2003, has been issued to the Colombian military authorities and accepted. We do, from time to time, send military liaison teams to Colombia to provide advice and training assistance. The nature of this advice and assistance is confidential between governments and I am withholding the details

11 Jun 2003 : Column 913W

under Exemption 1 of the code of practice on access to Government Information, which covers information whose disclosure would be harmful to national security, defence or international relations.

Future Aircraft Carrier

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of his top level budget holders will be expected to meet the cost of his Department's commitment to participate in the Future Aircraft Carrier programme; when he expects the financial commitment to be quantified; in which future financial years he expects it to arise; and whether he estimates that the cost of this can be contained within present long term expenditure plans without adverse effects on other programmes. [117508]

Mr. Ingram: A number of TLBs within the Department will contribute to the cost of the Future Aircraft Carrier project depending on its stage in the acquisition cycle. The main Stakeholders will be the Defence Procurement Agency, Defence Logistics Organisation and Fleet.

An estimated total cost exists for the programme but financial commitment will be only be formally quantified at the Main Gate assessment point, currently planned for early 2004. It is then planned to place the Demonstration and Manufacture (D&M) contract, which, on current plans, will cover financial commitment until 2016. Funding for this project has been already been set aside within the defence budget and is allocated to the Equipment Plan in keeping with all defence equipment projects.

Warships

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the decision to sell HMS Sheffield to Chile; and what other bids were received for HMS Sheffield. [115661]

Mr. Ingram: The only formal expression of intention to purchase HMS Sheffield came from the Government of Chile.

HMS Tireless

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost and time will be to repair HMS Tireless; and if he will make a statement. [118360]

Mr. Ingram: It is too soon to say how long repairs will take or how much they will cost.

HMS Tireless is currently undergoing planned routine maintenance at Devonport, and will be docked later this month to enable a full survey of the damage to be undertaken.

Iraq

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records have been kept by coalition forces on the location of cluster munitions used in Iraq; and when this information will be made available to non-governmental organisations. [116814]

11 Jun 2003 : Column 914W

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 5 June 2003]: A detailed record of the areas where cluster munitions and other ordnance are known to have been used in Iraq, and any ordnance discovered by troops on the ground, is maintained by the coalition in theatre. The information is made available to non-governmental organisations at the Civil Military Operations Centre in Iraq and the Humanitarian Operations Centre in Kuwait.

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the availability was in percentage terms of the Challenger II fleet deployed in Operation TELIC on (a) the first day of combat operations, (b) 30 April and (c) the average for the duration of combat operations in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [111823]

Mr. Ingram: Post operational reporting will provide analysis and assessment of the performance of equipment deployed on operations in Iraq. It would, therefore, be premature for me to provide a detailed assessment of the performance or availability of individual equipments at this stage. However, the indications are that the Challenger 2 fleet deployed on Operation TELIC was very reliable and performed impressively.

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he is having with (a) his US counterparts and (b) other Coalition forces regarding the clearance of unexploded ordnance in Iraq. [113736]

Mr. Ingram: The Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group liaises on a daily basis with their US counterparts through a Liaison Officer in the Coalition Explosive Ordnance Disposal Co-ordination Centre. The group has and will have direct liaison with all coalition Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams as they come into theatre. A Spanish EOD Group is currently carrying out demining in the Safwan area under the tactical command of British forces.

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many qualified personnel are engaged in clearing cluster bomb type ordnance in Iraq; and how long he estimates it will take to clear them up and make these areas safe for civilians. [117599]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 June 2003, Official Report, column 510W, to the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Joan Ruddock).

Providing a safe, secure risk-free environment for the Iraqi people is a key aspect of restoration activity for the coalition, and there is an operation currently under way to locate and mark areas contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance, which also includes bomblets. United Kingdom forces, in conjunction with the Iraqi Mine Action Centre (a part of the Office of the Coalition Provisional Authority), are in the process of marking and documenting over 400 unexploded ordnance sites in the UK area of operation in southern Iraq. Once this task is complete, the process of removing unexploded ordnance will be co-ordinated by the Iraqi Mine Centre. No timescale has been set for completion of the task.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the timescale is for the removal of the unexploded bomblets deposited by cluster bombs from Iraq. [118194]

11 Jun 2003 : Column 915W

Mr. Ingram: Providing a safe, secure and risk free environment for the Iraqi people is a key aspect of restoration activity for the Coalition. United Kingdom forces, in conjunction with the Iraqi Mine Action Centre (a part of the Office of the Coalition Provisional Authority), are in the process of marking and documenting around 400 unexploded ordnance sites in the UK area of operation in southern Iraq, which will include unexploded cluster munition bomblets. Once this task is complete, the process of removing unexploded ordnance will be co-ordinated by the Iraqi Mine Action Centre. No time scale has been set for completion of the task.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what record the British Army has of the location of unexploded bomblets in Iraq. [118195]

Mr. Ingram: The Joint Force Exploded Ordnance Disposal Cell in Iraq has records of munitions, including bomblets, dropped by coalition aircraft and delivered by artillery, and are consequently aware of possible locations of unexploded bomblets that are as a result of Operation Telic. Areas of suspected mine and UXO contamination (including bomblets), of which there are over 400 in the United Kingdom area of operation, are currently being checked to provide more accurate details of potential hazards.

---