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25 Jun 2003 : Column 879W—continued
Armed Forces
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the effect on overstretch of a difference between the target number of armed forces personnel and the actual number of personnel. [120815]
Mr. Caplin: As at 1 May 2003 the shortfall against the current trained requirement of the armed forces stood at 6,450. This is an improvement on the same time last year with an increase in the overall trained strength and a decrease in the deficit. All three Services are working hard to address the shortfalls so that the targets set out in the current Public Service Agreements can be met.
Details of shortfalls by individual Service as at 1 May 2003 are shown as follows.
25 Jun 2003 : Column 880W
| Trained requirement | Trained strength | Shortfall | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Service | 38,500 | 37,460 | -1,040 |
| Army | 106,980 | 102,430 | -4,540 |
| RAF | 49,640 | 48,770 | -870 |
Cluster Munitions
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records have been kept of the locations in Iraq at which cluster bombs were used by British forces. [117760]
Mr. Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 19 June 2003, Official Report, column 343W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Joan Ruddock).
Drugs
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units have been subjected to compulsory drugs testing since January 2002; and how many personnel tested positive in each unit, broken down by substance. [121331]
Mr. Caplin: I have today placed a copy of the information requested in the Library of the House.
HMS Sheffield
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 11 June 2003, Official Report, column 911W, on HMS Sheffield, what the original cost of building HMS Sheffield was; what the cost of her refit was in 1996; what her annual operating cost has been; how much was raised by her sale to Chile; and if he will make a statement. [119992]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch) on 4 February 2003, Official Report, column 174W.
Negotiations concerning the disposal of Ministry of Defence surplus equipment are matters of commercial and customer confidentiality and I am therefore withholding details of the revenues received under Exemption 1 and 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Infantry Deployment
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which infantry regiments have been deployed to contribute to SFOR and KFOR in each of the past five years. [120875]
Mr. Ingram: The following infantry regiments have been deployed to contribute to the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) and Kosovo Force (KFOR) over the past five years:
(30) Company level only
25 Jun 2003 : Column 881W
Iraq
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British armed forces personnel are stationed in Iraq from (a) regular and (b) reserve forces. [121304]
Mr. Caplin: As at 24 June, there were 10,250 personnel deployed in Iraq, of whom approximately 1,400 were members of the Reserve Forces.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to enable British forces in Iraq to operate effectively under extreme temperatures. [121415]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 24 June 2003]: British forces deployed on operations in Iraq are provided with guidance for working in extreme temperatures. Acclimatisation and a sensible approach to the working environment mean that personnel can operate effectively. Most of the United Kingdom forces' equipment is capable of operating in high temperatures. However, a number of enhancements have been made to ensure that operational effectiveness is not degraded.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the findings of the investigation into the mobile laboratories in Iraq. [121021]
Mr. Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's answer on 20 June 2003, Official Report, column 444W, to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn).
Low-wave Radar
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he is having with his EU counterparts on restrictions on the use of low-wave radar by military vessels in the seas around the British Isles. [120673]
Mr. Ingram: I presume the question refers to low frequency active sonars. Neither the Ministry of Defence nor its agencies is engaged in discussions with European Union counterparts on restrictions on the use of such sonars by military vessels in the seas around the British Isles.
25 Jun 2003 : Column 882W
Maintenance Contracts
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent cost effectiveness reviews have been conducted of maintenance contracts. [104337]
Mr. Ingram: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Married Quarters (Warminster)
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress to update married quarters in Warminster. [121334]
Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to my predecessor's answer to him of 22 July 2002, Official Report, column 752W, the improvements planned for last year have been completed.
It is still our intention to carry out a full upgrade of some 400 properties to 'Standard 1 for Condition'. Furthermore, a number of improvements are being carried out this financial year, including:
- installation of 150 showers to soldiers' quarters;
replacement rear doors to 101 soldiers' quarters;
upgrading electrical supply to Officer's quarters area—Elm Hill
upgrading and repairing roads
replacement of fascias, soffits and rainwater goods at 111 Officers' quarters
external redecorations to 10 quarters
Minehunters
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reduce the number of (a) Hunt and (b) Sandown class minehunters; and if he will make a statement. [121205]
Mr. Ingram: There are currently no plans to reduce the number of Hunt and Sandown class minehunters.
Procurement
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the decision to purchase ship systems to improve the navigational capability of the Hunt and Sandown class of minehunters; and if he will make a statement. [120725]
Mr. Ingram: The decision to make this purchase for the Hunt and Sandown classes was taken to improve minehunting and minesweeping capability. The procurement will enable these ships to more precisely fix their position in relation to objects detected in the sea.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who drew up the specification for the desert boots and uniforms that were ordered for use in the war in Iraq; who manufactured them; and if he will make a statement. [120731]
Mr. Ingram: The specification for the desert boots ordered for use in the war in Iraq was drawn up by the manufacturer and approved after evaluation by the Ministry of Defence. The specifications for the other principal uniform items (i.e. lightweight jacket and trousers) were drawn up by qualified Ministry of Defence personnel. The suppliers were as follows.
25 Jun 2003 : Column 883W
| Item | Contractor |
|---|---|
| Desert Boots | Iturri S.A. (Seville) |
| Lightweight Jacket | Cookson & Clegg; Feuchter Workwear Gmbh |
| Lightweight Trousers | Cookson & Clegg; Feuchter Workwear Gmbh |
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