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Defence Dental Agency

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the unpublished 1997–98 annual report and accounts for the Defence Dental Agency. [139691]

Mr. Caplin: The 1997–98 annual report and accounts was never published as a stand-alone document, in fact, it was included in the 1999 annual report and accounts, which covered the period from 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1999. The reason that there was this two-year report was that HM Treasury had withdrawn the Defence Dental Agency's Accounts Direction for 1997–98.

A copy of the 1997–99 annual report and accounts was placed in the Library but I am arranging for a further copy to be provided.

Defence Personnel (Scotland)

Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many defence-related jobs there are in each constituency in Scotland. [136188]

Mr. Ingram: United Kingdom Defence Statistics 2003 contains the numbers of service and Ministry of Defence civilian personnel in Scotland at 1 July 2000. Tri-Service Publication 10, produced by the Defence Analytical Services Agency, contains data on service personnel by local authority region. Both publications are available in the Library of the House.

The exact number of defence related jobs in each constituency in Scotland, including those related to defence expenditure by MOD on goods and services and defence export contracts in Scotland, is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 20 October 2003,

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Official Report, columns 373–74W, on departmental staff, what function previously performed in the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Commitments (P&P) area was transferred to the private sector; what the procedure was (a) leading up to the decision for the transfer to be undertaken and (b) from the time of the decision for the transfer to be undertaken to the handover to the private sector; what companies participated in the process; what commitments in relation to job maintenance in Scotland were (i) sought and (ii) given as part of the transfer; and if he will make a statement. [138569]

Mr. Caplin: Personnel, Pay and Pensions Administration (PPPA) functions within the Army Personnel Centre, Kentigern House, Glasgow were transferred to Electronic Data Systems (EDS) under a partnering arrangement with the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency (AFPAA).

PPPA functions for the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force have been undertaken by EDS since 1998, the negotiations for which included an agreement that the same functions would subsequently be provided for the Army. As such, no other commercial companies participated in the process of the Army transfer. The contract with EDS was awarded following a competitive selection in which a number of companies took part.

Ministry of Defence personnel transferred to EDS under the terms of the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations 1981, and formal consultation with the MOD Trade Unions took place. Personnel affected continue to carry out the functions transferred at Kentigern House, Glasgow.

Maintenance Projects

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equipment (a) maintenance, (b) repair and (c) refit projects were (i) planned for and (ii) undertaken in each month of the current year in each of the branches of the armed forces in (A) England, (B) Wales, (C) Northern Ireland and (D) each of the bases in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [136236]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to my hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent at each of the military bases in Scotland in each month in 2003 on equipment (a) maintenance, (b) repair and (c) refit; what percentage this represents of each base's maintenance and repair budget; and if he will make a statement. [136237]

Mr. Ingram: This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Ex-service Personnel

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provisions he will make for the welfare of ex-service personnel after the Gulf conflict. [111873]

Mr. Caplin: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

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Global Security

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential overlap between European future research programmes on global security and UK national defence programmes; and if he will make a statement. [120505]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 23 June 2003]: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Illicit Arms Purchases

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the proportion of (a) injuries and (b) fatalities caused to United Kingdom forces from illicitly purchased arms in the last five years. [131122]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Iraq

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the Territorial Army strength has been mobilised for deployment in Iraq since the beginning of the conflict. [139806]

Mr. Ingram: As at 17 November 2003, approximately 17 per cent. of the Territorial Army have been mobilised for deployment in Iraq since the beginning of the conflict.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions there have been with the US Government regarding the use of (a) anti-personnel mines and (b) cluster munitions in a possible conflict with Iraq. [102354]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the components were of British manufacture in the two vehicles found in Iraq and suspected of being involved in the production of weapons of mass destruction; which companies produced them; and if he will make a statement. [131485]

Mr. Ingram: [holding answer 14 October 2003]: I am withholding details of components and companies under Exemption 1 b and 1 c of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relate to international relations and information received in confidence from foreign Governments.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plans the UK has, in conjunction with the international community, to limit Iraqi civilian casualties in the event of the use of (a) chemical and (b) biological weapons in the event of war. [97483]

Mr. Hoon: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those categories of weapons held by UK forces which will not be permitted for use in the event of a war involving UK forces and Iraq. [99285]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

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Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial resources are available to the UK armed forces for the administration of the British sector of Iraq. [124361]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the use of experimental weapons by the US forces in the war in Iraq. [125085]

Mr. Hoon: This is a matter for the US Department of Defence.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what experimental weapons systems were tested in the war in Iraq. [125087]

Mr. Hoon: United Kingdom Armed Forces did not specifically test any experimental weapons during military operations in Iraq. However, a number of weapons systems were used by UK Armed Forces for the first time including: Storm Shadow—an air launched conventionally armed precision stand off weapon.

Maverick—an air launched anti armour precision guided weapon.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether UK personnel in Iraq have received special training on the protection and rights of women and girls in armed conflict situations in line with the commitments in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325; and what discussions he has had with his US counterpart about their implementation of these commitments. [112159]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

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