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Iraq Survey Group

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British personnel are engaged in the Iraq Survey Group; and when he expects its next report to be published. [146579]

Mr. Ingram: On 7 January 2004, there were 55 United Kingdom civilian and military personnel attached to the Iraq Survey Group. There is no formal requirement on the ISG to report according to a particular timetable.

Operation Rockingham

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the role and function is of the unit set up under Operation Rockingham; what its cost was in the last financial year; and if he will make a statement. [146708]

Mr. Ingram: Operation Rockingham was established in 1991 to provide support to UNSCOM inspections in Iraq. It has subsequently also supported UNMOVIC

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inspections and currently supports the work of the Iraq Survey Group. In the last financial year (2002–03), the cost of the team was £78,723.53.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary Oilers

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the periods in dry-dock of each Royal Fleet Auxiliary oiler in each year since 1997. [146505]

Mr. Ingram: The maintenance periods undertaken by Royal Fleet Auxiliary oilers in each year since 1997 that have included a period in dry dock are shown in the following table.

Type ofmaintenance	Ship	Start date	End date
Routine docking	Oakleaf	2 June 1997	22 August 1997
Refit	Bayleaf	4 May 1998	17 July 1998
Refit	Olna	4 May 1998	28 August 1998
Refit	Grey Rover	15 June 1998	27 November 1998
Refit	Orangeleaf	18 January 1999	26 March 1999
Refit	Black Rover	15 February 1999	20 May 1999
Refit	Brambleleaf	19 July 1999	24 September 1999
Routine docking	Olwen	12 April 1999	14 June 1999
Routine docking	Gold Rover	20 March 2000	26 May 2000
Refit	Oakleaf	14 February 2000	21 April 2000
Routine docking	Grey Rover	18 June 2001	20 August 2001
Routine docking	Orangeleaf	27 August 2001	26 October 2001
Routine docking	Black Rover	1 April 2002	24 May 2002
Routine docking	Brambleleaf	29 April 2002	28 June 2002
Contractor support period	Oakleaf	26 August 2002	22 September 2002
Refit	Gold Rover	14 October 2002	20 December 2002
Routine docking	Oakleaf	7 April 2003	30 May 2003
Refit	Bayleaf	3 June 2003	8 August 2003

The time in dry dock is only ever a part of the overall maintenance period and details of the exact time each vessel spent in the dock are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In addition to the routine maintenance shown in the table RFA Grey Rover was docked in 1997 to undertake an emergency repair.

The two new tankers RFA Wave Knight and Wave Ruler have not been subject to docking periods since entering service.

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) year of construction and (b) anticipated year of decommissioning of each oiler in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. [146506]

Mr. Ingram: The information requested is set out in the table:

RFA vessel	Year of construction	Present planned decommissioning year
Grey Rover	1970	2007
Gold Rover	1974	2009
Black Rover	1974	2010
Brambleleaf	1976	2009
Bay leaf	1982	2010
Orangeleaf	1975	2009
Oakleaf	1981	2015
Fort Rosalie	1978	2013
Fort Austin	1979	2014
Fort Victoria	1993	2019
Fort George	1993	2019
Wave Knight	2000	2028
Wave Ruler	2001	2028

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Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to use ships taken up from trade as oilers in future expeditionary warfare. [146508]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence does not routinely plan to requisition oil tankers from trade. There may, however, be exceptional circumstances where we would wish to do so.

Second World War Ordnance(Badnells Pit Landfill Site)

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records exist detailing the disposal of ordnance from the Second World War ammunition dump near Slough into the Badnells Pit landfill site near Maidenhead. [147021]

Mr. Caplin: MOD research has identified no official records that support claims of the dumping of ammunition in the Badnells Pit landfill site.

The authorised methods of disposal for Service munitions from Service stocks, both during and after the Second World War, did not include dumping in landfill sites. The standard methods of disposal involved the use of sea dumping, burning or the demolition of the material by explosive means.

Warships

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the due decommissioning dates are for each of the (a) Swiftsure class submarines and (b) batch 3 Type 22 frigates; and which of these dates have been brought forward during the past year. [146510]

Mr. Ingram: The current planned decommissioning dates for the Swiftsure class submarines and Type 22 Batch 3 frigates are as follows.

HMS	Year
Swiftsure class submarines:
Spartan	2006
Sovereign	2006
Superb	2008
Sceptre	2010
Type 22 Batch 3 frigates:
Cornwall	2015
Cumberland	2017
Campbeltown	2017
Chatham	2018

The planned decommissioning date for HMS Chatham was brought forward from 2020. This is the only amendment to have been made within the last 12 months.

Split North Port, Croatia

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence further to his letter of 30 November 2003 on Split North Port, Croatia, how much the rent payable for the Split North Port was during the relevant period; and how much the underpayment was. [145219]

Mr. Ingram: The lease between the Ministry of Defence and Split North Port (SNP) provided for payments of around $8.9 million. Within the $6.35 million settlement in 2001, was an overall figure of $5.5 million for several claims by SNP taken together, including underpayment

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of rent, use of facilities and back interest. The claim for underpayment of rent arose from an Arrangement between NATO and the Croatian Government not the original lease.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Civil Service (Disabilities)

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in meeting targets for the proportion of people with disabilities in senior posts in his Department. [145998]

Mr. Pearson: 3.5 per cent. of the senior civil servants employed in the Northern Ireland Office have declared a disability. The corresponding figure for the Northern Ireland Civil Service is 3 per cent..

The NIO is awaiting the detailed results of the Northern Ireland 2001 Census before setting a Departmental target for people with disabilities in the Senior Civil Service.

There are a number of measures in place to improve the representation of disabled people at all levels in the NIO, including in senior posts:

Since 1998 the NIO has run a bursary scheme for staff below SCS level with disabilities, where the recipient is provided with a fast-track development programme of training, mentor ing and work placements to enable them to compete at the senior grades;

The Department has participated in the Cabinet Office 2003 Summer Placement Scheme for disabled graduates/under- graduates. The eight week placement, at fast stream level, provides the participant with high quality work experience to attract them to the opportunities of a future fast stream career in the Civil Service;

Reasonable adjustment measures are provided to assist existing staff with disabilities to remain in work; and

Work is carried out with schools and organisations for disabled people in Northern Ireland to increase their-awareness of the job opportunities available within the Civil Service.

Dental Care

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the examination of the future delivery of primary care dental services in Northern Ireland to commence; what form he expects the examination will take; and when he expects to be able to report the findings. [147382]

Angela Smith: The Chief Dental Officer is currently developing a new Oral Health Strategy, which will set the oral health agenda for the next 10 years. It will identify the oral health needs of the Northern Ireland population, determine desired outcomes and identify areas where oral health can link into the wider health agenda.

It is hoped that work on the new Oral Health Strategy will be concluded by June 2004 and this will then allow the development of a strategy for the delivery of primary care dental services to commence. That strategy will also take account of recent reviews of the dental workforce and the community dental service and consider whether any of the new contractual arrangements, currently being developed in England, should be introduced here.

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The aim is to have the necessary legislation in place to introduce any changes from April 2006 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Both strategies will be developed in consultation with service users, health and social services professionals, key stakeholders and relevant interest groups.

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