19 Jan 2004 : Column 913W
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 19 January 2004
DEFENCE
Biological Weapons
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the United Kingdom Government's policy is on the export of (a) bacillus anthracis, (b) clostridium botulinum, (c) histoplasma capsulatum, (d) brucella, (e) melitensis and (f) clostridium perfringens by other countries. [146722]
Mr. MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
The export of these biological materials is controlled by States' obligations under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). They are, however, all materials that have a legitimate use in laboratories and facilities for the production of vaccines to protect against the diseases that may be caused by exposure to them. Their export, in small quantities consistent with legitimate medical and scientific research to established scientific institutions in states that are Party to the BTWC, is not banned under the Convention.
The Government would expect all other countries to scrutinise any applications for such exports with the same rigour as we would for exports from the United Kingdom.
Boards of Inquiry
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many boards of inquiry into deaths of military personnel have been established in each year since 1990. [142115]
Mr. Ingram: Not all military deaths are subject to boards of inquiry. However, details of military deaths investigated by boards of inquiry or other investigations are as follows:
| Royal Navy | Army(1) | RAF (2) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8 | 74 | 15 |
| 1991 | 11 | 104 | 9 |
| 1992 | 4 | 73 | 9 |
| 1993 | 10 | 61 | 8 |
| 1994 | 4 | 60 | 11 |
| 1995 | 6 | 66 | 11 |
| 1996 | 6 | 45 | 8 |
| 1997 | 10 | 35 | 4 |
| 1998 | 6 | 50 | 7 |
| 1999 | 5 | 45 | 6 |
| 2000 | 5 | 49 | 3 |
| 2001 | 5 | 42 | 4 |
| 2002 | 8 | 44 | 3 |
| Total | 88 | 748 | 98 |
(1) Includes road accidents on duty and hostile action (not normally subject to Service investigation).
(2) Includes Army, USAF and Italian military personnel killed in RAF aircraft accidents.
19 Jan 2004 : Column 914W
Communications
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training was made available for UK forces personnel on the Oscar communications system; and if he will make a statement. [147278]
Mr. Ingram: The three key elements of the Operations and Strategic Communications Architecture (OSCA) are Multiplexers, Exchanges and Military satellite terminals. Prior to deployment, personnel received training on all three of these elements. Training was conducted by a mixture of military and civilian courses, and was supplemented by having Subject Matter Expects (SMEs) available in theatre.
Defence Spending
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2003, Official Report, column 943W, on defence spending, what the limits are on the UK's ability to conduct unilateral national operations in pursuance of security objectives; and if he will make a statement. [148530]
Mr. Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 3.3 and 3.5 of the Defence White Paper, Delivering Security in a Changing World (Cm 6041–1).
Departmental Relocation
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department work in (a) the West Midlands and (b) North Staffordshire. [146915]
Mr. Caplin: The number of civilian and Service personnel working in the West Midlands and Staffordshire are detailed as follows:
| West Midlands Government Office Region | Staffordshire(3) | |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian Staff as at 1 November 2003(4) | 4,790 | (5)800 |
| Service personnel as at 1 July 2002(6) | 6,740 | 1,080 |
(3) The Department does not hold information on staff based in the North Staffordshire area.
(4) Figures are for permanent industrial and non-industrial staff, excluding Royal Fleet Auxiliary, those on career breaks, long-term sick, secondments etc.
(5) The civilian figure for Staffordshire is an approximation as the Department does not routinely publish data below Government Office Region level.
(6) Figures are taken from Tri-Service Publication 10, last published in July 02.
Flying Hours
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current funded flying hours are for (a) Hercules, (b) Nimrod, (c) Chinook, (d) Sea King, (e) Puma, (f) Lynx, (g) Tornado F3, (h) Tornado GR4, (i) Harrier GR7, (j) Sea Harrier and (k) Jaguar aircraft of each type; and what amount of funded flying hours these aircraft had in each of the preceding three years. [145646]
Mr. Ingram: The following table shows funded (that is planned) flying hours.
19 Jan 2004 : Column 915W
| Financial year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | |
| Hercules | 36,709 | 36,709 | 37,458 | 37,458 |
| Nimrod | 12,265 | 12,432 | 11,830 | 12,495 |
| Chinook | 13,744 | 13,776 | 14,200 | 15,504 |
| Sea King | 42,575 | 41,413 | 35,400 | 33,870 |
| Puma | 13,550 | 15,210 | 14,400 | 14,857 |
| Lynx | 49,150 | 40,100 | 36,500 | 36,075 |
| Tornado F3 | 26,136 | 24,193 | 23,022 | 25,468 |
| Tornado GR4 | 28,572 | 26,366 | 26,058 | 27,733 |
| Harrier GR7 | 15,379 | 15,282 | 14,809 | 14,783 |
| Sea Harrier | 6,320 | 6,565 | 6,003 | 6,850 |
| Jaguar | 12,215 | 12,543 | 12,996 | 12,446 |
Iraq
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will name the Iraqi civilians killed in incidents which have been investigated since the end of the conflict by the Special Investigation Branch. [141674]
Mr. Ingram: United Kingdom Military Authorities in Iraq have investigated or are investigating the deaths of the following Iraqi Civilians, all of which are thought to have occurred since 1 May 2003:
- Ali Salaam Aziz Mohammed
Dyab Rehman Nasser
Rhadi Nama
Ahmed Jabber Kareem
Nadhem Abdulha
Abd Al Jubba Mousa Ali
Hazma Abdul Hussein Al-Askary
Said Shabram
Wael Jabber Raheem
Jasim Yassim Jabbar Al-Shimillwy
19 Jan 2004 : Column 916W
Waleed Fiay Mezban
Baha Nasheem Mohammed
Hassan Abbad Saied
Hussan Said Shaba Al-Bata.
An investigation is also being conducted into the death of Ather Karen Al-Mowafakia, which occurred prior to 1 May 2003.
In addition, investigations have been conducted into an incident in which a member of UK armed forces and an Iraqi civilian (who has yet to be identified) died, and into a fatal traffic accident in which a Kuwaiti civilian died, the name of whom has been withheld by Iraqi police. Both of these incidents occurred before 1 May 2003. The first investigation is on-going; the second has concluded and determined that the incident was an accident.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer of 4 December, Official Report, column 127W, on Iraq, if he will name the individuals whose deaths are being investigated; on what date each died; on what date each investigation began; and what stage each investigation has reached. [143058]
Mr. Ingram: The information requested is as follows:
| Date Of Incident | Date Investigation Started | Name of Iraqi Civilian | Stage of Investigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May 2003 | 8 May 2003 | Radhi Natna | Investigation complete |
| 8 May 2003 | 11 May 2003 | Ahmad Jabber Kareem | Investigation ongoing |
| 17 May 2003 | 17 May 2003 | Abd Al Jubba Mousa All | Investigation ongoing |
| 24 May 2003 | 24 May 2003 | Said Shabram | Investigation ongoing |
| 2 Aug 2003 | 4 Aug 2003 | Hassan Abbad Said | Investigation ongoing |
| 14 Sep 2003 | 15 Sept 2003 | Baha Nasheem Mohammed | Investigation ongoing |
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims have been submitted to the UK under section 6 of the Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 17; how many of these claims (a) give rise to and (b) do not give rise to a legal liability to pay compensation under English law; how many (i) compensation payments and (ii) ex-gratia payments have been made; and what the (A) amount and (B) reason for the payments was in each case. [146848]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 14 January 2004]: A total of 588 claims for compensation have been submitted to the United Kingdom Authorities under section 6 of CPA Order Number 17. Of these, 13 have been transferred to other contingents/organisations, 226 have been repudiated, 57 have received payment, and the remainder are still under investigation. The following table summarises the compensation payments made to date:
| Category | Number of Cases | Total Settlements (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Fatalities | 3 | 8,125 |
| Personal Injury | 20 | 7,250 |
| Property Damage | 7 | 34,243 |
| Road Traffic Accidents | 27 | 22,606 |
| Total | 57 | 72,224 |
Ex-Gratia Payments are not covered by Section 6 of the Coalition Provisional Authority Number 17.
19 Jan 2004 : Column 917W
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what strategy he is pursuing to (a) recover and (b) dispose of weaponry contaminated by depleted uranium in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [148054]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2004, Official Report, column 537W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith).
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total volume is of depleted uranium tipped weapons used in Iraq between March and May 2003; and if he will make a statement. [148295]
Mr. Ingram: There are no depleted uranium tipped weapons in UK service. However, UK forces in Iraq used a depleted uranium (DU) round in anti-armour operations. The round comprises an outer casing or "sabot" that surrounds a long rod penetrator made of DU, plus charge and igniter components. 1.9 tonnes of DU were expended by British Challenger tanks during the recent conflict in Iraq.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the availability is of cluster bombs to United Kingdom forces in Iraq. [148297]
Mr. Ingram: There are no cluster bombs held by UK forces in Iraq.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |