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Middle East

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with EU member states on the road map for a peaceful solution between Israel and Palestine. [165716]

Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the prospects for progress on the Middle East Peace Process with EU Foreign Ministers at the European Council on 25 March. The EU expressed its concern at the deepening conflict but confirmed its conviction that the roadmap remains the basis for reaching a peaceful settlement and that current initiatives which are consistent with the road map can help advance the peace process.

Nepal

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Nepal; and if he will make a statement. [166197]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newbury (David Rendel) on 9 March 2004, Official Report, column 1436W.

We are closely monitoring the political and security situation in Nepal. The increased violence evident in recent weeks is of great concern. We continue, in our contacts with all parties, to urge an end to the conflict in order that Nepal can achieve a lasting peace and a return to democracy.

Overseas Representation

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which countries the Department is represented, including those with regional consulates; how many staff are employed in each location, broken down by (a) UK nationals and (b) locally employed; what the annual cost of maintaining representation in each of the countries was in 2003–04; and what the total expenditure by his Department on overseas representation was in (i) 2001, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2003. [166211]

Mr. Straw: I have placed copies of the table showing countries in which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is represented together with the location of both UK based and locally employed staff in the Library of the House. The annual cost of maintaining representation in each of these countries for 2003–04 has not yet been ascertained. The total expenditure by the FCO on overseas representation for previous years was as follows; 2001–02, £747 million 2002–03, £797 million.

UK/Caribbean Forum

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what organisations and individuals are entitled to attend the forthcoming UK/Caribbean Forum meeting in May. [165678]

Mr. Rammell: The UK/Caribbean Forum is a meeting of Foreign Ministers set up as a means of strengthening and institutionalising the close relationship that exists between the UK and Caribbean countries. Ministers
 
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from other Government Departments will also attend. In addition, a wide range of organisations with an interest in the Caribbean, both UK-based and from the region, have been invited to participate in some or all of the Forum.

Uzbekistan

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the statement by the authorities in Uzbekistan that terrorist attacks in late March were linked to Hizb-ut-Tahrir; and if he will make a statement. [165691]

Mr. Rammell: The Uzbek authorities have yet to conclude their investigations into the terrorist attacks in late March. Their preliminary findings appear to suggest that the perpetrators received training in camps outside Uzbekistan, and may have been influenced by the radical Islamist propaganda of Hizb ut-Tahrir. However, while we believe that this is certainly a possibility, we have yet to see convincing evidence that Hizb ut-Tahrir as an organisation advocates violence or terrorism. Nor are we aware of any co-operation between it and Al Qaeda.

We strongly believe that a proportionate response is necessary in combating terrorism in order to avoid alienating wider sections of the population, and that permitting free expression of religious belief is the best means of combating the attractiveness to some of the more radical and extremist ideologies.

In a press release issued on 30 March, 1 stated that "We condemn these appalling acts of violence and send our condolences to the families of those innocent victims. Terrorism is a menace which we face in common with countries around the world, and must combat in common. At the same time it is necessary to ensure that our responses are measured and proportionate, so that the disease is isolated and eliminated rather than faced with conditions where it is possible to spread further."We remain willing to receive additional information from the Uzbek authorities as their investigations continue, particularly concerning the alleged role of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

DEFENCE

Atomic Co-ordinating Offices

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role and function of the Atomic Co-ordinating Offices in London and Washington. [166582]

Mr. Ingram: The role of the Atomic Control Office, London and the Atomic Co-ordinating Office, Washington is to facilitate the conduct of bilateral business with the United States under the provisions of the 1958 US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement.

Defence Medical Centre (Birmingham)

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the new Defence Medical Centre at Birmingham will be operational. [166111]

 
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Mr. Caplin: The Centre for Defence Medicine was formally opened and became operational on 2 April 2001. It was renamed the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine in April 2002.

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the defence medical facilities that will be replaced by the new Defence Medical Centre at Birmingham. [166112]

Mr. Caplin: The Centre for Defence Medicine, now the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM), was formally opened and became operational on 2 April 2001. It replaced the Royal Defence Medical College that was located in Gosport and was formally closed at the end of March 2002. The Operational Health Research Division, the academic focus for defence medicine created in April 2004 embraces professional and academic staff based in Birmingham who were part of the Royal Defence Medical College. The Defence Post Graduate Medical Deanery, which was located in Portsmouth, is also based in Birmingham, but does not form part of RCDM. In addition 110 military medical personnel are working within the MOD Hospital Unit at the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust (UHBT), delivering health services to military and civilian patients.

UHBT is also the focus for the MOD's aeromedical evacuation capability. Transfer of other functions from Portsmouth, which are under the control of RCDM, such as radiology and telemedicine, are being considered as part of the option to move all medical training to Birmingham.

Since September 2001, military nurse training has also been progressively transferred from Portsmouth to the Defence School of Healthcare Studies, located at the University of Central England in Birmingham. We expect to deliver all our nurse training at the University of Central England by academic year 2006–07.

On current plans around 900 military medical personnel will be based in Birmingham by 2006.

Iraq

Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he was first informed that Dr. Brian Jones of the Defence Intelligence Staff had submitted reservations about the Government's dossier, Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction. [165685]

Mr. Hoon: I became aware in July 2003, in preparation for my evidence session with the ISC, that Dr. Brian Jones had, in September 2002, expressed concern to his immediate line manager about the precise wording of some parts of the Government's dossier on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction prior to its publication.

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 12 March 2004, Official Report, column 1773W, when he expects the Royal Military Police's Special Investigations Branch to complete its investigation into the deaths of the six Royal Military police officers from the Colchester garrison who were killed in Iraq; when he expects the report to be presented to him; when he will publish the
 
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report; whether the report to be published in full; whether families will be given (a) a full and (b) an edited version; and if he will make a statement. [166070]

Mr. Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25 March 2004, Official Report, column 945W, by my right hon. Friend the Member for East Kilbride (Mr. Ingram). The families of the six dead soldiers will be given a further update on the findings of the Special Investigation Branch (SIB) investigation once they have completed their work. Although extensive inquiries have been undertaken, the investigation is still under way. It is not normal practice to make public the findings of SIB investigations.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the total volume of depleted uranium shells used in Iraq since March 2003. [166417]

Mr. Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave on 4 June 2003, Official Report, column 445W. I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer of 12 June 2003, Official Report, column WA 62, given by my noble Friend the Lord Bach to Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer.

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