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Second Hand Equipment

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the second hand equipment sold to each country in the last year for which records are available. [167069]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 February 2004, Official Report, columns 14–15W to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen).
 
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Special Forces

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the (a) SAS and (b) SBS have (i) applied and (ii) been accepted for premature voluntary retirement in each month of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [167852]

Mr. Ingram: It is the Ministry of Defence's practice not to release information regarding United Kingdom Special Forces. I am therefore withholding details under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Trident Nuclear Warhead

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the latest safe in-service date for the British Trident nuclear warhead is; and if he will make a statement. [170331]

Mr. Hoon: The Strategic Defence Review noted the need to ensure that Trident could remain an effective deterrent for up to 30 years. The Ministry of Defence sponsors a comprehensive science and technology programme at the Atomic Weapons Establishment to ensure that the Trident warhead remains both safe and reliable throughout its service life.

Typhoon

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to announce the second tranche of orders for Typhoon. [165459]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1634W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice).

United States Laboratories (UK Research)

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work is carried out by (a) the Sandia National Laboratories, (b) the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories and (c) the Los Alamos National Laboratories on behalf of the United Kingdom Government. [166583]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence and the Atomic Weapons Establishment maintain collaborative contact with Sandia National Laboratories, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, and the Los Alamos National Laboratories under the 1958 UK/US Mutual Defence Agreement (Cm 537, as amended).

This contact, which may include the placement of specific work packages with the US facilities by or on behalf of HMG, principally relates to the stockpile stewardship programmes that ensure the continued safety and reliability of the UK's nuclear weapons stockpile. It would be contrary to the interests of national security to give further details of such activities, which I am therefore withholding under Exemption 1 (Defence, Security, and International Relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
 
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US Forces (Service Charges)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total income received for services rendered to the US visiting forces and their agencies was in 2003. [167744]

Mr. Ingram: The total receipts from invoices raised for services rendered to the United States visiting force and their agencies in the calendar year 2003 is £204.2 million. Most of this is in the form of direct reimbursement for the US visiting force works programme and civilian staff costs.

US Global Posture Realignment Process

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has received regarding changes in numbers or strength of US forces based in the UK as part of the US Global Posture Realignment process; and if he will make a statement. [169135]

Mr. Ingram: Her Majesty's Government have been consulted but it would be inappropriate to speculate on the impact that the United States Global Posture Realignment process may have on US forces based in the United Kingdom until the US Government make an announcement.

US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British personnel are stationed in the United States as part of the 1958 US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement; and where they are located. [166578]

Mr. Ingram: Numbers of United Kingdom personnel stationed in the United States under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement vary in line with operational and other requirements. The current number is five, all at the Atomic Co-ordinating Office in the British embassy in Washington DC (this figure includes a Locally Employed Civilian).

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel are employed in the renegotiation of the 1958 US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement; and what the estimated cost is of renegotiation. [166581]

Mr. Ingram: A number of Ministry of Defence personnel are involved in renegotiating the 1958 US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement as part of their normal duties, and FCO personnel will be involved in its ratification. The cost of the renegotiation is primarily the cost of this staff effort. Since this task represents only a small proportion of individuals' workloads, it is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the collective cost of their time.

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the exchange of information and visit reports that have occurred in the last 12 months as part of the 1958 US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement. [166584]

 
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Mr. Ingram: In the last 12 months, exchanges of information by visit and reports have occurred under the following subject headings: Radiochemistry; Safety and Security; Safety Assessment Methodology; Intelligence; Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Technology; Enhanced Surveillance; Facilities and Infrastructure; Senior Visits; the Atomic Weapons Establishment Support Contract; and Miscellaneous.

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people visited (a) the Pantex Plant in America, (b) the Sandia National Laboratories, (c) the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, (d) the Los Alamos National Laboratories, (e) the Nevada test site and (f) the Rocky Flats plant on behalf of the United Kingdom Government in the last 12 months as part of the 1958 US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement. [166585]

Mr. Ingram: During the 12 months to 31 March 2004, there was a total of 190 visits by UK personnel to these sites under the 1958 US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement. The number of people visiting was as follows:

(a) the Pantex Plant: 41

(b) the Sandia National Laboratories: 205

(c) the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories: 116

(d) the Los Alamos National Laboratories: 219

(e) the Nevada test site: 11

(f) the Rocky Flats Plant: 0.

These figures include personnel making more than one visit, and visits to several sites during a single trip.

Warships

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answers to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames) of 25 March 2004, Official Report, column 949W, and 14 April 2004, Official Report, column 16W, on warships, for what reasons the refit of HMS Triumph was not programmed to begin on the expiry of the reactor certificate. [167942]

Mr. Ingram: The submarine refit programme is driven by the need to maintain the required number of submarines available to the fleet, while taking account of the requirement for submarines to refuel periodically. This programme is delivered in the most cost effective manner through a single stream refuelling capability at Devonport for Swiftsure and Trafalgar Class submarines (SSNs), of which HMS Triumph is one. Therefore, on occasion, a submarine may be berthed alongside for a period of time prior to the start of its refit. This is the case with HMS Triumph, whose refit will begin in summer 2005, once the SSN refitting and refuelling dock is vacated by HMS Talent. This programme accords with the Ministry of Defence's long term plan, which will continue to deliver sufficient submarines at high readiness to maintain defence outputs.
 
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