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7 Jun 2004 : Column 211W—continued

Military Tattoos

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military tattoos that have taken place since the last Royal Tournament; when they took place; and what form they took. [175632]

Mr. Ingram: Following the last Royal Tournament in 1999, the Department has continued to mount major set-piece events/tattoos to demonstrate the capability of the armed forces. The armed forces have helped stage the Royal Military Tattoo in 2000, the International Festival of the Sea in 2001, and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Celebrations in Portsmouth in 2002. The department has also continued to participate in a wide variety of smaller events such as Open Days, ships visits, County Shows and showcase events such as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Fairford Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT).

Missile Defence

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Government has spent on its participation in the United States-led development of a missile defence shield; and how much he plans to spend over the next year. [176375]

Mr. Hoon: For the period up to 31 March 2004 I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 19 January 2004, Official Report, column 920W, to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch). For financial year 2004–05 expenditure by the United Kingdom on research specific to Ballistic Missile Defence technology will be in the order of £6 million.
 
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MOD Estate/Properties

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) land and buildings owned or leased by the Department and (b) land that the Department has rights to use in (i) Chorley and (ii) Lancashire. [173774]

Mr. Caplin: The information requested is as follows.

(a) Land and buildings owned or leased in Chorley and Lancashire:

(i) Chorley:

Reserve Forces and Cadets Association, Devonshire Road

(ii) Other Lancashire Sites:

Blackburn—Army Careers Information Office, 46 Church Street

Blackburn—Reserve Forces and Cadets Association, Canterbury Street

Blackpool—Army Careers Information Office, 162 Church Street

Burnley—Army Careers Information Office, 14 Yorkshire Street

Bury—Holcombe Training Centre, Hawkshaw

Lancaster—Halton Training Camp, Halton

Lancaster—Married Quarters, Anderson Close

Preston—Communications Site, Barnacre, Garstang

Preston—Office Accommodation, Ashton House, Cottam Lane

Preston—Armed Forces Careers Office, 83aFishergate

Preston—Armed Forces Careers Office, 54 Fishergate

Preston—Fulwood Barracks, Fulwood

Preston—Office Accommodation, 46 Edward VII Quay, Navigation Way

Preston—Radio Inskip Communications Station, Inskip

Preston—Married Quarters, Brooklands Avenue, Sherwood Way and Watling Street

Preston—Weeton Barracks, Camp and Married Quarters, Weeton

Preston—Married Quarters, Butlers Meadow, Warton

(b) Land with Rights to Use:

(i) Chorley:

None

(ii) Other Lancashire Sites:

Burnley—Army Careers Information Office, 14 Yorkshire Street (Car Parking)

Lancaster—Halton Training Camp (Mooring on River Lime)

Preston—Armed Forces Careers Office, 83a Fishergate (Car Parking)

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 31 March, Official Report, column 1483W, on MOD properties, if he will break down the figures given by (a) type of accommodation and (b) number of bedrooms. [171870]

Mr. Caplin: A breakdown of the previous answer is not available. The Defence Housing Executive keeps current records of housing type and occupancy, but does not keep historical records of data in the detail requested, due to the frequent changes to property.

Nimrod MRA4

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 5 May 2004, Official
 
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Report, column 1523W, on Nimrod MRA4, what procedures are in place to ensure that a consistent approach to design, development and manufacture is taken in decisions on procurement when these decisions are separated under the contract. [175434]

Mr. Ingram: A consistent approach to design, development and manufacture will be best achieved for Nimrod MRA4 by contracting for production based on a mature and stable design standard resulting from the design and development phase, including test and evaluation. Both phases will then continue to be managed by the same Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems teams to ensure the most coherent programme is delivered.

Photographs (Daily Mirror)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Daily Mirror informed his Department before publication that the photographs claiming to be of abuse of an Iraqi prisoner by British armed forces were to be published. [175201]

Mr. Ingram: The Daily Mirror informed the Department's Press Office at around 3:45 pm on 30 April 2004 that they would be publishing some photographs purporting to show physical abuse of an Iraqi detainee by British Army personnel. A selection of photographs was subsequently published the next day.

Plastic Baton Rounds

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) L5A7 and (b) L21A1 plastic baton rounds have been supplied to British forces in Iraq. [176087]

Mr. Ingram: I am withholding details of equipment numbers under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what tests have been carried out, and when, on the (a) L5A7 and (b) L21A1 plastic baton rounds for use in hot weather climates. [176088]

Mr. Ingram: Tests were carried out in February 2004 on the L5A7 Plastic Baton Round for use in hot climates. The L21A1 Plastic Baton Round was tested when brought into service in 2001 and there is a continuing programme to test the round for use in hot climates.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the recommended storage temperature is for (a) L5A7 and (b) L21A1 plastic baton rounds; and what the recommended safe shelf storage period is for each. [176089]

Mr. Ingram: The recommended storage temperature for the L5A7 Baton Round is -10C to +40C and the safe shelf storage period is two years. The recommended storage temperature for the L21A1 is -21C to +40C with a safe shelf storage period of 18 months.

Procurement

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1451W, on procurement, what
 
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procedures are in place to (a) ensure that a consistent approach is taken to procurement decisions and (b) coordinate procurement decisions. [175435]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence makes many procurement decisions each year. The vast majority are made locally under delegated authority, within the framework of central departmental policy and guidance. Decisions on major procurements are made by the Department's central approvals machinery, with Ministers involvement required for equipment projects whose total acquisition cost exceeds £50 million. For the biggest projects, other Government Departments, including in particular HM Treasury, are also part of the decision-making process.

RAF Boulmer

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed of 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1450W, on RAF Boulmer, if he will review, under the terms of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, his decision to cite Exemption 2 of the Code in support of his decision not to disclose details of the Investment Appraisal. [176337]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 27 May 2004]: I have referred the decision for independent review in accordance with the Ministry of Defence's usual policy and procedures for compliance with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

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