House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 7 Jun 2004 (pt 59)

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Sergeant Steve Roberts

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what disciplinary actions have been (a) recommended and (b) taken following the death of Sergeant Steve Roberts; and what the duration was of the Special Investigation Branch investigation. [175195]

Mr. Ingram: The Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch commenced their investigation into the death of Sergeant Steve Roberts on 24 March 2003 and issued their Final Report on 20 April 2004. As their findings are now subject to legal consideration, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.

Territorial Army

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of Territorial Army bounty payments were made on time this year; what the causes of failed payments were; what the timetable is for resolution of such problems; and if he will make a statement. [175044]

Mr. Caplin: To determine the proportion of bounty payments paid promptly would require every TA unit, in conjunction with Army pay staff to examine manually the pay account of each TA soldier to identify instances where payment was delayed, and the reasons why this might have occurred. This could only be done at a disproportionate cost. However, as at 30 April 2004 approximately 16,000 bounty payments had been paid.

The late or incorrect submission of data to the Army Pay computer may cause a small number of individuals to experience a slight delay in receiving their bounty payment, there are no known problems affecting the payment of bounties.

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Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the man training days budget for the Territorial Army was for each of the last 10 years; how many man training days that represents in each case; what the manning establishment of the Territorial Army was in each of the last 10 years; and what the actual manning level was in each year. [176099]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 27 May 2004]: The establishment and strength figures for the Territorial Army (TA) for the last 10 years are as follows:

Establishment Strength

1994 75,624 65,000

1995 63,950 59,900

1996 59,000 57,300

1997 72,179 57,600

1998 41,200 57,000

1999 41,200 51,800

2000 41,200 44,800

2001 41,200 41,500

2002 41,900 40,300

2003 41,900 39,011

	Establishment	Strength
1994	75,624	65,000
1995	63,950	59,900
1996	59,000	57,300
1997	72,179	57,600
1998	41,200	57,000
1999	41,200	51,800
2000	41,200	44,800
2001	41,200	41,500
2002	41,900	40,300
2003	41,900	39,011

Information on the budget available for TA Man Training Days (MTDs) prior to the 1998 Strategic Defence Review is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost The information requested for each financial year since 1998 is as follows:

MTDs Budget (£ million)

1998–99 124.3

1999–2000 122.1

2000–01 125.5

2001–02 104.7

2002–03 103.4

2003–04 113.8

	MTDs Budget (£ million)
1998–99	124.3
1999–2000	122.1
2000–01	125.5
2001–02	104.7
2002–03	103.4
2003–04	113.8

This figure does not translate into a specific number of MTDs, since each individual is paid differently according to rank, skill, and length of service. As a general guide, the MTD budget enables each member of the TA to undertake some 30 MTDs per year. Some specialist elements of the TA may be allocated more or less than this figure depending on their unit and role.

Training

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is possible for a person to have served as a national serviceman for two years without completing basic training. [176742]

Mr. Ingram: Between 1950 and 1960, when the period of full time service was set at two years, the policy was that all national servicemen would have routinely received basic training appropriate to their service. It would therefore be highly unlikely that a national serviceman would have served two years without completing basic training.

Trooping of the Colour

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of staging the Trooping of the Colour in 2003. [176285]

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Mr. Ingram: The additional cost of the Trooping of the Colour 2003 including all rehearsals, the General Officer Commanding's review, the Colonel's review and The Queen's Birthday Parade was £22,500. This can be attributed to the hiring of vehicles required to transport the participating troops to and from central London. Other minor costs, such as dry cleaning, communications and rations may also have been incurred, but these cannot be separated from general expenditure for similar purposes made throughout the year. The cost of seating spectators in 2003 amounted to some £141,000, which was recovered from the sale of tickets for the event. The Metropolitan Police and Westminster City Council may also have incurred costs, but my Department has no visibility of the extent of these.

UN Operations

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the International Committee of the Red Cross report was received by him or his ministerial colleagues; and when it was first brought to his attention. [173003]

Mr. Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 20 May 2004 Official Report, column 1148W to the hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood).

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the International Committee of the Red Cross report on the treatment by Coalition forces of prisoners of war in Iraq was passed to the Foreign Office. [173403]

Mr. MacShane: I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the right hon. and learned Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) on 26 May 2004, Official Report, column 1637W.

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the provisions of the Third Geneva Convention, articles 70, 122, 12 and the Fourth Geneva Convention, articles 106, 136, 137, 138, 140 are delivered to the families of Iraqi prisoners of war and civilian detainees. [173452]

Mr. Hoon: Individuals brought to the United Kingdom detention facility are asked to complete a form with details of an individual who they wish to be notified of their detention. The nominated individual is then informed by the armed forces. To date there have been no complaints lodged by the internees that their families are not aware or notified of their whereabouts.

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which private organisations are providing support to UK military forces in Iraq; and what role each has. [174351]

Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence has many contracts with UK companies for the provision of support to deployed operations. These contracts are generally for the provision of service support, welfare and equipment support. Currently there are 10 UK prime contractor companies deployed as on Operation Telic providing support to UK forces in areas such as food supply, communications, welfare

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provision and infrastructure works. In addition the in-theatre UK forces have let around 100 contracts with local companies covering a wide range of service support type needs (water supply, generator hire, air conditioning hire, waste disposal, etc.).

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK troops are deployed as UN (a) troops and (b) military observers; what operations

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they are involved with; where they are stationed; and how many were so deployed in each of the last seven years. [175119]

Mr. Ingram: The following table sets out the approximate number of UK troops deployed as United Nations military observers and troops, the operations they were involved with and where they were stationed in each of the last seven years:

1998
1999
2000
2001

Observers Troops Observers Troops Observers Troops Observers Troops

UNFICYP⁽⁵⁰⁾Cyprus — 412 — 410 — 411 — 410

UNIKO⁽⁵¹⁾ Kuwait 11 — 11 — 11 — 11 —

UNOMIG⁽⁵²⁾ Georgia 7 — 7 — 7 — 7 —

UNAMSIL⁽⁵³⁾ Sierra Leone — — — — — — 15 8

UNTAET⁽⁵⁴⁾ East Timor — — — — — — 4 —

UNMIK⁽⁵⁵⁾ Kosovo — — — — — — 1 —

MONUC⁽⁵⁶⁾ DRCongo — — — — — — — 5

UNMEE⁽⁵⁷⁾ Ethiopia/Eritrea — — — — — — — —

UNAMA⁽⁵⁸⁾Afghanistan — — — — — — — —

UNMIL⁽⁵⁰⁾ ⁰ Liberia — — — — — — — —

TOTAL 18 412 18 410 18 411 38 423

2002
2003
2004

Observers Troops Observers Troops Observers Troops

UNFICYP⁽⁵⁰⁾ Cyprus — 413 — 414 — 413

UNIKO⁽⁵¹⁾ Kuwait 11 1 11 — — —

UNOMIG⁽⁵²⁾ Georgia 7 — 7 — 7 —

UNAMSIL⁽⁵³⁾ Sierra Leone 15 7 15 7 15 7

UNTAET⁽⁵⁴⁾ East Timor 2 — — — — —

UNMIK⁽⁵⁵⁾ Kosovo 1 — 1 — 1 —

MONUC⁽⁵⁶⁾ DRCongo — 6 — 6 — 5

UNMEE⁽⁵⁷⁾ Ethiopia/Eritrea 1 3 1 2 1 2

IJNAMA⁽⁵⁸⁾ Afghanistan 1 — 1 — 1 —

UNMIL⁽⁵⁰⁾ ⁰ Liberia — — — 3 — 3

TOTAL 38 430 36 433 25 430

⁽⁵⁰⁾ UK contribution to UNFICYP commenced in 1964
⁽⁵¹⁾ UK contribution to UNIKOM mission commenced in October 1999 and completed in October 2003
⁽⁵²⁾ UK contribution to UNMOIG commenced in August 1993
⁽⁵³⁾ UK contribution to UNAMSIL mission commenced October 2002
⁽⁵⁴⁾ UK contribution to UNTAET mission commenced October 1999 and completed in April 2002
⁽⁵⁵⁾ UK contribution to UNMIK mission commenced in June 2001
⁽⁵⁶⁾ MONUC commenced November 1999
⁽⁵⁷⁾ UK contribution to UNMEE commenced in June 2000
⁽⁵⁸⁾ UK contribution to UNAMA mission commenced December 2002 and completed in January 2004
⁽⁵⁹⁾ ⁰ UK contribution to UNMIL mission commenced September 2003

	1998	1999	2000	2001
	Observers	Troops	Observers	Troops	Observers	Troops	Observers	Troops
UNFICYP⁽⁵⁰⁾Cyprus	—	412	—	410	—	411	—	410
UNIKO⁽⁵¹⁾ Kuwait	11	—	11	—	11	—	11	—
UNOMIG⁽⁵²⁾ Georgia	7	—	7	—	7	—	7	—
UNAMSIL⁽⁵³⁾ Sierra Leone	—	—	—	—	—	—	15	8
UNTAET⁽⁵⁴⁾ East Timor	—	—	—	—	—	—	4	—
UNMIK⁽⁵⁵⁾ Kosovo	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—
MONUC⁽⁵⁶⁾ DRCongo	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5
UNMEE⁽⁵⁷⁾ Ethiopia/Eritrea	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
UNAMA⁽⁵⁸⁾Afghanistan	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
UNMIL⁽⁵⁰⁾ ⁰ Liberia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
TOTAL	18	412	18	410	18	411	38	423

	2002	2003	2004
	Observers	Troops	Observers	Troops	Observers	Troops
UNFICYP⁽⁵⁰⁾ Cyprus	—	413	—	414	—	413
UNIKO⁽⁵¹⁾ Kuwait	11	1	11	—	—	—
UNOMIG⁽⁵²⁾ Georgia	7	—	7	—	7	—
UNAMSIL⁽⁵³⁾ Sierra Leone	15	7	15	7	15	7
UNTAET⁽⁵⁴⁾ East Timor	2	—	—	—	—	—
UNMIK⁽⁵⁵⁾ Kosovo	1	—	1	—	1	—
MONUC⁽⁵⁶⁾ DRCongo	—	6	—	6	—	5
UNMEE⁽⁵⁷⁾ Ethiopia/Eritrea	1	3	1	2	1	2
IJNAMA⁽⁵⁸⁾ Afghanistan	1	—	1	—	1	—
UNMIL⁽⁵⁰⁾ ⁰ Liberia	—	—	—	3	—	3
TOTAL	38	430	36	433	25	430

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) attack helicopters, (b) engineering units and (c) field hospitals his Department is contributing to UN operations; and how many of each it contributed in each of the last seven years. [175120]

Mr. Ingram: For each of the last seven years the United Kingdom has contributed a 13 person engineering detachment to support the UK element of UNFICYP in Cyprus. The UK has not contributed any attack helicopters or field hospitals to United Nations operations in the last seven years.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much training his Department provides to (a) troops and (b) military observers participating in UN missions; and if he will make a statement. [175121]

Mr. Ingram: Prior to deployment on United Nations missions the Ministry of Defence provides its troops with three training packages; general country awareness (briefings on culture, media awareness, etc.), mandatory skills (training in negotiation, mediation, observation reporting and public order) and a group training exercise which simulates dealing with violations of a UN mandate.

Prior to deployment on UN missions MOD provides its UN military observers with a two week training package; which includes: operations awareness briefing, intelligence briefing, theatre hand-over, cultural awareness, language training, personal health and safety (mine awareness, stress management), off-road four wheel driving, environmental health, conduct after capture, use of interpreters, negotiation and mediation.

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