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6 Jul 2004 : Column 642W—continued

Chapelcross Production Plant

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department plans to decommission the Chapelcross Production Plant; and if he will make a statement. [179690]

Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.

On 29 June, British Nuclear Group announced the end of electricity generation at Chapelcross power station. Subject to the successful passage of the Energy Bill, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) will from April 2005 be responsible for the Magnox power stations, including the decommissioning and clean up of the Chapelcross site.

Future Aircraft Carrier Programme

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress with the Royal Navy's Future Aircraft Carrier programme. [181487]

Mr. Ingram: The Future Carrier (CVF) programme remains in the Assessment Phase. Ministers are currently considering proposals on the overall CVF programme, the Alliance strategy and on when to
 
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proceed to the Demonstration and Manufacture Phases. We expect to make an announcement when these deliberations are complete.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has examined in relation to the death of (a) Ahmad Jabbar Kareem, (b) Mr. Waleed Fayay Muzban, (c) Mr. Raid Hadi Al Musaeui, (d) Ms Hanan Shmailawi, (e) Muhammed Abdul Ridha Salim, (f) Jaafer Hashin Majeed and (g) Alher Karim Khalaf. [158854]

Mr. Ingram: The deaths of the first six individuals named were all raised by Public Interest Lawyers and form part of the Judicial Review to be held in July. Currently two of these are subject to on-going Service Police investigations and it would be inappropriate to give details. The final name is not recognised.

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions and on what dates allegations of wrongdoing by British service personnel in Iraq since the beginning of the second Gulf Conflict have been reported by members of HM Forces to their headquarters or to his Department; and whether any of these have not been investigated. [171551]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 10 May 2004]: UK armed forces personnel are subject to English criminal law wherever in the world they are deployed. All substantive allegations or suspicions involving activity of a criminal nature, no matter by whom they are reported, are investigated by the Service Police. Since the beginning of operations in Iraq, the Service Police have been involved in over 950 investigations covering a wide range of incidents. Information on how many allegations of wrongdoings by British service personnel in Iraq have been made and on what dates is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Manned Turret Integration Programme

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on progress on introducing the Manned Turret Integration Programme for the Army's Warrior infantry combat vehicle; [181482]

(2) if he will make a statement on progress with the Army's Manned Turret Integration Programme. [181490]

Mr. Ingram: The Manned Turret Integration Programme (MTIP) is a Technology Demonstrator Programme (TDP) examining integration of an advanced automatic cannon into a new turret housing along with all the associated systems. It will provide evidence to inform the decision-making process for possible firepower upgrades of existing platforms such as Warrior and for new platforms such as the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES).

On 7 June 2004 the Defence Procurement Agency placed a contract with Cased Telescoped Ammunition International (CTAI) to conduct and report on a series of risk-reduction demonstrations on various elements of the CTAI manned turret, mounting the 40mm Cased Telescoped Weapon System (CTWS) and its associated turret sub-systems. This is due to be completed by March 2005.
 
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Prisons

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's rules for the interrogation of prisoners held in British-run military and civilian prisons in Iraq; who is responsible for ensuring that such rules on interrogation are followed; and if he will make a statement. [177242]

Mr. Ingram: All UK interrogators must successfully complete a stringent course prior to undertaking any operational interrogations. During the course they are specifically instructed that individuals being questioned must be treated at all times in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

The Officer Commanding the Divisional Temporary Detention Facility is responsible for the conduct of UK personnel within it. An intelligence officer from the Multinational Division (Southeast) is responsible for ensuring that UK interrogators follow the interrogation procedures.

UK Exports (Promotion Costs)

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much providing UK equipment and armed forces for demonstrations for the purpose of promoting UK exports has cost over the last three years. [180142]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 351W, concerning the operating costs of the Export Support Teams.

Other costs associated with providing United Kingdom equipment and armed forces for export demonstrations are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Councillors' Pay

Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much public money he estimates was spent in paying councillors a remuneration in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 1997–98. [182441]

Mr. Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The setting of local allowance levels is a matter for local authorities, taking account of local circumstances and the views of an independent remuneration panel.

Fire Service

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his latest estimate is of the degree of compliance by trade unions representing fire service employees with the terms of the settlement by which the industrial action in 2002–03 was ended. [181568]

Mr. Raynsford: Compliance with the Fire and Rescue Service pay and modernisation agreement is primarily a matter for the two parties to that agreement, although this is subject to review by independent audit ¹ . Payment of the outstanding 3.5 per cent. and 4.2 per cent. increases
 
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under the agreement is dependent on (i) verification of progress on the ground and (ii) completion of negotiations on terms and conditions. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister understands that the second and final verification reports on modernisation are due out shortly. The General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union wrote to all MPs on 17 May 2004 reporting that (on 11 May) "conference unanimously decided to withdraw from implementing the June 2003 agreement". This is a factor which we would expect the verification reports to take into account.

¹ Audit Commission (England and Wales), Accounts Commission (Scotland), and Government (Northern Ireland).

Homelessness (London)

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the proportion of homeless households in London who are families with children requiring (a) two-bed and (b) three or more-bed accommodation. [181664]

Phil Hope: No estimates of likely accommodation requirements for homeless households with children are made by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Information supplied by local authorities about the number of households which have been accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need distinguishes between those containing one, two, or three or more children, and also those households containing an expectant mother but no other children. Estimates of such households in London based on information reported during 2003–04 are tabled as follows.
Households accepted as homeless in London: 2003–04

	Number	Percentage
Households containing
One child	9,580	30
Two children	4,010	13
Three or more children	2,900	9
All families with children (total)	16,480	52
Expectant mother	3,930	12
Other households	11,120	35
All accepted households	31,530	100

Notes:
1. Estimates include imputation for any non-responding authorities.
2. Totals may not equal sum of components because of rounding.
Source:
ODPM P1E homelessness returns (quarterly).

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