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12 Jul 2004 : Column 994W—continued
Military Vehicles (Protective Hardening)
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what programme he has for installing armour or protective hardening to the cabs and undersides of military and logistics vehicles on foreign duty in areas of potential terrorist attack. [182104]
Mr. Ingram: Armoured vehicles are designed to provide protection against a range of threats. Where the operational situation requires, additional protection can be, and is, added to enhance the level of protection provided. The appliqué armour used on Challenger 2 and Warrior when deployed on operations is an example of this. For in-service logistic vehicles, the provision of protection is addressed on a case by case basis. Future logistic fleets will be designed to take appliqué armour or riot protection when required.
PFI Projects (Environmental Impact)
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that the private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible create the minimum of environmental damage; [181288]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the (a) sustainability and (b) environmental impacts of private finance initiative projects and the capacity of the PFI process to deliver environmentally sustainable projects; [181289]
(3) what plans he has to make private finance initiative contracts more (a) accountable and (b) transparent in terms of their environmental sustainability. [181290]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has integrated sustainable development criteria into its procurement activity for the majority of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects on the defence estate.
No specific Ministry of Defence assessment has been made of the sustainability and environmental impacts of PFI projects and the capacity of the PFI process to deliver environmentally sustainable projects. However, we ensure that all Ministry of Defence PFIs are compliant with the law and take into account the guidance on the use of environmental considerations in PFI contracts issued in July 2002 by the Office of Government Commerce, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Transport and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
As part of the Sustainable Development in Government initiative, all Ministry of Defence PFI projects with sustainable development criteria in the selection process are required to be accountable for, and to report on, their sustainable development impacts in accordance with Ministry of Defence reporting
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requirements. This information will be included in the Ministry of Defence's first annual report on sustainable development, which will be published in the autumn.
Psychological Coercive Techniques
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) to what extent the UK armed forces (a) have used and (b) currently use psychological coercive techniques during their training; and whether such techniques have been used with any persons other than members of the UK armed forces during training; [179167]
(2) whether chartered psychologists (a) have assisted in the past and (b) are assisting the UK armed forces in the use or development of psychological coercive techniques. [179170]
Mr. Ingram: 'Psychological coercive techniques' is not a term recognised by the United Kingdom armed forces and is therefore not defined in our doctrine. No use is made of such techniques.
RAF Cottesmore
Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total manpower cost is of the Harrier GR7 structures undertaken at RAF Cottesmore, including all indirect costs. [180649]
Mr. Ingram: The repair and maintenance of Harrier aircraft at RAF Cottesmore is undertaken by personnel from a number of different service units. The information is therefore not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of the Harrier integrated project team's support of spares for the pulse line at RAF Cottesmore to ensure no aircraft slippage owing to shortages. [181263]
Mr. Ingram: The Harrier Integrated Project Team provides logistic support to the entire Harrier GR7/T10 Departmental Fleet. The value of spares used on the pulse line at RAF Cottesmore is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Staff Cars
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the range of options for staff cars below Grade A available to officers of the armed forces is, giving the country of manufacture of each model. [181451]
Mr. Caplin: The range of options for staff cars below Grade A is as follows:
| Manufacturer | Model | Country of manufacture |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom: | ||
| Ford | Mondeo 2.0L | Belgium |
| Vauxhall | Vectra 2.0L | Germany |
| Germany: | ||
| Opel | Astra | Belgium/UK/Germany |
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Sudan
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK military personnel are in the Sudan; and in what role. [183393]
Mr. Ingram: The UK currently contributes two military personnel in Sudan. Both occupy a Chief of Staff post, one in the Verification and Monitoring Team and one in the Joint Military Commission in the Nuba Mountains.
UK Defence Markets
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment the Government has made of the rules governing access to UK defence markets by foreign-owned companies; and whether the Government plans to make changes to the rules. [182384]
Mr. Ingram: The Government has a strong interest in the success of the UK defence industry and in October 2002 we launched our Defence Industrial Policy aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the UK defence industry while continuing to provide high quality capabilities for the Armed Forces at best value for money for the taxpayer. As we made clear in our Policy we are less concerned about the ownership of companies than where the technology is created, where the skills and the intellectual property reside, where the investment is made and where the jobs are sustained and created. We continue to work with the defence industry as we develop the implementation of the Policy.
UN Operations
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of (a) the British armed forces and (b) the British medical auxiliaries, broken down by rank, have been suspended from duty in Iraq as a result of activities that may have breached the Geneva conventions in respect of the treatment of detainees. [173339]
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received on the incidence of (a) rape and (b) other sexual abuse of Iraqis by British personnel serving in Iraq. [173655]
Mr. Ingram: There have been no reports of rape. One case involving indecent assault has been referred for trial.
US-administered Places of Confinement
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals employed directly or indirectly by his Department have duties which involve working in or visiting places of confinement administered by the US in (a) Iraq, (b) Afghanistan, (c) Guantanamo Bay and (d) other places; and if he will make a statement. [181050]
Mr. Ingram:
Three United Kingdom military personnel worked in Abu Ghraib prison (Iraq) from January 2004. One was withdrawn in March of this year, and the other two in April. Small teams also work in
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Camp Bucca and Camp Cropper (both Iraq). I am not aware of anyone else directly or indirectly employed by the department who has specific duties involving working in or visiting places of confinement administered by the US in any of our current operational areas; although I am aware some officers have visited US facilities in the past.
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