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11 Oct 2004 : Column 63W—continued
International Committee of the Red Cross Report (Iraq)
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason it was decided not to provide the Prime Minister's special envoy on human rights in Iraq with the report by the International Committee of the Red Cross on alleged abuse of detainees held in British custody, dated February 2004. [173345]
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Mr. Hoon: By the time the International Committee of the Red Cross produced its interim report in February both the two major concerns it raised, and the single minor one, had been dealt with. The International Commission of the Red Cross (ICRC) had also informed the Ministry of Defence officials in subsequent meetings that they were broadly content with the conditions and regime at the UK's Detention Centre at Shaibah. Consequently there was no reason for officials to bring it to the attention of Ministers or the Special Envoy.
Iraq
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the population centres and districts in Iraq where coalition forces do not operate on the ground owing to force protection concerns. [189377]
Mr. Ingram: There are no areas in Iraq where multinational forces are unable to operate on the basis purely of force protection concerns. The multinational force can and does operate across the country in support of the Iraqi Interim Government.
There are areas in which multinational forces agree with Iraqi forces that there will be operational restriction. In some areas this is in order not to worsen existing tensions. Currently, parts of Fallujah, Samara, Ramadi and Baghdad are subject to varying degrees of restriction, though areas change as circumstances and/or activity by Anti-Iraqi Forces alter.
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Colonel Chris Terrington made representations to his superiors about detainee mistreatment at Abu Ghraib. [188304]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 13 September 2004]: Colonel Terrington had no direct responsibility for any aspect of Abu Ghraib. He was not aware of any specific allegations of abuse. Though he was aware that an investigation was under way, he had no knowledge of its remit.
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Oral Statement by the Prime Minister of 19 April 2004, Official Report, columns 21–37, on Iraq, whether the siege of Fallujah was in accordance with the principles laid down in the Coalition Provisional Authority's military and political strategy. [172792]
Mr. Hoon: All operations conducted by members of the international coalition in Iraq prior to the handover of sovereignty to the Interim Iraqi Government were in accordance with the aims of bringing peace to the country, returning it to its people through a democratic Iraqi Government and ridding it of internal and external terrorists and those wishing to use militias or armed insurgents to enforce their own rule against the wishes of the majority of Iraqis.
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what liaison UK forces personnel have had with private (a) military and (b) intelligence contractors employed by the US Government. [175096]
Mr. Ingram:
Specific guidance on contact with private military and security contractors is provided to United Kingdom forces personnel in Iraq. These recognise that
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there will be routine contact with such companies on day-to-day operational security matters, for example in respect of threat assessments and in order to de-conflict respective operations. Such liaison is essential to the success of the operation in Iraq.
Nimrod
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors contributed to the decision to upgrade the Nimrod R1 aircraft rather than replace it; and if he will make a statement. [188149]
Mr. Ingram: As part of the Project Helix assessment phase a balance of investment study is currently being conducted to determine the most cost effective solution to our capability requirements in this area. No final decision has yet been taken. Upgrading the Nimrod R MK1 airframe is one option being considered.
Olympic Games
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of HM armed forces competed in the 2004 Olympic Games. [190044]
Mr. Ingram: Three members of HM armed forces competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics, all from the Army. Private Musa Audu, representing Nigeria in the 4x400m relay, won a bronze medal; Captain Guy Fordham represented Great Britain in hockey and Lieutenant Robin Bourne Taylor in rowing.
Plastic Baton Rounds
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilians have been (a) killed and (b) injured by plastic baton rounds discharged in Iraq. [176091]
Mr. Ingram: United Kingdom forces did not use baton rounds in Iraq during major combat operations, which ended on 1 May 2003.
Since then UK Units have used baton rounds in situations, such as some instances of riot control, where there has been a clear threat to UK forces, civilians and/or property but where use of lethal force would have been a disproportionate response.
Since 1 May 2003, UK forces have reported all confirmed fatalities of which they are aware arising from incidents in which they were involved. We are not aware of any fatalities resulting from hits from baton rounds. UK forces have also provided medical assistance to a number of injured Iraqi civilians but we do not record centrally the causes of injury.
We are not in a position to comment on civilian casualties allegedly caused by other coalition partners.
Provigil
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of (i) Provigil and (ii) amphetamines and similar drugs in the last eight years; and if he will make a statement. [187497]
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Mr. Caplin: Records held by Qinetiq indicate that research was conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Defence into the effect of certain pharmaceutical agents of this type on sleep, performance and motion sickness. One of the drugs investigated was modafinil, which is the non proprietary name for Provigil. The other drugs investigated were pemoline, caffeine and ephedrine.
In line with normal practice, the MOD commissioned this research, which was approved by an independent ethics committee, in order to develop and maintain our understanding of scientific developments in this field.
RAF Bentwaters
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has a residual interest in the former Royal Air Force station at Bentwaters, Suffolk. [190077]
Mr. Caplin: The only interest which the Ministry of Defence retained in the former RAF Bentwaters, following its disposal in May 2004, is a lease for 2,000 years for an oil pipeline and pipeline termination point.
RAF Fylingdales
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the expected date of completion of the upgrading of RAF Fylingdales for the US Missile Defence System. [188741]
Mr. Hoon: Completion of equipment installation work and testing of the upgrade is expected by October 2005, from which time the radar will be able to support the missile defence mission. Decommissioning and removal of existing equipment will not be completed until summer 2006.
Recruitment
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many young people were recruited to (a) the Cheshire Regiment and (b) other parts of the armed forces in the Birkenhead area in each of the last 10 years. [188325]
Mr. Caplin: The information requested is as follows:
It is not possible to produce data for officers recruited to the Naval Services in the Birkenhead area as officers are recruited nationwide by Area Career Liaison Offices (ACLOs), which are dispersed around the country.
The recruiting of all Naval Ratings in the Birkenhead area is carried out through the Armed Forces Career Office (AFCO) in Liverpool and it is not possible to refine the information further. The following table shows the recruiting figures for Liverpool, from 1994 up to the present day.
| Number of recruits | |
|---|---|
| 1994–95 | 42 |
| 1995–96 | 122 |
| 1996–97 | 282 |
| 1997–98 | 350 |
| 1998–99 | 355 |
| 1999–2000 | 307 |
| 2000–01 | 245 |
| 2001–02 | 286 |
| 2002–03 | 252 |
| 2003–04 | 168 |
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Similarly to the Naval Services, Army officers are not recruited through AFCOs so it is not possible to provide data on recruitment in a specific area.
The following table shows the numbers of soldiers enlisted into the Army through the Army Careers Information Office (AGIO) in Birkenhead between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2004. Reliable data for earlier years is not held. The figures in brackets represent those recruited to the Prince of Wales Division Infantry, of whom all but a very few would join the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment.
| Number of recruits | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 158 (23) |
| 2001–02 | 144 (29) |
| 2002–03 | 125 (28) |
| 2003–04 | 122 (53) |
The figures for RAF recruits (both officers and airmen) provided are from the Liverpool area as it is not possible to differentiate between the sub-districts. Figures provided before 2000 have been compiled from an older IT system which unfortunately contains some omissions. Therefore, there are no data available for the recruitment of officers in the years 1994–95 and 1995–96, or for airmen in the years 1994–95 and 1996–97.
For the year 2003–04 it was possible to sort by postcode; accordingly, the overall total is for Liverpool with subtotals, in brackets, showing those recruited from Birkenhead postcodes.
| Officers | Airmen | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 8 | 188 | 196 |
| 1994–95 | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | — | 82 | — |
| 1996–97 | 3 | — | — |
| 1997–98 | 2 | 160 | 162 |
| 1998–99 | 5 | 212 | 217 |
| 1999–2000 | 4 | 190 | 194 |
| 2000–01 | 3 | 197 | 200 |
| 2001–02 | 8 | 140 | 148 |
| 2002–03 | 5 | 175 | 180 |
| 2003–04 | 5 (0) | 189 (45) | 194 (45) |
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