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Gibraltar

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the Whitley Committee Minutes of the Ministry of Defence Gibraltar Services Police for the past three years. [190364]

Mr. Ingram: Copies of the Gibraltar Service Police Whitley Committee Minutes for the last three years have been placed in the Library of the House Commons.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the establishment of the Ministry of Defence Gibraltar Services Police is at each rank. [190365]

Mr. Ingram: The Gibraltar Service Police Establishment is as follows:

	Number
Chief Superintendent	1
Chief Inspectors	2
Inspectors	6
Sergeants	15
Constables	103
Typist	1
El (part-time)	1
Receptionists	12
Storekeeper	1
Labourer	1

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the governance and accountability mechanisms are for the Gibraltar Services Police; what arrangements allow for a statutory Police Federation; and if he will make a statement. [190366]

Mr. Ingram: The Gibraltar Services Police (GSP) is a statutory police force established under the Police Ordinance (Laws of Gibraltar). The Chief Police Officer GSP is the competent authority appointed by His Excellency the Governor of Gibraltar and is responsible to Commander British Forces Gibraltar, for the recruitment, training, supervision and general efficiency of the Force. The Gibraltar Trade Union Ordinance does not make provision for a statutory Police Federation but allows for the inscription of approved Unions and Associations. The Gibraltar Services Police Association is recognised by the Government as the representative body for Constables and Sergeants.
 
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Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will investigate the complaint made by Marrache and Co. Solicitors, on behalf of the representative body of constables and sergeants of the Gibraltar Services Police set out in their letter of 20 August to Northwood Headquarters; and if he will make a statement. [190367]

Mr. Ingram: The Whitley committee remains the correct forum to address the issues raised by the Gibraltar Service Police Staff Association and Marrache and Co. Solicitors in their letters of 20 August 2004. The Ministry of Defence remains committed to constructive dialogue with the Gibraltar Service Police Staff Association, and the MOD management team in Gibraltar will continue to address their members' concerns locally through the Whitley process.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for negotiating pay and conditions of service for the Gibraltar Services Police; and if he will make a statement. [190368]

Mr. Ingram: Following negotiations in 1979 between the Ministry of Defence and Gibraltar Service Police Staff Association, agreement was reached re-affirming their commitment to the analogue principle enunciated by Sir Jack Scamp in his report. The Gibraltar Services Police (GSP) analogue is the Ministry of Defence Police in the United Kingdom. Any pay conditions applicable to Ministry of Defence Police are automatically applied to GSP.

Green Ministers

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings of the Ministerial Sub-Committee of Green Ministers were attended by the Department's Green Minister in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [190853]

Mr. Caplin: I represent the Ministry of Defence on ENV(G), the Ministerial Sub-Committee of Green Ministers. It has been established practice under successive Governments not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees. I am therefore withholding the information requested under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Helsinki Headline Goal

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected maximum percentage of troops offered by the UK under the Helsinki Headline Goal will be infantry. [191862]

Mr. Ingram: A member state's declaration to the Headline Goal indicates the range of forces that could be made available to support potential EU operations. It does not bind the member state to providing the forces declared for any specific mission.

The United Kingdom currently declares up to 12,500 troops towards the Helsinki Headline Goal, up to 35 per cent. of which are infantry troops.

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which components of the UK's commitment to the Helsinki Headline Goal comprise an (a) armed mechanical brigade and (b) amphibious brigade. [191863]

 
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Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom currently offers:

Three brigades from the Army to HG2010. The three brigades offer a degree of flexibility that allows the UK to provide either an Armoured Brigade (based on Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks), a Mechanised Brigade (based on Saxon Infantry Fighting Vehicles and Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks) or an Air Assault Brigade consisting of lightly equipped infantry in the Air Manoeuvre role.

One amphibious brigade from the Royal Navy to HG2010.

A member state's declaration to the Headline Goal indicates the range of forces that could be made available to support potential EU operations. It does not bind the member state to providing the forces declared for any specific mission.

Infantry Battalions

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 4 October 2004, Official Report, column 1876W, on Infantry Battalions, what the expected financial savings will be in pounds sterling from the reduction of four infantry battalions. [191860]

Mr. Ingram: As I explained in my answer of 4 October 2004, Official Report, column 1876W, the manpower freed up from the reduction from 40 to 36 in infantry battalions will be reinvested elsewhere across the Army as part of the implementation of a new Army Structure. The driver behind this exercise, therefore, is not financial; rather it reflects the need to ensure that the Army of the future is properly configured to meet the priorities and challenges of the future, rather than the past.

Iraq

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of HM Forces have been retired on medical grounds as a result of injuries sustained in Iraq. [187995]

Mr. Caplin: As of 1 September 2004 centrally held records show that six Service personnel have been medically discharged from the armed forces as a result of injuries sustained in Iraq while deployed on Operation Telic between 18 January 2003 and 30 June 2004.

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a British soldier was killed as a result of a bomb attack on a military fuel truck on the al-Faw highway south of al-Basrah on 5 September; and if he will make a statement. [190990]

Mr. Ingram: No. UK armed forces in Iraq did not suffer any fatalities on 5 September 2004.

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether British forces in Iraq have cut off water supplies to civilians. [191480]

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether British forces have cut off water supplies to civilians (a) during the recent war and (b) since the end of the conflict in Iraq. [192086]

 
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Mr. Ingram: No. It is possible that local temporary disruptions may have occurred at some time due to damage from combat with anti Iraqi forces, but we are not aware of any actual cases where this has happened.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies are being undertaken into the effect of depleted uranium weapons on the population of Iraq. [192707]

Mr. Caplin: Studies to determine the effect, if any, of depleted uranium (DU) munitions on the Iraqi population are not a matter for Ministry of Defence. However, it is UK Government policy to assist the Iraqi Interim Government in matters concerning the well being of its local people and its environment.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is currently seeking international funding for its proposals for

"population-based case-control studies on the association between the incidence of various cancers and exposure to DU and other environmental risk factors in Iraq."

In parallel with the WHO proposals, the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Post-Conflict Assessment Unit plans to examine DU levels in the environment as part of a wider study into how various contaminants from the conflict may impact the local population.

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