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Army

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of (a) an armoured infantry (warrior) battalion, (b) an air-portable infantry battalion, (c) a parachute regiment battalion and (d) a Gurkha regiment battalion was in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (i) personnel and (ii) equipment and maintenance. [199160]

Mr. Ingram: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the projected costs per annum of the proposed new (a) heavy (warrior) battalion with high-tech upgrade, (b) medium (future rapid effect system) battalion with heavy-lift aircraft capability and (c) light (air-portable) battalion with high-tech network capable upgrade; and what estimate the Department has made of possible savings to be made from the proposed restructuring process. [199161]

Mr. Ingram: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
 
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Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) soldiers and (b) officers have been (i) charged and (ii) disciplined for (A) bullying offences and (B) failing to investigate allegations of bullying since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [179877]

Mr. Caplin: There is no specific charge under the Army Act 1955 for bullying or failing to investigate allegations of bullying.

Army Medal Office

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed in the Army Medal Office; whether they are working overtime to clear the backlog of cases; and what the standard of service laid down for applicants is. [197051]

Mr. Caplin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications have been received for General Service Medals in each of the last 12 months; and how long it is taking to process them on average. [197052]

Mr. Caplin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Mr. A. Fairclough of Verwood, Dorset will receive the General Service Medal for his service in the Suez Canal Zone; and if he will make a statement. [197054]

Mr. Caplin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Army Strength

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what period between operational tours is expected when there are 36 infantry battalions. [194390]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Army personnel and (b) civilians were working for the Army in July; and what the current total is. [196221]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Asbestos Contamination

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the principal areas covered by departmental files contaminated by asbestos. [199009]

Mr. Caplin: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many files contaminated with asbestos he estimates to be accessible to the public under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [199010]

Mr. Caplin: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
 
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Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effects asbestos contamination of his Department's files will have on access to those files under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [199011]

Mr. Caplin: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department discovered that certain of its files had become contaminated by asbestos; and what action was taken in response to enable those files to be used. [199012]

Mr. Caplin: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to decontaminate those of his Department's files which have become contaminated by asbestos; and what he estimates the cost of such decontamination to be. [199013]

Mr. Caplin: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Beer (Official Functions)

Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the serving of beer at official functions. [145779]

Mr. Caplin: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Black Watch

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers in 1st Battalion Black Watch have been fined by the Army since July; and on what grounds. [195042]

Mr. Caplin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the level of pay for soldiers of 1st Battalion Black Watch involved in the redeployment in Iraq will be (a) higher and (b) lower than the level of pay before the redeployment. [195043]

Mr. Caplin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which media outlets are attached to the Black Watch battle group in Iraq; and what security arrangements have been made for them. [198429]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 16 November 2004]: The media groups attached to the Black Watch Battle Group include BBC News, Sky News, ITV News and Channel 4 News. The journalists are embedded with the Battle Group and remain with armed service personnel at all times. All embedded media personnel are required to wear helmets and body-armour, which are provided for them if they are unable to bring their own.
 
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Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a senior officer of the Black Watch expressed his concern in advance about the recent deployment of the regiment; and if he will make a statement. [198940]

Mr. Hoon: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Bullying

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what statistics are retained by the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police on completed investigations of allegations of bullying in the Army. [183381]

Mr. Caplin: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the barracks at which allegations of bullying have been investigated in the last year for which figures are available; and how many of these complaints (a) were unfounded, (b) were founded and (c) led to disciplinary or other action. [183382]

Mr. Caplin: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

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