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18 Nov 2004 : Column 1814W—continued

Cadet Units (Remembrance Sunday)

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance was given to cadet units in the South East of England on carrying firearms on Remembrance Sunday; what role Ministers had in issuing guidance; and if he will make a statement. [199019]

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

Cheshire/QLR Regiments

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were recruited to (a) the Cheshire Regiment and (b) the Queen's Lancashire Regiment in the last 10 years. [188595]

Mr. Caplin: The following table shows the numbers of soldiers who joined the Cheshire Regiment and the Queens Lancashire Regiment on the completion of their training for the last four financial years (April to March). Statistics prior to this period are not available.

Financial year	Cheshire Regiment	Queen's Lancashire Regiment
2000–01	64	92
2001–02	75	78
2002–03	56	117
2003–04	72	104

Chinook Helicopters

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what testing procedures were carried out on the eight Chinook helicopters ordered in 1995 after they were received by his Department and prior to their active use by the armed forces. [174987]

 
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Mr. Ingram: We have a complex and wide-ranging acceptance procedure, which includes independent third party advice, to ensure that the platform meets the performance standards contracted for and complies with United Kingdom safety standards. The Ministry of Defence has contracted with our independent advisers QinetiQ Boscombe Down to undertake this work.

Civilian/Enemy Deaths

Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms the Army has in place to calculate the numbers of (a) civilian and (b) enemy dead in a prolonged conflict situation. [197366]

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

Colombian Army

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent UK military aid has been given to (a) the 1st Division of the Colombian Army and (b) the brigades and battalions that comprise that division; and which programmes this aid is funding. [192524]

Mr. Ingram: The Colombian Army 1st Division has recently received no specific British military assistance. UK military assistance provided to the Colombian Army is focused on specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal units and the provision of British military education to selected individuals, such as at the Royal College of Defence Studies, which introduces British defence concepts, including human rights and democratic accountability of armed forces.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Colombian army units have received military (a) training and (b) assistance in each of the last five years; and what the financial value of each was in each year. [197631]

Mr. Ingram: United Kingdom military assistance provided to the Colombian army is focused on specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal units and the provision of British military education to selected individuals, such as at the Royal College of Defence Studies, which introduces British Defence concepts, including human rights and democratic accountability of armed forces.

In financial years 2003–04 and 2004–05 the cost of military assistance provided by the UK to the Colombian armed forces was around £120,000 per year.

This information for previous years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Colonel Terrington

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether United States authorities have sought to interview Colonel Terrington. [193376]

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

Combat Wear

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what penalties apply to companies awarded contracts to supply combat wear to his Department where the specifications are not met. [198380]

 
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Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has the right to reject any items, which do not meet the requirements of the specification. Should the contractor fail to rectify this failure the Department has the right to claim damages as allowable under law, purchase the items in default from an alternative source with the contractor paying any additional cost incurred by MOD and ultimately, should this failure continue, to terminate the contract.

Commencement of Legislation

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. [195626]

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

Complaints

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what obstacles prevent the Army from (a) maintaining a central record of internal complaints and (b) establishing a database or other system of categorisation that would assist an annual audit of the (i) exercise of the duty of care and (ii) working of the disciplinary system. [183384]

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

Conferences

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) non-Ministerial staff and (b) special advisers in his Department attended conferences (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad in the year to 29 February; and what the cost of attending these conferences was, broken down by (A) travel costs, (B) food and drink, (C) accommodation and (D) miscellaneous costs. [161143]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 18 March 2004]: This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All staff travel and attendance at conferences is undertaken in accordance with Service and civilian regulations.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many conferences were hosted by his Department in the year to 29 February; and what the cost of these conferences was, broken down by (a) travel costs, (b) food and drink, (c) accommodation and (d) miscellaneous costs. [161144]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 18 March 2004]: This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Conferences and their associated costs are organised in accordance with departmental regulations.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many conferences (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department attended (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad in the year to 29 February; and what the cost of attending these conferences was, broken down by (A) travel costs, (B) food and drink, (C) accommodation and (D) miscellaneous costs. [161145]

 
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Mr. Caplin [holding answer 18 March 2004]: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 July 2004, Official Report, column 466W, which covers ministerial travel overseas for 2003–04, to my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich East (Mr. Watson). All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) Major J.A. Kennedy's presentation, Real-time exchange of battlefield digital information, given at the SMI Conference Joint Battlespace Digitization on 20 May 2003, (b) Wing Commander Mike Longstaff and Squadron Leader R.K. Dyson's presentation, Flying Training, given at the SMI Conference Fighter Trainer on 2 June 2003, (c) Sym Taylor's presentation, Effective Management of Spares, given at the SMI Conference Military Spares and Inventory Management on 16 June 2003, (d) Lieutenant Colonel Chris Barkes and Wing Commander Chris Otley-Doe's presentation, Effective and Efficient Control of Material Flow, given at the SMI Conference Military Spares and Inventory Management on 16 June 2003 and (e) Lieutenant Commander Charles Jewitt's presentation on the Joint Modular Storage Concept given at the SMI Conference Military Spares and Inventory Management on 17 June 2003. [170425]

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

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