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Consultants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much expenditure his Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [195464]

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

Contractors

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with (a) trade union representatives, (b) hon. Members and (c) others relating to the recently completed tender process for single procurement of fabric and garments (i) relating specifically to the tender which Cookson and Clegg were part of and (ii) relating to the tender process in general; and if he will make a statement. [197662]

Mr. Ingram: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has had discussions with Members of both Houses of Parliament, trades unions, industry and the Department for Trade and Industry in relation to
 
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the recent contract award for Cut and Sewn Garments. The discussions have covered both the specific tender referred to and the tender process in general.

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received (a) in the last 18 months and (b) since his Department's implementation of smart procurement from UK-based companies with which his Ministry has contracted for the provision of garments and clothing; and if he will make a statement. [197664]

Mr. Ingram: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has received letters from UK-based companies, either direct or through Members of both Houses of Parliament, regarding the provision of garments and clothing in the last 18 months. The letters have been related, in particular, to the recent contract award for Cut and Sewn Garments.

There has been similar correspondence since the implementation of smart procurement covering a range of clothing issues and items procured.

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with (a) interested parties and (b) other Departments on the allocation of contracts for clothing and other garments; and if he will make a statement. [197666]

Mr. Ingram: My right hon. Friend has had discussions with a wide range of interested parties and other Departments regarding contracts for clothing and other garments, including members of both Houses of Parliament, trades unions, industry and the Department for Trade and Industry.

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which elements of the Department's cut and sew contract with Cooneen, Watts and Stone Ltd. have been satisfied to date. [199147]

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

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on operating penalties on contractors which fail to deliver on contracts due to (a) quality and (b) time. [199168]

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

Correspondence

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will answer the letter from the hon. Member for Hereford dated 2 April, MC number 1674. [184837]

Mr. Ingram: I wrote to the hon. Member on 20 July 2004.

Criminal Trials

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers have been tried in the civilian courts since 1980 on criminal charges which have been previously dismissed as unfounded by military authorities. [194396]

 
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Mr. Ingram: Records are not kept in such a way as to enable ready identification of specific instances where a civil trial has followed the dismissal of charges against a soldier by the chain of command. Although there is one such case currently directed for trial, I am not aware of this having occurred on any previous occasion in any Service.

Cyprus

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional duties have been placed upon UK forces serving (a) with the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus and (b) along the border between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Eastern Sovereign Base Area as a result of changes to the treatment of the Green Line caused by the accession of Cyprus to the EU. [197585]

Mr. Ingram: There have been no additional security duties placed upon the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus due to the accession of Cyprus to the EU. Nor have there been any additional duties placed upon UK forces other than occasional patrols in support of Sovereign Base Area police and customs.

D Notices

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many D notices have been issued to the press requesting restriction of reporting on matters relating to Iraq in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [197514]

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

Data Protection

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place (a) to check the criminal records of civil servants in his Department and agencies responsible to his Department who have access to computer databases containing confidential information on the public and (b) to ensure that there can be no improper use of computer databases containing confidential information on the public; and if he will make a statement. [194606]

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

Databases

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the fields of the (a) Force Structure database, (b) Procurement Plans database and (c) Defence Bills Authority databases. [176387]

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

Defence Attachés

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 350W, on Defence Attachés, what the reasons are for the change in the amount of time devoted
 
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by Defence Attaches to supporting military exports from the 40 per cent. estimated in 1989 by the National Audit Office. [189485]

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

Defence Crisis Management Organisation

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of Human Rights Watch reports that British forces failed to secure containers filled with weapons near to the old airport in Basra in May 2003. [196585]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 8 November 2004]: The alleged incident occurred less than one week after the end of the war-fighting phase of Operation Telic. It would have been reasonable at that time for the Commanding Officer concerned to make the decision that his current operational commitments did not allow him to release forces for guarding Iraqi ammunition stores. Human Rights Watch reported at the time that the International Committee of the Red Cross had found at least 30 locations in Basrah, which contained abandoned munitions. It would not have been possible to provide site protection for all of these sites while carrying out all the other urgent tasks allocated to British forces at that time.

After the end of the conflict, British forces in south-eastern Iraq instituted information campaigns to educate the local population about the dangers of handling unexploded munitions. Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams also began the enormous task of clearing stockpiles such as the one reported by Human Rights Watch.

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