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Departmental Telephones

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of unauthorised personal calls made by members of staff to (a) domestic numbers and (b) international numbers in the last year for which figures are available. [201111]

Mr. Caplin: This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Bills are scrutinised by individual sites and further investigations made if abuse of the telephone service is suspected.

EU Military Staff

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list UK personnel serving on the EU military staff; and what the role of each is. [201570]

Mr. Hoon: On 16 November 2004 the UK had 18 personnel employed in the EU Military Staff.

1. Brigadier—Policy and Plans Division—Assistant Chief of Staff

2. Captain (RN)—Chief of Staff's Office—European Defence Agency Establishment Team

3. Colonel—Logistics and Resources Division—Head of Logistics Section

4. Commander—Operations and Exercises Division—Staff Officer Exercises

5. Commander—Logistics and Resources Division—Staff Officer Logistics

6. Commander—Policy and Plans Division—Staff Officer Concepts

7. Lieutenant Colonel—Chief of Staff's Office—Liaison to EU Special Representative Office, Sarajevo

8. Lieutenant Colonel—Operations and Exercise Division—Staff Officer Crisis Management

 
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9. Lieutenant Colonel—Communications and Information Systems Division—Staff Officer Policy and Requirements Section—Geo-spatial

10. Wing Commander—DG BUMS Executive Office—Staff Officer EUMS Coordination

11. Wing Commander—Intelligence Division—Staff Officer Intelligence Production

12. Wing Commander—Logistics and Resources Division—Staff Officer Resources Support

13. Wing Commander—Communications and Information Systems Division—Staff Officer Policy and Requirements Section

14. Warrant Officer—Intelligence Division—Warrant Officer Production

15. Sergeant—Policy and Plans Division—Administrative Assistant

16. Corporal—Communications and Information Systems Division—Administrative Assistant Policy and Requirements Section

17. Civilian Grade C—Chief of Staffs Office—PA

18. Civilian Grade C—Logistics and Resources Division—Secretary

EU Political and Security Committee

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to whom the UK's representative to the EU Political and Security Committee is responsible. [201666]

Mr. Hoon: The United Kingdom's representative on the EU Political and Security Committee is responsible for conveying the views of the Government. Ultimately he is responsible, through the line management chain, to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

European Defence Agency

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the UK joined the European Defence Agency. [201665]

Mr. Hoon: The European Defence Agency was formally established on 12 July 2004, under the Council Joint Action 2004/551/CFSP, whereupon the United Kingdom became a participating member state.

Frontline Capability

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect that the proposed reductions in (a) Commander-in-Chief Fleet, (b) Commander-in-Chief Land Command, (c) Commander-in-Chief Strike Command and (d) Chief of Defence Logistics will have on frontline capability; and if he will make a statement. [200476]

Mr. Hoon: The alterations to budgetary allocations for the CinC Fleet, CinC Land, CinC Strike and DLO included in Winter Supplementary Estimates represent decreases in depreciation and cost of capital charges
 
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relating to previously planned fixed asset holdings. The changes bring these Top Level Budgets into line with the revised defence programme announced on 21 July 2004.

Future Surface Combatant Vessels

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what decisions have been made about the prospects for the Future Surface Combatant vessel for the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement. [199532]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 29 November 2004]: The Future Surface Combatant (FSC) project is still in its concept phase. No decisions have yet been taken about the timescale for delivering the FSC capability, and studies continue to develop ideas for the platform solution.

HMS Daring

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected in-service date is for HMS Daring; and when he expects it to be fully operational. [201638]

Mr. Ingram: The current forecast for the in-service date of the first of class T45, HMS Daring, is mid 2009. The ship is planned to be fully operational shortly after this date once the Ship's company have completed the necessary Operational Sea Training.

Iraq

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether napalm or a similar substance has been used by the Coalition in Iraq (a) during and (b) since the war. [201991]

Mr. Ingram: No napalm has been used by Coalition forces in Iraq either during the war-fighting phase or since.

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what roles Iraqi troops are undertaking in Iraq. [201285]

Mr. Ingram: Iraqi Security Forces, including the Iraqi Police Force, the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi National Guard, the Facilities Protection Service and the Department of Border Enforcement are undertaking a wide range of law-enforcement and internal security tasks in Iraq, in combination with coalition forces. Recent operations have demonstrated that they are becoming increasingly capable at fulfilling these duties.

Military Operations (EU)

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where provision will be made within the UK public expenditure arrangements for the cost of the UK contribution to EU military operations. [200378]

Mr. Hoon: The cost of the United Kingdom contribution to military operations will be met from within total planned public expenditure. It is likely that most of the agreed UK costs will be met from within the contingency provision set aside in spending reviews to cover such eventualities.
 
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Missile Defence System

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on discussions between US Lieutenant General Obering and his Department in relation to the UK hosting interceptor missiles for the US missile defence system; [202082]

(2) which UK military bases have been considered for the citing of interceptor missiles as part of the US missile defence system. [202083]

Mr. Hoon: The Government have not yet decided whether the United Kingdom requires its own missile defence, and has not received a request from the US to base interceptors in the UK as part of the US missile defence system. It would therefore be premature to consider specific military sites for basing interceptors, or any other part of a missile defence system for the UK. Contacts with the US, including Lieutenant General Obering and other US officials, cover a wide range of issues related to missile defence but do not involve discussions about specific sites.

Parachute Pay

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) officers and (b) soldiers in the Army are in receipt of parachute pay. [201001]

Mr. Ingram: According to the Army records on pay and allowances, there were around 330 officers and 2,640 soldiers in receipt of parachute pay as at 26 November 2004.

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