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17 Jan 2005 : Column 737W—continued
Depleted Uranium
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many depleted uranium shells used by UK forces have been recovered from the waters of (a) the UK and (b) overseas and Commonwealth partners in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [207809]
Mr. Caplin: There is no centralised system for recording such information. However, relevant work on this matter has been in progress since early December 2004 and is expected to be completed shortly. I will therefore write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
English Regiments
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the restructuring of the English regiments. [208799]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 1195.
EU Battlegroup
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the UK has given (a) individual and (b) joint commitment to an EU battlegroup; and if he will make a statement on the rotation cycle dates. [201626]
Mr. Hoon: During the initial operational capability period (2005–06), the UK has offered to hold at very high readiness, between 1 January and 30 June 2005, a national battlegroup drawn from our Joint Rapid Response Force. France has also offered a national battlegroup in parallel during the first half of 2005.
For the full operational capability period (from 2007 onwards), the UK intends to contribute to the EU battlegroup co-ordinated pool through a lead nation battlegroup drawn from our Joint Rapid Response Force, and a multinational battlegroup in partnership with the Netherlands using the existing UK/Netherlands Amphibious Force. We will hold one of these at very high readiness for six months in any two year timeframe. The offers of battlegroups to the full operational capability will be co-ordinated by the contributing countries on a regular basis, to ensure that at least two battlegroups (of the 13 that have been offered so far) will be available at very high readiness at any one time.
Infantry
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of (a) recruiting, (b) testing and (c) providing basic training for an infantry recruit. [208832]
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Mr. Caplin: The cost of recruiting and providing training for an Infantry recruit for the financial year 2003–04 at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick (ITC(C)) was as follows:
| Cost for financial year 2003–04 (£) | |
|---|---|
| Recruiting cost | 4,000 |
| Cost of training an infantryman | 22,000 |
| Total training and recruiting costs | 26,000 |
These costs are calculated on an accruals basis and include non cash items such as depreciation and cost of capital. The cost of testing a recruit is embedded within these costs and cannot be shown separately. Since April 2002 the infantry has had a combined phase 1 and 2 training course at ITC(C) and, as a result, it is now not possible to separate infantry training into distinctive basic and trade training costs.
Iraq
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the 2nd Battalion Princess of Wales Royal Regiment will be deployed outside the British zone of responsibility in Iraq. [208262]
Mr. Ingram: We have no plans to deploy the 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment outside the United Kingdom's area of responsibility in southern Iraq, with the exception of a single platoon from 2PWRR which will provide a protection force for senior British military personnel based in Baghdad. This is a routine deployment, and a direct replacement for a platoon from 40 Commando (Royal Marines), which is due to return to the UK over the next few days on completion of its tour of duty.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many doctors are allocated on a full-time basis to detention centres or prison centres run by British military authorities in Iraq. [208744]
Mr. Caplin: There is one doctor allocated full-time to the Divisional Temporary Detention Centre in Basrah, which is the only United Kingdom detention centre in Iraq.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqi (a) men and (b) women were held in detention or in prison by British military forces in Iraq on 1 December 2004. [208745]
Mr. Ingram: On 1 December 2004, there were 10 Iraqi male and no female internees in the divisional temporary detention facility in Basrah, which is the only United Kingdom detention facility in Iraq.
Manning/Record Offices
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what extra resources he is putting at the disposal of manning and record offices following his statement of 16 December 2004. [206620]
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Mr. Caplin: The Army's Manning and Research Offices co-located in Glasgow between December1996 and July 1997, to become part of the Army Personnel Centre (APC), which is responsible for managing the careers of Army personnel.
The APC sees no need for extra resources to manage the limited redundancy programme for 400 personnel, arising from the announcement on 16 December. The implications of managing the Infantry by individual posting rather than arms plotting are being carefully considered, as are the redeployment issues, but it is too soon to say whether additional resources will be required. The APC will keep the position under review.
Military Discipline
Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers were listed as being (a) absent
17 Jan 2005 : Column 740W
without leave and (b) deserters on the 1 October of each of the last five years for which figures are available; and in each case what percentage this represented of the enrolled strength of the Army on that date. [208202]
Mr. Caplin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force personnel served sentences at the Military Corrective Training Centre, Colchester, in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and in each case how many (i) resumed their military career and (ii) were discharged from the armed forces. [208203]
Mr. Ingram: The number of service personnel, broken down by service, who have served sentences of detention at the Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) and were subsequently retained or discharged from the armed force in the last five years is as follows:
In addition, 127 service personnel have passed through MCTC between 2000 to 2004 in transit to serve a sentence of imprisonment in a civil prison. These individuals are automatically discharged.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many female members of the armed forces served sentences at the Military Corrective Training Centre, Colchester in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [208204]
Mr. Ingram: The number of female service personnel who have served sentences of detention at the Military Corrective Training Centre in the past five years is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 32 |
| 2001 | 26 |
| 2002 | 34 |
| 2003 | 28 |
| 2004 | 15 |
| Total | 135 |
Nigel Gorman
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action has been taken against Wing Commander Nigel Gorman; under what regulations he was ordered back from his assignment; what charges were laid against him; and what procedures were adopted to hear and adjudicate on these charges. [208752]
Mr. Caplin: No charges have been brought against Wing Commander Gorman, but various allegations against him are subject to an on-going RAF police investigation. Wing Commander Gorman was not ordered back from his overseas detachment. The decision that he should return early was made with his agreement because of the nature of the allegations against him.
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