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Tsunami Relief

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements were made by the Government to aid British passport holders in the wake of the Asian tsunami. [210413]

Mr. Mullin [holding answer of 24 January]: As soon as the Government received news of the tsunami in the Indian ocean, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) activated its emergency plans for handling a major crisis overseas involving British nationals.

On 26 December, the FCO established temporary offices working in all the affected areas to offer support and assistance to British nationals. Providing this support was the priority of all FCO posts in those areas. Our Embassy in Bangkok and our High Commission in Colombo were reinforced with consular staff from both London and other posts in the region. A rapid deployment team of 18 was sent to Colombo. There are currently 45 staff in Bangkok and 32 in Phuket providing consular assistance.

In the immediate aftermath of the event, FCO staff provided those British nationals in the affected areas with the full range of consular support including helping them to access medical facilities, issuing emergency travel documents and registering missing persons. An FCO charter flight brought 98 passengers back from Thailand on 1 January.

The Government also ensured that there were full reception arrangements at airports for people returning to the UK. This included tailored medical attention where necessary, assistance with getting home and access to psychological and emotional support services. The British Red Cross also established a Help Line for victims of the disaster and their family and a family support network for those affected.

FCO officials and UK police personnel are now working with the families of the victims to repatriate remains where appropriate and to help the injured get home. There are 84 UK police personnel in the affected areas helping to identify people as quickly as possible. Police family liaison officers have been assigned to bereaved families. There are currently over 300 liaison officers assigned to families. The FCO has put together a package of financial and other assistance to those
 
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affected by the tsunami. This package includes meeting the cost of repatriating remains; immediate medical expenses for those seriously injured; medical evacuation; long-term psychological support; and return travel for two members of the victim's family to the region and five nights accommodation.

Ukraine

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Governments of Estonia and Latvia about the political situation in Ukraine. [210397]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary and I have discussed Ukraine regularly with Estonian, Latvian and other EU partners over the last few months, most recently at the 13 December General Affairs and External Relations Council. I will be having further talks in Poland and Lithuania this week. Ukraine is also on the agenda for the next General Affairs and External Relations Council on 31 January.

West Papua

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to seek to facilitate dialogue between the Indonesian Government and the Papuan people to find a peaceful resolution to the West Papua conflict. [209003]

Mr. Alexander: We have consistently made clear to the Indonesian Government our support for full implementation of the 2001 Special Autonomy Law. We believe this takes into account the aspirations of the Papuan people and respects Indonesia's territorial integrity. The new Government of President Yudhoyono has publicly committed itself to taking steps to implement this Law. We welcome this.

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with the United Nations regarding the possibility of sending UN observers to monitor the human rights situation in West Papua. [209032]

Mr. Alexander: We are not aware of any discussions held with the UN to send Human Rights observers to Papua. We have followed the situation in Papua closely, and continue to make clear to the Indonesian Government our support for full implementation of the 2001 Special Autonomy Law.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Committees of the House

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to merge the Modernisation of the House of Commons and Procedure Committees. [210426]

Mr. Hain: Decisions about the appointment of select committees are taken at the start of a new Parliament. The re-establishment of the Modernisation Committee would, of course, be subject to the approval of the House, as would any proposal to change the Procedure Committee's terms of reference.
 
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DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding on the role of the Physical Integrator as part of the Future Aircraft Carrier project. [203934]

Mr. Ingram: There is no such Memorandum of Understanding. The role of the Physical Integrator (PI) on the Future Aircraft Carrier project will be developed and agreed between Alliance members during the remainder of the assessment phase.

Army Training Ground, Otterburn

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been (a) killed and (b) injured as a result of accidents during exercises at the Army Training Ground at Otterburn in each of the last 10 years. [209153]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 17 January 2005]: Since 1 January 2000 no service or civilian personnel have been killed and six service personnel have been injured as a result of accidents during exercises at the Army Training Ground at Otterburn. Information regarding deaths and injuries at Otterburn before 2000 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Competitive Tenders

Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much work was put out to competitive tender (a) RAF Cottesmore and (b) RAF Marham in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2004. [209518]

Mr. Ingram: None. This excludes contracts awarded in support of station services.

Departmental Efficiency Programme

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planned headcount changes attributable to his Department's efficiency programme are for the (a) Army Base Repair Organisation, (b) Defence Aviation Repair Agency, (c) Defence Science and Technology Laboratories, (d) Meteorological Office and (e) UK Hydrographic Office for financial years (i)2005–06, (ii) 2006–07 and (iii) 2007–08. [209332]

Mr. Ingram: The published headcount reductions for the Ministry of Defence Efficiency Programme does not include headcount changes for these agencies.

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planned cashable savings attributable to his Department's efficiency programme are for the (a) Defence Medical Training Agency, (b) Defence Procurement Agency, (c) Defence Storage and Distribution Agency, (d) Defence Transport and Movements Agency and (e) Defence Vetting Agency in financial years (i) 2006–07 and (ii) 2007–08. [209342]

Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence Efficiency Programme brings together those activities which have resulted from strategic level judgements on the modernisation we needed in order to better meet future operational and business needs. Its benefits are tracked
 
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principally on a functional basis (e.g. Human Resources, Finance, etc.) rather than at individual budget areas. Further information on the MOD Efficiency Programme and how it will be delivered is contained in the MOD Efficiency Technical Note which was published on 30 October and can be found on the Departmental website at http://www.mod.uk/issues/finance/efficiency.htm.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) costs and (b) penalties would arise from a decision to cancel Tranche 2 of the Eurofighter Typhoon. [210597]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 24 January 2005]: Under the international collaborative production arrangements for Typhoon, manufacturing work has been allocated between partner nations in proportion to their respective numerical requirements for the aircraft. Cancellation of the United Kingdom's Tranche 2 order would necessitate re-allocation of workshare to partner nations in order to re-balance these proportions and the UK would be required to compensate the other nations for the extra costs incurred, up to the total amount the UK would have paid had we not cancelled the order.

In addition to these costs, the cancellation of Tranche2 would result in a failure to equip the Royal Air Force with a key element of its future fighting capability, a significant loss of UK manufacturing and an associated loss of jobs and skills across the

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