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Sport (West Midlands)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding has been allocated to building new sports facilities in the West Midlands region in the last five years. [217692]

 
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Mr. Caborn: In the last five years, Sport England, the Big Lottery Fund and the Football Foundation have allocated £131,463,349 to the West Midlands region through a wide range of sports facilities programmes.

DEFENCE

Allied Rapid Reaction Corps

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps' training programme is for the next 18 months. [216543]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 21 February 2005]: The only dedicated element of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps is its Headquarters, which is currently training as a High Readiness Force (Land) HQ. This involves exercising as a Corps and Land Component Headquarters for generic multinational deployments on warfighting and peace support operations. From April 2005 HQ ARRC will begin preparation for an expected deployment to Afghanistan in 2006 to lead the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). On present plans, HQ ARRC's ISAF training will involve two self contained Command Post exercises, periods of individual and collective military training and the NATO pre-operational directed training package. In addition, HQ ARRC will continue to support the training of UK formations, including the UK elements of the NATO Response Force throughout this period.

Army Prosecuting Authority

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on (a) the remit and (b) the powers of the Army Prosecuting Authority in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) the rest of the United Kingdom; [212036]

(2) what the membership is of the Army Prosecuting Authority; and if he will make a statement; [212037]

(3) how many times the Army Prosecuting Authority has met since its coming into operation; and what the outcome was in each case. [212047]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 1 February 2005]: The Army Prosecuting Authority (APA) is a serving officer of Major General rank appointed by Her Majesty the Queen. The APA came into being on 1 April 1997 and meets regularly with his staff to discuss cases. In 2003 and 2004, 550 and 627 cases, respectively, were referred to the APA.

The remit of the APA is to bring prosecutions under military law against British Army personnel in UK or abroad. Once a case has been referred to the APA, he has the power to determine, prefer or amend an appropriate charge, conduct court martial proceedings or discontinue proceedings on any charge. He also has the power to delegate any of his functions to a suitable qualified officer appointed by him. When exercising his prosecution function, the APA is subject to the general superintendence of the Attorney-General and is independent of the Chain of Command. There is no difference in these matters between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
 
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Colombian Army

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2005, Official Report, column 1173W, on the Colombian Army, to which Colombian (a) engineer units and (b) national police units his Department has provided military assistance. [217547]

Mr. Ingram: The assistance in question is to train individual trainers in bomb disposal. It is not given to formed units. Information on which engineer or police units the trainees come from is not held centrally.

Deepcut Barracks

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to investigate the allegations of Surrey police concerning intimidation of witnesses stationed at Deepcut Barracks by uniformed members of the Royal Military Police. [208381]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is aware of a media report concerning an allegation that a witness stationed at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut was subject to intimidation by uniformed members of the Royal Military Police. We understand that this allegation has not been formally reported to either the Surrey police during the course of their investigations, or to the Ministry of Defence. Our own inquiries have, however, proved this allegation to be unfounded.

Defence Expenditure (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for each financial year from 1997–98 to 2001–02 the RAF Personnel Manning Agency spent in Scotland (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland in each year; and if he will make a statement. [215911]

Mr. Caplin: The RAF Personnel Management Agency (PMA) is located at RAF Innsworth, Gloucester and relinquished Agency status on 1 April 2004. RAF PMA does not undertake specific activity in Scotland and no staff are employed in this area. There is, therefore, no identifiable expenditure within the personnel budget.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for financial years (a) 2001–02, (b) 2000–01, (c) 1999–2000, (d) 1998–99 and (e) 1997–98 the Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency spent in Scotland in (i)monetary terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland in each year; and if he will make a statement. [216282]

Mr. Ingram: The Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency (DGIA) was established in April 2000.

The Agency has not directly employed any staff in Scotland since its formation, although members of both JARIC and GEG have deployed to Scotland in support of Defence Training Exercises.
 
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Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for each financial year since 1997–98 the Disposal Services Agency spent in Scotland (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland in each case; and if he will make a statement. [215438]

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

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for each financial year since 1997–98 the Defence Secondary Care Agency spent in Scotland (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland in each case; and if he will make a statement. [215451]

Mr. Caplin: The Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA) was disbanded on 31 March 2003 and its functions were subsumed by the Defence Medical Education and Training Agency and the Defence Medical Services Directorate.

For the numbers of DSCA personnel employed in Scotland in 2002–03 and 2001–02 I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 26 June 2003, Official Report, column 513W and 27 February 2002, Official Report, column 1284W. For the years 1997–98 to 2000–01 inclusive the only information available is that provided centrally by the Defence Analytical Services Agency in respect of civilian staff. This shows that no civilian staff were employed in Scotland by DSCA during that period.

Financial information, including overall personnel related expenditure, for each financial year from 1997–98 to 2002–03 is detailed in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts for each of the years in question. These were placed in the Library of the House. Personnel expenditure by region is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for each financial year since 1997–98 the Defence Procurement Agency spent in Scotland (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland in each case; and if he will make a statement. [215456]

Mr. Ingram: The DPA does not record costs on a geographical basis, neither does it retain historical information on the number of personnel employed in various locations, including Scotland, and as such cannot provide numbers relating to previous periods. Currently, the DPA has 112 posts in Scotland that, based on an average capitation rate, account for some £4.4 million. This is some 2.4 per cent. of the total personnel budget.

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