| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
4 Mar 2005 : Column 1408W—continued
DEFENCE
12 Mechanised Brigade
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the date is for the deployment of 12 Mechanised Brigade to Iraq; [219524]
(2) what training in prisoner handling 12 Mechanised Brigade will receive before their deployment to Iraq. [219525]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 3 March 2005]: 12 Mechanised Brigade (12 Mech Bde) will deploy to Iraq in the next few months. I am withholding the precise date as its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our forces.
Prisoner handling training for 12 Mech Bde will be covered by the following methods: all soldiers receive initial training on handling of prisoners through Individual Training Directive No 6: "Law of Armed Conflict", which is then repeated on an annual basis; all personnel will receive a legal brief on the handling of prisoners during Central Pre-Deployment Training; additional legal training to be undertaken by commanding officers and key staff will include a study period on search and detention; and a number of other personnel will attend a specific course on prisoner handling and tactical questioning. In addition, aspects of prisoner handling will be practised on 2 Field Training Exercises prior to the Brigade's deployment.
4 Mar 2005 : Column 1409W
Commando Training Centre (Lympstone)
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons were for the decision to drop assault charges against the six Royal Marines instructors based at the Commando Training Centre at Lympstone; on what date the decision was taken; and whether further complaints against officers are awaiting consideration. [218574]
The Solicitor-General: I have been asked to reply.
Six members of the training staff at Lympstone Marine Commando Training Centre were originally charged with offences including disgraceful conduct, ill-treatment of men of inferior rank and conduct prejudicial to military discipline. On receipt of fresh evidence pertaining to the case, and in accordance with its duty to keep the prosecution under constant review, the Army Prosecuting Authority reviewed the charges against the six accused. Applying the tests of sufficiency of evidence and public interest contained in the Code for Service Prosecutors, the APA decided to discontinue all proceedings against one accused on 31 January and then, following the receipt of further evidence, against the remaining five accused on 2 February 2005. The Army Prosecuting Authority is not aware of any further complaints against these servicemen.
Infantry Armoured Artillery
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of infantry armoured artillery was deployed at 1 January. [219048]
Mr. Caplin: Around 15 per cent. of Infantry units, 20 per cent. of Royal Armoured Corps units and 21 per cent. of Royal Artillery units were deployed on operations on 1 January 2005.
Recruitment (Lancashire)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the (a) Black Watch, (b) King's Own Borderers and (c) Scots Guards were recruited from Lancashire in the last year for which figures are available. [219051]
Mr. Caplin: The information requested for the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004, the last full financial year for which figures are available, is shown in the following table.
| Regiment | Number |
|---|---|
| Black Watch | 0 |
| King's Own Royal Border Regiment | 15 |
| Scots Guards | 10 |
It should be noted that Infantry recruits are enlisted into a Division and not a specific Regiment. The results in this table may not, therefore, be fully accurate as it reflects those recruits who specified The Black Watch, The King's Own Royal Border Regiment and the Scots Guards as a "Preferred Capbadge" on enlisting as recorded on the database of Headquarters Recruiting Group, who oversee the Army's recruiting offices.
4 Mar 2005 : Column 1410W
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Arms Exports (Sudan)
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many prosecutions have been brought in courts outside the UK against (a) UK nationals and (b) UK bodies for breach of the embargo on sales of arms to Sudan; [216465]
(2) how many (a) UK nationals and (b) UK bodies are under investigation but have not yet been charged for possible breaches of the embargo on sales of arms to Sudan. [216466]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
Customs are not aware of any prosecutions in courts outside the UK of UK nationals or UK bodies for breaches of the embargo on the supply of arms to Sudan.
Customs made inquiries into allegations concerning two UK nationals supplying the Government of Sudan with military equipment. As a result of those inquiries Customs concluded that there was insufficient evidence to commence criminal proceedings and they intend to take no further action unless new information comes to light.
The release of further information regarding any inquiries in this area would prejudice law enforcement or the prevention and prosecution of crime. However, it is normal policy that Customs will look into all significant allegations and intelligence in relation to breaches of arms embargoes.
Correspondence
David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 2 February concerning the malfunction of pensioners' PIN cards. [219530]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I replied to my hon. Friend's letter on 17 February 2005.
EU Committees
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the (i) Advisory Committee for the Technical Adaptation of the Community Procedure to Improve the Transparency of Gas and Electricity Prices Charged to Industrial End-users and (ii) Committee for the Implementation of the Series of Guidelines for Trans-European Energy Networks met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement. [218434]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
A "Task Force on Gas and Electricity Prices", composed of experts from member states looked into the new methodology for the data collection of gas and electricity prices for both the industrial and domestic sectors. It reported prior to the Italian, Irish and Dutch presidencies of the EU, which spanned the period July 2003 to December 2004. Subsequently, the Energy Statistics Committee
4 Mar 2005 : Column 1411W
Working Group with senior statisticians from member states, discussed the conclusions of the Task Force in May 2004.
The Trans-European Networks Financial Assistance Committee for the Energy Sector met once during the Italian presidency of the EU, on 15 July 2003, and once during the Dutch presidency, on 12 November 2004. Both meetings took place in Brussels. The Committee did not meet during the Irish presidencies.
Nuclear Industry
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of proposals in the International Atomic Energy Agency publication, Multilateral Approaches to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (infcirc/640), in respect of the conversion of the Sellafield and Dounreay reprocessing facilities to international ownership and management. [219450]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government believes this publication will provide a valuable contribution to the nuclear debate. It is too early for any detailed assessment on the implication of the report for the UK nuclear industry. However the Government will, as the report recommends, be giving attention to the approaches set out in the report to investigate their practicality, feasibility and usefulness, and be playing a full part in the international discussions which follow.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what mechanisms are used to monitor and track nuclear waste materials; and if she will make a statement. [218821]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 28 February 2005]: The majority of UK radioactive waste stocks are recorded in a UK Radioactive Waste Inventory prepared jointly by The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and United Kingdom Nirex Ltd (Nirex) approximately every three years. The last published inventory, for a stock date of 1 April 2001, was published in October 2002. The next, for a stock date of 1 April 2004, will be published towards the end of this year. But the inventory is not used to specifically track waste materials, nor does it list all such materials.
The UK's civil nuclear sites apply stringent security measures regulated.by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS). OCNS also regulate security for the transportation of civil nuclear materials. Security at nuclear sites and during transportation of nuclear material is kept under regular review in the light of the prevailing threat.
In addition, Euratom Safeguards are applied to the nuclear material content of certain types of nuclear waste and these involve reporting to and inspection by the European Commission.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |