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7 Apr 2005 : Column 1722W—continued
Atomic Weapons Establishment
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the current book value of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) was purchased from (a) foreign companies and (b) US companies; and what proportion of planned new expenditure at AWE sites is expected to be paid to (i) foreign companies and (ii) US companies. [211313]
Mr. Ingram: Historic site valuation records for the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) are not held in a form that allows the provision of the valuation information requested. As regards future expenditure, allocations for which have yet to be finalised, the sub-contractors chosen by the AWE management and operation contractor, AWE plc, will depend on the outcome of commercial negotiations and activities conducted by that company. Projections relating to the likely nationality of such sub-contractors are not available and would in any case be speculative.
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure the Atomic Weapons Establishment has been authorised to make in the United States in each year since 1997. [224554]
Mr. Hoon: As the appointed Management and Operation (M and O) contractor at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, AWE plc is not required to seek authorisation to make individual commitments in the United States within the scope of the M and O contract that fall outwith the Government-to-Government arrangements managed on behalf of the United Kingdom by Ministry of Defence officials.
Baha Mousa
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what insurgency material was seized in the raid that led to the apprehending of Baha Mousa. [207151]
Mr. Hoon: This case may be the subject of possible prosecution. I am therefore withholding this information for reasons of law enforcement and to avoid prejudicing any future legal action.
Beef Supply Contracts
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value of beef supply contracts for his Department has been in each year since 1997, broken down by contracts with (a) Scottish suppliers, (b) suppliers in the rest of the United Kingdom and (c) suppliers outside the United Kingdom. [209143]
Mr. Ingram:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
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Belgrano Files
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what circumstances have led to the proposed publication of the Government files on the sinking of the Belgrano in 1982. [224946]
Mr. Caplin: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Biometric Recognition Technology
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what use his Department is making of biometric facial recognition technology; and if he will make a statement. [207690]
Mr. Ingram: The MOD is currently aware of commercial technologies and is willing to exploit them as required for defence needs.
British Forces Post Office
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many people worked for the British Forces Post Office on (a) 1 January and (b) 1 January 2004; how many were employed in Scotland in each case; and what the personnel costs of the agency (i) are in 2004–05 and (ii) will be in 2005–06. [215429]
(2) 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 British Forces Post Office 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; and if he will make a statement. [217965]
Mr. Caplin: The information is as follows:
| Agency totals | Employed in Scotland | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2004 | January 2005 | January 2004 | January 2005 | |
| Civilian personnel | 360 | 330 | 10 | 10 |
| Service personnel | 210 | 200 | 0 | 0 |
Notes:
1.This table uses the revised definition of civilian personnel (see www.dasa.mod.uk for details).
2.The figures shown are full-time equivalents.
3.All figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
4.Details of civilian personnel in Defence Agencies and MoD owned trading funds by UK country can be found in UKDS 2004 Table 2.36, available in the House of Commons Library
Both civilian and service personnel data by Agency are collated annually at 1 April and presented in Table 2.6 of UK Defence Statistics, a copy of which is held in the Library of the House. Further information on personnel figures is available on the DASA website at www.dasa.mod.uk
The number of service personnel employed by Agency and location is not collated centrally. However, locally held records indicate that no service personnel have been employed in Scotland. A table showing numbers of civilian personnel by MoD Agency, for the Agency as a total and those employed in Scotland specifically, for
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the period 1 April 1997 to 1 January 2005, has also been published on the Defence Analytical Services Agency website, www.dasa.mod.uk, and is also lodged in the Library of the House.
The civilian workforce numbers have been collated from centrally held records and may be different to locally produced numbers. However, all numbers in the table are produced using the agreed standard definition of civilian workforce, in full-time equivalent terms (part-time staff are counted only in proportion to thenumber of hours worked compared to the normal full-time hours) and are rounded to the nearest 10 to preserve confidentiality.
Data on projected personnel costs for 2004–05 and 2005–06 are not currently available.
Bugaled Breizh Trawler
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2004, Official Report, columns 410–12W, on the Bugaled Breizh trawler, whether HMS Turbulent was due to participate in ASWEX 04 prior to suffering damage on 16th January 2004. [224883]
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2004, Official Report, columns 410–12W, on the Bugaled Breizh trawler, how long HMS Turbulent remained in Devonport after 16 January 2004. [224884]
Mr. Ingram: HMS Turbulent remained in Devonport until 19 January 2004, when she sailed for Gibraltar.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2004, Official Report, columns 410–12W, on the Bugaled Breizh Trawler, what the itinerary was of the two Dauphin helicopters from FOST flying in the vicinity at the time of the sinking of the Bugaled Breizh on 15 January 2004. [224885]
Mr. Ingram: The two Dauphin helicopters operating from FOST on 15 January 2004 were transporting personnel from Plymouth Airport to HMS Cumberland and HMS Edinburgh.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2004, Official Report, columns 410–12W, on the Bugaled Breizh trawler, which UK and French submarines participated in joint exercises in the vicinity at the time of the sinking of the Bugaled Breizh on 15 January 2004; and what their itinerary was. [224886]
Mr. Ingram: HMS Torbay was participating in a UK-led Anti-Submarine Warfare exercise on 15 January 2004. She was a little over 100 nautical miles west of the Bugaled Breizh's reported position at the time of her sinking. FS Rubis was under French Operational Control in French exercise areas south of Ushant on the 15 January 2004 en route to participating in ASWEX 04.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2004, Official Report, columns 410–12W, on the Bugaled Breizh trawler, which French and Dutch vessels were in Devonport on 15 January 2004. [224887]
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Mr. Ingram: HNLMS Williem Van Der Zaan was alongside in the naval base throughout the day.
The following French and Dutch vessels were under way in the harbour on 15 January 2004:
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