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Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of lessons to be learned on the provision of appropriate and adequate security arrangements by UK troops in Iraq from the experiences at Camp Breadbasket; and if he will make a statement. [2717]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence constantly reviews its security arrangements in the light of lessons learned on operations. In the case of Breadbasket, the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson, has appointed a senior military officer to assess what lessons might be learned. It is intended to publish the findings once all the trials of alleged deliberate abuse of Iraqis have been completed.

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he or his officials have had with the United States about the future withdrawal of troops from Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [6933]

John Reid: I hold regular discussions with our coalition partners, including the United States, about progress in establishing a free, stable and democratic Iraq. We have made it very clear during these discussions that the United Kingdom is committed to Iraq for as long as the Iraqi Government judge that the coalition is required to provide security and to assist the Iraqi Security Forces.

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for handing back provinces within Multinational Division (South Central)'s Area of Responsibility to Iraqi security forces' command and control. [7604]

Mr. Ingram: Transitional issues in Multinational Division (Centre-South) are a matter for Poland as the framework nation for this area. Coalition forces across Iraq are working closely with the Iraqi Transitional Government and the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to ensure that the ISF have the necessary capability and capacity to take control of security in all areas of Iraq as soon as possible.

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for operational control of areas of Multinational Division (South Central)'s Area of Responsibility once Polish forces withdraw from Iraq. [7605]

John Reid: We currently have no plans to deploy UK forces to MND (Centre-South) or other areas outside the boundaries of the UK's present area of responsibility in Multinational Division (South East).
 
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Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations have been made to UK military authorities in Iraq by prisoners of war of (a) Iraqi and (b) other nationality in relation to rights under article 78 of the third Geneva convention. [7901]

Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom does not hold any Prisoners of War in Iraq. The UK holds a number of security internees at the Divisional Temporary Detention Facility (DTDF) in Southern Iraq. The conditions of internment of security internees are governed by Geneva convention IV. Article 101 of Geneva convention IV covers the rights of internees to express complaints about their conditions of internment.

Security internees regularly make representations regarding their conditions of internment. Such representations are generally made directly with the staff at the DTDF and are not held centrally. They are taken seriously, and reasonable requests from internees, for example for changes to the menu, are accommodated where possible. Internees also have the right to make representations to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) about any issue related to their internment. The ICRC have regular and unrestricted access to the DTDF and to all internees held there.

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the legal basis for the bombing of Iraq by RAF aircraft in the second half of 2002 was; and what proportion of ordnance was released in response to actual or imminent attack. [7262]

John Reid [holding answer 28 June 2005]: The legal basis for the operation of the No Fly Zones over Iraq was the need to avert an immediate and overwhelming humanitarian catastrophe threatened by the then Iraqi Government against the people living on the ground in those zones. This was combined with a need to monitor the effect of UNSCR 688 which demanded that Saddam Hussein cease the repression of his people. RAF aircraft attacked only targets which were an actual or imminent threat to coalition aircraft or were contributing to such a threat, namely air defence related assets. Thus, all the ordnance released was in response to an actual or imminent attack on coalition forces.

Jet Pilots (Flying Hours)

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of effects on cost of the temporary reduction in the monthly flying hours for RAF fast jet pilots from 17.5 hours to 16.5 hours during 2005–06. [7889]

Mr. Ingram: About £20 million will be saved as a result of the temporary reduction of average monthly flying hours for RAF fast jet pilots from 17.5 to 16.5hours a month in 2005–06.

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to increase flying hours for RAF fast jet pilots to 17.5 hours per month. [7891]

Mr. Ingram: On current plans, yes.

Joint Strike Fighter

Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list, with dates, those occasions when UK
 
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Government Ministers have discussed with the US Administration issues relating to technology transfer on the Joint Strike Fighter project. [6833]

Mr. Ingram: Regular discussions take place at all levels with the US Administration on all aspects of JSF including technology transfer. MOD and other Ministers continue to raise this issue during their discussions with key members of the US Administration.

Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether full technology transfer on the Joint Strike Fighter project is a prerequisite for the UK remaining a part of this programme; and if he will make a statement. [6835]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has set out the information access required to enable the United Kingdom to operate, sustain and upgrade the Joint Strike Fighter. Negotiations are at an early stage, and the United States understands that these issues will be a key consideration as the UK makes further commitments in the Joint Strike Fighter programme.

Joint US Operations

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in how many joint operations with US forces UK aircraft have been involved since May 2003. [6889]

Mr. Ingram: British fast jet aircraft have been deployed on two major coalition operations alongside US forces in the wider middle east—Operation Telic, concentrated in Iraq, and Operation Herrick, in Afghanistan. In the conduct of these wider operations, numerous smaller operations are routinely undertaken by US and UK forces working together.

Kosovo (Troop Deployment)

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to send additional troops to Kosovo in 2005; and if he will make a statement. [8365]

Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom has no plans to send additional troops to Kosovo in 2005.

The UK contributes some 180 troops to the NATO operation in Kosovo. In addition we provide a battalion to the Balkans-wide over the horizon operational reserve force, along with Germany and Italy. Should NATO request the deployment of this asset to Kosovo the UK would respond accordingly, just as we did in March 2004 and March 2005.

Nuclear Submarines

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the incidents resulting in spillages of radioactive material during recent work on Vanguard class submarines. [6795]

Mr. Ingram: On 7 and 10 June 2005, during the preliminary commissioning of the Primary Circuit Decontamination (PCD) facility, which will be used during the Long Overhaul Period (Refuel) of HMS Victorious at Devonport, two small leakages of water occurred. Some parts of the equipment had previously been used in the overhaul of another nuclear-powered submarine and, as a result, the water contained very low
 
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levels of radioactivity, barely above background levels. The water was contained within the dry dock and no radioactivity was released to the environment.

Nuclear safety remains of paramount importance and while these incidents were minor and did not present any hazard to the workforce or to the public, they could have been avoided. For this reason, the Environment Agency served an Enforcement Notice on the nuclear site licensee, Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd. (who trade as Devonport Management Ltd.), which required the company to review and, where appropriate, improve the arrangements for controlling the release of radioactive waste to the environment. Accordingly, DRDL suspended PCD commissioning activities. These recommenced on 23 June 2005 once the recommendations from the review had been implemented. The PCD equipment is not due to be connected to HMS Victorious for some weeks and there should therefore be no long term impact on her programme.

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