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13 Jul 2005 : Column 1076W—continued
Departmental Review (Fraud)
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the outcome was of the internal Departmental Review following the allegation passed to his Department by the Serious Fraud Office in March 2001. [6424]
Mr. Ingram: The allegations of fraud relayed by the Serious Fraud Office in March 2001 were established to be of no direct relevance to the Ministry of Defence.
Deployment
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK forces personnel there are on operational duty, broken down by country; and if he will make a statement. [8691]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my response on 27 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1210–11. In addition, the United Kingdom has the following forces deployed on other UN missions:
| Country | Number |
|---|---|
| Liberia | 3 |
| DRC | 6 |
| Georgia | 7 |
| Sudan | 3 |
English Wine
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that English wine is made available at dinners, receptions and parties he hosts at which hospitality involving wine is appropriate (a) during the EU presidency and (b) generally; and if he will make a statement. [9152]
Mr. Touhig: All procurement of food and drink for events hosted by the Secretary of State for Defence is undertaken in line with the European Community's procurement rules, and aims to obtain value for money for the Department. British produce is given equal consideration wherever possible, however this may be dependent on contractual obligations to existing suppliers at some venues.
With regard to formal meetings of the Council of the European Union in Brussels, we are working with the council secretariat to try to provide British produce (as key ingredients) and drink for all EU council meetings during the UK presidency.
13 Jul 2005 : Column 1077W
Falkland Islands
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future requirements for UK forces in the Falklands. [5010]
Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom forces based in the Falkland Islands demonstrate the Government's continued commitment to the security of UK Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic. The level of forces is reviewed regularly and will continue to be maintained at a sufficient level to provide a credible deterrent.
Frigates
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the length of service of each Royal Navy frigate (a) withdrawn from service in each year since 1997 and (b) scheduled for withdrawal from service from 2005 onwards. [10295]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 7 July 2005]: The length of service for each Royal Navy frigate decommissioned since 1997 was as follows:
| Years | |
|---|---|
| HMS Battleaxe | 17 |
| HMS Boxer | 18 |
| HMS Beaver | 16 |
| HMS Brave | 17 |
| HMS London | 14 |
| HMS Coventry | 15 |
| HMS Sheffield | 14 |
| HMS Norfolk | 15 |
| HMS Marlborough | 14 |
When HMS Grafton is withdrawn from service in 2006 she will have been in service for nine years. On present plans, the expected life of the other Royal Navy frigates currently in service will be around 28 years.
Future Combat Vehicle Conference
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the outcome was of the 5th Annual Future Combat Vehicle Conference held in London on 8–9 June; and if he will make a statement. [6846]
Mr. Ingram: From the Department's perspective, the Royal United Services Institute 5th Annual Future Combat Vehicle Conference was extremely successful since it enabled us to engage with a wide audience of allies and industry, including the major defence contractors and many small and medium enterprises. Through presentations by the Chief of the General Staff, Capability Manager (Battlespace Manoeuvre) and the Director of Equipment Capability (Ground Manoeuvre), we were able to set out our thinking on future armoured vehicle requirements, particularly in the context of Medium Weight Capability, and explain the position, challenges and future plans for our current programmes.
Future Rapid Effects System
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial allocation has been made for the Future Rapid Effects System project for each of the next nine years. [10441]
13 Jul 2005 : Column 1078W
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 March 2005, Official Report, column 571W.
HMS Invincible
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planned decommissioning date for HMS Invincible is; and when this decision was taken. [10318]
Mr. Ingram: HMS Invincible will be decommissioned in August 2005. She will then be placed at very low readiness from October 2005 prior to her withdrawal from service in 2010. The decision was taken in 2003.
International Fleet Review
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the maritime countries which (a) declined and (b) were not offered an invitation to participate in the International Fleet Review. [10819]
Mr. Ingram: Navies from the following countries were invited to participate in the International Fleet Review:
No other maritime countries in addition to those listed were invited.
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