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13 Dec 2005 : Column 1875W—continued
Deepcut Barracks
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of the Media Facilitation Day at Deepcut Barracks on 26 October, broken down by main budget heading; if he will list the media organisations represented at the event; and how much press coverage resulted, broken down by (a) newspaper column inches and (b) broadcast minutes on (i) television and (ii) radio. [32942]
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Mr. Ingram: The open day for the media event at Deepcut on 26 October incurred no additional costs to those that would have otherwise been incurred in the running of that part of the Defence College of Logistics.
Information detailing press coverage is not available in the format requested. The open day featured in news bulletins on BBC News, BBC News 24, BBC London News, Sky News and Radio Five; was reported on by The Times and The Telegraph; was covered by internal Garrison Radio broadcasts and the MOD's in-house FOCUS magazine; and was reported on by a range of regional media.
A list of the media organisations who registered to attend the event are presented in the following list.
PA
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the defined objectives for the Media Facilitation Day at Deepcut Barracks on 26 October. [32943]
Mr. Ingram: Media open days at a range of Defence training establishments, including at the Defence College of Logistics, Deepcut, aim to explain to the public how the Services train their recruits and to explain the duty of care and welfare support provided to trainees.
Defence Headquarters
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to collocate RAF HQ Strike Command and HQ Personnel and Training Command; and how he intends to announce his plans. [35721]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 8 December 2005]: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 16 June 2005, Official Report, column 22WS. Following completion of the Trade Union consultation, the staff affected and Members in the immediate localities, were informed that my decision remained unchanged.
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Departmental Call Centres
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many call centres were run by his Department and its agencies in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06 to date; and how many and what proportion of calls (i) were handled by an adviser, (ii) were received but abandoned and (iii) received an engaged tone in each year. [23306]
Mr. Touhig: There are a number of internal 'help desk' points within the Ministry of Defence but details are not held centrally and information could be collated only at disproportionate cost and effort. Inquiries indicate that the Department does not operate any public facing 'call centres' within the accepted definition.
Dr. Dafydd Alun Jones
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his colleagues in the Welsh Assembly Government regarding the funding of the work carried out by Doctor Dafydd Alun Jones. [26153]
Mr. Touhig: I have had no such discussions.
Helmand, Afghanistan
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written statement of 14 November 2005, Official Report, columns 41–42WS, on the international security assistance force, what his most recent assessment is of the security situation in the Province of Helmand, Afghanistan; and whether there have been (a) US and (b) allied casualties in that Province since the invasion in 2001. [35475]
Mr. Ingram: The security situation in the south of Afghanistan is more challenging than in the ISAF's current area of operation. The Taliban are still active in the area, as are drug traffickers.
While United States casualties are a matter for the US, we are aware of three US casualties (but no other allied casualties) in Helmand Province.
Inquests
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many inquests remain to be heard in relation to members of Her Majesty's armed forces who lost their lives as a result of military duties in Iraq (a) since 2003 in total, (b) in 2004 and (c) in 2005; and in how many cases an inquest has not been concluded a year after death. [35853]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 8 December 2005]: Since 2003 a total of 98 British personnel have lost their lives in support of Operation Telic with 70 inquests still outstanding.
In 2004, 22 British Military personnel lost their lives with 15 inquests still outstanding
As at 7 December 2005, 23 British Military personnel have died during 2005; all inquests remain outstanding.
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A total of 65 inquests have not been concluded a year after death.
The Coroner is under remit to conduct an independent inquest into reported deaths of a violent, natural or unknown cause, including those of military personnel. The Ministry of Defence continues to assist the Coroner as necessary.
Iraq
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqis have been (a) detained by UK forces in each month since March 2003 and (b) convicted in Iraqi courts of offences connected to insurgent activity since March 2003; and if he will make a statement. [28804]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 15 November 2005]: Iraqis detained by UK forces are either criminal detainees or security internees. Criminal detainees are transferred as soon as practically possible into Iraqi custody on their detention by UK forces, usually within eight hours. Security internees are detained and then held at the Divisional Temporary Detention Facility (DTDF) at Shaibah.
The table gives a monthly breakdown of the number of internees entering the DTDF from its opening in December 2003 to the present. Once security internees are no longer judged to be an imperative threat to security they are released. There are currently 35 internees in the DTDF.
Before the DTDF was opened, security internees detained by UK forces were transferred into US custody at Camp Bucca. In total, around 1,000 individuals detained by UK forces were interned at Camp Bucca. We do not hold a monthly breakdown for this period.
We do not have a record of the number of Iraqis convicted in Iraqi courts. This is a matter for the Iraqis.
The Ministry of Defence does not keep any record of the number of Iraqis convicted in Iraqi courts of offences connected to insurgent activity since March 2003. This is a matter for the Iraqi Ministry of Justice.
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Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when armed services personnel were first informed that members of the Royal Military Police had been taken hostage in Majar-al-Kabir; and what assessment was made at that time of the prospects of a successful rescue operation. [36935]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 12 December 2005]: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made on 17 November 2004, Official Report, columns 90–91WS by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon).
An Army Board of Inquiry examined the circumstances leading up to the deaths of the six Royal Military Policemen in Al Majarr Al Kabir. Details of what actions were taken when it first became known that there were members of the coalition force in the police station are contained within the Board's Opinion, Findings and Recommendations, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House in November 2004.
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