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16 Jan 2006 : Column 917W—continued

British Base, Cyprus

Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British service men and women are stationed in Cyprus. [42450]

 
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Mr. Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to Tri Service Publication 6, Global Location of UK Regular Forces (TSP 6). This shows that as at 1 October 2005, there were 3,090 UK Regular Service Personnel posted to Cyprus.

Copies of TSP 6 are held in the Library of the House and also available on www.dasa.mod.uk

Civilian Detainees

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British civilian detainees of the Japanese did not receive the compensation because they had no blood link with the UK; and what estimate he has made of the cost of including them in the scheme. [41143]

Mr. Touhig: Until the Ministry of Defence has completed the review that I outlined in my statement to the House on 12 December 2005, Official Report, columns 1119–28) I am unable to provide this information. I hope to make a further statement, on the outcome of the review, in February.

Courts Martial

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2005, Official Report, column 2202W, on courts martial, what role Private Gary Bartlam's commanding officer played in the process that led to the reduction of Private Bartlam's statement. [40438]

Mr. Ingram: The decision to reduce Private Bartlam's sentence was made by the Army Reviewing Authority and the Court Martial Appeal Court in the High Court. The commanding officer played no part in this process.

Decorations/Payments

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Hendon residents are (a) eligible for and (b) have received (i) the Veterans' Badge, (ii) the Suez Campaign Clasp, (iii) the Arctic Convoy Badge and (iv) ex-gratia payments as former Far East Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees; and if he will make a statement. [41221]

Mr. Touhig: We do not have the information required to establish how many residents of Hendon might fulfil the eligibility criteria for the Armed Forces Veterans' Badge, the General Service Medal Suez Canal Zone Clasp, the Arctic Convoy Emblem and ex-gratia payments as former Far East Prisoners of War or Civilian Internees.

The veterans' badge scheme was launched in May 2004 and since April 2005 11 residents from Hendon have applied for and received the badge. There are no accurate records of geographical issue available before April 2005.

The first General Service Medal Suez Canal Zone Clasp was issued around October 2003 and it is estimated that some 42,250 had been issued by 30 December 2005. Records are not maintained of the geographical issue of these clasps.

Production and issue of the Arctic Convoy Emblem has not yet started.
 
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The Veterans Agency has received four claims from Hendon residents for an ex-gratia payment under the scheme for former Far East Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees. Two claims have been paid and two rejected.

Departmental IT Equipment

Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) laptops and (b) mobile phones his Department bought in each year since 1997; and what the cost of each category of equipment was in each year. [41269]

Mr. Touhig: Information on the number and cost of laptop computers bought in each year since 1997 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Information relating to the number and cost of mobile telephones is only available from 1999:
£ million

	Number	Spend (ex VAT)
1999	6,656	2.64
2000	8,964	2.66
2001	10,958	2.37
2002	13,808	3.40
2003	17,084	3.96
2004	22,029	3.98
2005	24,800	4.74

There are a small number of local agreements in place for which information is not available.

Illegal Drugs (RN Seizures)

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 557, on illegal drugs (RN seizures), when he expects to be able to supply the remaining information. [41885]

Mr. Ingram: Most of the hurricane damage at the Joint Inter Agency Task Force South (JIATFS) in Key West, Florida, has now been repaired and I expect to be able to provide as much further information as is held by the JIATFS to the hon. Member by the end of this month.

Lieutenant-Colonel Blair Mayne

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will award a posthumous Victoria Cross to Lieutenant-Colonel Blair Mayne; and if he will make a statement. [41550]

Mr. Touhig: In 1946 the Government reviewed all actions and campaigns that took place during world war two and decided that after this date no further awards would be made. This remains the case to this day, and it would be impossible to second guess the decisions made by military commanders at the time. For that reason it is not possible to make a posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to Lieutenant-Colonel Blair Mayne.

None of this lessens our appreciation for Lieutenant-Colonel Mayne's actions at the time, which were recognised with the award of a fourth Distinguished Service Order.
 
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Maladministration

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many payments for maladministration have been made by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies, (c) its non-departmental public bodies and (d) other bodies for which his Department has responsibility in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [32240]

(2) when he expects to answer question 32240 tabled by the hon. Member for Yeovil on 24 November 2005. [40642]

Mr. Touhig: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Medals

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defencehow many General Service Medal Suez Canal Zone clasps for the period 16 October 1951 to 19 October 1954 have been issued; how many applications have still to be processed; on what date the first clasp was issued; and when he expects that the final award will be made. [41478]

Mr. Touhig: As at 30.December 2005, some 42,250 General Service Medal Suez Canal Zone clasps had been issued. A further 758 applications were waiting to be processed. The first clasp was issued in October 2003.

It is likely that a small number of applications from veterans or their relatives will continue to be received for many years to come.

While this means that it is impossible to predict when the final award will be made, the applications currently outstanding should be processed within two months.

Met Office

Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many responses his Department received to the Met Office consultation about proposals to change its civil centre forecast production network; and how many responses were received from each UK political party. [28344]

Mr. Touhig: The Met Office received 166 responses to the consultation about proposals to change its civil forecast production network. Of these responses, 33 were from the Labour party, 20 from the Liberal Democrats, nine from the Conservatives, 12 from the Scottish National party and nine from the Democratic Unionist party.

Ministerial Visits

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times he has visited (a) Dacorum and (b) Hertfordshire in his official capacity in the last 12 months; and what the purpose was of each visit. [29923]

Mr. Touhig: My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House, in his former role as Secretary of State for Defence, opened the new MBDA facility in Stevenage on 6 April 2005. My noble Friend Lord Bach, the former Minister for Defence Procurement, visited Paradigm in Stevenage on 22 March 2005.
 
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Since the General Election no Defence Ministers have visited the borough of Dacorum or the County of Hertfordshire.

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