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Iraq

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many of the violent contacts between Coalition forces and insurgents in Iraq in the last 12 months were initiated by (a) British forces, (b) non-British Coalition forces and (c) insurgents; and if he will make a statement; [29888]

(2) when he will answer the question from the right hon. and learned Member for Devizes, reference 29888, tabled on 15 November for answer on 17 November. [36797]

Mr. Ingram: During 2005 there were some 25,200 recorded violent incidents involving Coalition troops across the whole of Iraq. Of these, about 510 took place in MND(SE). It is not possible in all cases to determine whether those who engaged our troops were Iraqis or foreign insurgents. Nor is it always possible to determine whether those incidents represented planned attacks on the Coalition, or chance encounters with those engaged in criminal behaviour.

In MND(SE), British troops are authorised to open fire only when they judge that doing so is the only way in which they can avert a threat to life. It follows that in the vast majority of incidents, British troops will only have opened fire when fired upon, or when clear hostile intent had been demonstrated towards them.
 
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Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Defencewhether British troops have visited the Iraqi Interior Ministry Building in the Jadirya district of Baghdad. [35803]

Mr. Ingram: United Kingdom troops have visited the Iraqi Interior Ministry building in the Jadirya district of Baghdad. They did not visit the detention facility in the basement of the building nor did they see any evidence of abuse.

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many joint exercises have been conducted by elements from (a) 16 Air Assault Brigade and (b) the Joint Helicopter Command for possible deployment to Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [42986]

Mr. Ingram: Elements from the Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), including 16 Air Assault Brigade, have undertaken no joint exercises in preparation for a possible future deployment to Iraq. JHC has, however provided Battlefield Helicopter support to 12 joint exercises in order to prepare other units and formations for such a deployment.

I can however confirm that Joint Helicopter Command has undertaken three joint exercises in preparation for a possible deployment of elements of 16Air Assault Brigade to Afghanistan.

Military Personnel (Private Hiring)

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether members of (a) the Royal Military Police and (b) other military units have been hired on a (i) part-time and (ii) consultancy basis by (A) C Force Security and (B) other private security companies in the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [39600]

(2) who will conduct the investigation ordered into the unauthorised hiring of service personnel by private security companies; and if he will make a statement. [39604]

Mr. Ingram: Information on whether members of military units have been hired by any private companies is not held centrally. In accordance with The Queen's Regulations, records of all approved applications to undertake off duty employment are maintained by Commanding Officers. Such records are retained at unit level and only for as long as the applicant remains at the unit.

Recent allegations in the media concerning C Force Security are being investigated by the Royal Military Police.

QinetiQ

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what benefits employees of QinetiQ will receive from the company's flotation. [44178]

John Reid: The financial benefits to QinetiQ employees at the time of the initial public offering (IPO) are two-fold; first they will benefit from the award of free shares (£500 each) and the opportunity to purchase further shares in priority offers; secondly those who acquired shares or options at the time of the original public private partnership with the Carlyle Group will have the opportunity to exercise those options or sell
 
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those shares. Senior managers will be subject to a lock-up agreement which restricts the proportion of shares they are able to sell at the IPO and for the three years after flotation, and the chairman and chief executive will sell no shares at IPO. Full details of employee share schemes will be set out in the Prospectus, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House once it has been published.

Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the availability of shares in QinetiQ to QinetiQ employees. [43849]

John Reid [holding answer 19 January 2006]: At present, a total of 13 per cent. of the company is owned by QinetiQ employees in the form of ordinary shares (including share options): 7 per cent. by the company's 250 to 300 managers, and 6 per cent. by other members of the work force. All QinetiQ employees were given the chance to buy shares in the company at the time of the Public Private Partnership between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Carlyle Group, and around 2,000 chose to do so. The investment amount was not restricted and provided for employees to invest through a Co-investment share scheme on the same terms as the MOD and the Carlyle Group. All employees were also issued free share options worth a nominal value of £40 on 25 July 2003. All QinetiQ employees have now been offered £500 of free shares to be awarded on the date of the Initial Public Offering and they will also be entitled to purchase additional shares at that time. Full details of employee share schemes will be set out in the prospectus, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House once it has been published.

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department will have the power to veto third party contracts proposed to be entered into by QinetiQ following its flotation. [44160]

John Reid: The existing arrangements, which were established in July 2001, and which allow the Ministry of Defence to prevent QinetiQ entering into transactions that would cause an unmanageable conflict of interest or otherwise be contrary to the defence or security interests of the UK, with the company's contracts with the MOD, will remain in place.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with the United States Administration on the proposed sale of QinetiQ; and if he will make a statement. [44532]

John Reid: The Ministry of Defence has kept the United States Administration, and other allies, informed throughout the Public Private Partnership process for QinetiQ (and formerly the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency). This has been through various means, including briefing by staff from the British embassy Washington and updates at international meetings.

Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what share options will be made available to each grade of employee of QinetiQ. [44956]

John Reid [holding answer 23 January 2006]: The Initial Public Offering will include an employee offer which will, regardless of grade, provide £500 of free shares to all QinetiQ employees. In addition, all employees will be entitled to purchase further shares at
 
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that time. Full details of employee share schemes will be set out in the Prospectus, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House once it has been published.

RAF Hythe, Hampshire

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the (a) current and (b) future roles of RAF Hythe, Hampshire, in respect of (i) the refurbishment of military watercraft and (ii) the repair of mobile military generators and trailers; [45316]

(2) whether he has received proposals by the United States to (a) discontinue and (b) relocate the functions carried out at RAF Hythe. [45318]

Mr. Ingram: RAF Hythe is an RAF facility made available to the United States visiting force under the terms of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement 1951. It is currently operated by the US Army as a combat equipment base whose mission is the repair and maintenance of US Army water vessels, vehicles and mobile equipment. This includes the occasional modification of US Army boats and the repair and refurbishment of flatbed trailers and power generators.

No US proposals have been received regarding an alteration to the US Army's current use of RAF Hythe.

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