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6 Mar 2006 : Column 1183W—continued
Armed Forces Pay Review Body
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the papers submitted to the Armed Forces Pay Review Body in preparation for its 35th report. [55476]
John Reid: The following papers of evidence were submitted by the Ministry of Defence to the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body to help inform their 2006 recommendations, which were accepted in full by the Government on 16 February:
Arms Manufacturers (Promotions)
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps he has undertaken to promote UK arms manufacturers. [56570]
Mr. Ingram: The Defence Industrial Strategy underlined the benefits to defence from responsible defence exports. Ministers therefore regularly support export promotion activities. For example, at the Defence Systems and Equipment International exhibition, held in London last autumn, Defence Ministers attended a number of events and supported UK companies. My noble Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement, who has responsibility for defence exports, has in recent months supported UK exporters at defence exhibitions in Turkey and India.
Caribbean (Anti-drugs Patrols)
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 1 March 2006 to Question 54015, on anti-drugs patrolling of the Caribbean, what assessment he has made of the impact of providing a frigate or destroyer for this role for only four months in 2006; and for what reason the decision to reduce the length of this deployment was taken. [56580]
Mr. Ingram: Counter-drugs activities form part of the Royal Navy's deployments to the Caribbean and provide a visible presence as one element of the UK's broader counter-drugs engagement in the region. These activities are co-ordinated by HM Revenue and Customs, and involve agencies from a number of our international partners.
As well as counter-drugs tasks, the primary purposes of the Caribbean deployment (Atlantic Patrol Task (North)) are to promote UK interests and provide security to UK Overseas Territories, including support to humanitarian operations and disaster relief. Traditionally, this support has been needed most during the hurricane season.
The decision to reduce the length of the deployment in 2006 was taken following a review of the Royal Navy's standing tasks and commitments. This was explained in the Government's response to the House of Commons Defence Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2004–05 on the 'Future Capabilities' Command Paper. The shorter assignment period will apply for 2006 only, after which it is planned to resume year-round assignment of a frigate/destroyer to the region.
6 Mar 2006 : Column 1185W
Chemical Defence Establishment
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on whose authority the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton Down collaborated with (a) Walter Basson and (b) Roodeplaat Research Laboratory on chemical biological weapon research during the period of the apartheid government in South Africa; and if he will make a statement; [39801]
(2) what (a) collaboration and (b) contact took place between scientists and officials employed by or at (i) the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton Down and (ii) other institutions funded by Her Majesty's Government and Walter Basson of South Africa; and if he will make a statement; [39803]
(3) what (a) collaboration and (b) contact took place between scientists and officials employed by or at (i) the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton Down and (ii) other institutions funded by the Government, with the Roodeplaat Research Laboratory of South Africa; and if he will make a statement. [40479]
Mr. Ingram: There is no record of collaboration between the Ministry of Defence officials and either Wouter Basson or the Roodeplaat Research Laboratory, nor is there any record of contact between Ministry of Defence officials and the Roodeplaat Research Laboratory.
In March 1995, there was a visit to the new South African Government of National Unity". The cross-government visit included a scientist form the Chemical Biological Defence Establishment, and provided advice to South Africa on her international treaty obligations under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. Two official meetings involved the South African Surgeon General; as a member of his staff, Wouter Basson was present.
I am not in a position to comment of the activities of Her Majesty Government funded institutions outside the Ministry of Defence.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2347W, on Porton Down, if on visits in January and March 1992 Ministry of Defence employees (a) visited Roodeplaat Research Laboratory and (b) met its officials. [40480]
Mr. Ingram: During their passage through South Africa in January and March 1992 the Ministry of Defence employees, from what was then the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton Down, did not visit the Roodeplaat Research Laboratory and were not knowingly introduced to its officials.
Correspondence
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the letter to the Prime Minister dated 5 December 2005 from Colour Sergeant Nicholas Cowan, which has been passed to him for reply. [56371]
Mr. Touhig:
Neither the Ministry of Defence nor the Prime Minister's office is aware of any such letter. However, both No 10 and the Office of the Deputy
6 Mar 2006 : Column 1186W
Prime Minister responded to earlier correspondence from Colour Sergeant Nicholas Cowan on 5 December 2005. He has since written again, and officials are co-ordinating a further response.
Dartmouth Naval College
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the (a) short-term and (b) long-term future of the Dartmouth Naval College; and if he will make a statement. [56433]
Mr. Touhig: Our short and longer term planning assumption is that Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth will continue to be a major centre of training excellence and activity for the Royal Navy. Such assumptions are, however, constantly reviewed in the normal cycle of Defence Planning, but any significant proposed change which emerged from that process would be subject to consultation with interested parties under well-established procedures.
Defence Export Services Organisation
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many visits officials from the Defence Export Services Organisation have made to: (a) Pakistan, (b) India, (c) Indonesia, (d) Saudi Arabia and (e) Iraq since 18 March 2003; [56582]
(2) how many visits officials from the Defence Export Services Organisation have made to (a) Nigeria, (b) Turkey and (c) Israel since 18 March 2003 [56571]
Mr. Ingram: The information requested is set out in the table:
| Country | Number of visits |
|---|---|
| India | 20 |
| Indonesia | 1 |
| Israel | 0 |
| Iraq | 1 |
| Nigeria | 1 |
| Saudi Arabia(47) | – |
| Pakistan | 9 |
| Turkey | 8 |
(47) Very frequent visits are made by DESO officials to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, principally in support of the implementation of Government-to-Government contracts signed previously. The number of visits therefore could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
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