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15 Mar 2006 : Column 2294W—continued
International Security Assistance Force
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding levels each (a) NATO and (b) International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) coalition member has devoted to ISAF in the 2005–06 financial year. [57468]
Mr. Ingram: The costs of operational deployments are a matter for the nations concerned.
Iran
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards the recovery of Royal Marine patrol boats seized by Iran. [58257]
Mr. Ingram: Discussions are ongoing. Through diplomatic channels we have raised the return of the boats with the Iranian authorities on numerous occasions, at both ministerial and senior official level, in Tehran and London.
Iraq
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the capture of a suspected insurgent by RAF Regiment soldiers near Basra airbase; and what the (a) age and (b) nationality was of the person seized. [58255]
Mr. Ingram: The individual apprehended by British Forces near the Basra airbase on 28 February 2006 was 25 years old and of Iraqi nationality.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2006, Official Report, column 1189W, on Iraq and the Ministry of Defence press release of 28 September 2005, entitled 2005 UK Defence Statistics, if he will update the figures provided in the answer to include the cost of combat operations in 2003–04 and 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [58609]
Mr. Ingram:
Further to my earlier answer on 6 March 2006, Official Report, columns 1189–90W, it remains the position that it is not possible to identify separately the cost of combat operations. The total cost of military
15 Mar 2006 : Column 2295W
operations in Iraq, including the war-fighting phase between 20 March and 1 May 2003, are as advised in that answer and as published in the UK Defence Statistics 2005", table 1.17. The MOD press release of 28 September 2005 focuses on financial year 2004–05, during which no war-fighting was conducted—although the publication does also disclose the costs in 2002–03 and 2003–04, which include the war-fighting phase of Operation Telic.
Non-service Employment
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel applied to take up appointments with private military companies in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005, broken down by rank; and how many of the applications were refused in each case. [57864]
Mr. Touhig: The rules on acceptance of appointments by Crown Servants (the 'Business Appointment Rules') contained in the Civil Service Management Code and Queen's Regulations require all officers in the armed forces, in certain circumstances, to apply for permission before taking up appointments with outside organisations for two years after leaving Crown Service.
The number of Service personnel who have submitted applications under the Business Appointment Rules are as follows:
| 2004 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|
| Admiral | 1 | 1 |
| Vice Admiral | 0 | 0 |
| Rear Admiral | 2 | 4 |
| Commodore | 2 | 3 |
| Captain | 2 | 3 |
| Commander | 9 | 7 |
| Lieutenant Commander | 4 | 8 |
| Lieutenant | 0 | 0 |
| Sub Lieutenant | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|
| General | 1 | 0 |
| Lieutenant General | 1 | 1 |
| Major General | 1 | 2 |
| Brigadier | 3 | 1 |
| Colonel | 5 | 6 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 5 | 7 |
| Major | 6 | 3 |
| Captain | 2 | 0 |
| Lieutenant | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|
| Air Chief Marshal | 0 | 3 |
| Air Marshal | 0 | 1 |
| Air Vice Marshal | 3 | 1 |
| Air Commodore | 2 | 4 |
| Group Captain | 6 | 10 |
| Wing Commander | 7 | 9 |
| Squadron Leader | 6 | 13 |
| Flight Lieutenant | 2 | 3 |
15 Mar 2006 : Column 2296W
Please note that some personnel may have submitted more than one application. It is not known how many appointments were taken up. No applications were refused outright. However, on occasions approval will have been given subject to the application of a behavioural condition or a waiting period.
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's work with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe over the last 12 months. [57488]
John Reid: In addition to the exchange of military information and data required under the auspices of the OSCE's 1999 Vienna Document of the Negotiations on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures, in the past 12 months the United Kingdom has conducted 14 missions to inspect and evaluate military units from other OSCE countries, and has itself been subject to three inward inspection and evaluation visits. In October 2005, the UK hosted a visit by OSCE members to a military facility (the Land Warfare Centre in Warminster), as required by the Vienna Document. The UK also deployed on six missions to assist OSCE inspections in the countries of Former Yugoslavia under the auspices of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
The destruction of small arms and light weapons remains a high priority for the MOD and, in response to a request from the OSCE, the UK conducted four Staff Assessment Visits to Belarus with a view to improving stockpile security and management, and oversaw the destruction of Man-Portable Air Defence Systems.
Private Aircraft
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances (a) UK and (b) foreign aircraft which are privately owned may land at UK military airfields. [58467]
Mr. Ingram: It is the Ministry of Defence policy to encourage the civil use of defence facilities wherever possible, provided it is consistent with departmental requirements. Thus civil aircraft may land at most UK military airfields where they have prior permission, which is normally granted at local level. All such users are required routinely to give at least 24 hours notice. We also have arrangements to approve civil users for regular use of particular airfields.
QinetiQ
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the independent assessment of the sale of equity in QinetiQ in 2002. [44093]
John Reid:
Throughout the competitive process to choose a Strategic Partner, leading up to the sale of a minority equity shareholding in QinetiQ to Carlyle, the Ministry of Defence's decisions were informed by assessments undertaken by its advisers UBS Warburg and Simmons & Simmons. These assessments were provided under contractually-committed confidentiality agreements and therefore cannot be released.
15 Mar 2006 : Column 2297W
RAF Spadeadam
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for RAF Spadeadam; and if he will make a statement. [58589]
Mr. Ingram: RAF Spadeadam will continue to provide ground-to-air Electronic Warfare training for RAF aircrew. The RAF is considering the most cost-effective means of undertaking this when current systems begin to go out of service in 2009.
Uganda/Colombia
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military (a) equipment has been exported and (b) training has been provided by his Department to (i) Uganda and (ii) Colombia in each year since 2000. [56049]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the Government's Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls which contain information, by destination, on export licensing decisions and on the value of exports of military equipment from the UK. The reports are available from the Libraries of the House and quarterly information is published by the Department of Trade and Industry at http://www.dti.gov.uk/export.control/whatsnew.htm.
Military training courses, Defence education and other military assistance provided to Ugandan personnel by the Ministry of Defence since 2000 is shown in the following table :
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Military training courses, Defence education and other military assistance provided to Colombian personnel by MOD since 2000 is shown in the following table:
As well as the training listed in the table, the MOD has also provided some bespoke training to members of the Colombian armed forces engaged in Counter-Narcotics.
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