Memorandum from the Ministry of Defence
Asterisks denote that part of the written
evidence has not been printed at the request of the Ministry of
Defence or Department for International Development and with the
agreement of the Committee
(Q41) HCDC Request: A note on the UK's strategy
for reconstruction in Iraq outlining the work of the Provincial
Reconstruction Team (PRT), including references to publicly available
sources from DfID.
See Annex A
(Q43) HCDC Request: A note outlining the funding
arrangements for the PRT, including details of the amount and
proportions of funding invested by the United States, as well
as by DfID and MoD.
See Annex A
(Q44) HCDC Request: A note on MoD's current
estimate of the in-service date of the Hercules replacement, the
A400M, including details of whether the fleet will be fitted with
explosive suppressant foam before they enter service.
The current estimate of the A400M In-Service
Date is 2011. The A400M Common Standard Aircraft (CSA) will not
be fitted with a Fuel Tank Inerting system as standard but an
Inert Gas Generation and Distribution (to the fuel tanks) System
is available as an option.
An ongoing study, on Large Aircraft Survivability
is due to be published at the end of 2006 and will be used to
help inform decisions on fitting Fuel Tank Inerting systems to
RAF Air Transport aircraft. The study will compare Explosion Suppressant
Foam (as currently being fitted to some C130 aircraft) against
Inert Gas systems (as fitted to C-17 and an option for A400M).
This study will inform any decision of the fitting of a Fuel Inerting
System to the A400M.
(Q58 & Q59) HCDC Request: A note on the
Temporary Detention Facility at the Shaibah Logistics Base outlining,
in particular: under what authority the detainees are held; what
numbers of detainees are currently held, broken down by gender,
length of detention and grounds for detention; which UK military
personnel are involved in guarding the Facility and in what roles;
and, the review process.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1637,
adopted at the request of the Provisional Iraqi Government, gives
Multi National Force commanders the ability to intern people for
imperative reasons of security. It is important that they have
this power to protect both their forces and the Iraqi people but
it is a power that the UK uses sparingly and only for imperative
reasons of security.
The UK maintains its own Divisional Temporary
Detention Facility (DTDF) at Shaibah in Southern Iraq which opened
in December 2003. The facility has a capacity of 180 internees.
The most held at any one time was 140 in January 2004. The least,
seven in October 2004.
The UK is currently holding around 81 security
internees. The internees are all male and range in age from 22
to 56. Three of the internees are Sunni, 78 are Shia. There is
one dual UK/Iraqi national in the facility, Mr al-Jedda. The average
length of time each one has been detained is 198 days (the 18
month review point is at around 550 days). All of them are held
because they are assessed to represent an imperative threat to
the security of Coalition forces and Iraqis. The most recent release
of internees took place on the 8 June, when five internees were
set free.
There are stringent review procedures to ensure
that detainees are released as soon as they cease being an imperative
threat to security.
Individuals held by the UK have their cases
reviewed by the Divisional Internment Review Committee. The first
review is within 48 hours of internment and monthly thereafter.
Individuals have the right to provide written representation at
the hearings and have regular access to lawyers.
A joint Iraqi/coalition detention committee,
which is co-chaired by Prime Minister Maliki and the MNF, in Baghdad
reviews detention cases after 18 months to assess whether continued
internment is necessary. This is a requirement under Iraqi law.
The High Court found last year that our review
procedures met the standards of the Geneva Conventions, subject
to a small technical change which has now been rectified in Theatre.
We are currently looking closely at ways we can involve the Iraqis
in our review process and are in discussions with the Iraqi Government
and our Coalition partners to achieve this.
The guard force at the DTDF the facility is
provided by troops from the Grenadier Guards, advised by six members
of the Military Provost Staff, who are the military's prisoner
handling experts, usually based in Colchester. They provide training
to the guard force and are on hand at the facility to provide
specialist advice and ensure standards are maintained.
The International Committee for the Red Cross,
and the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights has unfettered access to
the DTDF. The ICRC has made regular visits to the facility since
it opened in December 2003 and is satisfied with the conditions
there as is the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights.
(Q74) HCDC Request: A note on the numbers
and types of UK helicopters deployed in Iraq.
***
(Q80) HCDC Request: A note outlining the progress
being made on fitting the Hercules C130 fleet with explosive suppressant
foam, including details of whether and when Hercules aircraft
in theatre in Iraq and Afghanistan will be equipped with this.
The fitting of Explosion Suppressant Foam (ESF)
to some of our Hercules aircraft is currently underway. The aircraft
that will be fitted with ESF will operate in both Iraq and Afghanistan
and the first aircraft fitted with ESF will be available for Operations
within the next few months.
The programme to fit ESF is being carried out
at the most expedient rate at which both the industrial supply
chain and Hercules Depth maintenance facilities can carry out
the work and the front line command can release aircraft for the
work. Accelerating the programme will not be possible without
impacting upon aircraft availability for Operations.
(Q83) HCDC Request: A note outlining the impact
of the two Hercules losses upon the work and operation of the
Hercules fleet as a whole.
Despite the loss of two Hercules aircraft, we
have been able to sustain the deployed capability requirement
and cope with periodic surge requirements. After each of the two
aircraft was lost we were able to replace them with aircraft of
the same capability in a timely fashion from the balance of the
fleet.
Of course, the loss of these aircraft will reduce
the totality of our airlift capacity. As we prioritise all airlift
tasking, any impact is most likely to be felt in the support to
the exercise programme. Transfer of tasking to other fleets and/or
charter airlift helps mitigate against this impact.
(Q86 & Q 90) HCDC Request: A note identifying
the number of Snatch 1 and Snatch 2 Land Rovers deployed in Iraq.
***
(Q88) HCDC Request: A note on whether and
when the Panther CLV will be made available to the Royal Military
Police.
There are currently no plans to issue the Panther
CLV to RMP units. On current operations where there is a specific
threat, soft skinned vehicles will not be used and users, including
the RMP, will be given protective vehicles in replacement for
soft skinned vehicles.
British forces have a suite of vehicles available
in theatre; these vehicles offer different levels of protection.
These vary from SNATCH, a Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle or
a helicopter. The choice of vehicle for a particular operation,
patrol or other journey is dependent on the commander's assessment
of the nature of the task and the current threat. The process
considers factors such as mobility, fire power and protection
and inevitably involves the acceptance of operational risk in
some areas.
(Q106) HCDC Request: A note outlining the
UK's future basing strategy in MND (SE) including proposals for
the hardening of facilities.
There is no set timetable for the drawdown of
UK force from Iraq; this is a conditions based process. However,
we envisage that the process of Provincial Iraqi Control and transition
to Operational Over Watch will allow the UK to reduce force levels
in MND(SE) over time and consequently rationalise our camp and
combat service support requirements, with the potential to reduce
to one primary location in 2007.
6 July 2006
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