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31 Jan 2008 : Column 524W—continued
Departmental Personal Records
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 22 January 2008, Official Report, column 1225, on MOD (data loss), when and by what means his Department informed (a) the Prime Minister, (b) other Departments, (c) West Midlands police, (d) Ministry of Defence police and (e) the devolved Administrations of the theft of the computer on 9 January. [182397]
Des Browne [holding answer 28 January 2008]: I have nothing further to add to the statement I made to the House on 21 January 2008, Official Report, column 1225.
Iraq: Detainees
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 885W, on Iraq: detainees, what the Government’s policy is on recording (a) requests for the transfer of individuals to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and (b) the transfer of individuals to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay for which the UK Government’s consent was not requested. [181542]
Des Browne: Any request made by the US authorities for approval to transfer to Guantanamo Bay an individual previously detained by UK forces but passed into their jurisdiction would be recorded. As I made clear in my answer of 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 885W, we have no record of any such requests having been made and no record of any such individual being transferred without our consent.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will investigate the circumstances in which the 1972 direction on the use of hooding, referred to in paragraph 19 of the Aitken report on Cases of Deliberate Abuse and Unlawful Killing in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, came to be lost in 2003. [178773]
Des Browne: The question of how the direction following the publication of the “Directive on Interrogation by the Armed Forces in Internal Security Operations” in 1972 came to be lost is likely to be addressed in any future inquiry into the death of Mr. Baha Mousa. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 25 January 2008, Official Report, column 65WS.
Military Aircraft: Helicopters
John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future maintenance of the UK armed forces helicopter fleet. [179315]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth:
Our current helicopter operations at home and abroad are of critical importance to our armed forces and are being admirably supported by both MOD and industry. This support is being achieved
increasingly though long-term partnering arrangements; the benefits of which are evident on our Merlin, Sea King and Chinook aircraft. This strategy for the maintenance of our fleet includes the consideration of the future ownership of DARA's Rotary Wing Components business, on which no decision has yet been reached. As our partnering arrangements with industry have proved, any potential sale of the businesses will neither compromise security of supply nor maintenance of future capability and availability of aircraft for front line duties.
Nuclear Weapons: Operating Costs
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current annual operating cost is of the UK’s nuclear warhead programme. [182399]
Des Browne [holding answer 28 January 2008]: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave on 11 December 2007, Official Report, column 400W, to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey).
Official Engagements
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his official engagements were between 11 December 2007 and 13 January 2008. [179687]
Des Browne: Throughout the period 11 December 2007 to 13 January 2008,1 had various meetings in London and Scotland, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the MOD and Scotland Office. On 11 December and 12 December, I had meetings with several families of troops who died on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. On 12 December I attended the Scotch Whisky Association Reception in Dover House. On 14 and 15 December, I hosted a meeting in Edinburgh for the Defence and Foreign Ministers of nations contributing troops to NATO-led operations in southern Afghanistan. On, 17 December I discussed the outcome of the Edinburgh meeting with the NATO Secretary General and also met Ross Kemp to discuss his recent visit to Afghanistan. On 18 December I met representatives from Serco Defence, Science and Technology. On 19 December I held a video conference with representatives of the independent panel set up by the Canadian government to review their future role in Afghanistan (the Manley Panel). On 20 December, I took the salute at a passing out parade at the Army Training Regiment in Bassingbourn. On 3 and 4 January 2008, I visited Brussels for meetings with the UK ambassador to NATO and the UK delegation to the EU. On 5 January, I visited HQ Northern Ireland and was briefed by the General Officer Commanding. On 8 January, I had meetings with the Belgian ambassador and with Lieutenant General Mohan al-Firaji, Commander of Iraqi security operations in Basra, following which I gave evidence to the House of Commons Defence Committee on its inquiry into the future of NATO and European defence. On 10 January, I attended the House for a Defence debate on armed forces personnel. On 11 January, I hosted the pre-Budget report seminar in Edinburgh and visited the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow. On 12 January, I attended a meeting of the Executive of the Scottish Labour Party in Stirling.
Olympic Games 2012: Aldershot
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who will pay for the (a) guarding, (b) security and (c) administration of the British Olympic team at Aldershot barracks; and what the estimated cost is. [183162]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The cost of the British Olympic Association’s (BOA’s) use of facilities at Aldershot Garrison will be met entirely by the BOA. No estimate is available at this stage; however, no costs will fall to the defence budget.
Trident: Operating Costs
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current annual operating cost is of the Trident submarine fleet and missiles. [182398]
Des Browne [holding answer 28 January 2008]: The annual expenditure for capital and running costs of the current Trident nuclear deterrent, excluding costs for the Atomic Weapons Establishment, is expected to be around £720 million in 2007-08.
Warships
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he will list the warship launchings or other naming ceremonies which have taken place since May 1997; and which Ministers represented the Government on each occasion; [176653]
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which occasions since May 1997 no Minister has been present to represent the Government at warship launchings or other naming ceremonies. [176654]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 8 January 2008]: Records show that the following ship launches or naming ceremonies took place since 1997. Ministers attended these, as shown. However, information on ministerial attendance prior to 2000 is not currently available.
| Date | Ship | Minister attending |
|
Minister for the Armed Forces Minister for Defence Equipment and Support | ||
Culture, Media and Sport
BBC's Delivering Creative Future Programme
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of whether the BBC's Delivering Creative Future programme will enable the BBC to meet its public service obligations. [183014]
Andy Burnham: I have made no assessment. This is a matter for the BBC.
Digital Broadcasting: Television
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of households in each regional television area have digital television receiving equipment. [182868]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 29 January 2008]: The table shows the percentage of homes with digital by ITV region, taken from the Ofcom and Digital UK Switchover Tracker Survey, quarter three, 2007.
| ITV region | Percentage |
| (1) Small base size—data should be viewed as indicative only. | |
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