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16 Oct 2008 : Column 1392W—continued

Defence

Aircraft Carriers: Shipbuilding

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the first plate of metal for each of the two new aircraft carriers will be cut. [227357]

Mr. Quentin Davies: The formal cutting of the first plate of metal for each of the new aircraft carriers corresponds with the start of production in the main shipyards, which is expected to commence in early 2009 for HMS Queen Elizabeth and mid-2010 for HMS Prince of Wales. However, long lead items, including steel, have been procured.

Armed Forces: Dogs

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military working dogs his Department had in each year since 1997, broken down by type of dog. [226904]

Mr. Kevan Jones: At 1 August 2008, holdings of Military Working Dogs by type were:

16 Oct 2008 : Column 1393W

Type	Total
Patrol Dogs	512
Army/RAF Police	21
Police Dogs	223
Arms and Explosive Search	89
Vehicle Search	35
Drug Detection	8
Multi Purpose Drug Detection	11
Tracker	10
Infantry Patrol	2
Explosive Detection Dog	0
Total	911

This figure is a snapshot in time, and includes those dogs being trained, those in service in the UK and those deployed on operations. It should be noted that the number of holdings may vary weekly according to training input and outflow, together with operational demand. The Ministry of Defence is currently reviewing its holdings of Military Working Dogs to ensure that its holdings meet its requirements.

Information for previous years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much on average it cost to train fully a military working dog of each breed used in the latest period for which figures are available. [226905]

Mr. Kevan Jones: The approximate average cost of training a successful dog by type in 2006-07 (the latest year for which data are available) is shown in the following table.

Type of dog	Cost per successful dog (£)
Patrol Dogs	8,200
Army/RAF Police Dogs	15,000
MOD Police Dogs	(1)—
Arms and Explosives Search Dogs	22,600
Vehicle Search Dogs	7,300
Multi Purpose Drug Detection Dogs	15,500
Tracker Dogs	8,500
(1) Training a Ministry of Defence police or Military Guard Service dog up to the point on its introduction into service will cost the same as training an Army or RAF police dog. Wethersfield dog section provides further continuous annual training for all MOD police dogs. The cost of this additional training is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military working dogs were killed in service in each year since 1997; what type of dog was involved in each case; and what the (a) location and (b) circumstances of death were in each case. [226990]

Mr. Kevan Jones: Since November 2006, approximately 250 dogs have died in service. It is not possible to break
16 Oct 2008 : Column 1394W
down this figure by type of dog, location or circumstances. However, in the majority of cases (around 55 per cent.) death occurred at the Defence Animal Centre in Melton Mowbray, as this is where many dogs are returned at the end of their service.

Figures are not available prior to November 2006, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fully trained military working dog handlers there were in the armed forces in each year since 1997. [226991]

Mr. Kevan Jones: At 1 August 2008, there were 1,087 military working dog handlers across Defence. Of these, there were none in the Royal Navy, 178 were with the Army and 199 were with the Royal Air Force. The remaining 710 dog handlers were with the various policing and guarding services across the Ministry of Defence.

Data for previous years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Training

Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of foreign armed forces received (a) training and (b) hospitality at UK military establishments in each year since 2003, broken down by (i) nationality and (ii) reason for providing training; and whether conditions applied to the provision of the training. [226842]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Since April 2003, 20,601 members of foreign armed forces from 147 countries have received training at military establishments in the United Kingdom. All of these individuals will have received some form of hospitality from the training establishment, ranging from a basic welcoming reception to the provision of MOD service accommodation. This applies to all course places whether they are part or fully paid for by MOD, or whether the country in question pays for the training itself.

The principal objective of this training activity is to use British Defence assets in peacetime to discourage hostility abroad, build and maintain trust between states, facilitate inter-operability with British armed forces, and assist in the development of democratically accountable armed forces; thereby helping to make a significant contribution to conflict prevention and resolution. The provision of training is also undertaken for income generation purposes, but all offers of training are made only where they comply with wider Government policy on engagement and the relevant security restrictions applying to each country.

The list of countries receiving training and the total numbers of students trained by financial year is shown as follows.

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16 Oct 2008 : Column 1396W

16 Oct 2008 : Column 1397W

16 Oct 2008 : Column 1398W

16 Oct 2008 : Column 1399W

16 Oct 2008 : Column 1400W

Country	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06( 1)	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Afghanistan	—	*	*	*	*	*
Albania	*	*	*	—	*	*
Algeria	*	*	*	*	*	*
Angola	—	*	*	—	—	—
Antigua and Barbuda	*	*	*	*	*	*
Argentina	*	*	*	*	*	*
Armenia	—	*	*	*	*	—
Australia	*	*	*	*	*	*
Austria	*	*	*	*	*	*
Azerbaijan	*	*	*	*	—	—
Bahamas	*	*	—	—	*	*
Bahrain	*	*	*	*	*	*
Bangladesh	*	*	*	*	*	*
Barbados	*	*	*	*	*	*
Belarus	—	—	—	—	*	*
Belgium	*	*	*	*	*	*
Belize	*	*	*	*	*	*
Bhutan	—	*	—	—	—	—
Bolivia	*	*	—	—	—	—
Bosnia-Herzegovina	*	—	*	—	*	*
Botswana	*	*	*	*	*	*
Brazil	*	*	*	*	*	*
Brunei	*	*	*	*	*	*
Bulgaria	*	*	*	*	*	*
Burundi	—	—	*	*	—	—
Cambodia	—	—	*	—	—	—
Canada	*	*	*	*	*	*
Chile	*	*	*	*	*	*
China (inc. Hong Kong)	*	*	*	*	*	*
Colombia	*	*	*	*	*	—
Congo Rep	—	—	—	—	*	—
Cote D’Ivoire	—	*	—	—	—	—
Croatia	*	*	*	*	*	—
Czech Republic	*	*	*	*	*	*
Democratic Rep. Congo	—	—	*	*	*	*
Denmark	*	*	*	*	*	*
Djibouti	—	—	*	*	—	—
ECOWAS (West Africa unspec.)(2)	—	—	—	*	—	—
Ecuador	—	—	*	—	—	—
Egypt	*	*	*	*	*	*
El Salvador	—	—	*	—	—	—
Eritrea	—	*	—	—	—	—
Estonia	*	*	*	*	*	*
Ethiopia	*	*	*	*	—	*
Fiji	*	*	*	*	—	—
Finland	*	*	*	*	*	*
France	*	*	*	*	*	*
Gabon	—	—	*	*	*	—
Gambia	*	*	*	*	*	*
Georgia	*	*	*	*	*	*
Germany	*	*	*	*	*	*
Ghana	—	*	*	*	*	*
Greece	*	*	*	*	*	*
Guatemala	*	*	*	*	—	—
Guyana	*	*	*	*	*	—
Honduras	*	—	*	—	—	—
Hungary	*	*	*	*	*	*
Iceland	—	*	*	*	—	—
India	*	*	*	*	*	*
Indonesia	*	*	*	*	*	*
Iraq	*	*	*	*	*	*
Israel	*	*	*	*	*	*
Italy	*	*	*	*	*	*
Jamaica	*	*	*	*	*	*
Japan	*	*	*	*	*	*
Jordan	*	*	*	*	*	*
Kazakhstan	*	*	*	*	*	*
Kenya	*	*	*	*	*	*
Korea	*	*	*	*	*	*
Kuwait	*	*	*	*	*	*
Kyrgyzstan	*	—	*	—	—	—
Latvia	*	*	*	*	*	*
Lebanon	*	*	*	*	*	*
Lesotho	—	—	*	*	—	—
Liberia	—	—	—	—	*	—
Libya	—	*	*	—	*	—
Lithuania	*	*	*	*	*	*
Luxembourg	*	*	—	*	*	—
Macedonia	*	*	—	*	*	*
Malawi	*	*	*	*	*	*
Malaysia	*	*	*	*	*	*
Maldives	—	—	*	—	*	—
Malta	*	*	*	*	*	*
Mauritania	—	—	—	—	*	—
Mauritius	*	*	—	*	—	—
Mexico	*	—	—	—	—	—
Moldova	*	*	*	*	—	*
Mongolia	—	—	*	*	*	—
Morocco	*	*	*	*	*	*
Mozambique	*	*	*	*	—	—
Namibia	*	—	*	*	*	*
NATO and EUROCORPS unspec.(2)	—	*	*	—	*	*
Nepal	*	*	*	*	*	*
Netherlands	*	*	*	*	*	*
New Zealand	*	*	*	*	*	*
Nicaragua	—	—	*	—	—	—
Nigeria	*	*	*	*	*	*
Norway	*	*	*	*	*	*
Oman	*	*	*	*	*	*
Pakistan	*	*	*	*	*	*
Palestine	—	—	—	*	*	—
Panama	—	—	*	—	—	—
Papua New Guinea	—	—	—	—	—	*
Peru	—	*	*	*	*	*
Philippines	*	*	*	*	*	—
Poland	*	*	*	*	*	*
Portugal	*	*	*	*	*	*
Qatar	*	*	*	*	*	*
Republic of Ireland	*	*	*	*	*	*
Romania	*	*	*	*	*	*
Russia	*	*	*	*	*	—
Rwanda	—	—	*	*	*	*
Saudi Arabia	*	*	*	*	*	*
Senegal	*	*	*	*	*	*
Serbia and Montenegro	*	*	*	*	*	*
Seychelles	—	—	*	*	—	—
Sierra Leone	*	*	*	*	*	*
Singapore	*	*	*	*	*	*
Slovakia	*	*	*	*	*	*
Slovenia	*	*	*	*	*	*
South Africa	*	*	*	*	*	*
Spain	*	*	*	*	*	*
Sri Lanka	*	*	*	*	*	*
St. Kitts and Nevis	*	—	*	—	—	—
St. Lucia	—	—	*	—	—	—
St. Vincent and The Grenadines	*	—	*	*	—	—
Sudan	—	*	—	*	*	*
Swaziland	*	—	—	—	—	—
Sweden	*	*	*	*	*	*
Switzerland	*	*	*	*	*	*
Syria	*	*	*	*	—	*
Tajikistan	—	*	—	—	—	—
Tanzania	*	*	*	*	*	*
Thailand	*	*	*	*	*	*
Tonga	—	*	*	*	—	—
Trinidad and Tobago	*	*	*	*	*	*
Tunisia	*	*	*	—	—	—
Turkey	*	*	*	*	*	*
Turkmenistan	—	*	—	—	—	—
Uganda	*	*	*	*	*	*
Ukraine	*	*	*	*	*	*
United Arab Emirates	*	*	*	*	*	*
USA	*	*	*	*	*	*
Uruguay	*	*	*	*	*	*
Uzbekistan	*	*	—	—	—	—
Venezuela	—	*	*	—	—	—
Vietnam	—	*	*	*	*
Yemen	*	*	*	*	*	*
Zambia	*	*	*	*	*	—
Total	4,685	3,103	2,985	3,628	3,696	2,504
Total all years	20,671
* = Indicates personnel from that country commenced training at UK military establishments in that year 2008-09 figures are based on attendance in year to date. Where a course spans two plus financial years, the * indicates year that training commenced. There may be a few instances where a student was present in a “blank” year indicated with a “—” for this reason. (1) Records for FY 2005-06 for students attending Land Warfare Centre may be incomplete, owing to possible corruption of data when there was a change of databases. (2) Some attendance records only denote that the student was part of a contingent from ECOWAS or was from a NATO member. They would have been West African or Western European respectively, but otherwise nationality is unknown. Caveats: 1. Foreign military personnel attending exercises in UK and Exchange Officers are excluded. 2. Where one student attended two different courses he/she may be counted twice.

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