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29 Jan 2009 : Column 722W—continued
Somalia: Piracy
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Royal Navy assets will form the UK contribution to CTF-151, broken down by asset type. [251890]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: HMS Portland will conduct counter-piracy missions around the Horn of Africa, as and when required, through the newly established Combined Task Force 151. HMS Portland will also continue to carry out broader maritime security operations through Combined Task Force 150, which operates in the same region.
We continue to work with our international partners to ensure all activities are co-ordinated through the UK maritime component command in Bahrain and the EU operation headquarters at Northwood.
Submarines: Training
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have received (a) wet training and (b) dry training at the submarine escape training tank at Gosport in (i) each year from 2005 to 2007 and (ii) each month since January 2008. [251646]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The numbers of armed forces personnel who completed wet and dry training at the submarine escape training tank at Gosport for the period requested are as follows:
| UK wet qual. | UK wet requal. | UK dry qual. | UK dry requal. | Foreign wet | |
Wet training refers to those individuals who complete pressurised ascents during the training course. The figures given for dry training are for those trainees who only complete the non-pressurised elements of the course, this includes tower acquaint drills and surface survival.
Qualifying trainees would have undertaken, in order, 2 x 9 m buoyant exhaling ascents, 1 x 18 m buoyant exhaling ascent and 1 x 30 m suited ascent. Those trainees requalifying conducted, in order, 1 x 30 m suited ascent and 1 x 9 m buoyant exhaling ascent.
The information provided for foreign students undertaking wet training during November and December 2008 relates to training provided under a contract which had been agreed prior to the Royal Navy’s decision to suspend such training.
Territorial Army: Manpower
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) required and (b) actual number of personnel in each corps of the Territorial Army is; and what the percentage shortfall for each corps is. [251749]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 780W.
Defence Analytical Services and Advice figures as at 1 September 2008 show the overall Territorial Army liability requirement as 34,620 and the strength as 28,890 personnel. This represents an overall percentage shortfall of 16.5 per cent.
Figures for each corps of the Territorial Army are not held in the format requested.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of the trained strength personnel complement of the Territorial Army were unavailable for deployment under his Department’s policy of deploying individuals for one year in every five (a) at the latest date for which figures are available and (b) in each of the last five years. [251897]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: As at 12 December 2008, approximately 6,600 Territorial Army personnel were unavailable for further deployment, in line with the Department’s policy of deploying individuals for one year in every five following operational deployments. This figure represents approximately 38 per cent. of the trained Territorial Army strength.
In the past five years (January 2003-April 2008) more than 15,000 Territorial Army personnel have deployed on operations. Accordingly, each period of individual service has attracted an exemption from additional service in the following five year period.
Tristar Aircraft
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2008, Official Report, column 554W, on TriStar aircraft, when the process of fitting glass cockpits to the RAF Tristar fleet is due to commence. [251932]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The trial installation on the first aircraft is already under way and is due to be completed in May 2009.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Bosnia: Politics and Government
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the terms of the Odzak agreement signed on 8 November 2008 in Bosnia-Herzegovina. [240836]
David Miliband: The Odzak agreement sends a positive signal and demonstrates that common ground can be found between the political parties. The agreement covers important issues, including constitutional reform and some of the requirements for closure of the Office of the High Representative.
We urge all political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to build a wider consensus which will lead to concrete follow up to the agreement.
Burma: Human Rights
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government has taken in (a) the UN Security Council, (b) the UN Human Rights Council, (c) the UN General Assembly and (d) other United Nations bodies on the sentencing of pro-democracy activists in Burma in November 2008. [251192]
Bill Rammell: The UK has consistently supported firm action in all relevant UN bodies on human rights abuses perpetrated by the Burmese regime. We played an important role in securing a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly on 21 November 2008. The resolution called on the Burmese authorities to desist from further politically motivated arrests and release, without delay or conditions, of all political prisoners, including the 88 Generation group leaders and others detained as the result of the autumn 2007 protests.
On 5 December 2008, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN underlined the UK’s deep concern at the harsh sentencing of opposition activists at a meeting of the Group of Friends, chaired by the UN Secretary General. The UK will continue to work with partners in New York to keep Burma on the Security Council agenda.
The UN Human Rights Council has not been in session since this latest round of sentencing began, but the UK will raise the issue as a priority at the Council’s 10(th) session in March.
Burma: Political Prisoners
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the access of Red Cross officials to political prisoners in Burma following the partial lifting of restrictions by the government of Burma; and if he will make a statement. [250944]
Bill Rammell: We have received no reports that the International Committee of the Red Cross has been permitted to visit any political prisoners since 2005, despite our consistent calls for this much needed access through the Security Council, UN human rights bodies, the EU and directly to the Burmese authorities.
Over 200 opposition activists have been given severe sentences since November 2008, some with prison terms of up to 105 years, and placed in prisons in remote parts of the country away from the support of their families. This brings the total number of political prisoners in Burma to over 2,200.
Departmental Training
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1794W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008. [251330]
Gillian Merron: As well as the training received by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary detailed in my reply of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1794W, from January to July 2008, my hon. Friend the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, received training in the Spanish language.
No personal training courses have been undertaken by the other Ministers in this Department since 1 January 2008.
Departmental Work Experience
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many individuals have worked in his Department on (a) paid and (b) unpaid work experience or internships in each of the last three years; on average how many hours a week were worked by such people in each year; what types of work each was involved in; what proportion were in full-time education; what proportion did not complete their set period of work experience; and how much those who received remuneration were paid on average per week in each year. [242114]
Gillian Merron: The following tables provide information on how many individuals have worked in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services, a Trading Fund of the FCO, on paid and unpaid work experience or internship placements in each of the last three years.
| FCO | |||
| Paid | Un paid | Average hours worked per week | |
| FCO Services | |||
| Paid | Un paid | Average hours worked per week | |
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