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Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How drivers arrested for failing to stop after a road traffic accident resulting in injury have been identified, through fingerprints or DNA, as having been involved in other criminal activities.[HL2148]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Such records are not kept centrally within England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Internet Crime
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 5 March (WA 127) whether they believe that public awareness of education about phishing needs to be improved and strengthened in the light of reports from the Association of Payment Clearing Services of a surge in such fraudulent activity in recent days.[HL2191]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government consider that the activities referred to in the reply given on 5 March will lead to an improving awareness among the public of attempts to perpetrate fraudulent activities.
We are aware of the reports from the Association of Payment Clearing Services (APACS) as to the recent period when there were an increasing number of phishing e-mails reported. We continue to monitor such incidences and work together with industry and law enforcement to ensure that there is an appropriate response in relation to all such occurrences of attempted fraudulent activity.
Firearms
The Earl of Shrewsbury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which interested organisation they intend to consult with regard to the proposed review of firearms legislation.[HL2204]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We are keen to receive views from everybody with an interest in the future regulation of firearms and will be distributing the consultation paper widely. It will also be available on the internet. ra
Harrier GR7/9
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What air defence capability at sea is provided by the Harrier GR7/9; and[HL1793]
Whether the Harrier GR7/9 has an all-weather night air defence capability; and[HL1794]
What beyond visual range air-to-air capability is provided by the Harrier GR7/9.[HL1795]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): The Harrier GR7/9's principal roles are ground attack and reconnaissance, not air defence. The short range infra-red guided AIM 9L sidewinder missiles it carries are for self-defence. This capability can be employed at night, but relies on the pilot being able to acquire a target aircraft, for instance using forward-looking infra-red or night vision goggles. There is no current intention to equip the GR7/9 with a beyond visual range air-to-air capability.
Iraq: People Detained by British Forces
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many persons are now held at the United Kingdom's detention facility in Shaibah, Iraq; what are their nationalities; and how many of those held in Shaibah have been held there or elsewhere in Iraq for (a) at least three months, (b) at least six months and (c) at least nine months.[HL1879]
Lord Bach: As at 24 March 2004, the UK held 81 internees in the divisional temporary detention facility in Shaibah. The nationalities of these internees are: one Egyptian, one Sudanese, one Syrian, three Saudi Arabians and 75 Iraqis. Forty-eight have been interned for at least three months, 18 for at least six months, and two for at least nine months. Those internees who are interned by the UK prior to the opening of the divisional temporary detention facility on 15 December 2003, were held in an internment facility near Umm Qasr.
Whether any or these internees have been held previously anywhere else in Iraq by other authorities, is a matter for those authorities. simone
Defence School of Languages
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many overseas personnel, and from which countries, received language training at the Defence School of Languages in each of the past three years.[HL1898]
Lord Bach: The number of overseas students trained at the Defence School of Languages for the last three years is:
| Financial Year | |
| 2001–02 | 264 |
| 2002–03 | 246 |
| 2003–04 | 281 |
| Country | Number of Students | |||||
| 01/02 (FY) | 02/03 (FY) | 03/04 (FY) | ||||
| Albania | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Argentina | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Armenia | 2 | |||||
| Austria | 1 | 5 | 1 | |||
| Azerbaijan | 2 | |||||
| Bahrain | 4 | 8 | 2 | |||
| Bangladesh | 2 | |||||
| Bolivia | 1 | |||||
| Botswana | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Brazil | 1 | |||||
| Brunei | 8 | 5 | ||||
| Bulgaria | 6 | 5 | 6 | |||
| Chile | 2 | |||||
| China | 6 | 4 | ||||
| Croatia | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Colombia | 1 | |||||
| Czech Republic | 13 | 14 | 10 | |||
| Holland | 2 | |||||
| Egypt | 4 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Estonia | 3 | 3 | 8 | |||
| Ethiopia | 1 | |||||
| France | 33 | 25 | ||||
| FRY | 1 | |||||
| Georgia | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Greece | 1 | |||||
| Guatemala | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Hungary | 7 | 14 | 18 | |||
| Italy | 1 | |||||
| Japan | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Jordan | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||
| Kazakhstan | 1 | |||||
| Kenya | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Kuwait | 2 | 3 | 32 | |||
| Kyrgystan | 1 | |||||
| Latvia | 9 | 9 | 14 | |||
| Lithuania | 5 | 7 | 14 | |||
| Macedonia | 5 | 6 | 3 | |||
| Malawi | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Malaysia | 2 | 3 | 2 | |||
| Mauritania | 2 | |||||
| Moldova | 4 | 1 | ||||
| Mozambique | 1 | |||||
| Nepal | 2 | 3 | 1 | |||
| Norway | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Oman | 9 | 4 | 7 | |||
| Paraguay | 1 | |||||
| Poland | 14 | 5 | 5 | |||
| Qatar | 1 | 2 | 7 | |||
| Republic of Korea | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Romania | 9 | 8 | 14 | |||
| Russia | 8 | 5 | 4 | |||
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Senegal | 5 | 1 | ||||
| Serbia & Montenegro | 3 | |||||
| Slovakia | 6 | 6 | 12 | |||
| Slovenia | 6 | 2 | 8 | |||
| Spain | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Sweden | 1 | 22 | 39 | |||
| Switzerland | 11 | 5 | ||||
| Syria | 1 | |||||
| Tanzania | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Thailand | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Turkey | 32 | 21 | 23 | |||
| UAE | 8 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Uganda | 1 | |||||
| Ukraine | 13 | 10 | 10 | |||
| Uzbekistan | 2 | |||||
| Yemen | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Yugoslavia | 2 | |||||
| Total Students | 264 | 246 | 281 | |||
War Widows
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Bach of 4 and 5 March (WA 1540 and 1542), whether they will consider relaxing the burden of taxation on war widows by reclassifying benefits to a service person's dependants as compensation rather than income.[HL1937]
Lord Bach: In setting the level of the benefits paid to widows and widowers under the new Armed Forces Compensation Scheme due account has been taken of the taxable nature of income payments. It would not be appropriate to seek to reclassify them.
Territorial Army
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans there are to make the Army's new command leadership and management courses for non-commissioned officers available to members of the Territorial Army.[HL1991]
Lord Bach: A study is currently being conducted to identify how best to integrate the Territorial Army into command leadership and management training. Initial findings from the study are likely to be available later this year.
Army Training Units
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will give details of the current staff levels of British Army training support units, training units and training teams outside the United Kingdom and Germany; and[HL2042]
What plans they have for British Army training support units, training units and training teams outside the United Kingdom and Germany.[HL2043]
Lord Bach: The current staffing levels of those permanent army training units, based outside the United Kingdom and Germany, are listed below. There are no current plans to alter their present role. British Army Training Unit Sheffield (BATUS), in Canada Permanent staff—203 Temporary staff—318 British Army Training Unit Wainwright (BATUW), in Canada Permanent staff—7 Temporary staff—20 British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) Permanent staff—11 Temporary staff—28 Locally employed civilians—156
British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) Permanent staff—26 Temporary staff—28 Locally employed civilians—144 Jungle Warfare Wing (JWW), in Brunei Permanent staff—69 Locally employed civilians—14 raMinistry of Defence: Compensation to Kenyan Civilians
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What compensation claims have been paid to Kenyan civilians since November 2002 as a result of claims made against the Ministry of Defence.[HL2229]
Lord Bach: The Ministry of Defence has paid £5 million compensation to Kenyan civilians since November 2002 for injury and death allegedly caused by munitions left on ranges by members of HM Forces while on exercise in Kenya. The first 233 claims were settled by way of mediation in July 2002 for £4.5 million with payments made in or after November 2002. The second tranche of 1,046 claimants were paid £500,000 in February 2004 following a mediation meeting in November 2003.
In addition, minor amounts of compensation have been paid in relation to road traffic accidents. Details of these payments are not held centrally and can only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
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