PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS FROM PS2 THE LEADING U.K. GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMPANY, Contact: ps2@btinternet.com
24 Apr 04. Three US Navy and Coast Guard personnel were killed while intercepting three waterborne attacks near the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal in the Northern Gulf. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) stated (26 Apr 04) that attention had been focussed on “the security arrangements for the onshore oil infrastructure”. The FCO employs two private security companies to provide armed protection for its staff and assets in Iraq. (Written Answer (WA), 26 Apr 04.) In an open letter (26 Apr 04) to the Prime Minister 52 retired Ambassadors and senior diplomats stated, among other critical observations, that: “The conduct of the war in Iraq has made it clear that there was no effective plan for the post-Saddam settlement.”. The MoD released (27 Apr 04) biographical details of the senior British Military Representative (Iraq) and the GOC Multinational Division (South East); Lieutenant General J C McColl CBE DSO and Major General A R E de C Stewart CBE. The MoD also updated the OP TELIC Service deployments, following the April 2004 relief of 20 Armoured Brigade by 1 Mechanised Brigade The front and four following pages of the Daily Mirror (1 May 04) were devoted to graphic pictures and text describing alleged maltreatment of Iraqi prisoners by British soldiers. Comment: Copies of the retired diplomats’ letter, the two Generals’ biographies and the revised deployment list are available to subscribers on request. The allegations in the ‘Daily Mirror’ date back to at least August 2003 and have been documented in Parliamentary proceedings. It appears that the MoD, probably under pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office, got into a flap when a tabloid newspaper decided that it had a big story: hence the ’emergency’ Press briefing by the Chief of the General Staff during the evening of 30 Apr 04. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS , Issue 04/18, 3 May 04)
Morning News Bulletin, Wednesday 5 May 2004
WRITTEN MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS
Secretary of State for Defence: Future Rapid Effect System (FRES).
Armoured Vehicles
The MoD will announce plans to appoint technical consultants to advise on the army’s next generation of armoured vehicles.
DEFENCE
Airfield Support Services Project
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on ensuring that the Airfield Support Services Project solution is compatible with the modernisation agenda for fire services. [167251]
Mr. Ingram: There have been no formal discussions between the Ministry of Defence and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the compatibility of the Airfield Support Services Project (ASSP) with the modernisation agenda for the Fire and Rescue Service.
The ASSP will be sufficiently flexible to adapt to any changes that might be brought about as a result of the modernisation programme.
Funding
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) resource and (b) capital expenditure was vired from RfR1 to RfR2 in the most recent financial year for which figures are available, in (i) cash and (ii) resource terms. [167047]
Mr. Ingram: Outturn for 2003-04 is not yet available. No funds were vired from RfRl to RfR2 during 2002-03.
Iraq
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the amounts of reparations that have been paid to Iraqis. [166927]
Mr. Ingram: Reparations are the compensation extracted as an indemnity from a defeated nation by the victors. Neither Iraq nor the United Kingdom has sought or paid reparations to the other.
Land Mines (Cress)
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has evaluated on genetically modified cress that changes colour when it comes into contact with landmine explosives. [166846]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is not