Defence
Saudi Arabia: BAE Systems
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations were received by her Department about the Al Yamamah military contract in the three months prior to the announcement that the Serious Fraud Office would end its investigation into the contract. [146761]
Dr. Howells: In the three months prior to the decision by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office to halt its investigation into BAE Systems, we continued to have talks with Saudi government officials on many subjects including the Al-Yamamah programme.
Primary responsibility for supporting the export of UK defence equipment and services lies with the Ministry of Defence.
Sudan: Armed Forces
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK is making to the Government of Sudan on its commitment under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to withdraw Sudanese armed forces from Upper Nile and Unity States by 9 July 2007. [147484]
Meg Munn [holding answer 3 July 2007]: As chair of the Security Working Group of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission, the UK is in regular dialogue with both parties on monitoring and assisting implementation of their security obligations in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Despite some delays, both sides remain committed to meeting their obligations.
Sudan: Peace Keeping Operations
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the timetable is for the full deployment of the combined African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force to Sudan. [147440]
Meg Munn: The UN and African Union (AU) are negotiating the timetable for the deployment of the joint AU-UN hybrid force for Darfur, accepted by the Sudanese Government on 12 June. We are pressing both parties to agree on the earliest possible date.
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide details of the proposed mandate for the African Union/United Nations deployment to Darfur. [147444]
Meg Munn: The proposed mandate of the joint African Union (AU)—UN peacekeeping force for Darfur is contained in the report produced by the AU and UN and presented to the Government of Sudan in Addis Ababa on 12 June. Copies of the report are available in the Library of the House. The Peace and Security Council of the AU endorsed this proposed mandate on 22 June. We are preparing a UN Security Council Resolution, with other Security Council members, that will mandate the UN elements of the force.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much depleted uranium ammunition has been used by British forces in (a) Operation Telic and (b) Operation Herrick since 2003. [145952]
Des Browne: Approximately 1.9 tonnes of depleted uranium ammunition was expended by UK forces in the early phases of Operation Telic in 2003. There has been no
depleted uranium ammunition used in Operation Telic since this time. No depleted uranium ammunition has been used by UK forces in Operation Herrick since 2003.
Army: Reserve Forces
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the present
strength is of the Army Volunteer Reserve.
Mr. Ingram: The present strength of the Army Volunteer Reserve (Territorial
Army) as at 1 March 2007 is 35,700. This figure includes Mobilised Territorial
Army and Officer Training Corps, but excludes full-time reserve service
personnel and non-regular permanent staff.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the 1 April 2007
data will be available under heading TSP07 Strength of all Services Reserves and
Cadets on the Defence Analytical Service Agency website. [146764]
Mr. Ingram: “TSP7 UK Reserves and Cadets Strengths at 1 April 2007” will be published on the Defence Analytical Services Agency website during September 2007. The actual da