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Long Service Awards
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the outcome of the review of long service awards in the armed forces. [79892]
Mr. George Robertson: Her Majesty the Queen has graciously approved the institution of a new award to be known as the Queen's Volunteer Reserves Medal to recognise outstanding service in the volunteer reserve forces. It will apply to volunteer reserves in all three Services and will be open to service men and women of any rank.
Her Majesty the Queen has also graciously approved the institution of a new award to be known as the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal to recognise 10 years continuous efficient service in the volunteer reserve forces. The Volunteer Reserves Medal will replace the Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, the Royal Naval Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, the Efficiency Decoration, the Efficiency Medal and the Air Efficiency Award. It will apply to volunteer reserves in all three Services and will be open to serve men and women of any rank.
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As far as the Long Service and Good Conduct Medals of the Regular Armed Forces are concerned, I have concluded that it is not necessary to recommend to Her Majesty any change in the existing awards.
Mr. Livsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the circumstances under which British land troops would be sent into Kosovo; and in what capacity they would act. [78766]
Mr. George Robertson:
As the Government have repeatedly made clear the UK will only deploy troops into Kosovo to help implement a peace agreement, with the consent of both parties.
Mr. Livsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information members of the British armed forces have been given in relation to possible posting to Kosovo. [78767]
Mr. George Robertson:
It has been made clear to our Armed Forces that we would deploy ground forces to Kosovo only if the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia authorities accept the entry of a NATO-led force in order to implement a peace agreement. Our people are well aware that we have no plans to fight our way into Kosovo.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when and to whom in his Department Lieutenant Colonel Worsley-Tonks reported the contents of his conversation with Chris Aindow at the end of 1994 concerning events on the Glen Road on 30 September 1990; by whom it was considered; and what action was taken. [78737]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Ministry of Defence officials have spoken to Lieutenant Colonel Worsley-Tonks, who has retired from the Army, who said that he has no recollection of the alleged conversation with Mr. Aindow. Therefore the issue of onward reporting within the MOD does not arise.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when and to whom in his Department Colonel Fletcher of the Parachute Regiment reported the contents of his conversation with Chris Aindow in January 1995 concerning events on the Glen Road on 30 September 1990; by whom it was considered; and what action was taken. [78738]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Ministry of Defence officials have spoken to Colonel Fletcher who remembers that a conversation took place with Mr. Aindow, who was no longer a serving soldier, some four years ago. Although he cannot recall the precise details Colonel Fletcher recalls that Mr. Aindow discussed the possibility of a further court case. Colonel Fletcher advised him to tell the truth at any subsequent hearing and took no further action.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what approach his Department made to the lawyers acting for Chris Aindow requesting a copy of Chris Aindow's affidavit describing the events on the Glen Road on 30 September 1990. [78739]
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Mr. Doug Henderson:
No approach has been made by my Department to the lawyers of Chris Aindow for a copy of the affidavit describing the events on the Glen Road on 30 September 1990, although a reporter from the Sunday Express provided the MOD Press Office with extracts from the affidavit in which Chris Aindow alleges that he spoke to two Senior Officers after his release from prison in 1994.
Sir John Stanley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Spain's joining of NATO's integrated military structure has created impediments to the use of Gibraltar by NATO naval, military and air forces. [78969]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
No impediments in the use of Gibraltar by NATO forces have been created by Spain's joining NATO's Integrated Military Structure.
Sir John Stanley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the restrictions in the movements of (a) NATO ships and (b) NATO aircraft that were being applied by Spain at the point when Spain joined NATO's integrated military structure; and whether any of those restrictions have now been lifted; [78970]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Spain maintains restrictions on all NATO military aviation movements into and out of Gibraltar, including a ban on military overflights and an air exclusion zone to the North and West of Gibraltar. By means of reservations footnoted to the relevant NATO Standing Agreement, Spain restricts access of UK and other NATO warships to Gibraltar. Discussions in June 1998 between FCO/Spanish MFA officials led to agreement on the lifting of some of the restrictions, air diversions in an emergency and the use of Gibraltar-based assets in NATO exercises.
Mr. Steinberg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 March 1999, Official Report, column 209, on British Gulf war veterans, if the available tests under a medical assessment programme will include a test specifically to detect the presence of depleted uranium. [79067]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
I refer my hon. Friend to my answers of 10 March 1999, Official Report, columns 208-09, and 15 March 1999, Official Report, columns 502-04, and to the detailed paper, "Testing for the presence of depleted uranium in UK veterans of the Gulf conflict: The Current Position", which I published on 19 March. A copy of the paper was sent to my hon. Friend last week and copies were also placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Defence Housing Executive. [79990]
31 Mar 1999 : Column: 684
Mr. Spellar:
Following a review of options it has been concluded that the most appropriate way forward would be for the Defence Housing Executive to become an Agency of the Ministry of Defence with effect from 1 April 1999.
In order to ensure that the Agency operates in the best interests of its customers and in an efficient and cost effective manner, I have agreed five Key Targets with the Chief Executive for the first year of the Agency's work.
The following four key targets will measure the extent to which the Defence Housing Executive is delivering housing in the correct quantity, to the required standard and within the appropriate time frame.
The fifth and final key target will measure the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the Defence Housing Executive, including the aim to reduce the number of empty properties to achieve a management margin of 13 per cent. by April 2002.
Copies of the Defence Housing Executive Framework Document and 1999 Corporate Plan will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list, including names and dates, of all meetings that (a) he, (b) his officials, (c) his advisers and (d) his PPS have held during (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999 with people who work for political lobbying firms or for businesses that are members of the Public Relations Consultants Association. [79652]
Mr. George Robertson:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 168. The Ministerial Code also applies to Parliamentary Private Secretaries when attending any meetings in an official or semi-official capacity.
(2) if he will list the restrictions in the movements of (a) Royal Navy ships and (b) RAF aircraft that were being applied by Spain at the point when Spain joined NATO's integrated military structure; and whether any of those restrictions have now been lifted. [78971]
Key Target 1:
To house at least 60 per cent. of families in accommodation that matches their entitlement by posting date or on return to Great Britain from overseas, and at least 90 per cent. within 28 days of that date.
Key Target 2:
Less than 10 per cent. of occupants should experience significant defects within 14 days of moving in.
Key Target 3:
To complete the planned upgrade of 1,766 properties by 31 March 2000.
Key Target 4:
To complete:
at least 95 per cent. of emergency repairs within 24 hours of notification;
at least 90 per cent. of urgent repairs within 5 working days of notification;
at least 90 per cent. of routine repairs within 2 months of notification.
Key Target 5:
To achieve a unit cost of housing of less than £5,400.
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