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Written Ministerial Statements
Wednesday 16 July 2003
DEFENCE
Queen Victoria School
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin): The Chief Executive of the Queen Victoria School has been set the following Key Targets for 2003–04:
- PUPIL POPULATION
To maintain the staying on rate at School for S4 to S5 at a minimum of 4 per cent. above the Scottish national average for the current year.*
EDUCATIONAL
To maintain a percentage of pupils of the S4 roll gaining 5 + awards at level 5 or better (post-appeal) by the end of S4, at 2 per cent. above the Scottish national average.*
To maintain a percentage of the S4 roll gaining 3+ awards at Level 6 or better (post-appeal) by the end of S5, at least equal to the Scottish national average.*
FINANCIAL
To achieve a pupil per capita cost of not more than £15,250 by 31 March 2004. The 2002–03 target was £14,000.
To generate gross income to the School of at least £300,000 by 31 March 2004. The 2002–03 target was £295,000.
*A11 Queen Victoria School statistics to be based on the School's results over the last three years, compared with the Scottish national average for the current year, those statistics being as published in the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin.
Sponsored Reserves
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin): On 14 April 2003 a contract was signed between SERCo Aerospace and the RAF for the provision of Sponsored Reserves (contract support personnel who may be called out for service). SERCo Aerospace is a commercial company contracted to provide engineering support to the BAe 125 aircraft of the Comms Fleet, 32 (The Royal) Squadron, based at RAF Northolt. The new arrangement enables personnel to be deployed to an operational theatre with the protection of reserve status. Individual voluntary contracts have been signed and four personnel have been issued with call-out notices to deploy overseas.
The use of Sponsored Reserves is designed to cover specialist support roles where the call-out is not dependent on a level of crisis. Delegation of call-out powers has been authorised to the Air Secretary and authorised officers on his staff, in the same way as for other Sponsored Reserves. Call-out notices are served routinely every few weeks under existing delegated powers, and there are currently other Sponsored Reservists under contract with the Royal Navy as well as with the RAF. Naval Sponsored Reserves exist as part of the Strategic Sealift project, as well as providing
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hydrographic support to Survey vessels, and RAF Sponsored Reserves have signed agreements with the Mobile Meteorological Unit.
The Duke of York's Royal Military School
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin): The Chief Executive of the Duke of York's Royal Military School has been set the following Key Targets for 2003–04:
- To achieve 97.80 per cent. of 15 year old pupils gaining 5 or more passes graded A* to C at GCSE.
To achieve 25.20 per cent. of GCSE passes at grades A* or A.
To achieve an average GCSE points score per 15 year old pupil of 58.30.
To achieve an average GCE points score per candidate of 255.
To achieve 35.80 per cent. of GCE passes at grades A or B.
To achieve a pupil per capita cost of no more than £12,542.
To generate income of at least £700,000.
To achieve at least 300 applications for September 2004 intake.
Iraq
The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon): United Kingdom forces continue to make good progress in helping Iraq become a stable and united state.
The vast majority of Iraqis welcomed the fall of the Saddam regime. The newly formed Governing Council has given Iraqis a representative voice after decades of oppression. The Coalition will work with the Governing Council to rebuild Iraq. It will hand over to an elected government as soon as possible. The UK is playing a major role, and has seconded experts to work in the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad in a wide range of fields: political, financial, legal, security, health, education, roads, forensics, war crimes, prisons, culture and communications. We are also assisting in the training of a new Iraqi Army and the Iraqi police.
Since the collapse of the former regime, and the announcement of the end of decisive combat operations on 1 May, the Coalition's main effort has been directed towards establishing a safe and secure Iraq. Security is an essential part of the political and economic rehabilitation of the country, and Coalition stabilisation operations continue. Those who violently oppose the Coalition represent a desperate minority. In the south, UK forces have developed close links with local communities, and have helped to improve the availability of water, food, power and medical supplies, which had previously been used as a means of control by Saddam Hussein. Iraqis are making the most of their new freedoms. However, the security environment remains difficult in places, particularly in Baghdad and the surrounding area. We are assisting our Coalition allies in a number of ways, including sharing British expertise in urban operations, derived from many years experience in Northern Ireland and the Balkans.
The roulement of UK forces set out in my Written Statement of 11 June 2003, Official Report, columns 51–52WS, continues. Today, about 11,000 UK servicemen and women drawn from all three Services
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remain in the Gulf region and Iraq. The deployment of 3 (UK) Division, 19 Mechanised Brigade and 101 Logistic Brigade is nearing completion. The Royal Navy is maintaining a presence of five vessels in the Gulf. The Joint Helicopter Force of 18 helicopters based at Basra continues to support forces on the ground. We are considering the scope for rear-basing two RAF Tornado GR4 in the UK, leaving six in theatre with a number of supporting aircraft, in line with the reduced requirement for sorties.
UK forces are already working closely with military contingents from a number of countries, and further forces are due to deploy over the coming weeks. Headquarters 3 (UK) Division formally took over command of the Multinational Division (South East) (MND(SE)) on 12 July. This division is now responsible for Coalition forces in four provinces in Southern Iraq, namely Al Basrah, Maysan, Dhi Qar and Al Muthanna. Nine countries have committed troops, and discussions continue with a number of others. When fully assembled, non-UK multinational contributions to MND(SE) should total some 5,500 military personnel.
In Al Basrah province, a Czech Field Hospital and a company of military police, over 300 Czech personnel in all, will be attached to Headquarters MND(SE). The Czech Field Hospital has been doing valuable work in Iraq since May. 38 Engineer Regiment of 19 Mechanised Brigade will work alongside a 140-strong Norwegian company in the Al Basrah and Maysan provinces. We also expect the deployment of around 40 New Zealand engineers with a small support staff for humanitarian and reconstruction tasks. Also in Maysan province, a Danish battlegroup of some 450 personnel including a 30-strong Lithuanian contingent has for some weeks been operating out of Al Qurnah. In Al Muthanna province, a 1,100-strong Dutch battlegroup comprising a Marine battalion, engineer company, medical facility and a military police platoon, will be based in As Samawah. In addition, three Dutch Chinook helicopters will be deployed to Tallil. The Italian mechanised brigade in Dhi Qar province will be 2,800 strong, and will be supported by a Romanian mechanised battalion and military police company (520 personnel), and a 130-strong security force company of Portuguese National Guard in a policing role. These contributions to MND(SE) represent a powerful symbol of the international community's commitment to the future of Iraq.
The rotation of the UK divisional headquarters, the deployment of international contingents, and the inception of MND(SE) makes this an appropriate juncture to take stock of planned force levels. This process is continuing. If necessary, we will make further adjustments to our deployed forces. We remain committed to maintaining appropriate forces in Iraq for as long as necessary and no longer.
Armed Forces Initial Training
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Mr. Adam Ingram): On 10 February 2003 I published the report of an appraisal of the care of recruits in initial training, carried out by an independent team. Today I am publishing the report of a follow-up appraisal carried
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out by the same team, which has continued to monitor progress, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.
The overall assessment arrived at by the re-appraisal is that the initial training system is proving highly successful in continuing to deliver a large number of high quality, motivated young people for service in the armed forces, most recently in the very demanding combat and environmental conditions of the Gulf. All three services' training organisations, however, are still very tautly resourced, notably in the area of supervisory and instructional manpower, for their very high throughput of trainees. The most significant risks are carried in the larger army training establishments. The team concludes that a good deal has been done, but that further progress will require additional investment of manpower and resources.
Alongside the re-appraisal report, I am publishing a Departmental progress report, which provides an overview of the action we have taken since February. A wide range of measures has been set in hand to improve processes and procedures, in line with the recommendations of the first appraisal report. These have included work to identify the resource implications of the recommendations. One of the most significant criticisms in February was of inadequate numbers of instructors, especially at some of the large army training establishments. The army has identified a requirement for additional instructors and support staff—106 of these vacancies were assessed as urgent; most have been filled already, and all will be filled by 11 August. This is a significant achievement on the army's part, at a time of major operational commitment overseas, and reflects the very high priority that the army puts on the initial training and care of its soldiers.
Inevitably, however, as the re-appraisal indicates, it takes time for all the policy changes that we are putting in place to be implemented, especially where extra resources or new infrastructure is required. As the re-appraisal notes, the increased numbers of instructors and supervisory staff are still building up. They and other improvements we are putting in place, have the potential to significantly improve the training environment. But we are certainly not complacent and recognise that progress must be maintained and extended. In line with the latest recommendation of the team, we will carry out a further assessment of progress in summer 2004.
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