§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many of those killed in the Falklands war were recruited into the Armed Forces from Wales.
§ Mr. Ray Powellasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the number of Service men from Wales who lost their lives in the Falklands conflict.
§ Mr. WigginI regret that 44 Service men from Wales were killed in the Falklands conflict. Forty of these were in the Army and four in the Royal Navy.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of flying hours completed by Royal Air Force and Royal Navy flyers in the South Atlantic and Falklands campaigns, indicating the type of aircraft, including helicopters, and of which service; and how these figures compare with the normal flying hours per pilot in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
§ Mr. BlakerIt is not our practice to publish details of operational flying hours, but most aircraft in the South Atlantic flew considerably more than their normal peace time hours.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the maximum number of ships and submarines at any one time assigned to the Falklands and South Atlantic campaign; and what is the number at present assigned.
§ Mr. BlakerThe information is not immediately available in the form requested. I shall arrange for details to be published in theOfficial Report as soon as possible.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of those ships damaged by enemy action in the Falklands and South Atlantic, indicating the nature of the damage, how it was caused, the estimated cost of repairs and when the repairs are expected to be completed or the ships scrapped.
§ Mr. BlakerTwelve warships were damaged by Argentine air attacks in the South Atlantic. Three of these, HMS "Coventry", HMS "Antelope" and HMS "Ardent", were sunk by bombs and a fourth, HMS "Sheffield", sank after being hit by an Exocet missile. Of the other eight warships, two are still deployed in the South Atlantic and I am therefore not yet able to name them.
The six remaining ships are as follows:
343W
HMS "Glasgow" —holed by a bomb HMS "Argonaut" —damaged by two unexploded bombs and strafing HMS "Arrow" —damaged by shrapnel and cannon shells HMS "Glamorgan" —damaged by an Exocet missile HMS "Plymouth" —damaged by bombs and strafing HMS "Brilliant" —damaged by strafing Until the damage has been properly assessed and a detailed work package drawn up, it will not be possible to provide any estimates of the cost of repairs or the length of time needed for their completion.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total fuel consumption of Her Majesty's ships, Merchant Marine and aircraft in the Falklands campaign to the nearest convenient date, indicating the fuel expended by each service and each type of aircraft and ship; and how this fuel expenditure compares with amounts and costs which were the basis for the 1981 and 1982 White Paper and Estimates.
§ Mr. BlakerDetails of fuel consumption during the Falklands campaign are still being collated.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the missiles Harpoon and Stingray were used in the Falklands campaign; and with what results.
§ Mr. PattieNeither Harpoon nor Stingray was used in the campaign.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Argentine air force or naval pilots have been captured; and what is the total number of Argentine prisoners in British custody, stating the number from each service.
§ Mr. Blaker[pursuant to his reply, 28 June 1982, c. 246.]: The numbers of Argentine prisoners who were being held by the British forces on the Falkland Islands are as follows:
Navy 149 Army 357 Air Force 87 Total 593 Following an exchange of messages with Argentine authorities we have decided to return all these prisoners. They are being repatriated aboard the MV "St. Edmund", which has sailed for Puerto Madryn.
These prisoners are in addition to those referred to in the reply by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for West Lothian on 24 June, who were repatriated earlier.—[Vol. 26, c. 162.]