§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the military equipment purchased under the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, stating in each case(a) the recipient, (b) the amount spent and (c) the end use; and if he will make a statement. [133026]
§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 22 October 2003]The following table indicates the purchase of military equipment under the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) since it was set up in 2000, and updates the information given in the response from the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon. Member for Harlow in his reply to my hon. Friend the member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) on 5 December 2002.
Pool funding is used to supply military equipment where this forms part of an integrated conflict prevention strategy, and is crucial to ensuring the stability of a conflict area and to the success of the strategy. The GCPP takes into account the risk of any equipment supplied being misused by the recipient or falling into other hands, and the likely political consequences. Ministers will always take the final decision on any supply of weapons and ammunition.
More general information on the details of the GCPP is available in the recent publication "The Global Conflict Prevention Pool—A joint UK Government approach to reducing conflict", which is available in the Library of the House. A copy of the booklet has been placed on the FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk) accessible under Global Issues—International Organisations—UN—Conflict Preventions.
717W
Recipient Financial year Cost (£) Description (end use) Nepal Royal Nepalese Army 2001–02 285,818 Land Rovers spares and maintenance training, communications equipment 2002–03 3,099,347 Communications equipment, binoculars, compasses, Swiftscopes, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) equipment, two transport helicopters Belize Belize Defence Force 2001–02 169,555 Aircraft parts and freight costs, Land Rovers and spares, radio equipment 2002–03 127,259 Uniforms, mess kits, tents, hammocks, radio equipment 2003–04 84,434 Uniforms, trucks, outboard motors, mess kits Macedonia Macedonian authorities 2001–02 282,500 EOD equipment, body armour, global positioning system, mine detector sets, flares 75,000 Four fort-lift trucks Sri Lanka Sri Lankan Army 2002–03 92,000 EOD equipment 2003–04 12,000 EOD training, MOD short-term training team Uruguay Uruguay Peacekeeping 2001–02 27,014 Three NERA satellite phones and airtime Capacity training 2002–03 30,000 FATS firearms training simulator