§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether statements made by Major-General David Thorne on "The World This Weekend" on Sunday 3 April 1983 about the difficulties of sustaining re-supply of the Falkland Islands were made with his authority.
§ Mr. WigginGeneral Thorne had the normal authority to discuss matters relevant to his command with members of the press.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether it was with his authority that Major-General David Thorne in an interview published in The Guardian on 2 April, stated that a garrison of 3,500 men should be kept in the Falkland Islands for eight years and that they should be paid more than regulation rates.
§ Mr. WigginI refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply, but I understand that Major-General Thorne's remarks have not been accurately reported in this case.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the shortage of helicopters 46W in the Falkland Islands in the light of representations by the hon. Members for Richmond, Yorks (Sir T. Kitson) and for South Ayrshire (Mr. Foulkes) on their return from Port Stanley.
§ Mr. WigginThe number of helicopters deployed to the Falkland Islands is sufficient to meet current tasks, but spares shortages have restricted the availability of some aircraft. An improvement is being made as a result of new servicing arrangements now introduced.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence he has so far that service men due to return to the Falklands are buying themselves out of the forces.
§ Mr. WigginNone.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the work of the special team of officers assessing the claims of Falkland islanders for compensation.
§ Mr. WigginMost of the task of assessing and settling claims received under the Falkland Islands war damage compensation scheme has now been completed. To date 561 claims have been received of which 506 have been settled; in 26 of the remaining 55 cases interim payments have been made. The total compensation paid amounts to £2.243 million.