§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the units of the armed services that have been awarded the Wilkinson Sword of Peace in each year since its inception, indicating the aspect of community relations recognised in the award. [105457]
§ Mr. SpellarMessrs Wilkinson Sword Ltd. presents an annual Sword of Peace to a unit or establishment of each Service which is judged to have made the most valuable contribution towards establishing good and friendly relations with the inhabitants of any community at home or overseas, over and above the unit's normal role and duty.
A list of the single-Service Units to which the Wilkinson Sword of Peace has been awarded since 1992, along with the citation for the last two years, is detailed in Table 1. A comprehensive list of all winners of the 277W Wilkinson Sword of Peace since its inception in 1966, and the associated citation, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
In addition to the Single-Service awards, Messrs Wilkinson Sword Ltd. has, since 1994, presented an annual award (when a citation is deemed worthy of recognition) to the most deserving Joint Service unit or ad hoc grouping formed for any specific operation. A list of the four winners to date is given in Table 2, with a brief citation for the last two years.
Table 1: Wilkinson Sword of Peace [Navy) Year Unit/Establishment Location 1992 MCM 1 Squadron Baltic States 1993 HMS London Durres and Albania 1994 HMS Fearless Guyana 1995 HMS Invincible, Various HMS Illustrious 1996 Inshore Training Squadron Russia and Spain 1997 819 Naval Air Squadron RNAS Prestwick 1998 Task Group 326.02 (Op Tellar) Nicaragua and Honduras Citations
1997: 819 Naval Air SquadronFor their close association and efforts in the local community around RNAS Prestwick.1998: Task Group 326.02 (Op Tellar)To all units within Task Group 326.02 (Op Tellar) for their contribution to the humanitarian assistance to Nicaragua and Honduras in the wake of Hurricane Mitch.
Wilkinson Sword of Peace (Army) Year Unit/Establishment Location 1992 7 Sig Reg Albania 1 Cheshire Bn Gp Bosnia 1993 21 Engr Regt Bosnia 1994 1 KOBR NI-Londonderry 1995 Gurkha Welfare Scheme Nepal 1996 36 Engr Regt Bosnia/UK 1 RMP Bosnia/Germany 1997 HCR Bosnia/UK 1998 8 R Irish NI-Tyrone Citations
1997: Household Cavalry RegimentAwarded for the work of two squadrons of the Household Cavalry Regiment in returning the lives of members of the severely damaged community of Banja Luka to conditions approaching normality, in which the seeds of long-standing peace might grow.1998:8th (Co Armagh and Co Tyrone) Battalion Royal Irish RegimentThe Battalion has succeeded in making a dynamic and imaginative contribution to the community of Armagh, against the backcloth of unprecedented political momentum and a difficult operational environment.
278W
Wilkinson Sword of Peace (Royal Air Force) Year Unit/Establishment Location 1992 RAF Lyneham UN Operations overseas 1993 RAF Kinloss Local community 1994 RAF Manston Local community 1995 RAF Laarbruch Bosnia, Romania and Holland 1996 RAF Stornoway Local community
Wilkinson Sword of Peace (Royal Air Force) Year Unit/Establishment Location 1997 Numbers 1 and 34 Squadrons, RAF Regiment Bosnia 1998 RAF Aldergrove Northern Ireland Citations
1997: Numbers 1 and 34 Squadrons of the RAF RegimentFor their part in Peace Support Operations as part of the multi-national peace Stabilisation Force at Banja Luka, Bosnia Herzegovina1998: RAF AldergroveIn recognition of the Station's response to the Omagh tragedy, and the wider humanitarian and fund-raising activities carried out throughout the year.
Table 2: Wilkinson Sword of Peace (Special) Year Unit/Establishment Location 1994 Op Gabriel (5AB Bde) Rwanda 1995 Op Chantress (Britlogbat, tri-Svc) Angola 1996 Not awarded — 1997 MCTC UK 1998 BMATT South Africa South Africa Citations
1997: Military Corrective Training Centre, ColchesterMembers of staff, SUS and young offenders have provided a valuable contribution to the local community, and to charitable organisations, out of all proportion to the manpower and time available to them.1998: The British Military Advisory and Training Team (South Africa)BMATT has played a crucial and influential role in harmonising the extremely difficult integration of former adversaries into a cohesive defence force.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list(a) the means by which consultation takes place prior to announcement of the annual Wilkinson Sword of Peace awards and (b) his Department's inputs in nomination and selection. [105458]
§ Mr. SpellarEntries for the Wilkinson Sword of Peace competitions are invited annually through Defence Council Instructions, which also detail the eligibility criteria. The selection of the most deserving single-Service unit is done by an adjudicating committee, under the chairmanship of the relevant Service Principal Personnel Officer. The selection of the most deserving tri-Service unit, for the award of the Wilkinson Sword of Peace (Special), is done by an adjudicating committee formed of the three Principal Personnel Officers, under the chairmanship of the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel).