§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made in setting up a local Kosovo police force. [113874]
§ Mr. Vaz[holding answer 10 March 2000]: So far 349 recruits have graduated from the OSCE Police Training School in Kosovo. A third course of 250 students began their initial training on 22 February 2000. This group consisted of 217 Albanians, 22 Serbs and 11 other minority members.
All students undergo nine weeks of basic police training instruction. This consists of both classroom training and practical exercises in democratic policing, legal affairs, patrol duties, firearms, administration, defensive tactics, crime investigation, forensics and traffic control. Following this, each student undergoes a further 144W 17 weeks of field training with an UNMIK police officer and an additional 80 hours of advanced classroom training. Having successfully completed the three phases of instruction, each recruit is eligible for certification and independent assignment.
The OSCE training mandate is to develop and deliver basic police training for approximately 3,500 police recruits within the next 16 months.
§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to him by experts on the level of international police numbers in Kosovo. [114577]
§ Mr. HainThe Secretary-General has determined that the number of civilian police officers required for UNMIK is 4,718. The UN has consistently underlined the urgency of reaching that number soon. The only other representation received by the UK is that from the European SecretaryGeneral/High Representative, Mr. Javier Solana, as set out in my answer of 6 March 2000,Official Report, column 500W.
§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2000,Official Report, column 501W, on which two dates the UN Secretariat requested additional police officers for the international peacekeeping effort in Kosovo. [114692]
§ Mr. HainThe UN Secretariat issued requests for police officers for Kosovo on 11 June and 18 November 1999.
§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the number of(a) international police officers and (b) UK police officers in Kosovo is sufficient to ensure security in the province. [114578]
§ Mr. HainWe share the UN Secretary-General's assessment of the number of international police officers required to ensure security in Kosovo. Until the full police strength is achieved, KFOR is offering assistance in this area.
To date, the UN have requested 120 UK police officers for Kosovo. We have been able to respond positively to this request, and hope to deploy the remainder of the contingent to the region in the near future.
§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2000,Official Report, column 501W, concerning the UN Secretariat's requests for more police officers for Kosovo, for how many police officers the UN Secretariat asked on (a) the first and (b) the second occasion; and how many police officers the United Kingdom offered in response to each request. [114691]
§ Mr. HainOn both occasions, the UN Secretariat requested 60 UK police officers. The UK has met the first request in full, and 60 police officers have been in Kosovo since November 1999. In order to meet the second request, the UK is identifying 60 suitable officers for deployment in the near future.