§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the overseas training areas in which the Ministry of Defence uses live ammunition; and if he will make a statement; [49994]
(2) if he will list the countries in which British forces have used live ammunition in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and (f) 2002; and if he will make a statement. [49995]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 16 April 2002]: The overseas training areas used currently by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force are as follows. 257W
Training area Country Royal Navy Brohavalet Norway Belle Isle France All French sea ranges in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean — Gibraltar exercise areas in the Mediterranean — Cape Teulada Sardinia Bellowes Rock South Africa Daymaniyat Oman Pula Aur Singapore Beacroft Australia Barking Sands USA Point Mugu USA San Clemente USA Virginia Capes exercise areas (VACAPES) USA Atlantic Fleet weapon training facility (AFWTF) USA 7 Hills Belize Second Creek Falklands Islands Royal Air Force Garvie Island UK China Lake USA Point Mugu USA Nellis USA Barry Goldwater USA Udairi Kuwait Raz Oman In terms of those facilities used by the Army, I refer the hon. Member to the letter I wrote to the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Caton) on 7 August last yearD/Min(AF)/AI PQ0186M/01/Y refers. A copy is in the Library of the House.In addition to those countries whose
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Exercise name Dates Training undertaken MONOPRIX 01 10 April 2001 Infantry Company Group training exercise incorporating dry and live firing in both arid and jungle locations. Live firing occurred at Mpala Farm and Archer's Post—both of which are live firing ranges. 16 May 2001 SHARP POINT 01 10 April 2001 Medical Squadron exercise providing primary health and veterinary care to the Kenyan community. 16 May 2001 PINEAPPLE 01 10 April 2001 Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Clearance operation of the training areas used by British Forces for Live Firing in Kenya. 16 May 2001 GRAND PRIX 3/01 25 October 2001 Infantry Battlegroup training exercise incorporating dry and live firing in both arid and jungle locations. Live firing occurred at Mpala Farm and Archer's Post—both of which are live firing ranges. 6 December 2001 CRABAPPLE 01 25 October 2001 Troop level Royal Engineer construction exercise. 6 December 2001 GRAND PRIX 1/02 5 January 2002 As GRAND PRIX 3/01 23 February 2002 OAKAPPLE 02 5 January 2002 Squadron level Royal Engineer construction exercise. 7 April 2002 GRAND PRIX 2/02 26 February 2002 As GRAND PRIX 3/01 7 April 2002 training areas we use currently, British forces have also deployed, either on operations, on exercise, or as garrison troops to the following countries:
- Afghanistan
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Brunei
- Cyprus
- Congo
- East Timor
- Greece
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Kuwait
- Mozambique
- New Zealand
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Rwanda
- Sierra Leone
- United Kingdom.
This does not include information relating to UK Special Forces deployments as it is the long-standing policy of successive Governments not to comment on them.
To establish whether or not live ammunition was used during each individual deployment would incur disproportionate cost.