HC Deb 15 October 2002 vol 390 cc557-9W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what orders were issued and special arrangements made concerning conduct of service personnel from the Royal Irish Regiment during the marching season in 2002; how many soldiers were subject to disciplinary proceedings that related to inappropriate political activity during this period; and what the outcome was of proceedings. [74162]

Mr. Ingram

Each year all service personnel serving in Northern Ireland, including members of the Royal Irish Regiment, are reminded in unit orders of the Army's policy regarding participation in political activities and demonstrations. Three soldiers were investigated by the Royal Military Police for possible breach of this policy. At present there is one soldier subject to proceedings.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the procedure is in Northern Ireland for the investigation of a suspicious death or one from non-natural causes on military premises. [74167]

Mr. Ingram

The Police Service of Northern Ireland retain jurisdiction for the investigation of all suspicious deaths that may occur on military premises within Northern Ireland. This is the same procedure and jurisdiction that applies throughout the whole of the United Kingdom.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons were that underlie his decision to erect a new surveillance tower at Slievebracken Mount, Forkhill in July; what consultation he carried out with locally elected representatives and community organisations; and what the estimated cost is of this construction. [74168]

Mr. Ingram

I believe that the structure you refer to is the temporary water tower on Slievebracken Mountain, Forkhill. It was not a surveillance tower. The Ministry of Defence has crown immunity with regard to planning permission and there was no consultation carried out with locally elected representatives or community organisations. As military personnel carried out the work on this temporary structure there were no costs involved other than those for the construction materials, the cost of irrecoverable items being estimated at some £3,500.

The temporary structure has now been removed.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many baton log reports were filed in each month of the last two years; what information fields are to be filled in by each person involved in the compilation of a report leading up the chain of command to HQNI; which of those fields must be completed and which are optional; and if he will make a statement on the processes involved in the entry of data from baton log reports to(a) a centralised database and (b) other systems. [74166]

Mr. Ingram

The number of baton log reports files in each month over the last two years are set out in the table below:

2000 2001 2002
January 0 0
February 2 0
March 0 0
April 0 3
May 0 11
June 0 17
July 1 34
August 0 18
September 3 2

2000 2001 2002
October 0 1
November 0 9
December 0 1
Total 0 17 85

All fields of the baton log report are completed by the person ordering the firing of the baton round before it is forwarded to HQNI. The information from the baton log is scrutinised by the chain of command in HQNI and is stored in hard copy form as well as on a database.

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