§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he plans a further exercise on the scale of Saif Sareea II; and what recent exercises have taken place in different(a) geographical and (b) environmental conditions. [74415]
§ Mr. IngramWe aim to hold periodic exercises on the scale of Saif Sareea II but planning for the next one is still at a very early stage. Exercises at all levels frequently take place in different geographical and environmental conditions to prepare our armed forces for the many different challenges they may face, some long planned and some at short notice. A list of the most recent exercises could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Information is only held centrally on major exercises listed in the Ministry of Defence's Defence Exercise Programme (DXP) which covers some 350 exercises each year. Examples from the DXP of recent exercises in different geographical and environmental conditions include:
developments closely. The Government's dossier on the threat from Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was published on 24 September.
Although we assess that terrorists are more likely to mount conventional attacks, as long as Al Qaeda views the United Kingdom as a target, we cannot rule out the risk of a terrorist attack using chemical, biological or nuclear materials on the UK or its interests.