§ 9. Mr. Borrow:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what impact operations in Iraq have had on the future requirement for equipment. [143776]
§ Mr. Ingram:Operation Telic reinforced the requirement to be able in the future to deploy and sustain armed forces equipped and trained both for warfighting and peace support operations. Operations in Iraq also demonstrated the importance of integrated joint capability. These trends are reflected in the White Paper published last week.
§ 18. Mr. Hammond:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the security situation in Iraq. [143785]
§ Mr. Hoon:I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Mr. Jones).
§ 19. David Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his assessment of the security situation in southern Iraq. [143786]
651W
§ Mr. Hoon:United Kingdom forces continue to provide an effective security capability in Iraq. Recent operations against smuggling, for example, have been a considerable success and were widely welcomed by the Iraqi people. Our forces are also closely engaged in developing Iraq's own security capabilities so that Iraqis can increasingly take responsibility for their own security. Already more than 10,500 Iraqi police are on patrol in the Multinational Division (South East), and more are being trained; other Iraqi security personnel are guarding vital infrastructure, facilities and coastline.
§ 22. Mr. Carmichael:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on operations in Iraq. [143789]
§ Mr. Hoon:I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Mr. Jones).
§ Norman Baker:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on sending Christmas gifts, donated by charities and other organisations, to British troops in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [143803]
§ Mr. Ingram:I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 270W to the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson).