§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence which equipment purchased under urgent operational requirements for the Iraq war will be sold; how much it cost to acquire; how much its sale is expected to realise; and to whom it is intended to be sold [148162]
§ Mr. IngramThe principal focus of the Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) process is to provide additional capabilities to meet the demands of specific operations. The majority of equipment purchased for Operation Telic under UOR procedures continues to be used in support of that operation.
When an operation comes to an end or particular UOR equipment is withdrawn, the Department considers, as part of the annual planning round, whether that equipment can and should be retained in-service. That process is currently under way: it is therefore too early to say which UORs will be retained in-service.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith) of 12 January 2004,Official Report, column 537W, on Iraq, how many military vehicles hit by depleted uranium munitions have been identified within the southern sector of Iraq under British control; if he will list the options open to coalition forces to deal with these vehicles; when he expects work to begin; what risk assessment of Iraqi (a) adults and (b) children has been carried out; and if he will make a statement. [150356]
§ Mr. IngramTo date eight military vehicles have been identified as having been hit by depleted uranium (DU) munitions within the southern sector of Iraq under British military control. All these vehicles have been clearly marked. Arrangements are currently being negotiated with the US for a contractor to collect and securely store these military vehicles.
Generic assessments of the potential risks from DU munitions have been carried out by organisations such as the Royal Society and the United Nations Environment Programme and are available on the world wide web at: www.postconflict.unep.ch/ and www.royalsociety.ac.uk/du/ The levels of DU contamination found by MOD personnel are much lower than those predicted from these theoretical risk assessments.
§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether troops serving in Iraq who have purchased winter footwear at their own expense will be reimbursed by the Ministry of Defence; [150891]
(2) whether all British troops serving in winter conditions during the winter of 2004–05 in Iraq will be issued with appropriate winter footwear; [150892]
(3) whether sufficient winter footwear is in stock to ensure that all troops serving in winter conditions in Iraq are issued with a pair. [150911]
747W
§ Mr. IngramThere is no need for soldiers to purchase their own winter footwear for Iraq. Soldiers currently serving in Iraq have deployed with both Desert Boots and Combat Assault Boots. Combat Assault Boots are suitable for a minimum temperature of minus 19 degrees centigrade and are appropriate for the temperatures experienced in southern Iraq during the winter months.