HC Deb 17 September 2004 vol 424 cc1877-80W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the wording is of the aide memoire card on the law of armed conflict supplied to UK military personnel deploying to Iraq; how many of these cards have been issued; and how many have been printed. [182732]

Mr. Ingram

A copy of the aide memoire will be placed in the library of the house. 20,000 copies were printed and issued as part of a training programme for troops deployed to Iraq.

Adam Price

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether members of his departmental staff were informed in July 2003 that the Secret Intelligence Service in that month had withdrawn reporting from a source who claimed that the production of biological and chemical agents had been accelerated by the Iraqi regime, because the source of the reporting had subsequently been deemed unreliable. [185787]

Mr. Hoon

We have nothing further to add to the remarks that were made in the debate on Iraq on 20 July.

Bob Russell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of HM Forces were injured in Iraq(a) during the war and (b) subsequently; and in each case how many were returned to the UK for medical treatment. [188136]

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many British troops have been repatriated from Iraq to the UK because of physical or mental illness; [188779]

(2) how many British troops have been injured in (a) combat and (b) non-combat duties in Iraq. [188718]

Mr. Ingram

155 UK military personnel were injured in combat during decisive combat operations but we do not hold centrally the number medically evacuated in the period.

To date 2,703 UK military personnel have been medically evacuated from Iraq. We do not hold centrally records of the number of injured personnel who were treated locally and then returned to duty without being medically evacuated.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to make a separate status of forces agreement with the Iraqi Government. [188317]

Mr. Ingram

There are no plans at the present time to make a separate status of forces agreement with the Iraqi Government.

Under Article 59 of the Transitional Administrative Law (the law for the administration of Iraq during the transition period—promulgated by the Iraqi Governing Council in March 2004), the Iraqi Interim Government has no powers to conclude any binding international agreements, which would include status of forces agreements. This power will belong to the elected Transitional Government.

Until the Transitional Government is in place. Coalition Provisional Authority Order 17 covers the terms of the MNF presence in Iraq, and includes those areas which would normally be covered in a status of forces agreement.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards have been put in place by his Department to prevent the mistreatment of detainees in Iraq. [188321]

Mr. Ingram

All United Kingdom armed forces personnel deployed to Iraq are trained to treat prisoners in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. In addition, each major unit has a number of personnel specially trained in prisoner handling.

In Theatre there are clear procedures for the running of the Divisional Temporary Detention Facility (DTDF). Their operation is monitored through regular inspections and visits.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of St ate for Defence what plans his Department has to provide security(a) before, (b) during and (c) after elections in Iraq. [188342]

Mr. Ingram

There are some 9,200 UK personnel committed to Iraq whose role is to assist the Iraqi Interim Government and Iraq Security Forces in the provision of security.

Iraqi Government and Multinational Force commanders continue to consider the levels and dispositions of forces required in Iraq in the months ahead, to support the process leading to the election of a Transitional Assembly and Government early in 2005.

If it is judged that further changes to the UK military contribution in Iraq would be appropriate to support this process, we will of course inform the I louse at the earliest opportunity. At present, however, no decision has been taken.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops serving in Iraq have subsequently been invalided out of the armed forces. [188778]

Mr. Ingram

As at 31 July 2004 centrally held records show that 46 service personnel who had been deployed on Operation Telic, between 18 January 2003 and 30 June 2004, have subsequently been medically discharged from the Armed Forces either as a result of injuries received or as a result of disease-related causes.

Bob Russell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of HM forces have lost their lives in Iraq since 1 July 2003. [188828]

Mr. Ingram

Between 1 July 2003 and 10 September 2004, 23 members of the UK armed forces were killed while engaged on operations in Iraq

Mr. Wood

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reintroduce the free parcel service to troops in Iraq. [189488]

Mr. Ingram

I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 27 February 2004,Official Report, column 70WS, and subsequent answers of 5 March 2004, Official Report, column 1155W, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock), 1 April 2004, Official Report, column 1605W, to the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson), 5 May 2004, Official Report, column 1527W, to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Randall), 15 June 2004, Official Report, column 811W, to the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) and 1 September 2004, Official Report, column 713W, to the hon. Member for Batley and Spen (Mr. Wood).

There are no plans to reintroduce the free postal packet service to Service personnel deployed in the Iraq theatre of operations.

Mr. Wood

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of the deployment in Iraq on the ability of the armed forces to assist in UK civil emergencies, with particular reference to the flooding in Cornwall during August. [189500]

Mr. Ingram

No special assessment is necessary. It continues to be the case that, if asked to provide assistance, the Armed Forces would draw on the most appropriate resources available at the time. In the case of the flooding in Cornwall during August, help was provided by Search and Rescue assets permanently based in the South West.