Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Monday Volume 508 29 March 2010 No. 65 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 29 March 2010 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2010 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 489 29 MARCH 2010 490 House of Commons Hon. Members: Wake up. The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Bob Ainsworth): Monday 29 March 2010 My apologies: I think the problem is deafness rather than sleep. As General McChrystal has said, the situation in The House met at half-past Two o’clock Afghanistan is serious, but it is no longer deteriorating, and the international effort will make real progress this PRAYERS year. Already Afghan forces and ISAF—the international security assistance force—have successfully delivered improved security to the population of central Helmand [MR.SPEAKER in the Chair] through Operation Moshtarak. Working closely with our Afghan allies, the international community’s next step will be to strengthen governance and security in Oral Answers to Questions Kandahar city. Mr. Jones: Security in Helmand province has for years been the responsibility of British forces, many of DEFENCE whom have lost their lives in the process. What effect does the Secretary of State think it would have on our forces in Helmand if they were to be told, as has been The Secretary of State was asked— suggested in The Sunday Telegraph, that they are shortly Compensation (Shoeburyness) to be replaced by United States marines? Mr. Ainsworth: There has been a substantial increase 1. Mr. Douglas Carswell (Harwich) (Con): What in forces going into Helmand. Some of those have been representations he has received on provision of ours—we have increased our forces in Afghanistan by compensation to people whose properties have been about 1,200 in a year—but the biggest single inflow has damaged by explosions at Shoeburyness. [324443] been from the United States of America. We have been very happy to work alongside US forces, and they now The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence operate in the south of Helmand province—we very (Mr. Kevan Jones): The work at Shoeburyness is directly recently handed over Musa Qala to them. What we are linked to saving the lives of service personnel on operations involved in is a coalition effort: we have to work alongside in Afghanistan, providing, among other things, essential our coalition partners, and that does not mean just the pre-deployment training in the safe and controlled disposal United States of America. In Helmand we have Danes of improvised explosive devices and similar ordnance. and Estonians working in our area of operation alongside In 2009, I received three representations, with a further our forces, as well as those of the Afghans of course, so two so far this year, from people claiming that their I do not think that there is a problem among our armed properties had been damaged by noise and vibrations forces in recognising the need to work with others. caused by activities at MOD Shoeburyness. Ms Dari Taylor (Stockton, South) (Lab): Concern Mr. Carswell: Everyone accepts that our armed forces has been expressed about the impact of Taliban and need to train at Shoeburyness. However, many of the al-Qaeda training camps in the North West Frontier explosions are caused not by our armed forces’ training, province of Pakistan. Can my right hon. Friend say but by commercial waste disposal from which big corporate what assessment has been made of those camps, how interests profit. Will the Minister give an undertaking effective they are, and to what extent the Americans for full transparency, so that local people are made now have a controlling impact on them, so that they aware of which explosions are being caused in the cannot undermine the work being done by NATO and interests of our armed forces and which in the interests UK troops in Afghanistan? of crony capitalists? Mr. Ainsworth: The overwhelming improvement that Mr. Jones: I know that the hon. Gentleman is not a we have seen on the Pakistan side of the border over the great supporter of our defence industries in this country, past year or so has come about as a result of the efforts but let me tell him that the amount of ordnance exploded of the Pakistani Government and the Pakistani armed at Shoeburyness that is not related to training—this is, forces. Those forces have suffered great losses in some of the disposal of ordnance that is out of date or that the the operations that they have conducted against insurgents MOD needs to get rid of in a controlled way—comes to in the FATA—the federally administered tribal area—and 5 per cent. That is done in partnership with QinetiQ, a Waziristan. Those forces are bearing down on the insurgency world-beating company that we should be proud of. As on their side of the border, and we should recognise that for trying to hamper us and put more in the way of our and congratulate them. Of course we work with the training, I am sorry, but that would be a misuse of the Pakistani Government, as do the American Government MOD’s time. and American forces. Afghanistan Sir Menzies Campbell (North-East Fife) (LD): But in his carefully crafted answer, the Secretary of State declined 2. Mr. David Jones (Clwyd, West) (Con): What recent to deal with the point that was raised a moment or two assessment he has made of the security situation in ago. Is there a proposal that British forces should be Afghanistan. [324444] withdrawn from Helmand? Yes or no? 491 Oral Answers29 MARCH 2010 Oral Answers 492 Mr. Ainsworth: Look, let me say to the right hon. and The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence learned Gentleman that, as a result of the huge inflow (Mr. Quentin Davies): There are many companies on of forces into the south of Afghanistan, there are a Tyneside and in the related travel-to-work area doing number of proposals as to how we approach the issue of important work for defence, and we are extremely grateful command and control, and how we divide up our forces to them for the skills and dedication of their employees. in order to ensure that all can be successful and that Good examples includeA&P,whichisbuildingsections there is no gap in the security that we are providing. for our two carriers on the Tyne. I have visited it twice, Those discussions are ongoing— and on the last occasion was privileged to cut the first steel. I also visited Astrum in County Durham the other Sir Menzies Campbell: So the answer is yes. day; it is producing tracks for our armoured vehicles. I have visited BAE Land Systems, which has produced the Challenger, the Warrior and the Panther and is now Mr. Ainsworth: There may be people within the coalition, working on the Terrier. BAE Systems is also opening a as the right hon. and learned Gentleman has read in new ammunition factory in Washington, Sunderland. The Sunday Telegraph, who believe that it would be a good thing for us to remove ourselves from Helmand to Jim Cousins: The workers at BAE Systems’ armoured Kandahar. I would have to be persuaded—and I would fighting vehicle factory on Newcastle’s Scotswood road take some persuading—that that was a good thing. We have loyally backed up the efforts of our armed forces in have developed a level of understanding of the situation Iraq and Afghanistan, but they now face job losses, and in Helmand province over a period of time which the run-down and possible closure of the plant, because should not be thrown away lightly. We have invested a of the loss of the specialist vehicle order. Was this great deal in terms of money and infrastructure, as well because Tyneside was politically outgunned by Wales as of losses. This is something that we would have to be and Scotland, or because the management at the plant very concerned about before we would agree to doing it. were incompetent? Will the Minister come to Tyneside However, we should not set our face against things as to explain how this decision was made, and what the some kind of knee-jerk reaction; we should be prepared way forward for the workers will be? to discuss these issues with our coalition partners. Mr. Speaker: Order. The hon. Gentleman allowed Mr. Speaker: Order. If we are to make proper progress himself three questions. We do not begrudge him that, down the Order Paper, as I always seek to do, we need but one answer will do. to make progress a little more quickly. Mr. Davies: It was neither of those two things. The Dr. Liam Fox (Woodspring) (Con): On 19 April, contract award was made on value for money, which during the likely general election campaign, the Government was a function of performance reliability and cost. I are likely to face a court case relating to the ability of understand my hon. Friend’s disappointment about the UK forces to hand prisoners over to Afghan authorities. decision, but we have to make such decisions on the The case, brought by peace campaigners, could have basis of value for money. I would certainly be happy to major implications for our commanders in Afghanistan accept his invitation to come to Newcastle and to meet as a result of international and European human rights the management and the work force again.