To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer of 4 February 2008, Official Report, column 800W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, what information his Department holds on the (a) number and (b) cost to the public purse of private contractors employed by his Department in Iraq. (190582)

Where contractors are employed in Iraq by the MOD, the manpower required forms part of the contract. Each contractor is required to provide reports of the actual numbers of staff employed under each contract. The Department is currently developing a database to record this information centrally, but until it is fully populated, the information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The cost of each contract is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-infantry personnel have served in an infantry role in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan since 2003. (190718)

This information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed services are in theatre in Iraq, broken down by (a) sex, (b) age, (c) service and (d) regiment; and how many were in theatre in Iraq in each year since 2003 in each category. (190800)

Information on the sex, age and regiment of military personnel deployed to Iraq is not held centrally. Information on the service of military personnel deployed to Iraq is not held centrally prior to December 2005.

The total number of UK military personnel deployed to Iraq at the end of May in each year since 2003 is available on the Department’s website and can be found at:

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInIraqFactsandFigures.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the hourly cost of internet access was for (a) frontline troops in Iraq in each month since January 2003 and (b) frontline troops in Afghanistan in each month since January 2001. (191449)

The MOD welfare internet service is provided free of charge to personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, it is not possible to provide information on the hourly cost of internet access because of the technical solution that is used to provide the welfare communications service. This involves all voice (telephone) and data (internet) transmissions being combined and sent via a single satellite feed with the MOD being charged for the total number of megabytes of information transmitted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much free telephone time frontline troops are entitled to in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq; and how much it costs them to top-up phone time by (i) 20 minutes, (ii) 30 minutes, (iii) 45 minutes and (iv) 90 minutes. (191450)

Service personnel deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq are entitled to 30 minutes of free telephone time per week. The majority of personnel are able to use satellite cabins to make their welfare calls although those in very austere locations or on board ship will instead use Iridium or INMARSAT satellite phones.

Personnel calling an off-peak UK landline from a satellite cabin are able to top up their phone time at a cost of £2.20 for 20 minutes; £3.30 for 30 minutes; £4.95 for 45 minutes; and £9.90 for 90 minutes. Personnel calling from an Iridium satellite telephone will pay £17.80 for 20 minutes; £26.70 for 30 minutes; £40.08 for 45 minutes; and £80.10 for 90 minutes. Personnel calling from an INMARSAT system will pay £23.40 for 20 minutes; £35.10 for 30 minutes; £52.65 for 45 minutes; and £105.30 for 90 minutes. Iridium and INMARSAT charges are set by third party satellite services providers and not by the MOD communications contractor. Charges for calls to mobile telephones will vary according to the network provider chosen by the individual.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces who are (a) deployed and (b) awaiting deployment to (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan have not been issued with a pair of Midel or Magnum boots; and if he will make a statement. (191467)

Since July 2007, members of the UK armed forces deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan have been provided with a pair of Meindl desert boots and a pair of Magnum desert boots as standard. Troops deploying for the winter months are also provided with an additional pair of boots designed for cold and wet conditions.

Following a further study of the optimum arrangements, and as stocks allow, deploying troops will be given the option to choose Lowe desert boots as an alternative to Meindl boots.