Robert Walter: There seems to be slippage on the defence training review and the move to St. Athan. When it was first announced in 2007, it was all going to be done in 2011, but in a written answer to me yesterday, the Minister said that the date was now 2015. I understand that the contracts are still in difficulty. Will the Minister give us some idea of when we will have some really firm dates?
Robert Walter: The Minister will be aware from discussions that he has had with leaders of one of my local authorities and with me that what is excessive in percentage terms is not always excessive in cash terms. North Dorset district council continues to be one of the lowest taxing authorities for band D in the country, with a band D council tax of just over £100. I wonder whether the Minister could help...
Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many properties at Blandford Camp were surveyed as part of the Service Family Accommodation Review commissioned by his Department; and into which housing category such properties fall.
Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what date he expects the Defence College of Communications and Information Systems to have completed its transfer from Blandford Camp to St. Athan.
Robert Walter: May I press the Under-Secretary a little further on the future of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Congo? It has become clear that the MONUC force is incapable of effectively keeping the peace in eastern Congo. I understand from this morning's Financial Times that discussions have taken place between the British and the French Governments about the future of UN peacekeeping...
Robert Walter: The Minister will be aware that last week the planning inspector upheld a decision of East Dorset district council to refuse planning permission for 60 houses in the green belt at Colehill in my constituency. Can my constituents take heart at that decision, in that the Secretary of State will not persist with her proposals to build in the green belt in south-east Dorset?
Robert Walter: This has been a very good debate, because the sense of agreement in all parts of the House has been commendable. I particularly congratulate my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Kensington and Chelsea (Sir Malcolm Rifkind) on his challenging speech about nuclear weapons and my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) on his speech about engagement with...
Robert Walter: I thank my hon. Friend for his support of the Iranian Government's decision. I want to speak briefly about Africa, although not about Zimbabwe, on which the hon. Member for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey) spoke passionately, but about the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad and Somalia, in the context of the European Union missions that have been deployed there in recent months and European security...
Robert Walter: The Foreign Secretary visited the DRC at the beginning of November with his French counterpart. He is aware that the United Kingdom currently provides one of the European Union battlegroups, which is deployable at 15 days' notice. In the intervening period, MONUC has received no assistance. Can the Foreign Secretary tell us in what circumstances a battlegroup would ever be deployed by the...
Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many valid UK diplomatic passports are held by (a) serving accredited UK diplomats, (b) other Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials, (c) serving military personnel, (d) officials of other Government Departments, (e) Ministers of the Crown, (f) hon. Members who do not hold ministerial office and (g) others.
Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many private cars were searched by officers of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs or the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each month since October 2007 when crossing (a) from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland and (b) from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland.
Robert Walter: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post offices situated within the secure areas of military establishments have been closed or are scheduled for closure as part of the Post Office Network Change programme; and if he will list their locations.
Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Boeing-built, designed or supported (a) airborne platforms, (b) aircraft, (c) helicopters and (d) other air systems are (i) in use, (ii) in the process of acquisition or appraisal and (iii) under consideration for use in the three services.
Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many United States-built, designed or supported (a) airborne platforms, (b) aircraft, (c) helicopters and (d) other air systems are (i) in use and (ii) under contract for future delivery in the three services.
Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings there have been between his Department and the Racecourse Association on racecourse bookmakers since December 2007; and if he will place a copy of the minutes of each such meeting in the Library.
Robert Walter: I was scratching my head trying to think about any similarities between the hon. Member for Selby (Mr. Grogan) and Genghis Khan; perhaps they were both beer-drinking cricketers. I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I could speak about a number of constituency issues, but I shall limit myself mainly to two. The other topical issues would include the latest application to build a...
Robert Walter: There are obviously serious difficulties with package 1, and it is clear that package 2 will never get off the ground. Does that not challenge the financial viability of the whole scheme, and has the Minister considered looking again at some of the investment the MOD has already made in my constituency at Blandford in the Defence College of Communications and Information Systems—more than...
Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment his Department made of the accuracy of the statement by the Chief Scientific Adviser broadcast on 27 November 2007 that the push-pull system of maize production in Africa involved genetically modified crops; what steps his Department took to correct the elements of the statement which have been demonstrated...
Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government plan to take to implement the findings of the International Assessment of Agriculture Technology for Development.
Robert Walter: I came here today because I am sympathetic to Bournemouth's problems, but I am a little concerned about the 70 or so local authorities that are in the queue to which my hon. Friend refers. Does he feel that if Bournemouth's legislation is successful, those traders will move north into my constituency, right on the edge of Bournemouth? We have Wimborne market, a big open-air market that...
