Senator LUDWIG (2:55 PM) —My question without notice is to Senator Hill, the Leader of the Government and Minister for Defence. Is the minister aware that General Cosgrove has stated that the Incident Response Regiment, which was established to respond to the `increasing threat and danger of attacks involving chemical, biological or radiological weapons' at home is not fully operational? Hasn't Defence confirmed that it will take another two years for it to be fully staffed and equipped? Can the minister assure the public that the ADF's capability to respond to domestic chemical, biological or radiological attacks will not be diminished by the deployment of 30 of the most highly trained and best equipped personnel from this unit to the Gulf?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —The force is operational. The answer I gave to Senator Evans on notice indicated that it will build up over the next couple of years. But it is operational and when it was declared operational it was said that it had missions both domestic and in support of Australian service personnel operating on deployment. In this instance, some will be deployed with the special forces to bring their special skills to bear in helping safeguard the special forces, and they will be able to do that without any loss of capability in relation to that element of meeting its domestic responsibilities.

Senator LUDWIG —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Has the minister refused to release information on the ADF preparedness against chemical, biological and radiological attacks when the same information is provided by the UK and US governments? Can the minister confirm that all troops sent to the Gulf will be fully equipped and trained in the use of protective suits and detection equipment?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —Our military advisers advise that they do not want us to disclose the level of their protection against various threats, chemical and biological in particular. Having said that, I can assure the honourable senator that the force is fully prepared to meet such threats—properly equipped to meet such threats—whether they are in terms of physical protection or, in the case of biological threats, with suits or, in the case of biological weapons, with inoculations and the like. We take the best advice from our military advisers on what is necessary to protect our service personnel in these difficult circumstances. We have taken that advice without debate and it has been implemented.