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Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what consultations he has undertaken with (a) Cardiff chamber of commerce and industry, (b) Confederation of British Industry, Wales region, (c) Engineering Employers Federation, south Wales region, (d) the Welsh Development Agency and (e) South Glamorgan training and enterprise council regarding the future use of land and buildings currently used for industrial training purposes at Western avenue, Cardiff.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 12 July 1990] : My Department has had no consultation with the organisations listed. Negotiations about the sale of the freehold of land and buildings owned by my Department are being conducted on my behalf by King and Company.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what negotiations he is pursuing with Astra
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Training Services regarding its requirement for an industrial training centre at Western avenue, Cardiff (a) before 1993 and (b) after 1993.Mr. Eggar [holding answer 12 July 1990] : No negotiations are being pursued with Astra Training Services Ltd. Astra has a three-year lease on most of the freehold site now being marketed by King and Company. It will be for Astra to decide its future requirements in the locality.
Astra's plans for the future of the business it sought to purchase were discussed with my advisers before terms of sale were agreed.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the reply from the Secretary of State for Wales of 9 July, whether he has discussed plans for long-term investment in an industrial training centre at Western avenue, Cardiff, with Astra Training Services.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 12 July 1990] : In the course of negotiations for the sale of the Skills Training Agency, my advisers discussed with all potential purchasers their plans for the future of the business they were seeking to buy and these plans were taken into account in reaching a decision on bids.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 9 July, what consultations he had with the manager of the skill centre at Western avenue, Cardiff, before instructing King and Company regarding the sale of his Department's interest in the site.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 12 July 1990] : I understand that King and Company, which is marketing my Department's freehold interest in the site, has liaised with the leaseholder, Astra Training Services Ltd., about viewing arrangements and the siting of sale boards etc.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the terms and conditions he has agreed with Astra Training Services for the disposal of his interest in the land and buildings currently sub-let to the employee rehabilitation centre at Western avenue, Cardiff.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 13 July 1990] : Most of the area occupied by the employment rehabilitation centre (ERC) at Western avenue, Cardiff is outside that part of the site leased to Astra Training Services Ltd. The small part of the ERC that falls within Astra's leased area is covered by a three-year sub-lease between Astra and the Government. Should the ERC vacate within that period, Astra would be free to occupy that area itself or grant a new sub-lease to a third party. This would be until Astra itself vacates the site under the terms of its own three-year lease.
Back-related Illnesses
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on how many working days have been lost in each of the last three years due to back-related illness.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I have been asked to reply.
The available information is given in the following table. This shows the number of days of certified incapacity for sickness and invalidity benefit, where the cause of incapacity was due to a back-related illness.
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|Total
|number of days
|millions<1>
-----------------------------------------------------------
7 April 1986 to 4 April 1987 |39.8
6 April 1987 to 2 April 1988 |46.5
4 April 1988 to 1 April 1989 |52.6
<1> This total excludes the first three days in any spell
of sickness (waiting days). It also excludes all days of
incapacity covered by statutory sick pay (payable for up
to 28 weeks) and all days lost by other persons not
entitled to sickness or invalidity benefit. It includes
days of incapacity for which invalidity benefit was
claimed by men aged 65 to 69 and women aged 60 to 64.
DEFENCE
Radiation
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total occupational whole body equivalent radiation exposure of (a) Chatham and (b) Devonport dockyard workers in milliSieverts, for each year since the onset of the nuclear programme.
Mr. Neubert : The cumulative radiation doses for all workers at Chatham and Devonport dockyards for each of the years 1979 to 1989 inclusive are shown in the table. These figures include the cumulative radiation doses of employees monitored for exposure to ionising radiations by the local issue of direct reading dosimeters while employed under a written system of work. Figures for earlier years are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Total occupational whole body
equivalent radiation exposure
|Chatham |Devonport
|(mSv) |(mSv)
----------------------------------------
1979 |8,214 |1,020
1980 |9,653 |1,712
1981 |7,330 |2,128
1982 |4,109 |2,320
1983 |390 |5,533
1984 |62 |10,140
1985 |9 |7,330
1986 |6 |6,028
1987 |1 |4,543
1988 |2 |2,760
1989 |9 |2,767
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 11 July, Official Report, column 245, concerning exposure to radiation, when the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces expects to write to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will be writing to the right hon. Member shortly.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give a breakdown for (a) Chatham and (b) Devonport dockyards of annual individual radiation exposure for workers in the bands of (i) 0 to 10, (ii) 10 to 20, (iii) 20 to 30, (iv) 30 to 40, (v) greater than 50, (vi) greater than 70 and (vii) greater than 100 milliSieverts for all years since the onset of nuclear work.
Mr. Neubert : A breakdown of annual individual radiation doses for (a) Chatham and (b) Devonport dockyard workers for each of the years 1979- 89 is given in the tables. A more detailed or alternative breakdown of the figures and data for years earlier than 1979 can be produced only at disproportionate cost.
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Table B
Annual individual radiation dose equivalents
Devonport
Numbers of personnel in dose ranges
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|<1>0-15mSv|15-20mSv |20-30mSv |30-40mSv |40-50mSv |>50mSv |>70mSv |>100mSv
1979 |1,258 |6 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1980 |1,643 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1981 |2,159 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1982 |2,543 |4 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1983 |2,968 |26 |17 |5 |0 |0 |0
1984 |2,879 |77 |82 |31 |0 |0 |0 |0
1985 |2,831 |48 |44 |13 |0 |0 |0 |0
1986 |2,945 |47 |38 |5 |0 |0 |0 |0
1987 |2,616 |34 |13 |6 |0 |0 |0 |0
1988 |2,676 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1989 |2,382 |9 |3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
<1>The 0-15mSv dose band includes those employed on written systems of work.
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Table B
Annual individual radiation dose equivalents
Devonport
Numbers of personnel in dose ranges
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|<1>0-15mSv|15-20mSv |20-30mSv |30-40mSv |40-50mSv |>50mSv |>70mSv |>100mSv
1979 |1,258 |6 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1980 |1,643 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1981 |2,159 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1982 |2,543 |4 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1983 |2,968 |26 |17 |5 |0 |0 |0
1984 |2,879 |77 |82 |31 |0 |0 |0 |0
1985 |2,831 |48 |44 |13 |0 |0 |0 |0
1986 |2,945 |47 |38 |5 |0 |0 |0 |0
1987 |2,616 |34 |13 |6 |0 |0 |0 |0
1988 |2,676 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1989 |2,382 |9 |3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
<1>The 0-15mSv dose band includes those employed on written systems of work.
Helicopter Noise
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he will publish the results of the review of the boundaries of the helicopter noise insulation grant scheme ;
(2) if he will publish the results of the noise survey carried out by the university of Ulster at sites affected by high levels of helicopter activity.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There is little that I can add to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor) on 21 June, column 647. The results of the noise surveys undertaken by the university of Ulster in the vicinity of the helicopter landing sites at Bessbrook, Crossmaglen and Forkhill are currently being studied by my Department.
My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces expects to be in a position to write to the hon. Member, and other hon. Members who have expressed an interest, in the near future with details of the survey results. Local announcements will be made shortly afterwards.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many helicopter noise insulation grants have been issued since the insulation scheme was implemented ;
(2) how many buildings currently fall within the boundaries to which the helicopter noise insulation grant scheme applies.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Noise insulation grant schemes were introduced at Bessbrook, Crossmaglen and Forkhill on 1 June 1988. These enabled residents of homes within the qualifying noise contour to apply for grants for secondary acoustic glazing for all bedrooms and up to two living rooms.
The following table lists the number of grant applications received thus far for each scheme.
|Eligible |Grant
|dwellings |applications
----------------------------------------------------
Bessbrook |45 |22
Crossmaglen |30 |24
Forkhill |20 |1
|------- |-------
Total |95 |47
Procurement Executive Airfields
Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the future of the procurement executive's airfields at Bedford, Farnborough and Boscombe Down.
Mr. Neubert : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bedfordshire, North (Sir T. Skeet) on 19 June, Official Report, column 547.
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Research and Development
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will publish a list of research contracts and agreements in universities and polytechnics funded by his Department which are not classified secret ;
(2) what contracts have been placed with universities and other institutions of higher education for research on zirconium and zirconium films since 1983 ;
(3) if he will publish in the Official Report (a) a list of the five universities which were awarded the highest number of research and development contracts in the last financial year, (b) the number of contracts and agreements which each of these universities received and (c) the total worth of these contracts for each of the five universities ;
(4) if he will list the universities and polytechnics in Britain where his Department is currently funding research and development contracts and agreements.
Mr. Neubert : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo) on 8 February at column 774.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how his Department intends to reduce its spending on defence research and development ;
(2) if he has any plans to reduce the amount of money his Department spends on research and development in (a) universities and polytechnics and (b) industry.
Mr. Neubert : The Government have announced their intention gradually to reduce the real level of their spending on defence research and development, while recognising there must be sufficient activity for defence needs. This will involve looking very carefully at what is available off the shelf and at the opportunities for international collaboration before embarking on major new development programmes. Within the total, spending in industry and the universities will depend on the requirements of the programme.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many research and development contracts and agreements in universities and polytechnics are currently being funded by the Admiralty Research Establishment ; how many universities and polytechnics currently hold contracts and agreements funded by the Admiralty Research Establishment ; and what is the total worth of these contracts and agreements ;
(2) how many research and development contracts and agreements in universities and polytechnics are currently being funded by the Royal Aircraft Establishment ; and what is the total worth of these contracts and agreements ;
(3) how many research and development contracts and agreements in universities and polytechnics are currently being funded by the Atomic Weapons Establishment ; how many universities and polytechnics currently hold contracts and agreements funded by the Atomic Weapons Establishment ; and what is the total value of these contracts and agreements ;
(4) how many research and development contracts and agreements in universities and polytechnics are currently
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being funded by the Chemical Defence Establishment ; how many universities and polytechnics currently hold contracts and agreements funded by the Chemical Defence Establishment ; and what is the total value of these contracts and agreements ;(5) how many research and development contracts and agreements in universities and polytechnics are currently being funded by the Royal Armaments Research and Development Establishment ; how many universities and polytechnics currently hold contracts and agreements funded by the Royal Armaments Research and Development Establishment ; and what is the total value of these contracts and agreements ; (6) how many research and development contracts and agreements in universities and polytechnics are currently being funded by the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment ; how many universities and polytechnics currently hold contracts and agreements funded by the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment ; and what is the total value of these contracts and agreements ;
(7) how many research and development contracts and agreements in universities and polytechnics are currently being funded by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment ; how many universities and polytechnics currently hold contracts and agreements funded by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment ; and what is the total value of these contracts and agreements.
Mr. Neubert : The information requested on research agreements funded by A&AEE, ARE, AWE, CDE, RAE, RARDE and RSRE is as follows :