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Mr. Alan Clark : Within the financial limit set out in the intergovernmental EFA development memorandum of understanding, funds are available for the United Kingdom's share of work undertaken in the full development phase of EFA. Financial arrangements for subsequent phases will depend on the form of arrangements put in place to cover the production of EFA.
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the level of commitment to the development and purchase of the European fighter aircraft.
Mr. Alan Clark : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 29 October 1990 at column 413.
Arms Control Verification
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to increase the expertise available to his Department on verification of arms control agreements following the completion of the treaty of Paris on conventional forces in Europe.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 6 March to the hon. and learned Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell) at column 620. The joint arms control implementation group (JACIG) will become operational on 1 January 1991.
Safety Inspections
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of occasions on which the principal specialist inspector from the Health and Safety Executive has visited atomic weapons establishment sites in each of the past 10 years.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Full details of the number of occasions the principal specialist inspector from the
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Health and Safety Executive has visited Atomic Weapons Establishment sites over the last 10 years are not available but over the last four years the following visits have been made.
Atomic Weapons Establishments
|Aldermaston|Burghfield |Foulness |Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987 |14 |6 |2 |22
1988 |16 |1 |1 |18
1989 |27 |3 |1 |31
1990 |18 |3 |1 |22
This is typical of previous years.
The principal specialist inspector from the Health and Safety executive does not visit Atomic Weapons Establishment Cardiff. However, the factory inspector does, and has visited on three occasions during 1989 and 1990.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the principal specialist inspector visits atomic weapons establishment sites without informing atomic weapons establishment management prior to his visit ; and what is his security clearance.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The Health and Safety Executive principal inspector informs the Atomic Weapons Establishment prior to his visits. He holds high security clearance which gives him access to all parts of the establishment.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish the agreement that exists between his Department and the Health and Safety Executive regarding visits by the principal specialist inspector.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No. The written agreement which exists is a classified document and is not for general publication.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current staffing level of the safety division of the atomic weapons establishment ; what are the civil service grades of the members of the division ; and what powers they possess to alter operations within the atomic weapons establishment on the grounds of safety.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : AWE safety division is staffed by industrial, scientific, technical, supervisory and administrative grades. The division, which is headed by director safety, provides safety services and advice to operating divisions and, if necessary, by direct recourse to the chief executive. It is not our policy to reveal the exact numbers on deployment of staff at AWE.
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