| Previous Section | Home Page |
Mr. Aitken : I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 16July, Official Report, column 932- 33 .
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he is yet in a position to publish his Department's scientists' review of nuclear weapon safety, with particular reference to accidents involving nuclear weapons road convoys ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) further to his answer on 12 June, Official Report, column 317, if he is yet in a position to publish his Department's scientists' review into the safety of nuclear warheads in the wake of the Drell report ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 13July at column 521, in which publication of the working group's report was announced.
Column 157
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his current estimate of the date of decision on the formal tenders for contractorisation of the Atomic Weapons Establishment pursuant to the passage of the Atomic Weapons Establishment Act 1991 and his letter of 4 June 1992 to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West.
Mr. Aitken : We expect to announce the successful tenderer in early 1993.
RAF Stations
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many of the RAF personnel transferred from RAF Brawdy to RAF Valley will be accommodated in MOD property ;
(2) how many of the RAF personnel that will be transferred from RAF Brawdy to RAF Chivenor will be accommodated in MOD property.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : All those transferring to both stations will eventually be accommodated in MOD property.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many RAF personnel are planned to be transferred from RAF Brawdy to (a) RAF Chivenor, (b) RAF Valley and (c) elsewhere ;
(2) how many RAF personnel have been transferred from RAF Brawdy to (a) RAF Chivenor, (b) RAF Valley and (c) elsewhere following the ending of tactical weapons training at RAF Brawdy.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Twenty seven RAF personnel from Brawdy out of an eventual total of 41 have already transferred to RAF Chivenor and 30 out of an eventual total of 44 have been transferred to RAF Valley ; 161 service men have been posted elsewhere out of an eventual total of 394.
RAF Stations
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many MOD properties in the vicinity of RAF Valley have been sold in the last (a) 10 years, (b) five years and (c) three years.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Sixty-seven have been sold in the past 10 years--two in 1983, five in 1991 and 60 in 1992.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many MOD properties in the vicinity of RAF Chivenor have been sold in the last (a) 10 years, (b) five years and (c) three years.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his best estimate of increased accommodation costs to his Department as a result of the transfer of former RAF Brawdy personnel to (a) RAF Chivenor and (b) RAF Valley.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The estimated cost in excess rent allowance thus far is £5,500 at RAF Chivenor and £1,500 at RAF Valley.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many of the RAF personnel already transferred from RAF Brawdy to RAF Valley have been accommodated in MOD property ;
Column 158
(2) how many of the RAF personnel already transferred from RAF Brawdy to RAF Chivenor have been accommodated in MOD property.Mr. Archie Hamilton : Of those personnel already transferred from RAF Brawdy, 11 have been accommodated in MOD property at RAF Chivenor and 23 at RAF Valley.
Corporal Mark Travis
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for St. Helens, North, sent to him on 18 June concerning the imprisonment of RAF Corporal Mark Travis.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Defence wrote to the hon. Member on 28 July.
Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the future military requirement for the Queen Elizabeth military hospital ;
(2) if he will have discussions with the South East Thames health authority about the future availability of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The future requirement for all service hospitals in the United Kingdom, including the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, is still under review. There have, however, been exploratory talks with the South East Thames regional health authority.
Cambodia
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) armed service and (b) civilian observers from his Department are currently with the United Nations transitionary authority in Cambodia : what are their rank ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are currently 121 UK military personnel in the United Nations transitionary authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). The full breakdown by service and rank is as follows :
|no.
-----------------------------
Royal Navy:
Lieutenant Commander |1
Lieutenant |6
Warrant Officer |1
Chief Petty Officer |17
Petty Officer |20
Leading Hand |6
Royal Marines:
Captain |5
Colour Sergeant |1
Sergeant |14
Army:
Lieutenant Colonel |8
Major |15
Captain |11
Staff Sergeant |2
Sergeant |2
Corporal |7
Royal Air Force:
Wing Commander |1
Squadron Leader |1
Flight Lieutenant |3
No civilians from my Department are serving with UNTAC in Cambodia at present.
Low Flying
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is yet in a position to measure the noise levels generated by the F-15E aircraft at low level ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : A trial to measure the noise generated by the F-15E aircraft at low level took place in September and the information obtained is being analysed.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by date for the last 12 months the number of complaints of alleged illegal low flying by army helicopters which have been received at Royal Air Force Pitreavie ; what were the comparable total figures for (a) 12 months, (b) 24 months, (c) 36 months and (d) 48months ago ; how many complaints have subsequently been substantiated ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Only one complaint has been received by RAF Pitreavie about low flying by an Army helicopter in the past four years.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) by date and (b) by location the number of complaints of alleged illegal low flying by Army helicopters that have been received in the eastern district in the last 12 months ; what were the comparable total figures for (i) 12 months, (ii) 24 months, (iii) 36 months and (iv) 48 months ago ; how many complaints have subsequently been substantiated ; and if he will indicate the helicopter squadrons concerned and the types of helicopter involved.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The information is not held in the form requested.
Air Crash, North Sea
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the result of the air accident report into the Royal Air Force Buccaneer which crashed into the North sea on 9 July ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The RAF board of inquiry into this incident is not yet complete. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will forward a copy of the military aircraft accident summary to the hon. Member as soon as this is available.
Air Misses
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the result of the air accident report on the two Tornado F3 jets from Royal Air Force Leeming which were involved in a mid-air incident over Alnwick, Northumberland on 16 July ; what was the nature of the sorties being carried out ; at what height were the aircraft flying at the time of the incident ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 160
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The RAF board of inquiry into this incident, which took place some 10 nautical miles west of Alnwick, is not yet complete. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member in due course with a summary of its findings. The aircraft were practising interceptions at some 2,000 feet above ground level when the incident occurred.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the results of the Civil Aviation Authority investigation into the near air -miss over Lincolnshire on 19 August, involving Royal Air Force Tornado aircraft and a civilian light aircraft ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : This incident is under investigation by the joint airmiss section of the National Air Traffic Services and will then be considered by the joint airmiss working group. My noble Friend the Under- Secretary of State for Defence will forward the hon. Member a copy of the group's findings as soon as these are available.
Riders"
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is yet in a position to give the costs and formal charges that are being raised by his Department for the use of the Household Cavalry giving assistance to Anglia TV during that company's production of "Riders"; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : A sum of £210.61 has been recovered in payment for 10 one-hour long riding lessons given to members of the cast.
Bomb Incident, Golspie
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 July, Official Report, column 184, in respect of a practice bomb being dropped on 4 June by a United States Air Force jet on to a site of special scientific interest at Golspie, if he will send a copy of the report that his Department received from the United States Air Force to the hon. Member for Don Valley ; and if he will now give full details of the amount that has been agreed in way of compensation.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I will write to the hon. Member regarding the United States air force report. My Department has agreed to pay some £1,000 to Sutherland Estates for time and costs incurred as a result of this incident.
US Air Bases
Mr. Redmond : To asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of (a) Royal Air Force Bentwaters and (b) Royal Air Force Woodbridge, after the US Air Force leaves these bases in 1993.
Mr. Cann : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has for the future use of the Bentwaters air base after the American departure in 1993.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It was announced locally on 21 August that the RAF had no future use for the twin US bases of RAF
Bentwaters/Woodbridge. Alternative
Column 161
defence uses are currently being examined. Should none be identified the bases will be declared surplus and disposed of following consultation with local authorities and other interested parties.Catterick Army Base
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the result of the short notice visit carried out by Russian military inspectors at the Catterick army base on 22 July under the CFE arms control treaty.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The inspection at Catterick was carried out satisfactorily. The Russian inspection team were content with the conduct and outcome of the inspection.
Munitions Dumping
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with environmental, fishing and maritime representative organisations regarding the proposed dumping of redundant munitions off Porcupine bank ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : None. Ministry of Defence sea dumping activities are consistent with international agreements and are carried out in a strictly controlled manner to ensure that they do not cause damage to the marine environment, or interfere with fishing or other legitimate uses of the sea. MOD will terminate all sea dumping of redundant munitions by 1 January 1993 in line with international agreements.
Atomic Weapons Establishment
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the final date for submission of tenders for the contractorisation of the Atomic Weapons Establishment pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West, dated 4 June.
Mr. Aitken : The final date for submission of tenders for full contractor operation of the Atomic Weapons Establishment was 1 September 1992.
Nuclear Tests
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation he has made of the prospects for the continued use of the Nevada test site by the United Kingdom for its nuclear testing programme, following the vote in the United States Senate to restrict the use of the test site and to halt all nuclear tests by September 1996.
Mr. Aitken : The hon. Member will know that the United States Congress has now enacted legislation imposing a moratorium on nuclear testing until July 1993, with a final end to testing in 1996. The legislation provides for continued use of the Nevada test site by the United Kingdom up to that date. The position after 1996 will depend upon whether any other country tests after that date.
Column 162
Electro-magnetic Pulse Phenomena
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what study he has made of the potential advantage or threat from the development of weapons utilising electro-magnetic pulse phenomena.
Mr. Aitken : My Department has been aware for many years of the effects of electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) and has conducted and sponsored research into this phenomenon. The MOD has no operational requirement at present for a weapon specifically designed to create EMP effects.
Military Personnel Overseas
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel are stationed in the United States of America ; how many are located in Washington DC ; and what is the estimated cost to public funds. Mr. Archie Hamilton : On 1 October 1992 there were 403 British military personnel based in the USA at an estimated cost of some £25 million in 1992-93 ; 154 are located in and around the Washington DC metropolitan area and of these 54 are directly attached to the British embassy.
Army Personnel Centre
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is considering York currently as a potential location for some or all of the staff of the proposed integrated Army personnel centre ; and when he intends to make a decision about which location or locations will be used for this centre. Mr. Archie Hamilton : York is one of a number of sites under consideration. The report examining the case for establishing an Army personnel centre is due in November, and I hope to be able to take a decision, subject to consultation with the trade unions, as soon as possible thereafter.
United Nations
Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries where troops from member countries of the European Community are stationed under the mandate of the United Nations, stating which those countries are and the size and nature of the commitment. Mr. Archie Hamilton : The information requested is set out in the table. EC military contributions cover a wide variety of tasks including the provision of infantry, monitors and observers, and logistics, medical and communications units. The provision of more detailed information on individual contingents would involve disproportionate cost and effort.
|Lebanon UNIFIL
---------------------------------------------------------
Belgium
Denmark
France |500
Germany
Greece
Ireland |755
Italy |52
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Portugal<2>
Spain
United Kingdom
<1> Estimates of contributions pledged but not
necessarily deployed.
<2> Have offered a surgical team for UNPROFOR II.
Precise numbers not yet known.
|Lebanon UNIFIL
---------------------------------------------------------
Belgium
Denmark
France |500
Germany
Greece
Ireland |755
Italy |52
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Portugal<2>
Spain
United Kingdom
<1> Estimates of contributions pledged but not
necessarily deployed.
<2> Have offered a surgical team for UNPROFOR II.
Precise numbers not yet known.
Research Establishments
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the full texts of announcements or statements made by the Ministry of Defence since 16 July in relation to the defence research establishments.
Mr. Aitken : I have asked the chief executive of the Defence Research Agency to place copies of all of his agency's press releases since 16 July in the Library of the House.
Antares
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Admiral in Chief Fleet has yet completed consideration of what further disciplinary action is necessary following the sinking of the Antares ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The commander in chief has completed his consideration of whether further disciplinary action is appropriate and in the light of this and legal advice has concluded that there are no grounds for disciplinary action against any other members of the crew of HMS Trenchant.
Kuwaiti Tank Contract
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the decision by the Kuwaiti Government to award their tank contract to a US supplier ; and what estimate he has made of the consequences to Vickers.
Mr. Aitken : My department has not received any official notification of a decision by the Government of Kuwait to buy M1A2 in preference to Challenger 2.
Column 164
Bosnia
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current deployment of the forces assigned for convoy support in Bosnia.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The principal elements comprising the United Kingdom's contribution to UNPROFOR II, shortly to deploy to Bosnia, are 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, 9th/12th Royal Lancers and 35 Engineer Regiment who are all based in Germany. The rest, the support element, are drawn from forces based in Germany and the United Kingdom.
European Fighter Aircraft
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current position regarding the involvement of the Governments of (a) Germany, (b) Italy and (c) Spain in the European fighter aircraft project ; what further discussions he plans with the Defence Ministers of each of the three Governments ; and when he expects to be able to report the full position to the House.
Mr. Aitken : All four partners are continuing to participate in the development phase of EFA which is proceeding according to the previously agreed programme except that, as agreed by the four Governments on 4 August, no new contracts are being let while studies into ways of reducing the cost of the programme are in progress. Germany has indicated that it does not intend to join the production phase of the project as presently proposed but it was not the intention in any case to take decisions on production until mid-1993 at the earliest.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State plans to meet his German, Italian and Spanish colleagues
Column 165
in December to discuss the results of the studies commissioned on 4 August. My right hon. and learned Friend will report to the House when there are any significant developments.Procurement
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report all statements made by the Ministry of Defence on defence procurement matters since 16 July.
Mr. Aitken : My Department has issued three press releases on defence procurement matters since 16 July :
a. 21 July, on greater competition in defence procurement ; b. 29 July, on the seeking of tenders for a new Ocean Survey vessel ;
c. 2 August, on a £300 million contract award to British Aerospace for Harrier training aircraft.
I will place copies of these in the Library of the House.
Trident
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to complete his consideration of the arrangements for refitting and servicing Trident submarines ; if he will make the outcome public through an oral statement in the House ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : Consideration of the options for the future arrangements for refitting Trident submarines is continuing. I hope that we shall be in a position to announce proposals before the end of the year. The House will be kept informed.
North Channel Incident
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about the incident in the north channel involving the USS Sturgeon and the FV Lupina ; what action is being taken in relation to this incident ; and if he will make a statement
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The submarine USS Sturgeon snagged the nets of the FV Lupina at approximately 10.00 pm on 16 September while operating submerged in the Clyde submarine exercise areas. The submarine surfaced and contacted the fishing vessel to ensure that the boat and her crew were safe. There were no injuries and the fishing vessel was able to proceed under its own power. The submarine's presence had been notified under the SUBFACTS arrangements and the crew of the US submarine were briefed on the operating procedures to be observed when in the proximity of fishing vessels. The incident is currently being investigated by the US authorities. When their report has been completed, we will consider whether any changes to procedures, beyond those already discussed with the fishing industry in the fishing industry safety group, are warranted.
Search and Rescue
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the result of his consideration of the search and rescue services in Scotland.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I hope to make an announcement about the future provision of military search and rescue around the UK very shortly.
Column 166
SOCIAL SECURITY
Deregulation
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what financial provisions, and how much, he has made within his Department in order to look at the potential for deregulation of each of the regulatory measures for which he has responsibility.
Mr. Burt : The Department's deregulation activities are co-ordinated by a departmental deregulation unit which is staffed by a senior executive officer, with management and clerical support. In addition, other parts of the Department assess, as necessary, the impact on business of policy and procedures for which they are responsible and the potential for deregulation. Separate figures on the cost of this activity are not available.
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what assessment he has made of the number of staff required to deal with the present level of claims for disability living allowance ; and how many are actually in post ;
(2) how many staff have been transferred from the invalid care allowance unit to the disability living allowance unit to assist in dealing with claims since January 1991 ; and if he will list the dates of transfer and the number transferred on each of those dates ;
(3) whether staff transferred from the invalid care allowance unit to the disability living allowance unit to assist in dealing with claims will return to their previous post once the backlog has been reduced.
Mr. Scott : The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He wrote to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people in the Warwickshire, North constituency submitted claims for disability living allowance more than three months ago whose claims are still outstanding ;
(2) how many claims for disability living allowance from people living in north Warwickshire are still outstanding ; and what is the anticipated average length of time before they will be determined.
Mr. Scott : I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for (a) the care component, (b) the mobility component and (c) both components of disability living allowance have been received in each month to date ; how many were decided in each month ; and how many remained outstanding at the end of each month.
| Next Section
| Home Page |