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Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning the future of RAF Northolt; and if he will list them. [51755]
Dr. Reid:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Pound) on 18 July 1998, Official Report, column 264.
23 Jul 1998 : Column: 607
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies his Department has (a) made and (b) evaluated relating to the use of RAF Northolt as a possible feeder or reliever airport for Heathrow Airport. [51201]
Dr. Reid:
The Ministry of Defence has neither undertaken nor evaluated any studies relating to the use of RAF Northolt as a possible feeder or reliever airport for Heathrow Airport.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights other than RAF flights have used RAF Northolt in the last five years; and if he will list them by category. [51203]
Dr. Reid:
The information that my hon. Friend requested for the period 1993 to 1997 is set out in the tables. The figures shown are the number of movements, where one movement is defined as an aircraft either landing or taking off. Until 1995 information was collated only in terms of military and civil movements as shown in the first table. Since 1996, military movements at RAF Northolt have been further sub-categorised as RAF, other military, or civil aircraft on Government business. This more detailed classification is reflected in the second table.
| Year | Military movements | Civil movements |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 8,310 | 4,650 |
| 1994 | 7,319 | 5,425 |
| 1995 | 7,981 | 6,492 |
| Year | RAF | Other military | Civil aircraft on Government business | Civil |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 5,474 | 1,878 | 548 | 6,469 |
| 1997 | 5,129 | 1,623 | 498 | 6,976 |
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what projections his Department have made of the use by general aviation traffic of RAF Northolt airport in the next three years. [51202]
Dr. Reid: None. It is current Ministry of Defence policy to limit use at RAF Northolt to 7,000 civil movements per annum. In addition, the Ministry of Defence has limited opening hours to between 8am and 8pm on weekdays with weekend use permitted only when the station is open for operational reasons. Furthermore, only quieter aircraft which have a maximum capacity of 30 passengers are allowed to use Northolt.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects a decision to be made on the future of RAF Northolt. [51754]
Dr. Reid:
Early proposals on the future of RAF Northolt are highly unlikely. There are several strands of work currently under way which must be taken into account. Firstly, the Ministry of Defence is drawing up a strategic development plan for the defence estate in the Greater London area, which will include RAF Northolt. In addition, there is work which has been set in hand by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions on business aviation in the south-east. Finally,
23 Jul 1998 : Column: 608
the Integrated Transport White Paper published on 20 July 1998 provides a framework for further work on airports policy.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial assistance is available from his Department to help in the cost of a person visiting a war grave in a European war grave cemetery. [51241]
Mr. Spellar:
Since 1985, the Royal British Legion have operated the War Widows Pilgrimage Scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Defence to provide financial assistance to any Service widow, whose husband died and was buried overseas between 1914 and 1967, to visit the grave.
The Scheme, which entitles any Service widow to make one visit to the grave, is funded by a Grant-in-Aid from the Defence Budget which contributes 7/8 of the cost of a pilgrimage; the remaining 1/8 of the cost is borne by the widow. There are no plans to expand the Scheme to include other family members.
As I announced in the House of Commons on 5 May 1998, Official Report, column 282, following an approach by the Royal British Legion, I agreed to an extension of the War Widows Pilgrimage Scheme until 31 March 2001. I intend to conduct an automatic review every two years; as long as there are Service widows eligible to visit their husband's grave, this Government will continue to renew the Scheme.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the nature of the contracts between the Nuclear Accident Response Organisation and the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency; how much each contract is worth; how long each contract lasts; and when each was signed. [46821]
Dr. Reid:
The single contract between the HQ Nuclear Accident Response Organisation and the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency is for the provision of radiological protection services. The contract is renewed annually, runs between 1 April and 31 March and is worth around £75,000.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of currently available space for storage of radioactive waste is currently used; and what percentage he estimates will be used by (a) 1 April 2000, (b) 1 April 2005 and (c) 1 April 2010. [51154]
Dr. Reid
[holding answer 20 July 1998]: I am satisfied that there is sufficient storage space to accommodate safely all my Department's radioactive wastes beyond 2010. Details of my Department's radioactive waste arisings at 1994 are publicly available in the most recent NIREX inventory.
Details about the anticipated percentage usage of the available storage capacity for the dates 1 April 2000, 1 April 2005 and 1 April 2010 are dependent on future decisions about the timing of decommissioning of facilities and the remediation of sites.
23 Jul 1998 : Column: 609
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Sri Lankan military officers are currently being taught at United Kingdom educational establishments, including military colleges; which institutions they are attending; and how many are at each institution. [51798]
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance has been given to the Government of Sri Lanka to establish their Army Staff College; and if any British personnel are attached to the college. [51800]
Dr. Reid:
A Short Term Training Team comprising 2 Lieutenant Colonels visited Sri Lanka between 8 September and 21 December 1997 to assist in the establishment of the country's Army Staff College. Since the beginning of this year, one Colonel has served as an instructor at the Sri Lankan Army Staff College.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 July 1998, Official Report, column 659, on the Bilderberg meeting at Turnberry, if he will list the main topics discussed at the meeting and place copies of (a) the agenda and (b) the minutes of the meeting in the Library. [51550]
Mr. George Robertson:
I have no Ministerial responsibility for the agenda or production of a record of the Bilderberg meeting which I attended in May this year.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the Government's plans for the future of Kneller Hall; and what recent discussions have taken place on this subject; [51598]
Mr. Spellar:
There have been no recent discussions on the Royal Military School of Music's future occupancy of Kneller Hall. The Government currently have no plans to move the school from its present site. More widely, Kneller Hall is one of the sites to be considered by the Greater London Strategic Development Plan. This study flows from the Strategic Defence Review and has the objective of identifying opportunities to meet defence estate requirements in the most cost effective manner. A report will be produced at the end of the year and full consultation will take place before we reach any final decisions on those sites that may be affected.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will announce to Parliament the results of his review of death sentences carried out in the Great War prior to the 80th anniversary of the Armistice on 11 November 1999. [51860]
Dr. Reid:
I hope to make an announcement shortly.
23 Jul 1998 : Column: 610
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 June 1998, Official Report, column 440; what were the export control categories of the items which went with the Hawk aircraft; how many items of each equipment category went; and if the licences for any of those items were granted after May 1997. [49412]
Mrs. Roche:
I have been asked to reply.
As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence said on 8 June 1998, Official Report, column 440, the timing of the delivery of any equipment is a matter for the exporter, subject to the conditions of any export licence. I understand that on 10 July British Aerospace informed officials at the Ministry of Defence that it had delivered no Hawk aircraft to Indonesia between 2 May 1997 and that date.
(2) if he will make a statement on the Royal Military School of Music's future occupancy of Kneller Hall. [51600]
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