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Butter
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much reduced-price European Economic Community butter has been sold to the following non-profit-making institutions under the provisions of European Community regulation 2191/81 : (a) registered charities (excluding private educational establishments), (b) old people's homes, (c) state-maintained schools, (d) independent, non-maintained, private schools and (e) others.
Mr. Donald Thompson : In 1987, a total of 36,942 tonnes of reduced- price butter was sold to non-profit-making organisations in the European Community, of which 5,076 tonnes was sold in the United Kingdom. In 1988, a further 5,414 tonnes was sold to institutions in the United Kingdom. The additional information requested is not available except at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what quantity of butter has been sold from European Economic Community private and public storage over the last 12 months for which figures are available ; and what has been the reduction in stockpiles in private and public storage during this period.
Mr. Donald Thompson : In the period 1 November 1987 to 31 October 1988, 887,105 tonnes of butter were sold from public intervention storage, and public stocks fell from 1,007,620 tonnes to 162,928 tonnes.
So far as private stocks are concerned, aid is paid for a maximum period of 180 days, and butter for which the aid is paid in any year must be brought back on to the market no later than 31 March the following year. There is therefore no long-term stockpile of butter in aided private storage. Figures are collected only for those butter stocks on which the Community pays private storage aid. During 1988, some 264,000 tonnes of butter received this aid, of which 211,994 tonnes remained in store at 31 October 1988.
Birds (Feeding Areas)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements are made by his Department to encourage farmers to set aside special feeding areas for geese and other birds.
Mr. Ryder : The set-aside scheme provides grants of up to £200 per hectare per year to farmers setting aside arable land and maintaining it in grass or another green cover
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crop. The Department's leaflet, "Set-Aside : A Practical Guide", which is sent to all participants, draws specific attention to the case for using set-aside land planted with grass as a feeding area for birds, such as brent geese.Protein-Processing Plants
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what powers he has to order the destruction of bits and pieces of dead animals in protein-processing plants which are found by his officials to be contaminated by salmonella bacteria.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The Protein Processing Order 1981 requires all animal protein to be manufactured free from salmonella. The correct application of heat and other treatment in the course of processing destroys all salmonella organisms.
In cases where routine sampling and testing indicated the presence of salmonella, further testing is carried out until a salmonella free product is produced.
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy that no public funds by way of compensation for slaughtered laying hens will be given to any poultry business owning one of the protein-processing plants which his officials have found to be contaminated by salmonella bacteria within the last two years.
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many protein-processing plants use bits and pieces of dead animals for the purpose of ultimately feeding laying hens.
Mr. Donald Thompson : All protein processing plants producing animal protein use waste animal material in the manufacturing process. The animal protein is then used for incorporation into animal and poultry feedingstuffs including feed for laying hens.
Meat Inspection
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes he intends to make to meat inspection procedures after 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The arrangements for meat inspection after 1992 will depend upon decisions still to be taken by the Council of Ministers. These decisions will need to be based on proposals by the Commission which have not yet been received.
Salmonella
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any evidence of the occurrence of salmonella enteritides in wild animals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : I have no specific evidence of occurrence of salmonella enteritides in wild animals. Isolations from wild animals are not required under the Zoonoses Order 1975. It is recognised, however, that animals such as rats and mice and some birds are susceptible to salmonella enteritides.
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Ms. Short : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest figures for the number of positive salmonella tests taken by officials of his Department from animal feed mills in the United Kingdom in 1988.
Mr. Donald Thompson : My officials do not carry out sampling in animal feed mills. Protein processing plants, however, are subject to statutory controls including sampling of animal protein.
The latest figures show that of 135 inspections carried out during 1988 at protein processing plants, 17 cases of salmonella contamination were recorded. In each of these cases advice was given on overcoming the problems and when subsequently the plants were re-inspected they were found to be meeting the required bacteriological standards.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department is undertaking to establish the scale of infection of eggs by salmonella.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 21 December 1988] : In addition to detailed investigations of all reported outbreaks of food poisoning and of all isolations of salmonella in food animals, my Department is working closely with the Department of Health on a co-ordinated programme of research. While the Department of Health through the public health laboratory service is establishing the levels of infections in eggs, my Department is concentrating its efforts on improving the production and processing aspects of eggs.
Field trials are under way to develop a simple rapid test for the detection of salmonella enteritides in birds so that those birds transmitting the organism through their ovaries may be identified. Amongst other research projects, work is being undertaken on the growth of salmonella in eggs under different storage conditions, and its survival under a range of different cooking regimes.
A working group of Government and industry experts has been established to act as a forum for the exchange of scientific information and to identify areas where further research might be required.
Meat Imports
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what powers he has to place a ban on the import of meat from European Economic Community countries which consistently supply meat with health certificates in cases where the meat is found to be defective ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Community rules require that only meat from export approved slaughterhouses and cutting plants which meet stringent structural, hygiene and inspection standards may be traded between member states. Complaints about consignments found to be defective are raised with the veterinary authorities of the exporting country who are required to take all necessary measures to correct the problem, including if necessary the withdrawal of export approval from the plant concerned. These arrangements work well. Directive 64/433/EEC on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat sets out Community procedures for dealing with any problems which cannot be resolved between the competent
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authorities of the member states. Under these, member states may be authorised to prohibit the import of meat from the plant concerned if, upon examination, such action is found to be justified.Pigmeat
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes have been made since 1 January 1988 in the system of enforcing hygiene standards on intra-Community trade in pigmeat ; what further measures he proposes to take to prevent the importation of pigs or pigmeat suffering from Aujeszky's disease ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : No changes have been made since 1 January 1988 to the system of enforcing hygiene standards on intra-Community trade in pigmeat.
As far as Aujeszky's disease is concerned, imports of pigmeat present no risk. Imports of live pigs present a potential risk unless adequate safeguards are provided. Member states which presently export to Great Britain have agreed to provide official health certification which gives us the protection we need. We are seeking harmonised Community rules which will give us the same degree of protection in relation to possible future imports of live pigs from other member states.
Egg Producers
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the number of egg producers in the United Kingdom ; and what percentage of these producers have diversified into other forms of agricultural production in the last two years.
Mr. Ryder : Information about the number of egg producers who may have diversified into other forms of agricultural production in the last two years is not available. However, details of the number of holdings with laying fowls in the United Kingdom, taken from the United Kingdom annual agricultural census, in this period are given in the table.
Year |Number of holdings
|(thousands)
---------------------------------------------------------
1986 |44.6
1987 |41.9
1988 |41.3
Very small holdings which make only occasional returns are excluded from these figures.
EC Directives
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about current negotiations on proposed European Economic Community directives relevant to his Ministry.
Mr. Ryder : This Department is currently concerned with negotiations on a number of EC directives. In the food law harmonisation area, directives on food labelling, foods for particular nutritional uses, batch marking and official inspection of foodstuffs, on which common positions have been reached in the Council of Ministers,
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are currently before the European Parliament. Proposals for directives on nutrition labelling of food and food irradiation are before the Council.NFU
Mr. Adley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the president of the National Farmers Union ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. MacGregor : I meet the president of the National Farmers Union frequently to discuss agricultural matters.
Rating Reform
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning the impact of the poll tax on farm workers whose rates are paid by their employers.
Mr. Donald Thompson : When the Government's proposals were first announced I received a number of representations about the impact of the introduction of the community charge on farm workers.
Food Grains
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost of support per ton of British food grains since 1980, both in constant and current prices, identifying separately the costs of set-aside schemes and identifying the proportion of that support met by public funds ; and if he will estimate the proportion of that support directly translated into farm incomes.
Mr. Ryder : The table shows the total cost to the Exchequer of support for cereals in the United Kingdom and the level of cereals production in each year since 1980. It is not possible to distinguish between expenditure on cereals for animal feed, for human consumption or for industrial use. In the period in question there was no expenditure on set-aside.
The measures funded by these expenditures are intended to support the prices received by cereal producers ; their effect on producers returns, and hence farm incomes, depends on a number of factors which vary from year to year.
Expenditure Production
|At current prices |At constant 1988-89
|forecast prices<2>
|£ million |£ million |mt
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |157 |247 |19.5
1981-82 |243 |349 |19.6
1982-83 |337 |452 |21.9
1983-84 |111 |142 |21.3
1984-85 |368 |448 |26.6
1985-86 |654 |756 |22.5
1986-87 |114 |128 |24.5
1987-88 |231 |245 |21.7
<1>1988-89 |166 |166 |21.0
Source: Annual Review of Agriculture.
<1> Forecast.
<2> Expressed in 1988-89 prices using the forecast GDP deflator at market prices.
Cattle
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost of support per
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British cow and bull since 1980 both in constant and current prices, identifying the proportion of that support met by public funds ; and if he will estimate the proportion of that support directly translated into farm incomes.Mr. Donald Thompson : Direct support for beef breeding cows in the United Kingdom is provided under two schemes : the suckler cow premium scheme and, in the less favoured areas, the hill livestock compensatory allowance scheme. Rates of payment are shown in table 1. These payments are made directly to producers and form part of farm income. There are no direct payments in relation to dairy cows.
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Producers of cattle and milk also benefit directly or indirectly from a range of other measures, mainly in the form of market support for the products concerned. Total public expenditure on these measures, excluding those identified in table 1, is shown in table 2, together with the volumes of production. The purpose of most of the measures related to these expenditures is to support the returns received by producers : their effect on producer revenues, and hence farm income, depends on a number of factors which vary from year to year.Column 521
Table 2
Public expenditure on beef, veal and milk products: beef, veal and milk production: United Kingdom
Public expenditure (£
million)
Financial year beef and veal<1> milk products Calendar year Beef and veal Output of
|current prices |at constant<2> 1988-89 |current prices |at constant<2> 1988-89 |production ('000 tonnes)|milk for human
|values |values |consumption (mill
|litres)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |132 |207 |218 |343 |1980 |1,096 |15,340
1981-82 |42 |60 |190 |273 |1981 |1,039 |15,237
1982-83 |95 |127 |360 |483 |1982 |980 |16,093
1983-84 |273 |350 |570 |730 |1983 |1,044 |16,590
1984-85 |352 |429 |263 |321 |1984 |1,136 |16,592
1985-86 |332 |384 |356 |412 |1985 |1,123 |15,420
1986-87 |232 |259 |300 |335 |1986 |1,046 |15,631
1987-88 |204 |217 |302 |321 |<3>1987 |1,077 |14,741
1988-89<3> |164 |164 |153 |153 |1988 |n/a |n/a
<1> Excludes hill livestock compensatory allowances and suckler pig premia.
<2> Expenditures at current prices adjusted to 1988-89 prices using the GDP deflator.
<3> Forecast.
Table 2
Public expenditure on beef, veal and milk products: beef, veal and milk production: United Kingdom
Public expenditure (£
million)
Financial year beef and veal<1> milk products Calendar year Beef and veal Output of
|current prices |at constant<2> 1988-89 |current prices |at constant<2> 1988-89 |production ('000 tonnes)|milk for human
|values |values |consumption (mill
|litres)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |132 |207 |218 |343 |1980 |1,096 |15,340
1981-82 |42 |60 |190 |273 |1981 |1,039 |15,237
1982-83 |95 |127 |360 |483 |1982 |980 |16,093
1983-84 |273 |350 |570 |730 |1983 |1,044 |16,590
1984-85 |352 |429 |263 |321 |1984 |1,136 |16,592
1985-86 |332 |384 |356 |412 |1985 |1,123 |15,420
1986-87 |232 |259 |300 |335 |1986 |1,046 |15,631
1987-88 |204 |217 |302 |321 |<3>1987 |1,077 |14,741
1988-89<3> |164 |164 |153 |153 |1988 |n/a |n/a
<1> Excludes hill livestock compensatory allowances and suckler pig premia.
<2> Expenditures at current prices adjusted to 1988-89 prices using the GDP deflator.
<3> Forecast.
Dumping at Sea
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what volume in cubic metres of British industrial waste, and of dredge spoils has been dumped in (a) the Irish sea, (b) the North sea and (c) other British coastal areas in each year from 1979 to 1988.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The information, which is recorded in tonnes, is as follows :
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'000 Tonnes
|Liquid industrial waste |Solid industrial waste<1>|Dredged Spoil<2>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979
Irish sea |83.3 |118.0
North sea |455.8 |5,515.0 |36,754
Other |72.7 |0.3
1980
Irish sea |55.7 |144.5
North sea |453.3 |5,623.1 |46,379
Other |15.8 |0.2
1981
Irish sea |47.2 |144.5
North sea |380.9 |5,488.5 |36,581
Other |44.6 |0.2
1982
Irish sea |46.9 |155.5
North sea |222.2 |5,351.5 |34,742
Other |49.1 |0.1
1983
Irish sea |30.5 |164.7
North sea |218.3 |6,003.7 |30,922
Other |77.4 |0.1
1984
Irish sea |28.9 |62.5
North sea |228.9 |942.1 |43,013
Other |30.7 |0.2
1985
Irish sea |31.5 |19.2 |4,382
North sea |262.9 |3,865.5 |22,747
Other |31.9 |0.1 |13,075
1986
Irish sea |27.1 |73.1 |6,166
North sea |230.6 |4,130.2 |17,783
Other |26.3 |0.8 |10,104
1987
Irish sea |17.0 |293.7 |5,246
North sea |223.4 |3,974.4 |17,864
Other |23.7 |- |15,224
Information for 1988 is not yet available.
<1> Colliery waste, flyash etc.
<2> Information not broken down into sea areas until 1985.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what volume, in cubic metres, of British sewage sludge has been dumped into (a) the Irish sea, (b) the North sea and (c) other British coastal areas, in each year from 1979 to 1988.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The information, for which records are kept in tonnes, is as follows :
'000 tonnes
|Irish sea |North sea |Other British coastal
|areas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |1657.7 |5793.1 |1511.7
1980 |2055.7 |5770.4 |2646.8
1981 |1964.6 |5795.7 |2262.2
1982 |1937.1 |5435.8 |2239.9
1983 |1589.0 |5070.2 |2211.8
1984 |1582.0 |5181.4 |2409.2
1985 |1813.4 |5218.8 |2387.2
1986 |1817.3 |5493.8 |2376.5
1987 |1935.5 |4734.3 |2300.3
Information for 1988 is not yet available.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the mass in tonnes dumped into (a) the Irish sea and (b) other British coastal waters in each year from 1985 to 1988 inclusive of (i) arsenic, (ii) lead, (iii) nickel, (iv) chromium, (v) zinc, (vi) manganese, (vii) cadmium, (viii) copper, (ix) uranium, (x) fluoride, (xi) mercury, (xii) halogenated hydrocarbons, (xiii) polychlorinatedbiphenyls, (xiv) organochlorines, (xv) dioxins, and (xvi) organophosphates.
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Mr. Donald Thompson : Records are available in respect of the following substances in material dumped under the provisions of the Dumping at Sea Act 1974 (1985) and part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (1986 and 1987). Figures for 1988 are not yet available.
|TONNES
|1985 |1986 |1987
-----------------------------------------------
(a) Irish sea
Arsenic |0 |1 |1
Lead |320 |321 |297
Nickel |80 |105 |87
Chromium |203 |202 |200
Zinc |822 |1,324 |916
Cadmium |3 |6 |4
Copper |207 |277 |265
Mercury |5 |4 |3
(b) Other British
coastal waters
Arsenic |41 |32 |8
Lead |2,950 |2,609 |2,887
Nickel |1,109 |874 |935
Chromium |1,530 |1,204 |1,306
Zinc |6,396 |5,581 |6,462
Cadmium |30 |33 |36
Copper |1,574 |1,386 |1,479
Mercury |16 |11 |12
Equivalent statistics are not available in respect of the remaining substances. They have been covered by exemptions from the international requirement to report quantities to the Oslo commission on de minimis grounds. It is estimated that any amounts in material dumped under the above Acts have been very small.
DEFENCE
Radar Systems (Procurement)
14. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of procurement of (a) Foxhunter and (b) the European fighter aircraft radar systems.
48. Mr. Hoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of procurement of (a) Foxhunter and (b) the European fighter aircraft radar systems.
64. Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of procurement of (a) Foxhunter and (b) the European fighter aircraft radar systems.
71. Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of procurement of (a) Foxhunter and (b) the European fighter aircraft radar systems.
Mr. Sainsbury : Foxhunter radars are being delivered to the Royal Air Force in accordance with the terms and conditions of the firm price contract which was placed with Marconi Defence Systems last year. Bids for the European fighter aircraft nose radar competition have been received from two consortia, both of which include British companies. It is hoped that a decision on the winning consortium will be made early this year.
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Defence Review
15. Mrs. Gillian Shephard : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends initiating a defence review.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As my right hon. Friend has made plain on a number of occasions, there are no plans for any review of our defence policies or commitments beyond the routine appraisal which is part of our annual planning cycle. We shall maintain our main defence roles.
Procurement (Excess Profits)
16. Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he is taking to stop excess and undue profits in defence procurement.
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he is taking to stop excess and undue profits in defence procurement.
75. Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what initiatives have been taken by his Department to assist smaller firms to bid successfully in defence contracts.
79. Mr. Maxton : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he is taking to stop excess and undue profits in defence procurement.
85. Mr. Ashton : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he is taking to stop excess and undue profits in defence procurement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The most effective way of securing keen prices is through competition, and there has been a steady increase since 1979 in the proportion, by value, of contracts placed in a competitive environment. During the same period there has been a significant decrease in the proportion, by value, of contracts priced on the basis of cost plus a percentage fee for profit. Where contracts have to be placed non- competitively we continue to seek all information relevant to pricing, and to use post costing on a selective basis.
Conventional Stability Talks
17. Mr. Kirkhope : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will outline the Government's policy for the conventional stability talks.
80. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will outline the Government's policy for the conventional stability talks.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The British Government and their NATO allies are firmly committed to the new negotiations on conventional forces in Europe which should begin in the near future in Vienna. The Alliance will seek the elimination of capabilities for surprise attack and large-scale offensive action through measures such as the establishment of equal limits on the number of key equipments, like tanks, artillery and other armoured vehicles, held by the countries of NATO and the Warsaw pact. NATO has already suggested that the number of tanks in Europe held in total by the 23 nations of NATO and the Warsaw pact should be limited to about 40,000. Even allowing for the very welcome reductions recently
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announced by President Gorbachev, this would require large asymmetrical cuts by the Warsaw pact on account of its remaining substantial numerical superiority.28. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to meet the secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to discuss the Vienna talks on conventional stability.
72. Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to meet the secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to discuss the Vienna talks on conventional stability.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence will next meet Dr. Woerner early this year. They are likely to discuss a wide range of defence and security matters of mutual interest, including arms control. In the meantime, officials are participating at all levels within the Alliance on preparations for the forthcoming negotiations.
Soviet Union (Armed Forces)
18. Mr. Moss : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to whether the Soviet Union is halting the modernisation of its armed forces.
61. Mr. Neil Hamilton : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence he has as to whether the Soviet Union is halting the modernisation of its armed forces.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There is no evidence to suggest the Soviet Union is halting the modernisation of its armed forces.
Trident
19. Mr. Galloway : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the production, leasing and servicing arrangements for Trident.
54. Mr. Allan Roberts : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the production, leasing and servicing arrangements for Trident.
59. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the production, leasing and servicing arrangements for Trident.
84. Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the production, leasing and servicing arrangements for Trident.
Mr. Sainsbury : As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence told the House on 29 November last year at column 224 , a statement on the progress of the Trident programme will take place shortly.
UK Mobile Force
20. Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the future role of the United Kingdom mobile force.
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Mr. Neubert : Following a NATO review of reinforcements for the northern region, the United Kingdom mobile force will on current plans continue to be committed to the defence of the Baltic approaches.
USSR (Military Reductions)
24. Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's short- range modernisation programme of President Gorbachev's proposals for military reductions.
52. Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's short-range modernisation programme of President Gorbachev's proposals for military reductions.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing) and for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms. Short).
22. Mr. Buchan : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for United Kingdom defence policy of President Gorbachev's proposed military reductions.
49. Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's defence strategy of President Gorbachev's proposed reductions in Soviet forces stationed in Hungary, Czechoslovakia and East Germany.
51. Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for defence policy of President Gorbachev's proposal to reduce the numbers of tanks, combat aircraft and artillery systems.
58. Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for the United Kingdom's defence policy of President Gorbachev's proposals to reduce the numbers of tanks, combat aircraft and artillery systems.
62. Mr. Heffer : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's defence strategy of President Gorbachev's proposed reductions in Soviet forces stationed in Hungary, Czechoslovakia and East Germany.
70. Mrs. Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the force reductions announced by Mr. Gorbachev.
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