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Mr. Archie Hamilton : We are not yet able to calculate the additional costs of providing military assistance to the police and the air accident investigation branch in the Lockerbie air disaster as returns from many participating units and establishments are not yet complete.
Disaster and Emergency Training
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of training for service men is devoted to training for disasters or emergencies.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Apart from specialist search and rescue units, service men do not train specifically for civil disaster relief or non- military emergencies, as responsibility for dealing with these lies with the civil authorities. On occasions, however, the particular skills and equipment which the services possess can be of assistance, and established procedures exist for the civil authorities to call upon such assistance in certain circumstances.
Quality Assurance
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he received the results of the investment appraisal on the future location of the directorate general of defence quality assurance ; and when he expects to be able to announce a decision.
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Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend received the results of the investment appraisal on the future location of the directorate general of defence quality assurance in October last year, and we are continuing to have discussions with interested parties.
Procurement Expenditure
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will indicate for each year since 1974 the annual expenditure on defence procurement at (a) cash and (b) constant 1988-89 prices ; and if he will express these figures as a proportion of the total defence budget for each year since 1974.
Mr. Sainsbury : Defence equipment expenditure is shown each year in volume 2 (table 2.2) of the "Statement of Defence Estimates" and, since 1981, it has also been shown as a percentage of total defence expenditure. Figures are not yet available at 1988-89 prices and the figures in column (c) of the table are given at Estimates 1988-89 prices. These figures have been calculated using a measure of inflation based on movements in the price of defence equipment.
(a) |(b) |(c) |(d)
Financial year |Equipment expenditure at|Column (b) at Estimates |Column (b) as a
|cash |1988-89 prices |percentage of defence
|£ million |£ million |expenditure
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1974-75 |1,030 |5,754 |31.3
1975-76 |1,792 |6,418 |33.5
1976-77 |2,138 |6,306 |34.7
1977-78 |2,565 |6,448 |37.8
1978-79 |2,984 |6,695 |40.0
1979-80 |3,640 |7,003 |39.7
1980-81 |4,885 |7,924 |43.7
1981-82 |5,638 |8,078 |44.7
1982-83 |6,297 |8,575 |43.7
1983-84 |6,939 |8,901 |44.8
1984-85 |7,838 |9,441 |45.8
1985-86 |8,193 |9,336 |45.7
1986-87 |7,885 |8,474 |43.4
1987-88 |8,270 |8,555 |43.9
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his policy on authorising foreign air force units to fly at less than 250 ft over the United Kingdom ;
(2) if any foreign air forces have been authorised to fly at less than 250 ft over the United Kingdom at any time since 1979.
Mr. Neubert : There are no records of foreign military aircraft having been authorised to carry out low-flying training in the United Kingdom at less than 250 ft. Any such requests to operate in a tactical training area would be considered on a case-by-case basis on their merits.
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what types of flying at less than 250 ft other than work-up training for Flag exercises in the United States of America and Canada take place in the Borders tactical training area.
Mr. Neubert : Training in the Borders tactical training area consists mainly of work-up training for operational low-flying exercises in the United States and Canada. Occasional continuation training may also be carried out to maintain aircrew skills between such exercises, thereby reducing the quantity of work-up training required.
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Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the proportions of flying at less than 250 ft over the United Kingdom since 1979 which have taken place (a) between 7 am and 7 pm, (b) between 7 pm and 11 pm and (c) between 11 pm and 7 am ; and what plans exist to increase the amount of such flying in the evenings and at night ;
(2) if he will ban low flying at less than 250 ft between the hours of 7 pm and 7 am.
Mr. Neubert : Activity within the three tactical training areas has been confined to the hours between 7 am and 7 pm although the vast majority takes place from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. We do not at present envisage any change in this practice or any significant increase in the requirement for low-flying training below 250 ft as a whole.
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on what date sorties at less than 250 ft took place for the first time in low flying area 20 (T) west ;
(2) on what date the ministerial decision was made to extend the Borders tactical training area by the creation of low flying area 20 (T) west ;
(3) on what date the westward extension of the Borders tactical training area, known as low flying area 20 (T) west, was first marked on the low flying chart covering southern Scotland.
Mr. Neubert : Ministerial approval to extend the Borders tactical training area was given in March 1988. Following that, the extension was first marked on the low flying chart which became current on 27 May 1988, and the first sorties at less than 250 ft in the new extended area took place on 29 June 1988.
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the military low flying management group first discussed proposals to create a new 100 ft low flying area in south-west Scotland.
Mr. Neubert : The records currently available indicate that such proposals were first discussed on 27 September 1985.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the locational requirements for the training of fighter pilots in terms of the ground facilities needed and the terrain necessary for low- flying practice.
Mr. Neubert : I will write to the hon. and learned Member.
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions on which flights at less than 250 ft took place over the western portion of the Borders tactical training area in 1988, giving the dates, number of sorties on each date, and types of aircraft and units involved.
Mr. Neubert : The information requested cannot be provided without disproportionate effort.
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research is being conducted by his Department on the medical effects of exposure to the noise levels from military jet aircraft flying at 100 ft above ground level.
Mr. Neubert : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor on 27 July 1988 at column 350. The NATO working group on noise is expected to report on its proposals toward the end of 1989.
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Artillery
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the numbers of artillery, mortars and multiple rocket launchers currently possessed by the British Army and the number of these that are currently held in storage.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : On 1 January 1988, a total of 394 pieces of equipment of these types were in use, excluding mortars of a calibre less than 100 mm. Since the number held in storage is directly related to reserve stocks, it is not our practice to disclose this figure.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many anti-aircraft artillery and fixed and mobile surface-to-air missile launchers are currently possessed by Her Majesty's Forces ; how many are presently in storage ; and what percentage are currently located in Great Britain.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : On 1 January 1988, a total of 350 pieces of equipment of these types were in use. Since the number of equipments held in storage is directly related to reserve stocks, it is not our practice to disclose this figure. I refer the hon. Member to Annexes B and C of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988" (Cm 344-I) for the proportion of our air defence forces which are located in Great Britain.
Military Carriers
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the numbers of (a) armoured personnel carriers and (b) military support carriers presently in use by the British Army.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The term "military support carriers" is not a term used within the British Army, but on 1 January 1988 the Army had a total of 5,048 armoured vehicles in service which were not main battle tanks, armoured vehicle bridge layers, armoured infantry fighting vehicles, artillery pieces or air defence launchers.
Search and Rescue
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many search and rescue operations were carried out during the hours of darkness and from which defence establishments in the last five years for which information is available.
Mr. Neubert : Central records are held in a form which distinguishes between search and rescue missions which begin in daylight and those which begin in darkness. For the latter, the figures are :
Number of callouts
commencing in darkness
Station |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
----------------------------------------------------------------------
RAF Helicopters<1>
Boulmer |6 |7 |12 |4 |6
Brawdy |12 |5 |12 |9 |14
Chivenor |3 |1 |- |1 |2
Coltishall |7 |- |6 |5 |6
Leconfield |5 |4 |- |- |5
Leuchars |12 |7 |4 |6 |9
Lossiemouth |12 |11 |12 |11 |17
Manston |8 |2 |5 |6 |2
Valley |11 |7 |6 |5 |11
RN Helicopters
Culdrose |5 |2 |8 |5 |9
Lee on Solent<2> |1 |2 |1 |2 |-
Portland |- |- |- |- |2
Prestwick |1 |3 |1 |- |1
Fixed Wing Aircraft
St. Mawgan |6 |8 |6 |14 |7
Kinloss |7 |6 |5 |3 |12
Mountain Rescue Teams
Leuchars |- |- |1 |- |-
Kinloss |- |- |- |1 |-
Valley |4 |3 |- |1 |-
St. Atan |- |- |1 |1 |1
Stafford |- |- |2 |- |1
Linton on Ouse |- |- |1 |- |-
Notes:
<1> The figures exclude a small number of callouts undertaken by
units which are not assigned to the search and rescue (SAR) role.
<2> The statistics for Lee on Solent cover the period up to 15 May
1988, when the military SAR service was withdrawn. A temporary RAF
flight operated from Lee between 31 March (when the RN flight was
withdrawn) and 15 May.
Armoured Vehicles
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to purchasing armoured infantry fighting vehicles for the British Army ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The new warrior vehicle currently being purchased is an armoured infantry fighting vehicle, sometimes also known as a mechanised infantry combat vehicle. The first battalion's worth of vehicles entered service in 1988 and, on current plans, a total of 13 battalions will eventually be equipped with Warrior.
Defence Communications Centre
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to move the defence communications centre from its present position under his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : There are no plans to move the defence communications centre from its present position.
Monetary Rewards
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the maximum monetary reward currently allowed as a payment to soldiers for actions beyond the normal call of duty ; and when this amount was last reviewed ;
(2) what regulations officers in the British Army must follow in order to obtain a monetary reward for their men in return for actions beyond the normal call of duty ; and when these regulations were last reviewed.
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Mr. Neubert : My reply to the hon. and learned Member on 16 January 1989 at column 28 explained the justification for paying the x factor to service men. Articles 228 and 485 of the Army pay warrant provide for officers and soldiers to receive an extra 90p a day whilst engaged in work of an objectionable nature. Under the regulations, Ministry of Defence approval has to be sought before payment is made. This payment is reviewed annually by the armed forces pay review body, and was last increased from 1 April 1988. In addition the armed forces pay review body reviews the case for this type of payment periodically--normally every five years. The last such review was in 1986.
United States Submarines (Discharges)
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has regarding the discharging of radioactive primary coolant by United States submarines into Scottish waters since 1960.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Her Majesty's Government are satisfied that any releases of radioactivity have not breached established national and international standards.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when United States Polaris submarines were ordered not to discharge radioactive primary coolant into Scottish waters ; and on whose initiative this action was taken.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I cannot comment about specific orders given to United States Navy Polaris submarines, which are a matter for the United States Government.
Accommodation Charges
Dr. Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the annual charges for married and single quarters made to service men and women in respect of quarters in (a) Scotland in 1988-89 and 1989-90 and (b) England, in 1988-89 and 1989-90 ;
(2) what amount of charges made for married and single quarters for service men and women reflects the Treasury calculations in lieu of rates on Crown property.
Mr. Neubert : Accommodation charges for 1988-89 in Scotland and England are as in the table ; the figures in brackets are a composite element within these charges, covering rates and water rates. Charges for 1989-90 will be set in the light of recommendations from the armed forces pay review body, and have yet to be determined. In Scotland they will not include elements for rates.
The rates and water rates elements of married and single accommodation charges are recommended by the armed forces pay review body on the basis of the total amounts payable as contributions in lieu of rates and the estimated cost of water supplies. No further breakdown is available.
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Type Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Married Quarters
Other ranks
A |810 |(243) |730 |(219) |558 |(168) |369 |(111)
B |1,212 |(442) |1,085 |(401) |840 |(307) |551 |(202)
C |1,354 |(513) |1,226 |(464) |945 |(358) |621 |(235)
D |1,518 |(591) |1,372 |(534) |1,066 |(415) |690 |(268)
Officers
V |1,924 |(751) |1,745 |(681) |1,329 |(519) |891 |(348)
IV |2,219 |(867) |2,008 |(784) |1,555 |(608) |1,011 |(395)
III |2,566 |(1,039)|2,321 |(940) |1,778 |(720) |1,172 |(474)
II |2,894 |(1,138)|2,613 |(1,028)|2,000 |(786) |1,318 |(518)
I |3,223 |(1,267)|2,916 |(1,147)|2,230 |(877) |1,471 |(578)
Single Accommodation
Rank
Young servicemen |299 |(96) |266 |(85) |204 |(67) |139 |(44)
Cpl and below |398 |(128) |361 |(116) |274 |(90) |183 |(58)
WO/SNCO |745 |(256) |675 |(232) |515 |(179) |339 |(117)
Capt and below |1,040 |(376) |938 |(342) |719 |(259) |485 |(174)
Major and above |1,256 |(434) |1,135 |(392) |869 |(304) |573 |(198)
(Annual charges rounded to the nearest £)
Rating Reform
Dr. Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance has been issued in respect of liability for community charge as to whether a service men has his sole or main residence in Scotland if he is stationed in Scotland but has married quarters in England.
Mr. Neubert : Decisions on sole or main residence in Scotland will be made by community charge registration officers, and subject to the right of appeal to the sheriff. Service personnel who have a married quarter in England but are stationed in Scotland for more than six months are expected to be regarded as solely or mainly resident in Scotland for that time, and guidance has been issued to this effect.
Dr. Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions he has issued to commanding officers in relation to registering service personnel, their dependants and others living in military accommodation for community charges in (a) Scotland and (b) England and Wales.
Mr. Neubert : Commanding officers in Scotland have been instructed to nominate a responsible person or persons to provide community charge registration officers with the information required by the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, to enable them to compile and maintain the community charges register. Similar instructions will be issued in due course for England and Wales.
Dr. Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has made arrangements in Scotland for the liability for community charge for service personnel and their dependants to be paid by way of direct deductions from service pay.
Mr. Neubert : Army personnel who so elect to pay their personal community charge, and that of their dependants by direct deduction from service pay under standard allotment procedures. Because Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel are normally paid by direct credit transfer to their bank or other accounts, they will be expected to make their own arrangements for paying their personal community charge direct to the relevant local authority.
Challenger Tank
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to place the demonstration phase contract with Vickers Defence Systems for the Challenger II mark 2 tank.
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Mr. Sainsbury : Contractual negotiations have been successfully concluded between MOD and Vickers Defence Systems and a contract for the demonstration phase of the Challenger II mark 2 tank was placed on Friday 20 January, in accordance with the procurement strategy set out by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence in his statement on 20 December 1988 columns 283-84 and with the precise criteria as set out in the answer given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member on 20 December at column 259.
Grooms
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the rate charged for military personnel employed as grooms when tending privately owned horses.
Mr. Neubert : Since service men are not permitted to tend privately owned horses as part of their military duties, any reimbursement which they may receive for doing so in their own time is by private arrangement.
ENVIRONMENT
Heritage (Protection)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what legislation he intends to introduce to protect Britain's archaeological sites from destruction by developers in the light of forthcoming directives from the EEC ; if he will be providing for archaeological surveys to be made before developers commence work ; and what further protection he will give to save Britain's heritage.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The regulations which brought the EC directive on environmental assessment on 15 July 1988, require environmental statements to be prepared.
Water Authorities
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he will take against water authorities which do not meet the legal requirements he has set out by the year 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan : I understand that the question relates to consents for discharges from sewage treatment works. The Water Bill proposes that the National Rivers Authority will have the responsibility for ensuring compliance with
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these and other discharge consents. It will be for the authority to set out its policy on enforcement of consent conditions when it is established.Rivers (Classification)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by rivers the classification grades of rivers in Yorkshire ; what are the comparable grades for rivers (a) in southern England and (b) nationally ; what the classifications represent ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan : The 1985 river quality survey for England and Wales reported the water quality classification of river lengths in each water authority area. The classification of river lengths in the Yorkshire, Southern and Thames water authority areas, together with overall results, are as follows :
Percentage
|Class 1 |Class 2 |Class 3 |Class 4
|Good quality|Fair quality|Poor quality|Bad quality
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yorkshire Water Authority |77 |12 |8 |3
Southern Water Authority |75 |22 |2 |0.2
Thames Water Authority |65 |28 |7 |0.1
England and Wales |68 |22 |9 |2
The classifications of different rivers are best illustrated in the map which formed part of the report on the 1985 survey and I am sending the hon. Member a copy of this, together with details of the river classification scheme on which the 1985 survey was based. Further details are contained in the survey report, copies of which are available in the Library.
Radon Radiation
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) in what form records are kept of public buildings in England and Wales that are affected by radon radiation ; and if he will state their locations ;
(2) in what form records are kept of the action readings of public buildings affected by radon radiation ; and if he will state the action readings and the location of buildings so affected.
Mr. Chope : Occupational exposure to Radon in public buildings, in common with other workplaces, is subject to the provisions of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985, which are administered by the Health and Safety Executive. The obligation to measure Radon levels in public buildings and maintain records rests with employers, including Government Departments. There is no centrally held records of public buildings affected by Radon radiation.
Water Act 1973
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions his Department has made any orders under section 23 of the Water Act 1945 or section 67 of the Water Resources Act 1963 in connection with the construction or operation of a reservoir in England, giving the date of any such order and the location to which it applied.
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Mr. Moynihan : A large number of orders have been made under both provisions. The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Football Clubs (Membership Scheme)
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received to date about Government proposals for a scheme of identification cards for football supporters.
Mr. Moynihan : I have received over 1,800 representations relating to the idea of a scheme. In addition I have received a large number of proposals to implement the scheme from computer companies and others.
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide details of the membership scheme operated by Torquay United and give details of his Department's contacts with the club to examine the operation of its scheme.
Mr. Moynihan : I am aware that Torquay United introduced a 100 per cent. home only membership scheme in November 1986 and that the club considers that this has played an effective part in curbing hooliganism. I congratulate the club on introducing the scheme.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment with which football authorities in other countries the
Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for sport has discussed his proposals for a national membership scheme for attendance at football matches ; what their response has been ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 19 January 1989] : The British Government is a member of the Council of Europe standing committee on spectator violence. Through this committee, we have kept other European Governments in close touch with developments on a national membership scheme in England and Wales. A number of other Governments have expressed an interest in our proposals.
We have also kept the European Union of Football Associations (UEFA) informed of developments.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the computer firms with whom the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the Minister for Sport, has discussed his proposals for the introduction of a national membership scheme for attendance at football league matches.
Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 19 January 1989] : I have received proposals from a number of computer and other companies concerning the implementation of a national membership scheme. I have discussed the proposals with some of them. It would not be appropriate for me to list individual companies by name without their consent.
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received from Halifax about Government proposals for a scheme of identification cards for football supporters.
Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 19 January 1989] : The hon. Member wrote to me on 16 November about the
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proposed membership scheme for football supporters. I have also received a letter from the chairman of Halifax Town football club and one from a resident of Halifax about the idea of a scheme.County Hall
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in deciding the distribution of the proceeds from the sale of County hall, he will make it his policy to take into account the fact that Inner London ratepayers have met the full debt charges and running costs of that part of the building used for educational administration.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : No. The Greater London council's general debt liabilities were distributed pro rata to population at abolition.
The Department is at present consulting all London authorities about London residuary capital money matters including the distribution of the County hall receipt. I am sending a copy of the consultation letter to the hon. Member.
Local Authorities (Wages)
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discretion is allowed to local authorities in determining wage rates for local authority employees.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Subject to certain statutory exceptions, a local authority is free to employ staff on such reasonable terms and conditions as the authority thinks fit. In practice the pay rates of approximately 75 per cent. of local authority employees are determined in national negotiations between the local government employers and the appropriate unions. The Government will continue to urge individual local authorities to take greater control of their own payroll costs by moving away from national agreements and adopting local pay bargaining.
Docklands
Ms. Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many firms or businesses have moved out of the London Docklands Development Corporation area since 1981 ; and how many firms or businesses operating in the urban development area in 1981 have subsequently ceased to trade.
Mr. Trippier : Information on firms which move out of the urban development area is not collected (other than for firms which relocate with LDDC assistance). A total of 41 firms employing 10 or more people closed between 1981 and 31 March 1988.
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