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In the field of biological and chemical weapons an international convention prohibiting the development, production and stockpiling of biological weapons was concluded in 1972. All NATO member states are a party to it. The multilateral negotiations for a global ban on chemical weapons continue at the 40-nation conference on disarmament in Geneva.In respect of nuclear weapons NATO countries actively supported the successful negotiation of the INF treaty removing ground based intermediate range nuclear missiles from Europe : the elimination of these missiles was first proposed by NATO in 1981.
Soldiers (Arrests)
Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers have been arrested by the military police in (a) Salisbury and (b) Amesbury and subsequently charged with being drunk and disorderly or causing a breach of the peace in each of the past 12 months.
Mr. Neubert : The Royal Military police made no arrests for alcohol- related offences in Salisbury during the last 12 months. In Amesbury however, they arrested one soldier in July 1988, two in August 1988 and one in March 1989 for such offences.
DROPS
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds he has made payments to Leyland Daf, in connection with DROPS, additional to contract ; when these payments were made ; if he plans to make further such payments ; in what form, and in favour of which company, these payments were made ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : Following experience from the validation trials, the Ministry of Defence decided to combine features from the evaluation truck and the validation truck in finalising the production build standard for the medium mobility vehicles. Appropriate amendments were therefore made to the contract and payments were authorised to Leyland Daf reflecting these amendments. These payments were contained within the original approved programme limits. No further such amendments for DROPS equipments are envisaged.
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from Leyland Daf on errors in the DROPS requirements as originally framed by EASAMS ; what assessment he has made of the implications for defence procurement of these errors ; to what extent companies competed against standards outwith the formal requirements ; if he plans to seek to recover from EASAMS sums paid to Leyland Daf for rectification of the problems caused by these errors ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : There have been no such representations from Leyland Daf. Companies competed against target figures laid down by the Ministry of Defence, not EASAMS Ltd. who were employed in the role of management support only. The statement of requirement made clear to the competing companies that these targets would be difficult to meet in combination and that trade-offs between parameters would be allowed.
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Swimming Pool (Mount Troodos)
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received calling for the construction of a swimming pool at RAF Mount Troodos in Cyprus ; and whether he intends to install such a facility.
Mr. Neubert : No bid has been received for a swimming pool at RAF Troodos. Moreover, the current scales for the funding of swimming pools at public expense provide only for their installation and maintenance if the pool meets a service training requirement ; there is none in this case.
Tornado
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received about training of aircrew on Tornado aircraft.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last reviewed the operational capacities of the Tornado ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The operational capabilities of the RAF's front-line aircraft are kept under constant review. The build-up of the Tornado F3 force is proceeding satisfactorily, and the fourth squadron is due to become operational this year. As for the Tornado GR1, my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, informed the House during the Royal Air Force debate on 9 March at columns 1055-56 that we have decided to proceed with a mid-life improvement programme (columns 1055-56). A contract for the development phase of the programme was placed on Panavia on 16 March.
RAF Leeming (Security)
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last reviewed the security of RAF Leeming in Yorkshire.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : A comprehensive security inspection by command staffs took place in February 1989 and interim inspections are conducted by the station security staff.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to erect a perimeter fence at RAF Leeming.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There is already a boundary fence which delineates the extent of MOD property. Where it has been considered necessary to provide enhanced physical security, additional fencing has been erected.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many unauthorised intrusions have occurred at RAF Leeming in the last year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There were no reports of any unauthorised intrusions.
RAF Upper Heyford
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement about proposed United States military construction at RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire ;
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(2) when his Department was first notified of the decision of the United States Air force to apply for funding for (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop at RAF Upper Heyford, in fiscal year 1990 ;(3) on what date representations were first received from his United States counterpart regarding proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop ;
(4) when he was first aware that the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop had been added to the United States military construction budget request for fiscal year 1990 ;
(5) on what date or dates design work started on the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop ;
(6) which company or companies have been awarded conracts for design work on the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop ;
(7) on what date or dates the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop is scheduled to be started ;
(8) which construction contracts for the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop have been awarded ; and to which company or companies ;
(9) on what date or dates the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop is scheduled to be completed ; and when these facilities are scheduled to be operational ;
(10) whether it is normal practice for the United States Air Force to start design work for proposed construction in the United Kingdom before approval for such construction has been given by Her Majesty's Government.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The budget for the United States military construction programme submitted to Congress at the end of January 1989 for the fiscal years 1990-91 included proposals for additions to the flight simulator facility, the avionics maintenance shop and the jet engine shop at RAF Upper Heyford. The hon. Member was informed of these budgetary proposals in the reply that I gave him on 6 February at columns 515-16.
Congress has not yet approved these proposals, nor has the United Kingdom Government authorised work to proceed. Consequently, no contracts have been let for these projects. However, in accordance with normal United States forward planning procedures, some preliminary design work was commissioned from the PSA in August 1988 and the Ministry of Defence was informed of the proposals in parallel.
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Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will describe the role and function of the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop ;
(2) what variants of the F-111 aircraft will be supported by the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop ;
(3) how many aircraft will be supported by the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop ;
(4) if he will describe the new mission that will be supported by the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Government have not agreed to any changes to the role or aircraft of the USAF 20th Tactical Fighter Wing stationed at RAF Upper Heyford, nor have they authorised any proposals to alter or expand the facilities at the station, other than for the aircraft currently based there.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop was not included in the answer to the hon. Member for Leyton, Official Report, 9 June 1988, columns 660-62 regarding United States military construction in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : These proposals were not submitted to Congress until January 1989.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries have been informed of the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has regarding United States military construction at RAF Upper Heyford for the next five fiscal years.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 6 February 1989 at columns 515-16.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has regarding the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation funded military construction at RAF Upper Heyford for the next five years.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : NATO infrastructure funding for 1990 onwards has not yet been approved.
Dual-Capable Aircraft
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy on granting approval to the United States Air Force for construction of new
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facilities to support the basing of new dual -capable aircraft in advance of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation decisions on nuclear modernisation.Mr. Archie Hamilton : No construction required to support new dual- capable aircraft will be authorised in advance of NATO decisions ; no early decisions are expected.
United States Air Force
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on whether it is normal practice for the United States Air Force to request funding for proposed construction in the United Kingdom before approval for such construction has been given by Her Majesty's Government.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I am informed that it is not unusual for the United States Administration to request budgetary authority in advance of construction approval because of the long lead times in the United States programming and budgeting process.
Low Flying
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what special circumstances in the last five years Royal Air Force aircrew have been authorised to fly at a height less than that set out in joint service publication 318 and the United Kingdom military low flying handbook, as provided in section 51(b) of the Air Force Act 1955.
Mr. Neubert [holding answer 9 February 1989] : The military flying regulations (JSP 318) set out special circumstances under which flight at a height less than that provided for in those regulations is allowed.
Joint Warfare Wing
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates, at what cost to his Department, and on what topics guest speakers have been invited to the joint warfare wing or its successor establishment since 1978.
Mr. Neubert [holding answer 4 April 1989] : I have taken the hon. Member's question to relate to non-Government guest speakers, but including those who have retired from Government service or the armed forces. Records of visits by such speakers to the joint warfare wing 1978- 1982 are no longer available. Full records for the period 1982 onwards are not available but topics on which guest speakers can be identified as having lectured include aspects of the Soviet threat ; campaigns since world war 2 ; current international affairs ; arms control negotiations ; counter-terrorism ; the conventional balance in Europe ; the strategic defence initiative ; the role of conventional land/air forces ; and aspects of modern media and publicity techniques. Speakers are offered a fee in the region of £50 to £80, together with travel expenses.
SCOTLAND
Wildlife and Countryside Act
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the annual payments by district council area made in respect of
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compensation agreements approved under section 30 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in 1988 and each of the preceding four years.Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Nature Conservancy Council (Scotland) has advised me that it has received no claims for compensation under section 30 of the 1981 Act in the period 1984-88. Had claims been made I would be unable to divulge details for reasons of confidentiality.
Federation Internationale des Vins et Spiritueux
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what approach he has received about the hosting of a reception for the Federation Internationale des Vins et Spiritueux during its forthcoming assembly in Scotland organised by the Scotch Whisky Association ; and what has been his response.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend has not received any such approach.
Torness Power Station
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total cost and value of third party insurance for the consequences of any nuclear accident at Torness power station ; and if he will make a statement on the proportion of the risk which is carried by the Government, the South of Scotland Electricity Board and insurance companies, respectively.
Mr. Lang : The Nuclear Installations Act 1965 requires all operators of nuclear sites to make provision, either by insurance or other means, to meet claims for compensation in respect of injury or damage arising from a nuclear accident. The level required under the Act is currently £20 million. The cost to the South of Scotland Electricity Board of providing this cover is a matter for the board. Any claims in excess of the operator's liability and up to a sterling equivalent of 300 million special drawing rights (about £230 million) would be met from public funds. Beyond that, the Act provides that claims shall be satisfied to such extent and out of funds provided by such means as Parliament may determine.
Adult Education
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will set out Her Majesty's Government's policy on adult education in Scotland ;
(2) what plans he has to issue guidelines to local authorities regarding provision of adult education in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) what proposals he has to promote adult education in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Education authorities in Scotland have a duty under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to ensure that there is available in their areas adequate and efficient provision of further education, and this includes voluntary part-time and full-time courses of instruction for persons over school age and social, cultural and recreative activities. Adult education is one element of this provision. Education authorities decide for themselves the level of provision in the light of local needs and circumstances, and having regard to the activities of other institutions providing further education or promoting its development.
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The Government monitor developments in further education and, using resources available centrally, encourage particular areas of activity and provide support to a range of bodies and voluntary organisations whose functions include the promotion, development and provision of further education. But the education authorities determine their own adult education programmes and respond to needs as they arise in their localities. The Government have no plans to issue guidelines to authorities.Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to earmark central Government educational expenditure grant for the provision of adult education in local education authorities in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : General support for local authority services is provided through revenue support grant which affords local authorities maximum discretion to choose their own spending priorities. The excellent revenue support grant settlement for 1989-90 should afford authorities plenty of scope to provide such adult education services as they deem appropriate.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list in the Official Report figures for the past five years showing what financial resources were devoted to adult education in Scotland broken down by education authority area on a per capita basis ;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report total expenditure on adult education in Scotland shown at constant 1979 prices for 1979 to the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Expenditure on adult education is one element of expenditure on further, higher and community education and cannot be identified separately.
REPLAN Scheme
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce a similar scheme in Scotland to the REPLAN scheme in England and Wales.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : No. Education authorities have a responsibility to ensure that adequate and efficient further education is available in their areas. The flexibility of the modular system of further education applying in Scotland and the Scottish wider access programme have both increased the opportunities available for all adults--including those not currently in employment--to benefit from education and updating. Education provision for the unemployed is also available through voluntary organisations supported by Scottish Education Department funding, and through the Training Agency's employment training programme.
Adult Counselling
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has plans to expand and develop adult counselling in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 gives education authorities powers to provide vocational guidance services for persons other than those attending or leaving schools and colleges. Advice was given to education authorities in "The Careers Service--
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Memorandum of Guidance to Education Authorities in Scotland" issued in March 1988. Guidance and counselling for adult students is an important element of the provision being made by education authorities under the Scottish wider access programme.Open Learning Centres
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has plans to expand and develop open learning centres in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Scottish Office is providing funds towards the establishment and development of an open learning centre in Whitfield, Dundee. I hope that this initiative will provide valuable experience in delivering adult basic education, which may lead to the establishment of further centres in Scotland.
Human Rights
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights in Scotland ; and which organisations made these representations.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : This information is not available. My right hon. and learned Friend receives a large number of representations from individuals and organisations covering a wide range of subjects. While a number of these could no doubt be regarded as alleging breaches or denials of human rights, such representations are not separately identified and details of their origin and number cannot therefore be provided.
Motor Neurone Disease
Mr. Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will instigate research into the suitability of the drug L.Threonine for the treatment of motor neurone disease ;
(2) what proportion of his budget is spent on research into motor neurone disease.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Scottish Home and Health Department is not funding any research relating to the drug L.Threonine or motor neurone disease, but sympathetic consideration would be given to applications for any soundly based research project. The Medical Research Council funds research into aspects of motor neurone disease and is presently supporting two projects based in Edinburgh and two in Glasgow.
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are (a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities.
Mr. Rifkind : The number and percentage of women officers in grades 1 to 7 and overall in the Scottish Office and associated departments are shown in the table :
|Women |Women per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Grade 1 |- |-
Grade 2 |- |-
Grade 3 |1 |4.0
Grade 4 |- |-
Grade 5 |8 |6.8
Grade 6 |25 |14.3
Grade 7 |42 |10.7
Overall |3,185 |41.8
None of the staff in unified grades 1 to 7 describe themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority. Of the total staff 0.4 per cent. are from the ethnic minority groups.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of its employees ; when it next plans to do so ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind : My Department conducted a voluntary survey of the ethnic origins of staff in 1987. Since then all new entrants have been asked to complete a questionnaire in order to keep this information up-to- date. I have no plans to conduct a further survey.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at his Department.
Mr. Rifkind : My Department does not conduct recruitment for top grades.
Pupil-teacher Ratios
Mrs. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the current pupil-teacher ratios for each of the Scottish education authorities in both primary and secondary education.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The provisional average pupil-teacher ratios in education authority schools at September 1988 are set out in the table.
|Primary |Secondary
------------------------------------------------
Borders |17.9 |12.3
Central |20.2 |13.3
Dumfries/Galloway |18.7 |11.6
Fife |19.9 |13.1
Grampian |19.2 |13.1
Highland |18.1 |12.2
Lothian |20.0 |12.7
Strathclyde |21.3 |12.8
Tayside |19.7 |11.6
Orkney |16.1 |10.2
Shetland |13.6 |9.5
Western Isles |15.0 |10.0
|------ |------
All Scotland |20.2 |12.6
Storm Damage
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the amount of timber lost through wind blow during the storm that struck Scotland on 13 February ; what measures he has taken to compensate the owners of such timber ; and what has been the total cost of such measures.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : An estimated 300,000 cu m of timber were blown down in Scotland on 13 February. As regards compensation, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson) yesterday by my hon. Friend the Minister of State.
YTS
Mr. Allen Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many YTS schemes are run by voluntary and community organisations in each Scottish region ;
(2) how many YTS schemes are run by the local authorities for each Scottish region ;
(3) what is the total number of YTS schemes run in each local authority region in Scotland ;
(4) how many YTS schemes are run by voluntary and community organisations which received a transitional funding grant before 1 April for each Scottish region ;
(5) how many YTS schemes are run by local authorities which received a transitional funding grant before 1 April for each Scottish region ;
(6) how many YTS schemes were paid a transitional funded grant in respect of training before 1 April for each Scottish region.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 17 April 1989] : Details requested are set out in the table :
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