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Mr. Sainsbury : No. I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 6 July to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill), column 265.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied with the arrangements for the handling and use of classified matter on defence matters by persons who work at Birkbeck college.
Mr. Sainsbury : As no classified work is currently placed at Birkbeck college the question of the handling and use made of classified matter there does not arise.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will order an investigation into his Department's handling of press statements relating to the handling of matters relating to defence by Birkbeck college.
HMS Valiant
Mr. Terry Fields : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision for screening of submariners serving on Her Majesty's nuclear submarine Valiant was undertaken by his Department, following structural faults being discovered in that vessel during 1964, 1965 and 1966 ; if a full register of these submariners is still maintained ; if follow-up medical examinations have followed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The majority of the period in question represents the later stages of construction and the commissioning of HMS Valiant. There were few problems of any nature during this period. As part of her trials, extensive radiation surveys were carried out. The ship's company was subject to personal dosimetry, and the statutory radiation protection limits were enforced. All classified radiation workers will have had annual medical examinations for as long as they continued such work ; further examinations would have been applicable only if overexposures had taken place.
Radiation exposure records are held, as required by law, on all nuclear submariners for this period who were subject to dosimetric assessment. Although the ship's company in question could be identified from naval records, radiation records are held on a personal basis.
Joint Service Stocktaking Committee
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel are members of the joint service stocktaking committee.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : At present, one.
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any funding is specifically allocated to the joint service stocktaking committee.
Computer Science Staff
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current level of vacancies for specialist computer science staff in (a) the land systems controllerate, (b) the air systems controllerate and (c) the sea systems controllerate.
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Mr. Sainsbury : (a) None ; (b) none ; (c) none.
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current target requirement for specialist computer science staff in (a) the land systems controllerate, (b) the air systems controllerate and (c) the sea systems controllerate.
Mr. Sainsbury : (a) None ; (b) none ; (c) one.
Procurement Executive
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the civilian staff target for the procurement executive in 1980 and in 1989.
Mr. Sainsbury : The figures are 48,008 and 33,135 respectively.
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of civilian staff employed in the procurement executive in 1980 and in 1989.
Mr. Sainsbury : The figures are 46,966 and 32,084 respectively.
Nuclear Submarines (Berthing)
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what basis the 550-metre safety zone was deemed to be appropriate in relation to the berthing of nuclear-powered submarines ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The 550-metre zone is the distance at which automatic countermeasures should take place in the event of a submarine nuclear reactor accident. It derives from predictions of the probability and consequences of accidents which are based on our best and most up-to- date technical advice, and are carried out in accordance with the recommendations laid down by the International Commission for Radiological Protection. The 550-metre zone would be sufficient for the vast majority of potential reactor accidents, most of which would not in fact result in any radiological hazard to the public. We also plan, in conjunction with local authorities, against the even more remote possibility of an accident which would require countermeasures outside this area ; in this event countermeasures would be advised on the basis of monitoring information.
HMS Fearless
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the refit programme for HMS Fearless will be completed on schedule.
Mr. Sainsbury : It is currently expected that HMS Fearless will be completed to a revised schedule allowing for the emergent work identified since the refit began.
Military Operations, South-West Scotland
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the extent, exact delineation and description of the land which is the subject of a 25-year licence for military operations in south-west Scotland ; what are the exact terms and nature of the licence, the landowners with whom it has been agreed, and the nature and extent of the exercises proposed to be held there ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Neubert : I will write to the hon. Member.
Combat Aircraft
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the changes to the balance between strike- attack, offensive support and air defence Royal Air Force combat aircraft resulting from a 15 per cent. reduction in the numbers of Royal Air Force aircraft that are not dual-capable.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The question of how aircraft reductions resulting from an agreement on conventional armed forces in Europe are taken will be decided in the context of the Alliance's overall requirements. It is too early to say what impact this may have on the Royal Air Force.
Conventional Forces in Europe
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the cost of verifying an agreement to reduce conventional forces reached as a result of the conventional forces in Europe talks.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Verification will be a key element of any agreement to reduce conventional forces in Europe. The costs will depend on the measures finally agreed. Based on our experience of implementing the INF treaty and the Stockholm document, our provisional assessment is that the considerably more complex and extensive requirements of a conventional armed forces agreement will entail substantial costs.
Maritime Forces
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with his NATO counterparts concerning the possibility of arms control and disarmament negotiations on maritime forces.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has regular meetings with his NATO counterparts at which a wide range of arms control and disarmament-related matters are discussed.
Stockholm Agreement
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the annual cost in 1987 and in 1988 of sending British military personnel on challenge inspections to Warsaw pact exercises under the auspices of the Stockholm agreement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The cost of sending British military personnel on challenge inspections under the terms of the Stockholm document was some £12,000 in 1987 and some £39,300 in 1988.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the annual cost in 1987 and in 1988 of sending British military observers to Warsaw pact exercises under the auspices of the Stockholm agreement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The cost of sending British military observers to Warsaw pact exercises under the terms of the Stockholm document was some £2,400 in 1987 and some £2,100 in 1988.
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Service Accommodation
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of those regulations that define the different grades of service accommodation.
Mr. Neubert : I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the guidance to be taken into account in the grading of service accommodation.
WE177 Free Fall Bomb
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his reply of 29 June, Official Report , column 531 , to the hon. Member for Woolwich, (Mr. Cartwright), what is the number of procurement options for the possible replacement of the WE177 free fall bomb that are currently being studied.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Discussions are taking place with both the United States and French Governments. I cannot go into further detail at this stage.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure has been incurred to date on the study of procurement options for the possible replacement of the WE177 free fall nuclear bomb.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We are continuing to study a number of options for the replacement of the United Kingdom's free fall nuclear bomb. I am not prepared to comment in detail on those studies.
RAF Upper Heyford
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what design work has been carried out for the United States Government at RAF Upper Heyford ;
(2) what is the nature and purpose of all design work carried out at RAF Upper Heyford in the last two years.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 July 1989 at columns 589-90 . The additional information he seeks is not available in the form requested. However, the following design work has been carried out recently or is still being completed by the PSA on behalf of the United States air force at RAF Upper Heyford. The purpose of the design work is to improve the operational facilities or the amenities at RAF Upper Heyford. Chemical Warfare protection, Squadron Operations facility Munition Storage facility
Alterations to Vehicle maintenance shop
Combat readiness centre
Alterations to splinter protection barrier
Munitions inspection facility
Improvements to base security
Ammunition control centre
Equipment storage warehouse
Alterations to barrack blocks
Married quarters
Commissary
Replacement of water mains
Addition to flight simulator
Addition to engine shop
Addition to avionics shop
Fuel storage facility
Base civil engineering maintenance shop
Modifications to boiler plant
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Centre for General Research
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to fund a new centre for general research into defence policy.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Yes. My Department invited proposals from universities, polytechnics and institutes for a centre for defence studies, to which we would contribute some resource support. A substantial number of such proposals is now being evaluated.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Alien Patients
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many patients were removed from the United Kingdom as alien patients as defined by section 86 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each year since 1983.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Since 1983, two patients have been removed under this provision, both in 1987.
Vehicles (Smoke Emission)
Mr. Allan Roberts : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to enable police to issue vehicle rectification notices to any vehicle producing visible smoke.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : It is for chief officers of police to decide what offences should be dealt with under vehicle defect rectification schemes, which do not require statutory provision.
Mr. Allan Roberts : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is given to the police with regard to prosecuting the owners of smoking diesel vehicles.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : None. This is a matter for chief officers of police and the Crown prosecution service.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who arrived in the United Kingdom in the past year have been referred to (a) the refugee arrivals project and (b) voluntary agencies.
Mr. Renton : This information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kurdish asylum seekers have arrived in the United Kingdom since 1 January from (a) Turkey, (b) Iran and (c) Iraq.
Mr. Renton : The information is not available in the form requested. Records are kept according to nationality and not ethnic grouping.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the Kurdish asylum seekers who have arrived in the United Kingdom since 1 January have (a) voluntarily returned to Turkey, (b) voluntarily gone to another country, (c) been held in custody in the United Kingdom, (d) been released on temporary admission, (e) been granted asylum and (f) been granted exceptional leave to remain.
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Mr. Renton : Information is not available in the form requested. Records are kept according to nationality and not ethnic grouping. However it is possible to say that, of those Turkish nationals who sought asylum on arrival, 132 have voluntarily sought to return to Turkey. By 10 July, 21 Turkish nationals who had applied for asylum after 1 May had been granted refugee status and a further 62 had been granted exceptional leave to remain.
Provisional statistics on decisions made in Turkish asylum cases in the first two quarters of 1989 will shortly be placed in the Library.
Immigration Service (Interpreters)
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interpreters were employed or available to the immigration service speaking (a) Turkish, and (b) Kurdish in (i) 1987, (ii) 1988 and (iii) 1989 to date ; and what training and instruction is given to them.
Mr. Renton : There are no Turkish or Kurdish speaking interpreters in permanent employment with the immigration service. The casual interpreters whom the immigration service has on record are as follows :
(a) Turkish (i) 1987--54 (ii) 1988--79 (iii) 1989--84 (b) Kurdish (i) 1987- - 2 (ii) 1988-- 4 (iii) 1989-- 7
Casual interpreters are in the main native Turkish/Kurdish speakers and are instructed to give a direct translation of questions put and answers given. In addition, a total of 54 immigration officers currently hold an allowance for the Turkish language having succeeded at the Home Civil Service departmental examination in Turkish.
British Citizenship
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Mr. Mohammad B. Mahmoudzadeh and Mrs. Nassrin Zare Mahmoudzadeh, whose reference is M259130, applied for British citizenship ; and when a decision is to be taken on their application.
Mr. Renton : Mr. Mahmoudzadeh and his wife applied for naturalisation on 21 October 1987. The usual inquiries are in train, but I regret that I am unable to forecast when a decision on the application might be reached.
Royal Mail (Protection)
Mr. Boateng : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the current arrangements in the London borough of Brent for the protection of the royal mail ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Operational policing matters within the metropolis are the responsibility of the commissioner. I understand from the commissioner that his force works closely with the Post Office in seeking both to prevent and to solve crimes involving the carriage of the royal mail.
Correspondence
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long it takes for a reply to a letter from hon. Members ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hurd : The average time taken in my Department during the second quarter of 1989 to turn round letters to
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Ministers and to the secretary to the Immigration and Nationality board, the great majority of which were from hon. Members, was 44 days.Hong Kong Delegation
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he had meetings with the recent delegation from Hong Kong ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hurd : No, but I saw the governor on 8 June.
Sonny Makinwa (Funeral)
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will allow Clement and Clara Makinwa, ref. No. IMM/148/TN, temporary admission to the United Kingdom from Nigeria to attend the funeral of their father Sonny Makinwa.
Mr. Renton : The grant of temporary admission arises only if a passenger has arrived to seek leave to enter the United Kingdom, and there is no record of either Clement or Clara Makinwa having come to the United Kingdom. However, since we understand that a Clement Makinwa was refused a visa in Lagos on 15 June, I am arranging for details of the hon. Member's interests to be passed to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Deportation
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what arrangements he has made to ensure that the exercise of the power of deportation by each immigration inspector is consistent and fair ;
(2) what arrangements and guidelines he has made or given for immigration inspectors for the taking of deportation decisions including arrangements for the deferral of decisions where hon. Members have made representations or where there is an outstanding application for leave to remain ;
(3) what arrangements he has made concerning the delegation of his functions in deportation decision-making to immigration officers at not less than inspector level ; and whether the arrangements extend to representations by hon. Members on applications for variation of leave ;
(4) what arrangements he has made to ensure the access of immigration officers and inspectors to Home Office files on prospective deportees, particularly out of normal working hours.
Mr. Renton : Every case involving a person liable to deportation has to be considered on its individual facts. Common instructions on the handling of cases where action may be taken under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971 are issued to members of the deportation section and members of the immigration service involved in enforcement work. As required by the immigration rules all the relevant factors, including outstanding applications and representations by Members of Parliament, have to be taken into account, whether by reference to Home Office files or some other effective means, including interview.
Representations by Members of Parliament, including requests for deferral of removal in deportation cases, will continue to be considered in accordance with the guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases.
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