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European Community Trade Mark Office
Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it remains his policy to secure the location of the proposed European Community trade mark office in London.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : It is our policy that the Community trade mark system should be introduced as soon as possible. Early introduction requires agreement in the Community on the location of the office. Our proposal that the office should be in London remains on the table.
Junk Mail
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the representations he has received on junk mail posted within the United Kingdom and from abroad ; and what plans he has to ban such mail.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I receive a small but steady flow of complaints from individuals about unsolicited mail. Recently, this has included complaints about some mail posted from abroad. Those who complain are primarily concerned about how their names and addresses were obtained.
I have no plans to ban such mail.
Hairdressers and Beauty Suppliers
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations his Department has had with the Institute of European Hairdressers and Beauty Suppliers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I am not aware of any such consultations.
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are his responsibilites in respect of the operation of the Hairdressing Council under the Hairdressing (Registration) Act 1964.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I have no responsibilities in respect of the Hairdressing Council.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff are employed by his Department ; and what proportion of them are employed in each of the standard regions.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 23 May 1990] : The table shows the permanent staff employed by the Department (part-time staff are counted as half) :
Total staff in post (including executive agencies) as at 1 April 1990 11,793
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Proportion by standard region |Percentage
|of total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern Ireland |0.04
Scotland |5.02
Wales |13.55
North |2.05
North West |3.10
Yorkshire and Humberside |1.99
East Midlands |1.46
West Midlands |3.89
South West |1.73
South East |66.39
East Anglia |0.78
Public Appointments
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the full-time and part-time public appointments for which he is responsible, together with the salary and the date when the appointment is due for renewal.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 23 May 1990] : Appointments to public bodies for which my Department is responsible are set out in "Public Bodies 1989", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. A more up-to-date list with the full details requested by the hon. Member will be published next month by the Women's National Commission under the title "Women into Public Appointments". A copy of this will be placed in the Library of the House.
Recycling
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress made so far by the advisory group on recycling.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 23 May 1990] : The recycling advisory group has met three times. Its latest meeting, held on 26 March, considered the reports of individual subject-specific working parties. These reports have now been revised to take account of the main group's comments, and the views and recommendations they contain will be taken into account in preparing the forthcoming White Paper on the environment.
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has conducted a survey into the markets for (a) humus, (b) glass, (c) paper, (d) plastics, (e) metals, both ferrous and non-ferrous, and (f) other materials reclaimed from the domestic waste stream ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 23 May 1990] : Working parties covering these and other materials were set up by the recycling advisory group. They considered market and other factors influencing recycling rates. The working parties' reports will be taken into account in preparing the forthcoming White Paper on the environment.
Rain Forests
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to encourage chemical and medical companies to identify beneficial uses of flora in tropical rain forests ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 17 May 1990] : My Department is taking no such steps. However such companies will no doubt have noted the recent conference on the rain forest harvest organised earlier this month at the Royal Geographical Society which highlighted such opportunities.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Eastern Europe (Information Technology)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the involvement of further education's information technology programme with eastern European countries using the know-how fund.
Mrs. Chalker : We are discussing with the Hungarian authorities whether they would welcome a computing/information technology mission which would assess how best to use part of the know-how fund in this area. A similar mission is likely for Czechoslovakia. The terms of reference for the proposed mission would include determining which British academic or other institutions, firms or individuals should be involved.
Programme of Action
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has had urging support for SADCC's programme of action ; and what response he has given.
Mrs. Chalker : I have received a number of representations. The Government's support for SADCC's programme of action is substantial ; our total commitments to date for SADCC's regional programmes and projects amount to £70 million. British aid for SADCC member states since 1980 amounts to well over £1,000 million.
Mozambique and Angola
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report all projects recently undertaken or currently being planned to assist victims of conflict in Mozambique and Angola.
Mrs. Chalker : The table lists approved grants. A number of further proposals are currently under consideration.
Mozambique
In 1989-90 the allocations listed in the table were made under our emergency allocation for Mozambique. In addition we provided 19,000 MT of emergency food aid. For 1990-91 we have pledged £3.5 million plus 10,000 MT of food aid in response to the Mozambique emergency appeal.
|£
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Accord
Provisional planning in Niassa |30,000
Action Aid
Airlift of relief food supplies for Maganja |106,895
Appraisal of district health services by a Health
Consultant |5,893
Distribution of clothing to displaced people in
Maganja da Costa and Pebane, Zambesia |300,000
Light ferry for Naburi |4,200
Purchase and distribution of blankets, Maganja da
Costa and Pebane |70,000
9 tonnes of seeds for Maganja and Naburi |22,000
390 tonnes of Red Beans |163,293
Emergency spares for Xai-Xai Bridge |30,168
CAFOD
Assistance to emergency programme. Spare parts
for Landrovers. Transit centre for displaced
people |100,000
Food aid for Maputo |22,785
Rehabilitation of Pemba Hospital |18,610
CARE
Provision of 15 trucks plus associated protection
and spares |510,000
Christian Aid
Local purchase of clothes for distribution to
dislocados in Zambezia |105,000
Rehabilitation of Namorroi District, Zambezia |100,000
Seeds and tools for Zambezia |117,230
Concern
Clothing programme for dislocados, Nampula |29,072
Improvement of living conditions in 2 reception
centres, Nampula. Provision of clean water,
Nampula |51,601
Seeds and tools, Memba |110,000
Co-operation for Development
Support for small farmers and co-operatives,
Zonas Verdas, Maputo |100,000
DPCCN
Seeds and tools programme |100,000
Seeds and tools programme |300,000
Oxfam
Provision of clothing in Zambezia |500,000
Seeds and tools in Niassa and Zambezia |50,000
Save the Children
Zambezia bridges |600,000
VETAID
Paravet training in Vilankula District (Rehab) |70,000
World Vision
Agpak Project (agricultural rehabilitation) |100,000
|-----
Total |3,916,747
In addition we have contributed £3 million since January 1989 to the United Nations High Commissioner and £200,000 through NGOs for the relief of Mozambican refugees in neighbouring countries. Angola
Since the beginning of 1989, the allocations from emergency funds for Angola have been as follows :
|£
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CAFOD
Vehicles |48,000
ICRC
Clothing and blankets |100,000
Seeds and distribution costs |610,000
Oxfam
Clothing, blankets, tools |70,000
Tarpaulins/prefabricated warehousing |34,000
War on Want
Cholera treatment materials |10,000
World Food Programme
Prefabricated warehousing for food aid storage |140,000
Warehousing |28,000
|-----
Total |1,040,000
We continue to monitor the situation closely and are considering what further assistance we might provide in response to the United Nations Secretary-General's appeal of 10 May.
Tobacco (Aid)
Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy on aid to the tobacco sector in developing countries.
Mrs. Chalker : Tobacco consumption is a significant health risk in developing countries. Nevertheless tobacco is a legal substance, a major traded commodity and a principal source of export earnings and budgetary revenue for a number of LDCs. The aid programme is used to assist agricultural development in a number of ways, including tobacco where it is an important cash crop for which no suitable substitutes are readily available. Aid funds are not used to finance imports into developing countries of tobacco and cigarettes. The Government believe that, as in United Kingdom domestic policy, the most sensible approach to reducing the damage to health from tobacco is demand reduction. Through our regular contribution to WHO we support that organisation's programme to reduce tobacco consumption in developing countries. We shall consider further support for developing countries in this field, both bilateral and multilateral.
DEFENCE
Reactors (Decommissioning)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his answer of 15 May to the hon. Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney), if he will provide his latest estimate of the cost of decommissioning the reactors at Calder Hall and Chapelcross ; and what proportion he estimates would fall to his Department.
Mr. Alan Clark : The responsibility for assessing the costs of decommissioning the reactors at Calder Hall and Chapelcross, and for meeting those costs, lies with BNFL. The Ministry of Defence share of the costs will depend on future usage of the reactors.
A90 Project, Aldermaston
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement upon the condition of the ducting used to carry inert gases and the supporting struts in the A90 plant at Aldermaston ; and what reports he has received of gas leaks or potential gas leaks.
Mr. Neubert : The replacement of the A90 zone 1 ductwork and its supports by a pipework system was completed in April 1990. Memorandum No. 5 in the House of Commons Defence Committee's fifth report on the progress of the Trident programme (HC 374) gives full
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details of the reasons for the replacement of the zone 1 ventilation ductwork. Full leak testing of the replacement pipework system has been carried out successfully.Nuclear Submarines
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in checking the health record of every sailor who has served in a British submarine since 1960 ; how many have been checked and when he anticipates the checks will be completed ; whether from the initial checks any trend of cancer cases among nuclear submariners relative to the general population can be discerned ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Medical Research Council is currently conducting an epidemiological research programme into morbidity and mortality of submariners in the special environment in which they serve. Data are still being collected from the individual health records of submariners and I understand that this process will be completed by the end of this year. Analysis of the data will of course take some time after that and it would not be appropriate to speculate now on the study's possible conclusions.
United States European Reserve
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement as to the operational use of the United States European reserve headquarters at High Wycombe.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not our practice to comment on operational plans.
United States Hospitals
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the United States network of wartime-use-only hospitals in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : United States wartime contingency hospitals are currently prepositioned in the United Kingdom at the following locations :
RAF Chessington, RAF Little Rissington, RAF Nocton Hall, RAF Bicester, RAF Feltwell, RAF Upwood.
United States Submarines
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement as to the current operational role of the United States submarines operating from the River Clyde.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Details of the current operational role of United States submarines are a matter for the United States Government. However, United States submarines which visit the facility at Holy Loch generally do so in the course of deployment which contributes to the Alliance's strategy of deterrence.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by year for the last four years, the number of United States operational submarines based on the River Clyde.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : None. All United States submarines visiting the Holy Loch facility operate from bases in the United States.
Column 370
Nuclear Power Stations
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by year for the last five years, the number of breaches that have been made to the exclusion zones at (a) Sizewell and (b) Bradwell nuclear power stations by military jet aircraft.
Mr. Neubert : Over the period concerned, only one complaint about low-flying military jet aircraft near the Sizewell and Bradwell nuclear power stations has been substantiated. This related to a 1985 incident in the vicinity of Sizewell. One recent complaint from Sizewell is currently under investigation.
United States Aircraft (Crashes)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by year for the last five years and by aircraft type and mark the number of United States aircraft that have crashed in the United Kingdom that were (a) based in the United Kingdom and (b) overflying the United Kingdom.
Mr. Neubert : Our records show that there have been no crashes in the United Kingdom involving United States military aircraft not based here. Details of major accidents involving United States military aircraft based in the United Kingdom since 17 May 1985 to date are as follows :
1985 None
1986 24 July 1986 A USAF RF-4C crashed into the sea in St. Brides Bay, South Wales.
1987 23 February 1987 A USAF F-111F crashed near Newmarket, Suffolk.
28 July 1987 A USAF F-111F crashed near Lauder, Berwickshire. 1988 22 December 1988 A USAF A10A crashed on approach to RAF Alconbury.
1989 4 April 1989 A USAF A10A crashed through the perimeter fence at RAF Alconbury after landing.
17 April 1989 A USAF A10A crashed near RAF Alconbury.
1990 5 February 1990 A USAF F-111E crashed into the sea near Wainfleet range.
6 February 1990 A USAF A10A crashed near Capel-y-Ffyn in Wales. 2 May 1990 An F-111 crashed near Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk.
Armed Forces
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement as to what forecasts he has made of the United Kingdom's armed strength for the late 1990s.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We are examining options for change in the structure and deployment of our armed forces but it is too early to forecast the results of this work.
RAF/USAF Bases
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the network of RAF/USAF co-located bases and their operational use.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The following Royal Air Force and procurement executive airfields in the United Kingdom are allocated for use as wartime co-located operating bases by United States forces : Abingdon
Benson
Boscombe Down
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BrawdyColtishall
Cottesmore
Finningley
Odiham
Scampton
Waddington
Wittering
RAF Wildenrath in Germany also holds co-located operating base status.
It is not our practice to comment on the operational plans for such bases.
RAF Fairford
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement as to the future use of RAF Fairford.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 12 February at column 119 .
United States Military Maintenance Bases
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the United States military maintenance bases in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The only United States facility entirely given over to maintenance tasks is the United States air force logistics command support group located at RAF Kemble.
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United States Tactical Missiles
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the United States Department of Defense in respect of how many of the 450 tactical (SRAM-T) missiles due to be deployed in Europe from 1995 will be based in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : While we have always made clear our support for retaining an up-to-date and effective United States nuclear presence in Europe, the question of the detailed deployment of US SRAM-T missiles has not yet arisen.
United States Intelligence Centre
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement as to the operational use of the United States joint (intelligence) analysis centre being re-located from Stuttgart to Molesworth.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-West (Sir A. Grant) on 11 January at columns 691-92 .
Service Personnel
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by sex and by year for the last 10 years the number of service personnel in (a) the Army ; (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) the Royal Navy.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The information is as follows :
Column 371
|c|Numbers of Service Personnel for each Service as at 31 March in each year from
1981|c|
Year Royal Navy & Royal MarinArmy Royal Air Force
|Total |Male |Female |Total |Male |Female |Total |Male |Female
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981 |74,273 |70,202 |4,071 |165,990|159,401|6,589 |93,492 |87,219 |6,273
1982 |72,994 |69,034 |3,960 |163,151|157,178|5,973 |91,502 |85,734 |5,768
1983 |71,727 |67,826 |3,901 |159,069|152,925|6,144 |89,827 |84,453 |5,374
1984 |71,281 |67,352 |3,929 |161,539|154,966|6,573 |93,089 |87,345 |5,744
1985 |70,393 |66,687 |3,706 |162,399|155,628|6,771 |93,425 |87,475 |5,950
1986 |67,873 |64,432 |3,442 |161,399|154,838|6,561 |93,237 |87,201 |6,036
1987 |66,536 |63,167 |3,369 |159,686|153,206|6,480 |93,627 |87,278 |6,349
1988 |65,499 |62,172 |3,327 |158,105|151,817|6,288 |93,291 |86,960 |6,331
1989 |64,639 |61,189 |3,450 |155,567|149,062|6,505 |91,443 |85,144 |6,299
1990 |63,214 |59,578 |3,636 |152,812|145,913|6,899 |89,685 |83,011 |6,674
RAF Upper Heyford
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement as to the future role of RAF Upper Heyford.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The 20th tactical fighter wing of the United States air force based at RAF Upper Heyford forms an important part of NATO's longer-range strike capability. No decisions have been taken to change this role.
Eastern Europe
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement as to what financial savings are planned during the 1990s, following the political changes in eastern Europe.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We will continue to make available the resources necessary to sustain modern and
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well-equipped forces adequate for our security needs. We are examining options for change, and while we anticipate opportunities for reductions in some areas it is too early to say what savings might result and how soon they will arise.Radiation
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which year neutron emission resulting in under-assessment of the radiation dose exposure equivalent of Coulport personnel from the Chevaline warhead during transportation or storage was first recorded ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Neubert : The under-assessment of the neutron and over- assessment of gamma components of radiation dose from Chevaline warheads in Coulport started in 1979. No one working in the nuclear weapon areas during the last 10 years will have a corrected annual dose greater than 20 per cent. of the annual dose limit.
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Since the building environmental review plan in 1989, separate dosimeters have been introduced to monitor gamma and neutron radiation respectively.
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