| Previous Section | Home Page |
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all accidents to Royal Air Force fast jet aircraft since 1979 in which an aircraft was assessed to have category 4 damage, providing for each such accident (a) the date, (b) the type of aircraft and (c) the tail number of the aircraft.
Mr. Neubert : There have been eight accidents to RAF fast jet aircraft since 1979 where the damage has been assessed as category 4. Details are as follows :
; Date |Aircraft type|Tail number ----------------------------------------------------------- 6 June 1979 |Harrier |XW767 19 August 1980 |Hawk |XX243 12 May 1982 |Tornado |ZA330 8 June 1982 |Harrier |XZ989 14 November 1983 |Tornado |ZA597 19 November 1985 |Harrier |XW922 10 December 1986 |Tornado |ZA611 24 June 1988 |Hawk |XX304
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the total number of Hawk aircraft procured for the Royal Air Force has been lost in accidents over the aircraft's service life so far.
Column 118
Mr. Neubert : Of the total number of Hawk aircraft procured for the RAF, 14.2 per cent. have been lost in accidents.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the rate of major accidents per 10,000 flying hours for the Tornado GR1 aircraft since its entry into RAF service, as at the latest available date ; and how many RAF Tornado aircraft have been destroyed in flying accidents.
Mr. Neubert : Twenty-four Tornado aircraft have been lost in accidents since the aircraft's entry into service (23 Tornado GR1, and one Tornado F3).
On major accident rates, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) on 26 June 1989, column 361.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the total number of Harrier aircraft procured for the Royal Air Force has been lost in accidents over the aircraft's service life so far.
Mr. Neubert : Of the total number of Harrier aircraft procured for the Royal Air Force, 27.4 per cent. have been lost in accidents.
Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration is being given to contractorising the mooring services functions of the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The mooring and salvage work undertaken by the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service is currently the subject of studies to determine future requirements. Whether this work should be offered to competitive tender will depend upon the outcome of those studies.
Air-to-Surface Missiles
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a statement on the deployment of a tactical air-to-surface missile on British soil.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo) on 15 June at column 379 .
Soviet Union (Official Visit)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what matters were discussed by him or his officials with their Soviet counterparts during his recent visit to the Soviet Union.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My right hon. Friend had extensive discussions with Soviet leaders on a wide range of defence and security issues including future European security, German unification, arms control, confidence and security-building measures and bilateral defence relations.
Nuclear Non-proliferation
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has made any proposals recently to his counterpart in the Soviet Union concerning the international non-proliferation regime.
Column 119
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No, but we continue to keepnon-proliferation issues under close review.
Atomic Weapons Research
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will ensure that any legislation on the contractorisation of the atomic weapons research establishment, Aldermaston, and other atomic weapons research establishment sites will contain a clear statement of legal accountability and public responsibility between Government and contractor in the event of a serious accident ;
(2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that legislation on the contractorisation of the atomic weapons research establishment, Aldermaston contains a firm commitment to the safety of those working on the site.
Mr. Neubert : The Government's proposals for the future management of AWE recognise the primary importance of safety at AWE's sites. Appropriate arrangements will be made to ensure that safety standards are maintained and that the responsibilities of both the MOD and the contractor in this area are carefully defined. It would, however, be inappropriate to anticipate the detailed content of proposed legislation at this stage.
Civil Servants (Workplaces)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessments under The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations have been undertaken at all workplaces used by civil servants and members of Her Majesty's armed services in his Department.
Mr. Neubert : Assessments of workplaces under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 were initiated on 1 October 1989. The assessments are carried out in accordance with the guidance given by the Health and Safety Executive.
Combat Aircraft (Warsaw Pact)
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish figures showing the trends in rates of production of tactical combat aircraft by Warsaw pact countries since 1983.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Tactical combat aircraft are produced by the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Poland. The aircraft manufactured by the east European countries are mainly combat capable trainers. The Soviet aircraft industry is dominant, both in terms of the volume of output and the capability of the aircraft being produced.
Estimated annual production of tactical combat aircraft
by Warsaw
pact countries, 1983-1989 (including combat capable
trainers)
|Number of aircraft
---------------------------------------------------------
1983 |1,000
1984 |1,000
1985 |950
1986 |1,000
1987 |1,000
1988 |925
1989 |875
Column 120
Wardlaw Hill, Ayrshire
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of the Royal Air Force facility on Wardlaw hill, Ayrshire ; what construction has taken place there in the past five years ; and what new facilities are planned there.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Royal Air Force facility on Wardlaw hill, Ayrshire, provides a communications link between the mainland and the Scottish islands. It was constructed during the last five years and consists of two aerial masts, a building housing the associated communications equipment, and power supplies.
We have plans to erect a further radio mast and an unmanned digital telephone exchange by the end of 1992.
Construction Projects
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date it became his Department's policy to produce environmental impact statements for new defence construction projects ; and if he will list all such environmental impact statements produced to date.
Mr. Neubert : My Department first undertook an environmental impact assessment in 1984. Since then it has been the practice to consider their preparation wherever the submission of a notice of proposed development to a local planning authority might give rise to local concern. In so doing, we now adhere to the guidelines issued in 1988 by the Department of the Environment, the Scottish Office, and the Welsh Office.
To date we have produced environmental impact statements in relation to the following proposed developments :
Clyde Submarine Base--Overall development proposals ;
Clyde Submarine Base--Glen Fruin Road ;
Clyde Submarine Base--Northern Access Road and Garelochhead Bypass ;
Clyde Submarine Base--Rhu Narrows ;
Clyde Submarine Base--Magnetic Treatment Facility ;
NATO Pipeline--Colne to Purton to Fairford ;
Otterburn Training Area--New Military road.
Soviet Nuclear Submarines
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what trends have been observed in the rate of production of nuclear-powered submarines by the Soviet Union since 1985.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Following a low in the mid-1980s as newer types were introduced, Soviet output of nuclear-powered submarines recovered in 1987 and since then it has remained at about five a year.
ROF, Bishopton
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts his Department has with the royal ordnance factory at Bishopton ; and what is their financial value.
Mr. Alan Clark : There are currently a total of 24 headquarters contracts placed with the royal ordnance site at Bishopton and these have a total value of £17 million. It is not our practice to disclose details of individual contracts for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
Column 121
Options for Change
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any academics have been asked to work on the study of options for change.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether any staff are at present working full-time on the study of options for change ;
(2) pursuant to his reply of 14 June, Official Report, column 329, what is the number of staff from (a) the office of management and budget and (b) the defence staff, who are engaged in work on the study of options for change.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Several dozen staff within the Ministry of Defence have been involved at various times in certain aspects of the options for change work in addition to their normal duties.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any staff from the Procurement Executive have been involved in the study of options for change.
Mr. Alan Clark : Several dozen staff within the Ministry of Defence have been involved at various times in certain aspects of the options for change work as part of their normal duties, and this will include staff from the Procurement Executive.
Military Threats
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current assessment of the nature of the military threat from (a) Iraq, (b) Libya and (c) Iran ; and what assessment of the potential military threats from each of these countries has taken place as a result of the study of options for change.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : All potential threats are kept under constant assessment, but it is not our practice to give details of such assessments. The implications of changing international circumstances are being considered in our examination of options for change.
Tornado
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications have taken place between his Department and British Aerospace plc (a) prior to 18
Column 122
June and (b) since 18 June this year regarding the economic and industrial consequences of the decision not to authorise work on the order for the eighth batch of Tornado aircraft.Mr. Alan Clark : We are in constant communication with British Aerospace on a range of topics. The industrial consequences of procurement decisions--18 June 1990, column 771--are a matter for the companies concerned.
Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the costs to his Department, on cancellation charges, of the reduction in the orders for Tornado aircraft announced on 18 June.
Mr. Alan Clark : There are no cancellation charges as such. Rundown costs will be negotiated with the contractors.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was invested in improving the energy efficiency of his Department in the latest available year.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In 1988-89 the Ministry of Defence invested some £9 million in energy-saving measures throughout the defence estate and a smaller but unquantifiable sum of money on the civil estate.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 5 June, Official Report, column 429, whether he has any plans to increase the number of energy managers.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are no current plans to increase the number of energy managers, but we keep the matter under review.
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answers of 30 April, Official Report, column 429 and 10 May, Official Report, columns 213-14 about energy consumption, what is the square footage of office space to which these figures relate.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Information regarding the floor area of buildings comprising the defence estate is not held centrally. However, the floor area of buildings on the civil estate is estimated to be 6.5 million sq ft.
|
| Home Page |