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Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken to ensure that the information made available to his Department, in respect of the reliability of the MIAZ Abrams, Leclerc and Leopard 2 main battle tanks, is entirely comparable with that which has been required from Vickers Defence Systems in respect of Challenger 2.
Mr. Alan Clark : I am satisfied that the information being made available to my Department in respect of the reliability of the overseas contenders for Chieftain Replacement will be entirely comparable with that which has been required from Vickers Defence Systems in respect of Challenger 2.
Defence Equipment Holdings
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his Department's policy towards the annual provision of figures for United Kingdom defence equipment holdings, along the lines of those published in "Conventional Forces in Europe : The Facts" ; (2) whether his Department will publish the latest figures, pursuant to those published in 1988 in "Conventional Forces in Europe : The Facts" for United Kingdom defence equipment holdings.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) on 15 March, at column 328. There are no plans to publish updated figures for other categories covered in "The Facts", beyond the information already provided in the "Annual Statement on the Defence Estimates".
Missiles
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the United States Government have agreed to assign any sea-launched cruise missiles to NATO (a) in peacetime and (b) in time of crisis ;
(2) whether NATO has any plans to integrate United States sea-launched cruise missiles into its targeting plans ;
(3) whether NATO has approved a memorandum of agreement implementing the planning process for the Tomahawk land-attack missile/nuclear in support of the NATO alliance.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I have nothing to add to the answer I gave on 22 June at column 723.
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Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's assessment as to the efficacy of the
non-proliferation treaty since it came into effect.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The non-proliferation treaty is the world's most widely adhered-to arms control treaty, to which three out of the five declared nuclear weapon states are parties. Since 1968, when the treaty was open to signature, no new country has declared itself a nuclear weapon state, and the treaty has helped to ensure that proliferation has not gained respectability.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on pursuing the extension of the non- proliferation treaty.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The United Kingdom attaches great importance to the widest possible adherence to the non-proliferation treaty, and regularly raises the question of accession to the NPT with non-parties at various levels.
Forces in Europe
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his Department's latest assessment of the balance of total ground forces in the central area of Europe ; and how many of the Warsaw pact ground forces are those of the Soviet Union ;
(2) how many NATO ground forces are currently stationed in the central area of Europe apart from those belonging to the United States of America.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Taking the "central area" as that covered by the limits on United States and Soviet stationed manpower, as shown in figure 1 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990", we estimate the current balance of ground forces in the central area to be approximately 1.3 : 1 in favour of the Warsaw pact. Soviet ground forces in this area are currently some 500,000 strong out of a Warsaw pact total of just over 1 million. NATO forces in the same area, apart from the United States, total some 600,000.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to figure 1, page 8, of "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990", what is his Department's assessment of the balance of manpower between NATO and the Warsaw pact in the central area in the aftermath of the limits imposed by the conventional forces in Europe treaty.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It has been agreed that United States and Soviet stationed forces in the central area should not in future exceed 195,000 each. It is not yet possible to estimate what the implications for force levels may be of equipment reductions which may be required by a CFE treaty or other national plans.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to figure 1, page 8, of "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990", how many of the 4 million total armed forces of the Warsaw pact belong to countries other than the Soviet Union.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Just a quarter (1,080,000) of the 4 million Warsaw pact armed forces in the Atlantic to the Urals zone belong to non- Soviet Warsaw pact countries.
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Soviet Ballistic Missiles
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what implications the deployment of additional Soviet ballistic missile defences, beyond those permitted under the terms of the anti-ballistic missile treaty, would have for the effectiveness of the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear deterrent.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Such a question covers a whole range of possibilities. However, we remain confident that our Polaris force and its successor, Trident, will provide an effective deterrent for the foreseeable future.
Trident
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the statement in paragraph 124, page 14, of "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990", relating to Trident, what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on reductions in either the number of Trident missiles or the number of Trident warheads within the context of multilateral arms negotiations.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The position remains as set out in the paragraph referred to.
United States Strategic Defences
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's latest assessment of the United States commitment to deploy strategic defences when they are ready.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Government fully support the United States strategic defence initiative (SDI) research programme, which is permitted under the anti-ballistic missile treaty. As the Prime Minister and President Reagan agreed at Camp David in December 1984, SDI-related deployment would, in view of treaty obligations, have to be a matter for negotiation. This remains the position.
Explosion (Deal)
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he now proposes to make available the conclusions of the inquiry into the explosion at Deal on 22 September 1989 ; and what is the reason for the delay.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As I stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Hampshire, East (Mr. Mates) on 23 April 1990 (column 76), a summary of the principal findings of the board of inquiry will be made available to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee when my right hon. Friend has completed his deliberations on these.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
C. J. How
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what periods from January 1982 onwards his Department had direct responsibility for the investment business of the company C. J. How, and any related company.
Mr. Redwood : Under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958, which was repealed on 29 April
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1988, the Department was responsible for issuing licences to dealers in securities except where they were members of a recognised association of dealers. The Department did not issue a licence to either C. J. How or C. J. How International.Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what periods from January 1982 onwards responsibility for the investment business of the company C. J. How or any related company was vested in (a) the National Association of Security Dealers and Investment Managers, (b) the Securities and Investments Board and (c) the Financial Intermediaries, Managers and Brokers Regulatory Organisation.
Mr. Redwood : C. J. How was a member of NASDIM, which on 9 July 1986 became FIMBRA, from 1982 until his membership was terminated in January 1988. Under the Financial Services Act 1986, the main provisions of which came into force on 29 April 1988, any firm wishing to carry on investment business has to be authorised to do so : the Securities and Investments Board is responsible for investigating and, if appropriate, dealing with cases of unauthorised business.
Credit (Availability)
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to protect people on low incomes from the problems associated with easily available credit.
Mr. Forth : Major safeguards are already provided for borrowers by existing legislation under which consumers must be informed about the terms of credit agreements before they enter into them. However, the Government have made known their concern about some marketing practices, which suggest among other things that credit is more readily available than it is. We are keeping the situation under review and hope that these problems will be addressed in the code of practice being prepared by the banks and building societies following the report of the committee on banking services law and practice.
Ozone-depleting Chemicals
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the number of tonnes of ozone-depleting chemicals produced in each of the last five years.
Mr. Forth : My Department receives data from the European Commission on the production within the Community of various of the substances controlled under the Montreal protocol. The two United Kingdom manufacturers of these substances copy the data they supply to the Commission to my Department and the Department of the Environment on a commercially confidential basis.
My officials have recently received industry data showing that total production of methyl chloroform (1, 1, 1-Trichloroethane) in the main industrialised regions (Western Europe, United States of America, and Japan) for the years 1985-89 was (in '000 tonnes) :
|Thousand
|tonnes
---------------------------
1985 |588
1986 |609
1987 |627
1988 |678
1989 |717
My Department has no data on the production of HCFCs, or any other ozone- depleting substances.
Recycling
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on grants and loans available for small businesses to invest in plant and machinery for the compaction of metal cans for recycling.
Mr. Forth : Under the enterprise initiative, the Department currently offers a number of schemes which are available to small businesses, including those engaged in recycling. In particular, regional enterprise grants are available in the development areas to help small firms invest and innovate.
Limited Liability Status
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he proposes to review the grounds on which limited liability status can be granted.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 19 June 1990] : My right hon. Friend has no present plans to do so.
Cayzer Family
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about the implications for investor protection legislation of a redemption reserve held by British and Commonwealth to provide for payments to the Cayzer family.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 25 June 1990] : None.
Companies Act Investigations
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in which cases Spicer and Oppenheim have supplied inspectors in investigations called for by his Department under the Companies Act.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 27 June 1990] : None.
Hamilton House Associates
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date, and through which channel, his Department first became aware of problems with the financial services from Hamilton House Associates.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 27 June 1990] : An allegation was received by the Department in May 1987 about the conduct of one of the directors of Hamilton House Associates Ltd., in the context of a separate business not authorised under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958. The Department concluded that there were no grounds for action under the Act. FIMBRA was also notified.
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ENERGY
Hinkley Point C
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will ensure that the views of the House are taken into account before any decisions are made on the issues raised in the report of the Hinkley Point C public inquiry.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 27 June.
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects the inspector's report into the Hinkley Point C pressurised water reactor proposal to be completed.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot) on 14 June 1990 at column 287.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the cost to date incurred by his Department for submitting evidence to the Hinkley Point C public inquiry.
Mr. Baldry : The expenses incurred by the official witnesses and their supporting teams of civil servants in attending the inquiry were about £5,300.
Electricity Generating Capacity
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will call for a report on the proposed mothballing of 1,000 MW of electricity generating capacity by National Power at Pembroke and West Thurrock power stations.
Mr. Baldry : This is a commercial matter for National Power.
Energy Conservation
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, further to his reply of 22 June, Official Report, column 719, to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan, he will list all measures taken so far by the Energy Efficiency Office for the promotion of improvements in energy conservation.
Mr. Peter Morrison : Since the Energy Efficiency Office was established in 1983, it has offered a substantial range of programmes and initiatives to encourage consumers to improve their energy efficiency.
Initially, the EEO aimed to develop general awareness of the value of energy efficiency through extensive publicity campaigns, particularly during energy efficiency year (1986), and through several specific programmes, among which were : --the energy efficiency survey scheme for grants towards the cost of independent energy survey ;
--the energy efficiency research development and demonstration programmes to help develop and disseminate new energy efficient technology ;
--the monitoring and targeting programme to develop energy management systems for 40 sectors of industry ;
--support for the energy management movement throughout the United Kingdom.
The EEO's current main programmes are as follows :
--the best practice programme to give independent and authoritative information and advice backed by thorough technical research ;
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--an enhanced regional programme, stimulating the development and application of energy management skills and techniques ;--a campaign in the public sector with an objective of realising annual energy savings of 15 per cent. within five years ; --proposals (included in the Social Security Bill) for the home energy efficiency scheme to provide grants for basic insulation measures in low income households ; this scheme will replace and augment the existing community insulation programme ;
--the promotion of combined heat and power.
Among other initiatives, the EEO encourages the development of energy studies in schools, commercially based energy labelling schemes for homes, and standards for energy-consuming appliances. The EEO also publishes an extensive range of technical and non-technical information and guidance.
Elections
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in descending order information available to him on the percentage of the popular vote received by the main governing party on the latest free elections held in each of the NATO and Warsaw pact countries.
Mr. Waldegrave : The figures are as follows :
|Per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
United States (1988)
President Bush as Republican presidential
candidate |53
Portugal (1987)
Social Democrats |50.15
Greece (1990)
New Democracy Party |46.91
Federal Republic of Germany (1987)
CDU/CSU |44.3
Canada (1988)
Progressive Conservative Party |43
United Kingdom (1987)
Conservative Party |42.3
Spain (1989)
Socialist Party |39.50
France (1988)
Socialist Party (National Assembly elections) |37.5
Turkey (1987)
Motherland Party (ANAP) |36.3
Netherlands (1989)
Governing coalition:
Christian Democratic Alliance |35.3
Labour Party |31.9
Italy (1987)
Christian Democrats (largest party in coalition) |34.3
Luxembourg (1989)
Governing coalition:
Christian Social Party |31.9
Socialists |26.47
Belgium (1987)
Governing coalition (with a third smaller party)
Christian Social Party |27.5
Socialist Party |30.6
Norway (1989)
Conservative Party (minority coalition) |22.2
Denmark (1988)
Conservative People's Party (minority coalition) |19.3
Iceland (1987)
Progressive Party (leading party in coalition) |18.9
Warsaw Pact
Romania
National Salvation Front |66
Poland
Solidarity (Senate elections) |65
Bulgaria
Bulgarian Socialist Party |53
Czechoslovakia
Czech governing party-Civic Forum |51
Slovak governing party-Public Against
Violence |33
German Democratic Republic
Christian Democratic Union |41
Hungary
Democratic Forum (first round)<1> |25
<1>No percentage of the popular vote is available for the second round,
in which the Democratic Forum obtained 43 per cent. of the seats
allocated in that round.
Chemical Weapons
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on the holding of a special conference of states party to the chemical weapons convention at the end of the eighth year after the convention's entry into force.
Mr. Waldegrave : We support the holding of review conferences after a chemical weapons convention has entered into force. Such review meetings of states parties are provided for in the current draft of the convention. We should have no objection to such a meeting taking place at the end of the eighth year. The procedural details for review conferences have yet to be elaborated.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what effect the amendments to the chemical weapons convention draft treaty, proposed in the bilateral chemical weapons agreement by the USSR and United States of America, would have on the existing unreserved commitment of any signatory not to retain any chemical weapons.
Mr. Waldegrave : As currently drafted, the chemical weapons convention provides for a transition period of 10 years during which all chemical weapon stocks possessed by states parties will be destroyed. The proposals contained in the US-Soviet joint statement also envisage destruction of all chemical weapon stockpiles in this time frame, provided final destruction is agreed at a review conference at the end of the eighth year after the treaty's entry into force.
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Defence Equipment Holdings
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to page 3 of the FCO/NATO publication "Conventional Forces in Europe : The Facts", whether Her Majesty's Government will provide figures for United Kingdom defence equipment holdings on a regular basis in the future.
Mr. Waldegrave : I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer in the House of 8 January. The information that the United Kingdom will provide on a regular basis under a CFE treaty will be made available to Parliament. Additional information may be found in the annual Defence White Paper.
Mr. Garry Maher
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Spanish authorities to ensure that the public prosecutor on Tenerife holds the criminal investigation proceedings into the death on 24 February 1985 of Mr. Garry Maher without further delay.
Mr. Sainsbury : This is a tragic case, but it would be inappropriate for us to try to influence Spanish judicial procedures. It is for the Spanish authorities alone to decide when they are ready to hold criminal investigation proceedings.
Burma
Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the status of Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : It has been alleged that Aung San Suu Kyi owes allegiance to a foreign power. In fact, she is a citizen of Burma and has not acquired British citizenship. She is therefore not entitled to the rights and privileges of a British citizen, nor does her marriage to a British citizen of itself confer such rights and privileges on her. She is neither a Commonwealth citizen nor a citizen of a member state of the European Community. As with other aliens in her category under United Kingdom law, she is under a number of disabilities by comparison with British citizens. Most importantly :
(a) she is not entitled to vote in parliamentary or local elections ;
(b) she has no right of abode in the United Kingdom and, accordingly, requires leave to enter the United Kingdom and is liable to deportation from the United Kingdom ;
(c) she is not eligible for a British passport or for British diplomatic or consular protection overseas ;
(d) she is subject to restrictions in certain fields, for example, employment under the Crown.
Aung San Suu Kyi may now apply for British citizenship, on account of her marriage, only by naturalisation under section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981, which is a matter within the discretion of the Home Secretary. She has no right to British citizenship by virtue of her marriage to Dr. Aris, and cannot therefore be said to be entitled to the rights and privileges of a British citizen in the sense of possessing a right to citizenship.
Aung San Suu Kyi's marriage to a British citizen does not in itself entitle her to any social security benefits.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Animal Feed
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what circumstances waste products originating from a particular species may be fed back to that species ; under what circumstances waste products may be used as feed for species other than that from which the waste originates ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Untreated slaughterhouse waste is not fed to animals. Renderers who process animal protein for use in animal feedingstuffs are subject to the requirements of the Processed Animal Protein Order 1989 which requires registration with my Department and microbiological testing. Waste food of animal origin or waste food that has been in contact with material of animal origin must be processed in accordance with the Diseases of Animals (Waste Food) Order 1973 (as amended) before it can be fed to animals. The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (No. 2) Order 1989 prohibits feeding to ruminant animals of protein material derived from ruminants.
Veterinary Product Licensing
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he intends to review the system of veterinary product licensing in the United Kingdom.
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Mr. Maclean : I have no plans to do so.
Live Animal Exports
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the animal welfare implications of the trade in live exports.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister gave to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 28 June, Official Report, column 479.
North-east Drift Net Fishery
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in completion by his scientists of their analysis of the data which have been collected for the review of the north-east drift net fishery.
Mr. Maclean : I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scottish Office on 18 June, Official Report, column 454. Scientists from both the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and my Department have had a great deal of data to collate and analyse on salmon fishing in the areas of England and Scotland covered by this review. The Salmon Act 1986 requires Ministers to report to Parliament as soon as practicable after November of last year. We shall do so.
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