House of Commons Hansard Debates for 17 Jul 1990

Trident

16. Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the latest progress made to replace the Polaris strategic nuclear deterrent with Trident.

Mr. Alan Clark : The programme to replace Polaris with Trident is on time and within budget and continues to make satisfactory progress towards its in-service date of the mid-1990s.

17. Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any consideration has been given to the Trident nuclear submarine in his review of options.

20. Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any consideration has been given to the Trident nuclear submarine in his review of options.

22. Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any consideration has been given to the Trident nuclear submarine in his review of options.

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67. Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any consideration has been given to the Trident nuclear submarine in his review of options.

Mr. Tom King : As I informed the House on 18 June, we believe it is essential to keep our independent nuclear deterrent ; that means that we intend to proceed with the replacement of Polaris with Trident. As the London summit declaration made clear, we believe nuclear weapons have a crucial role to play in the prevention of war.

Military Co-operation

18. Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the scope for military co-operation with states applying to join the European Community.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : Applications to join the EC have been made by Turkey, Austria and the Republic of Cyprus. We already have close defence links with Turkey through our joint membership of NATO. The scope for defence co-operation with Austria and the Republic of Cyprus is more limited, but we maintain appropriate links with them.

United States Defence Secretary

19. Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his United States counterpart ; and what matters were discussed.

Mr Tom King : The position is as I set out earlier for the hon. Member for Liverpool, Broadgreen (Mr. Fields).

39. Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his United States counterpart to discuss weapons development and deployment.

50. Mr. Flannery : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his United States counterpart to discuss weapons development and deployment.

Mr. Tom King : I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Broadgreen (Mr. Fields).

NATO

21. Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the implications for the defence policy of the United Kingdom as a result of the NATO summit in London.

25. Mr. John Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the defence implications of decisions taken at the NATO summit on 5 and 6 July.

34. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the defence implications of decisions taken at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit on 5 and 6 July.

36. Mr. Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on present considerations on the future of NATO.

Mr. Tom King : I refer the hon. and learned Member, the hon. Members and my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Barnsley, West and Penistone (Mr. McKay).

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Options for Change"

23. Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement about his "Options for Change" review.

60. Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement about his "Options for Change" review.

69. Mr. Michael Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement about his "Options for Change" review.

Mr. Tom King : I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. Duffy).

Service Personnel

24. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the numbers of armed forces personnel which will be required for the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force in 1995.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : Manpower plans are updated as part of our normal reviews of the defence programme under the long-term costing process. It would not be appropriate to give details of long-term manpower plans.

Over-the-Horizon Radar

26. Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received about the proposed over-the-horizon radar, to be built at St. David's in Pembrokeshire and Blakehill in Wiltshire.

40. Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations he has received about the proposed over- the-horizon radar at St. David's airfield, Pembrokeshire.

48. Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received about the proposed over-the- horizon radar, to be built at St. David's in Pembrokeshire and Blakehill in Wiltshire.

49. Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received about the proposed over-the-horizon radar, to be built at St. David's in Pembrokeshire and Blakehill in Wiltshire.

Mr. Alan Clark : I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 19 June. Since then I have received further representations.

Soviet Force Withdrawals

28. Mr. Maples : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made concerning the unilateral withdrawal of Soviet nuclear and conventional forces from eastern Europe over the last year.

43. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made concerning the unilateral withdrawal of Soviet nuclear and conventional forces from eastern Europe over the last year.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Soviet Union has carried out the initial phase of its unilateral withdrawal of ground

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forces from eastern Europe on schedule. However, it has suspended the removal of further troops from East Germany in part pending the outcome of the two plus four talks on the future status of Germany. We do not expect the two Soviet divisions in Poland to withdraw in the immediate future.

The majority of Soviet nuclear-capable short-range ballistic missile launchers appear to have been withdrawn from Czechoslovakia and probably all from Hungary. Nuclear-capable artillery is still in the process of being withdrawn and some will probably remain in Czechoslovakia until the last divisions leave.

The Soviet Union has carried out, and probably exceeded, its stated intention to withdraw 300 combat aircraft from eastern Europe ; some of the aircraft would have been capable of both nuclear and conventional operations. Some air defence surface-to-air missile forces have been withdrawn from Hungary, East Germany and Poland.

Nuclear Tests

29. Mr. Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what nuclear tests have been carried out by NATO countries and France in the current year ; and for what purpose.

45. Mr. Doran : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what nuclear tests have been carried out by NATO countries and France in the current year ; and for what purpose.

52. Mr. Buckley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what nuclear tests have been carried out by NATO countries and France in the current year and for what purpose.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn).

Cruise Missiles

30. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent agreements have been reached regarding sea-launched cruise missiles ; and what are the implications for the United Kingdom.

80. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent agreements have been reached regarding sea-launched cruise missiles ; and what are the implications for the United Kingdom.

92. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent agreements have been reached regarding sea-launched cruise missiles ; and what are the implications for the United Kingdom.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : I have nothing to add to the answer I gave on 22 June at column 723.

81. Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of removal of cruise missiles from the United Kingdom, and the alternative use of the sites.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answers which I gave to the hon. Members for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) and for City of Durham (Mr.

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Steinberg) on 6 February at column 591, in respect of RAF Greenham Common, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-West (Sir A. Grant) on11 January at columns 691-92, in respect of RAF Molesworth.

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about cruise missiles and their deployment in the United Kingdom and within United Kingdom waters.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : With the exception of the remaining ground- launched cruise missiles based at RAF Greenham Common, which are due to be removed by the end of May 1991 under the terms of the INF treaty, there are no nuclear cruise missiles deployed on land in the United Kingdom.

Vessels of the United States navy visit ports and facilities in the United Kingdom. Like the Royal Navy they neither confirm nor deny whether they are carrying nuclear weapons.

Germany

31. Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had about the future defence role of Germany.

55. Mr. Ray Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had about the future defence role of Germany.

Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had about the future defence role of Germany.

Mr. Tom King : I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Gateshead, East (Ms. Quin).

Territorial Army

33. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to increase the strength of the Territorial Army.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : The work in hand on examining options for change is of a broad policy nature. While it is therefore not possible to be specific at this stage, there is no doubt that the Territorial Army will continue to play a vital role in the future.

82. Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of serving members of the Territorial Army ; and what was the comparable figure 10 years ago.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : The total strength of the Territorial Army, at 31 May, was 72,705. The corresponding figure 10 years ago was 62, 989.

Aeroplane and Armaments Experimental Establishment

35. Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken to (a) screen personnel and (b) assess hazard in additional buildings, following the discovery of brown asbestos in offices at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, near Salisbury.

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Mr. Neubert : Following the discovery of a trace of amosite, or brown asbestos, at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment Boscombe Down, staff have been given a medical briefing by the occupational hygienist and the offer of an individual consultation. If, following such a consultation, members of staff wish to be given an appropriate medical screening, the establishment has offered to arrange for it to be provided free of charge. The dust sample containing the trace of amosite came from a single building with inner and outer cladding of white asbestos sheeting. Extensive tests of the air in, and the fabric of, this building and eight others of a similar age and construction have, however, all proved to be negative.

Chemical and Biological Weapons

37. Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence his Department has concerning the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : We have received reports from time to time on the development of chemical and biological weapons by other countries. However, it is not our normal practice to comment on the detailed information available to the Government on such matters.

Civilian Personnel

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what retraining will be given to civilian personnel no longer required by his Department.

38. Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what retraining will be given to civilian personnel no longer required by his Department.

87. Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what retraining will be given to civilian personnel no longer required by his Department.

Mr. Alan Clark : Reductions in civilian manpower numbers will, so far as possible, be handled through natural wastage.

Nuclear and Chemical Weapons

41. Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the defence implications of the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons.

44. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the defence implications of the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons.

84. Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the defence implications of the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : We keep all potential risks under continuous review. We also aim to prevent the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons by providing strong support for arms control agreements and associated regimes, such as the non-proliferation treaty, the missile technology control regime, the proposed chemical weapons convention and the Australia group.

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RAF Parachute Training Establishments

42. Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in 1989 safety inspectors visited Royal Air Force parachute training establishments.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : Safety inspections are regularly carried out at all parachute training establishments, but it is not possible to say how many such visits took place in 1989.

Aldermaston A90 Building

51. Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes to the original programme of work has been made during the construction of the Aldermaston A90 building.

Mr. Neubert : Changes to the programme of work for the A90 building at AWE Aldermaston were made as a result of the Government's decision to purchase the Trident system and in response to subsequent programme slippage. I refer the hon. Member to appendix 4 of the July 1987 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General--"Control and Management of the Trident Programme"--HC27. The construction of A90 is now complete and equipment installation is proceeding within the scheduled time scale for Trident.

Weapons Development

53. Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his French counterpart to discuss weapons development.

72. Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his French counterpart to discuss weapons development.

70. Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his French counterpart to discuss weapons development.

Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his French counterpart to discuss weapons development.

Mr. Alan Clark : My right hon. Friend last met M. Chevenement to discuss co-operative weapons development among other topics on 4 May. The press release has been placed in the Library.

Reserve Forces

54. Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is considering enhancing the role of reserve forces in view of the changing situation in eastern Europe.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : We are considering the structure of our armed forces, including the reserves, as part of the work on options for change.

Conventional Forces in Europe

56. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what decisions he has made about the role of the Army following a possible conventional forces in Europe agreement.

74. Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what decisions he has made about the role of the Army following a possible conventional forces in Europe agreement.

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Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Eastham) earlier today.

62. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made in the conventional forces in Europe negotiations ; and what are the prospects for achieving a conventional forces in Europe treaty on the size and disposition of forces in Europe during the current year.

Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on progress on conventional forces disarmament.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : The conventional armed forces in Europe talks which opened in Vienna in March 1989 are making good progress. Agreement has been reached on definitions for tanks, armoured combat vehicles and artillery, and is close for combat helicopters. Agreement has also been reached on ceilings for all these categories except artillery. Significant differences remain on the treatment of combat aircraft, and there is much detailed work still to do on verification. As was made clear in the NATO summit declaration of 6 July, we attach great importance to the successful conclusion of these negotiations this year. We understand that the USSR shares that aim.

Tornado

57. Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of discussions between his Department and British Aerospace in relation to the recently announced cancellations of Tornado aircraft.

Mr. Alan Clark : I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill) on 2 July at column 466.

75. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his proposals for a midlife update for Tornado aircraft.

Mr. Alan Clark : Contracts for the development and production investment phases of the Tornado GR1 midlife update programme have been placed with Panavia, the Tornado prime contractor.

78. Mr. Lofthouse : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds he took the decision not to proceed with the eighth batch of Tornado aircraft ; and if he will make a statement.

91. Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds he took the decision not to proceed with the eighth batch of Tornado aircraft ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Alan Clark : I have nothing to add to the announcement which I made during the defence debate on 18 June at columns 770-71.

RAF Wattisham

58. Mr. Yeo : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received regarding the use of RAF Wattisham by civilian aircraft.

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