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Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with Hunting-BRAE as the nominated contractor for managing the atomic weapons research establishments regarding the appropriate health and safety procedures for the safe machining of beryllium since the fire and explosion at Ust Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, USSR.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : None. I understand that the recent reported incident in Kazakhstan involved a production process in which beryllium metal is obtained from ores. Such processes are not carried out at any United Kingdom facilities operated by, or contracted to, the Ministry of Defence. The atomic weapons establishment management contract requires that established health and safety procedures are fully adhered to at Cardiff and all other atomic weapons establishment sites.
Lithium Hydride
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department holds stocks of lithium hydride ; and what military uses there are in the United Kingdom defence programme for this chemical.
Mr. Carlisle : Stocks of lithium hydride are held by the atomic weapons establishment and are used in the nuclear weapons programme.
Chieftain Tank
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce a decision on the replacement for the Chieftain tank.
Mr. Alan Clark : I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Mr. Batiste) on 15 May at col. 727.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors he will take into account in making a decision on the replacement for the Chieftain tank.
Mr. Alan Clark : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Mr. Younger) on 20 December 1988 at cols 259-60 and the answer that I gave the hon. Member on 15 May at col 727 et seq.
Military Equipment Exhibitions
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he possesses in regard to the attendance of agents for the Iraqi Government's military equipment
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procurement network at the arms and military equipment exhibitions held earlier in 1990 at Aldershot, Portsmouth and Farnborough, respectively.Mr. Alan Clark : It is not our practice to comment on the representation of specific countries at defence-related exhibitions.
Mr. Colin Wallace
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's response to the criticisms made of actions taken by his Department in the report on Mr. Colin Wallace produced by David Calcutt QC in September.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 13 September to the hon. Member for Arundel (Sir M. Marshall), a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Equipment Sales (Saudi Arabia)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests he has received from the Comptroller and Auditor General for information in regard to his Department's payment practices on the 1986 agreement with Saudi Arabia for the sale of Tornado aircraft and other military equipment.
Mr. Alan Clark : The Ministry of Defence co-operates fully in providing information to the NAO within the terms of the National Audit Act 1983. It is not our practice to comment on detailed matters concerning individual defence sales.
Cambodia
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mines technology has been made available to the Cambodian resistance.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not the practice to comment on allegations of this nature.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations Astra Holdings has made to him about trade with Cambodia.
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the availability of desert-related spare equipment for tanks and armoured vehicles of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in the middle east meets target requirements.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Sufficient spare parts and major assemblies are available to meet anticipated requirements.
Strategic Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards a reduction in strategic nuclear weapons ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We fully support the bilateral START negotiations between the United States and the
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Soviet Union. The Government's position on the inclusion of the British strategic deterrent in negotiations on strategic nuclear weapons is set out fully in paragraph 124 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990 (Cm. 1022-1).Ministry Accounting Procedures
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to appoint independent financial consultants to review accounting procedures in the Ministry of Defence.
Mr. Alan Clark : There is currently no intention to appoint independent financial consultants to review accounting procedures in the Ministry of Defence.
Computers
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent by his Department in its purchase of computers and computer equipment in the last five years for which information is available.
Mr. Alan Clark : During the last five years the Ministry of Defence has spent £345.5 million on the purchase of administrative computers and associated equipment and services. The expenditure for each year is as follows :
Financial |Expenditure year |£ million ------------------------------------ 1985-86 |39.2 1986-87 |62.2 1987-88 |58.8 1988-89 |76.5 1989-90 |108.8
Details of expenditure on computers for weapons systems are maintained only as an integral part of expenditure on such systems as a whole, and could be disaggregated only at disproportionate cost.
Low Flying
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will institute an inquiry into the potential for RAF low-flying training to take place other than over mid-Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The United Kingdom low-flying system is kept continuously under review with the aim of spreading activity more widely so as to reduce disturbance in busier areas and improve overall safety.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will institute an inquiry into the potential for RAF low-flying training to take place outside the United Kingdom on flying ranges leased from or licensed by foreign Governments ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The majority of operational low-flying training, at heights below 250 ft, is already carried out outside the United Kingdom. Further opportunities for low-flying training abroad will continue to be given very careful consideration. In each case, however, a balance has to be struck between the advantages of the particular overseas location and the extra cost and dislocation resulting from overseas deployment and the need for aircraft to carry out adequate training in the theatre where they are based.
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Thai Army
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many United Kingdom military personnel have been attached to the Thai army since 1984.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Lady to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill) on 30 November 1989 at col. 358. No loan service personnel have served with the Thai armed forces in the period in question. Further specific details of military assistance provided are confidential between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Thailand.
Princess of Wales RAF Hospital, Ely
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the capital improvements, additions and alterations to the Princess of Wales Royal Air Force hospital, Ely for each of the last five years giving details of the sums involved in each case.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State will write to my hon. Friend.
Captain Anthony Leigh de Normann
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the military career of Captain Anthony Leigh de Normann, including countries where he was stationed.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not our practice to reveal personal details of this nature.
British Troops (Gulf)
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current cost of the total operations in Saudi Arabia at the most recent date ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 15 October 1990 at column 688 .
Victoria Barracks, Windsor
Sir Alan Glyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that the precautions provided for residents whose houses are in the vicinity of military installations, such as the Victoria barracks, Windsor, are satisfactory in view of the recent terrorist attacks.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The responsibility for countering the threat of terrorist attacks at large lies with the police and is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary. At a local level, the Ministry of Defence co-operates closely with police forces in order to maintain the security both of its establishments and of its personnel. We are putting in place a major package of enhanced security measures and are constantly looking at ways to improve security further. I appreciate that my hon. Friend is concerned for the security of his constituents. By reducing the likelihood of an attack, our security improvements benefit both those who work or live in a defence establishment, and those who live nearby. Awareness of the risk and personal vigilance is a key
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element in security ; members of the public who see unusual or suspicious activity should report it to their local police as soon as possible.Options for Change"
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply of 17 October, when he hopes to complete the work on refining the detail of the broad proposals he put forward on 25 July ; and whether he will make a statement on this work when it is completed.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is too early to say when the work will be completed. The House will be kept informed of our progress.
Civil Servants (Qualifications)
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records are kept of the recognised qualifications acquired by his civil servants.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The Department keeps records of all educational and professional qualifications obtained by individual civil servants.
Service Personnel (Qualifications)
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records are kept of the recognised qualifications acquired by service personnel through their pre-release training.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The main purposes of pre-release vocational training are to prepare service personnel for working life in a civilian environment and to convert existing skills or to provide new ones, in preparation for the employment opportunities available in the civilian labour market. The acquisition of qualifications of the nature referred to by the hon. Gentleman is subordinate to these purposes, not least because of the difficulty of doing so in the 28 days allowed for this training. Successful completion of courses at Ministry of Defence resettlement centres and of Ministry of Defence sponsored courses elsewhere is marked by the issue of certificates, records of which are held by the institutions concerned for a minimum of one year. The possibility of qualifications for those who undertake their pre-release training in the form of attachments to outside organisations does not generally arise, since the purpose is to gain experience of work with civilian companies.
Military Training Assistance
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply of 17 October, what are the circumstances in which details of military training assistance provided by British service personnel may be released.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Details of military training provided to overseas Governments are normally confidential. Any exception would be considered on its own merits and would be subject to the agreement of the overseas Government concerned.
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Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has contacted the Belize Government regarding the release of detailed information on the provision of military training assistance by British service personnel.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Details of military training assistance provided for the Belize Government, as set out in my answers to the hon. Gentleman of 7 November 1989 at columns 542-43 and 14 November 1989 at column 189 , updated information published in the eighth report of the House of Commons Defence Committee (HC 624, Session 1987-88). Prior permission for the publication of that information was sought and received from the Belize Government.
Community Charge
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the percentage of service personnel of the rank of (a) major and above, (b) captain and below, (c) warrant officer and senior non-commissioned officer and (d) corporal and below, in service accommodation in Britain who will be responsible for community charges above the average, as calculated for the purposes of reimbursement, and will be eligible for reimbursement of accommodation charges ;
(2) what is the percentage of service personnel in (a) grade 1, (b) grade 2, (c) grade 3, and (d) grade 4 service accommodation in Britain who will be responsible for community charges above the average as calculated for the purposes of reimbursement, and will be eligible for reimbursement of accommodation charges ;
(3) what is the percentage of service personnel in (a) grade 1, (b) grade 2, (c) grade 3 and (d) grade 4 service accommodation in Britain who are liable for community charges below the average, as calculated for the purposes of reimbursement ;
(4) what is the percentage of service personnel of the rank of (a) major and above, (b) captain and below, (c) warrant officer and senior non- commissioned officer and (d) corporal and below, in service accommodation in Britain who are liable for community charges below the average, as calculated for the purposes of reimbursement ; (5) what is the percentage of service personnel of the rank of (a) major and above, (b) captain and below, (c) warrant officer and senior non-commissioned officer and (d) corporal and below, in service accommodation in Britain who will be responsible for community charges above the average, as calculated for the purposes of reimbursement, but are not eligible for reimbursement of accommodation charges ;
(6) what is the percentage of service personnel in (a) grade 1, (b) grade 2, (c) grade 3 and (d) grade 4 service accommodation in Britain who will be responsible for community charges above the average, as calculated for the purposes of reimbursement, but are not eligible for reimbursement of accommodation charges.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The information requested could not be provided without disproportionate effort.
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Military Training Assistance
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list in the Official Report those countries or groups within countries to which either British service men or other employees in his Department, or individuals privately contracted via his Department, have provided military assistance, training or advice, in the last two years.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In the two-year period to 1 October 1990, the following states have been provided by Her Majesty's Government with military training assistance in-country, or military training courses in the United Kingdom :
Algeria
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Cameroon
Canada
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Ecuador
Egypt
Fiji
Finland
France
Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guyana
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Lebanon
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
Portugal
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