| Home Page |
Column 95
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 23 October 1990
TRANSPORT
ATC Radar, Edinburgh (Jamming)
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the outcome of the inquiry by the Civil Aviation Authority into the jamming of air traffic control radar at Edinburgh airport on 19 June during a mock attack on Rosyth dockyard.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Edinburgh approach radar was subject to interference for a period of 90 seconds on 19 June 1990, caused by an RAF aircraft participating in a routine exercise. There was no risk to the safety of any civil or military aircraft during this period. The air traffic control authorities at Edinburgh airport have now agreed procedures with the military exercise planners to prevent such interference occurring in the future.
Pipes and Cables
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will seek to amend the Highways Acts to enable the more effective servicing of pipes and cables through deposit in common ducts below streets.
Mr. Chope : No such amendment is required, since highway authorities already have the necessary powers.
Jubilee Line
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has yet taken a view on whether there should be stations at Southwark and Bermondsey on the proposed Jubilee line extension to docklands.
Mr. Freeman : I told the House on 24 July-- Official Report, columns 373-74--that it was the Government's policy that stations should be built at Southwark and Bermondsey ; I also said that further analytical work was to be carried out to confirm that the case for these stations was positive. The House will wish to know the outcome of this work. The appraisal showed that on current costings the economic case for the stations was positive-- and was indeed as strong as that for the line itself, provided that, in Southwark's case, direct passenger access was provided between it and British Rail's Waterloo East station. The Government are therefore prepared to approve construction of both stations provided the cost of the project as a whole can be held within agreed cost limits. There is no question of London Transport or the Government seeking to withdraw provision for Southwark and Bermondsey stations from the Bill.
Column 96
Low Bridges (Accidents)
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving (a) buses and (b) other commercial vehicles at low bridges occurred in the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. Chope : In 1989, 28 buses and 664 other commercial vehicles were involved in accidents in which low railway bridges were struck.
Nuclear Waste (Transportation)
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he has planned in the event of an emergency or accident occurring during the transportation of nuclear waste from Torness power station to Sellafield.
Mr. Chope : Scottish Nuclear Limited ensures that comprehensive emergency arrangements are in place to respond to any incident involving the transport of radio-active materials from Torness power station to Sellafield.
MV Derbyshire
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his decision whether or not to order a reopening of the inquiry into the loss of the MV Derbyshire ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : The new material is now being examined by the marine accident investigation branch. Once it has concluded its investigations, a report will be sent to the Secretary of State. After consideration of that report, he will then decide whether or not the formal investigation into the loss of the Derbyshire should be reopened.
London Underground
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to help offset the shortfall of £40 million faced by London Underground in the current financial year.
Mr. Freeman : London Transport, of which London Underground Limited is a subsidiary, is responsible for running its business within its means. I understand that it is making plans accordingly.
Minibus Passengers
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to introduce legislation which would require that all passengers in minibuses be strapped in by safety belts.
Mr. McLoughlin : We have no present plans to do so. Currently, very few minibuses are fitted with belts on any seats other than front seats. We are, however, anxious to see the much wider availability of seat belts on minibuses, so that passengers can wear them if they so choose. At our request, the European Commission has agreed to bring forward proposals by the end of 1991 requiring the fitting of seat belts to all seats in minibuses and coaches.
Column 97
London Underground (Extension)
Mr. Sedgemore : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he plans to accede to the request by London Transport and Hackney council for permission to deposit a private Bill in November to enable the east London line extension to the tube system to proceed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : We hope to make an announcement shortly.
Road Congestion
Mr. Snape : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the background papers detailing the ways to eliminate congestion on inter-urban roads which are summarised in paragraphs 10 to 16 of the 1989 White Paper, "Roads for Prosperity".
Mr. Chope [holding answer 18 October 1990] : A wide range of relevant material is already available for instance in the Department's publication "Transport Statistics 1979-1989" and in the Department's submissions to the Select Committee on Transport.
DEFENCE
Warship Visits
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Royal Navy warships visiting the United States of America over the next two months.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not our normal practice to comment on future deployments of Royal Navy warships.
Air-to-air Missiles
Mr. Neale : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all decisions have been taken on the advanced short-range air-to-air missile.
Mr. Alan Clark : We have recently endorsed staff requirement (air) 1234 for an advanced short-range, air-to-air missile and, in accordance with our norrmal procurement policy, we shall be seeking competitive proposals from industry. We are proceeding in accordance with the family of weapons memorandum of understanding and we shall seek bids which are compliant with its terms.
Gulf Crisis
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last discussed the Gulf crisis with the United States Secretary for Defense ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My right hon. Friend last met Mr. Cheney on 15 October. A range of subjects of mutual interest was discussed, including the Gulf crisis.
British Forces (Gulf)
Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on co-ordination in the Gulf between British and Syrian forces.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Arrangements have been agreed which would enable British forces in Saudi Arabia to
Column 98
operate effectively with Saudi, American or other forces as necessary. 7 Armoured Brigade will, however, be positioned alongside the United States Marines in north-east Saudi Arabia.Military Hospitals
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the specialties available to national health service patients at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The following specialties are generally available to NHS patients at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich, subject to Army operational and management considerations :
Anaesthetics and Resuscitation
Dietetics
Dermatology
Ear, Nose and Throar
General Medicine
Tropical Medicine and Cardiology
Genito-urinary Medicine
General Surgery
Gynaecology
Intensive Care
Neurology
Neuro-surgery
Nuclear Medicine
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Oral Surgery
Orthopaedics
Pathology
Plastic Surgery
Psychiatry
Radiology
Rheumatology and Rehabilitation
Urology
Visiting consultant's clinic only.
Some of these specialties may not be available during the current Gulf deployments.
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) service personnel and (b) civilians are currently employed at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The peacetime establishment of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital is 174 officers, 395 other ranks and 149 civilians. Current commitments in the Gulf and management considerations may, however, affect the established staff levels.
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the service hospitals covered by the surgeon general's recent review.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : All eight of the service hospitals in the United Kingdom are included in the Surgeon General's review. They are :
Royal Navy
Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar
Royal Naval Hospital, Stonehouse
Army
Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital, Woolwich
Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot
Duchess of Kent Military Hospital, Catterick
Royal Air Force
Princess of Wales RAF Hospital, Ely
Princess Mary RAF Hospital, Halton
Princess Alexander RAF Hospital,Wroughton.
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the estimated annual running costs of
Column 99
the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich in 1987-88, 1988-89 and 1989-90 ; and what is the current estimated average cost of in-patient stays for (a) service and (b) National Health Service patients.Mr. Archie Hamilton : The estimated annual running costs of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich, for the years 1987-88 to 1989- 90 were :
|£ millions
---------------------------------
1987-88 |26.9
1988-89 |26.6
1989-90 |21.1
Note: It is not possible to
differentiate the costs between
service and civilian patients.
The estimated average cost of in-patient stays at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich in 1989-90 was £2,400.
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich was opened for use ; and how many beds it currently provides.
Column 100
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Queen Elizabeth military hospital was opened by HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on 1 April 1977. A total of 274 beds are normally available, but this figure is currently subject to alteration due to operational requirements.
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) service personnel, (b) service dependants and (c) national health service patients have been treated as either (i) in-patients or (ii) out- patients at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich during each of the most recent 10 years for which figures are available.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The table shows the number of service personnel, dependants and other NHS patients who have been treated as in- patients and out-patients at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital in each of the last 10 years.
Column 99
Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich
|1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of in-patients
Service personnel |3,522 |4,170 |3,738 |3,780 |4,120 |4,583 |4,219 |4,667 |4,232 |4,600
Service dependants |1,066 |1,142 |1,223 |1,307 |1,386 |1,421 |1,227 |1,129 |1,129 |1,163
National health service |2,505 |3,131 |2,898 |3,181 |4,024 |4,690 |4,623 |4,722 |5,346 |6,430
Others |177 |160 |291 |319 |304 |412 |241 |203 |303 |231
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |7,270 |8,603 |8,150 |8,587 |9,834 |11,106 |10,310 |10,721 |11,010 |12,424
Number of out-patients
Service personnel |11,403 |17,338 |17,240 |19,284 |17,233 |18,565 |15,853 |14,395 |13,959 |10,924
Service dependants |3,929 |5,317 |4,222 |4,540 |4,138 |3,839 |2,858 |2,497 |2,429 |1,998
National health service |13,456 |17,449 |17,597 |19,083 |16,142 |17,399 |15,777 |13,697 |14,813 |15,821
Others |407 |1,252 |596 |873 |731 |846 |1,280 |402 |398 |250
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |29,195 |41,356 |39,655 |43,780 |38,244 |40,649 |35,768 |30,991 |31,599 |28,993
Note: Others includes far east prisoners of war and Gurkhas.
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he received the surgeon general's review of the future of service hospitals in the United Kingdom ; and when he expects to announce a decision on its recommendations.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The findings of the Surgeon General's review of service hospitals in the United Kingdom are under consideration at official level and recommendations will shortly be submitted to Ministers. An announcement will be made as early as practicable after a decision has been taken.
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the overall bed occupancy rate at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich, for the most recent four quarters for which figures are available.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Bed occupancy figures, which are based on actual occupancy at midnight each day, are recorded on an annual basis. The occupancy rate for 1989-90, the last year for which figures are available, was 69 per cent., excluding bedded day patients.
Royal Ordnance
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the exact date of the conclusion of the explosive propellants and related products agreement between Royal Ordnance and his Department in 1988.
Column 100
Mr. Alan Clark : My noble Friend the Lord Trefgarne and the then chief executive of Royal Ordnance plc signed the agreement on 28 July 1988.
Al Yamamah Agreement
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central, 19 July, Official Report, column 654, he will state the exact dates in 1985, 1986 and 1988 when the formal understandings on the Al Yamamah agreement were concluded.
Mr. Alan Clark : The dates are 26 September 1985, 17 February 1986 and 3 July 1988 respectively.
Cambodia
Mr. Roger King : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any military assistance has been provided to any Cambodian groups engaged in resistance to the Phnom Penh regime.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell) on 7 November 1989, Official Report, column 543.
Column 101
Service Personnel (Training)
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel received pre-release training in each year since records began.
Mr. Archie Hamilton [holding answer 17 October 1990] : Detailed records of the numbers receiving resettlement training have not been maintained since 1985, but we estimate that about 11,000 personnel do so each year. Pursuant to my answer to the hon. Member of 25 July 1990, Official Report, column 298, I should make it clear that the figure of £974 spent per head on pre-release training was based on data from financial year 1984-85. An up-to-date figure is not available.
WALES
Council House Evictions
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people aged 65 years or over have been evicted from council houses during 1989 in each district council area in Wales ; and what proportion of the total number of evictions involved persons over the age of 65 years in each case.
Mr. Grist : This information is not collected centrally.
| Next Section
| Home Page |