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|Number -----------------------------------------------------------Full-time staff employed on 16 November 1990 |4 Part-time staff employed on 16 November 1990 |5
|£ ---------------------------------------------Total cost 1989-90 |140,650 Estimated total cost 1990-91 |147,000
My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary announced on 16 October that he had initiated a review of the options for the future of civil defence arrangements in England and Wales in the light of east-west relations. When the outcome of that review is known the implications for Northern Ireland, including staffing levels, will be considered.
Kilroot Power Station
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if Kilroot II power station is to be coal fired ; and if he will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : Final decisions have yet to be taken on the form in which Kilroot II will be completed.
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the employment consequences to the existing and future work force employed directly in the power generation industry in Northern Ireland at Kilroot II if (a) it is coal fired or (b) other forms of generation are used ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effect Kilroot II power station will have on transport jobs in Northern Ireland if it is not coal fired ; and if he will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : The main objective in planning future capacity is to secure the most economic and efficient means
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of supply and this will be the primary consideration influencing decisions on the form of Kilroot II. Employment levels at the station will be taken into account in that context. The type of fuel to be used is unlikely to have any implications for jobs in the transport industry in Northern Ireland.DEFENCE
The Gulf
Ms. Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate of casualties in the event of war in the Gulf ; and what medical treatment arrangements have been made.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The number of casualties which might result from any military action could vary considerably depending on a wide range of factors. Contingency plans for the treatment and evacuation of casualties in the event of hostilities continue to be developed. Two field hospitals and other support facilities have already been deployed to the Gulf, and further facilities will be deployed with 1st armoured division.
RAF Macrihanish
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current operational role of RAF Macrihanish ; and how many aircraft are customarily based there on permanent and temporary duty.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : RAF Macrihanish is established to support United States navy maritime patrol operations in war. No aircraft are based there permanently in peacetime, although United States navy United Kingdom, and the occasional Royal Netherlands navy aircraft exercise there from time to time.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on nuclear weapons testing.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : For the foreseeable future, the United Kingdom's security will depend on deterrence based in part on the possession of nuclear weapons. That will mean a continuing requirement to conduct underground nuclear tests to ensure that our nuclear weapons remain effective and up to date.
RAF Feltwell
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of construction of the proposed deep space tracing station at RAF Feltwell.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Construction of the deep space tracking station at RAF Feltwell is due to be completed in late 1991.
MoD Property, Trowbridge
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what property is owned, leased or controlled by his Department in and around Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Department's property holdings in Trowbridge consist of three cadet training huts, a garage block and an indoor rifle range. In addition, there are 11 married quarters and a small building plot currently in the process of being sold.
INF Treaty
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the timetable for further withdrawals of treaty-limited items from the United Kingdom under the intermediate nuclear forces treaty ; (2) how many of each category of treaty limited items were at (i) RAF Greenham Common and (ii) RAF Molesworth on each reporting date by the intermediate nuclear forces treaty.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The numbers of ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCM) and transporter erector launcher (TEL) vehicles, including spares, at RAF Molesworth and RAF Greenham Common on each reporting date required by the INF treaty are as follows :
RAF Molesworth RAF Greenham Common |Ground- |Transporter |Ground- |Transporter |launched |erector |launched |erector |cruise |launcher |cruise |launcher |missiles |missiles 1 June 1988 |18 |6 |100 |29 1 December 1988 |0 |0 |100 |29 1 June 1989 |0 |0 |100 |29 1 December 1989 |0 |0 |52 |17 1 June 1990 |0 |0 |52 |17
The remaining treaty-limited items at RAF Greenham Common will be withdrawn by 31 May 1991.
Special Safety Course
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the nature and purpose of the RAF special safety study course.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The RAF special safety study period enables participants to study the implications of a nuclear weapon accident and the procedure for responding to this extremely unlikely eventuality.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence personnel have attended the RAF special safety study course in each of the last five years.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Records are not held centrally but the following numbers of MDP personnel appear to have attended the RAF special safety study period i each of the last five years :
|Number ---------------------1986 |0 1987 |5 1988 |1 1989 |0 1990 |0
Over-the-horizon Radar
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department will reconsider its plans for the proposed
over-the-horizon radar at St. David's and Blakehill if no appropriated funds are available for construction from the United States Government.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : We have at present no reason too believe that the United States Government will not secure appropriated funds for their share of the proposed joint UK-US trial of an over-the-horizon radar in the United Kingdom. The question is therefore hypothetical.
Ulster Defence Regiment
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how often units from the Ulster Defence Regiment make use of training facilities in the mainland United Kingdom.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Ulster Defence Regiment permanent cadre companies carry out about one week's training in Great Britain two years out of three. The part-time element of each UDR battalion carries out about a week's training in Great Britain annually.
Flypasts
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flypasts by aircraft of the armed services have been carried out in each of the last five years for events not organised by the armed services ; what has been the total cost of such flypasts for each year ; and from which subheads of which votes funds for these activities are taken.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No central records are held of the number of flypasts conducted by service aircraft during the last five years over events not organised by the armed services, and the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost and effort. Flypasts by service aircraft are authorised only if they can be undertaken from within allotted training hours. Any additional non-operational costs arising from a flypast are recovered from the event organiser.
RAF Aircraft
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list indicating how many of each type of Royal Air Force aircraft have been delivered to his Department.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The following list details the total deliveries achieved against RAF front line and support aircraft, by type, since 1979 to the end of November 1990.
|Number --------------------------Tornado IDS |212 Tornado ADV 138 Harrier GR5/7 67 Phantom |15 Tristar |9 VC10 Tankers 9 BAe 146 |2 HS125 |6 Hawk |87 Tucano |48 Chinook |41 Puma |8 Sea King |7 Gazelle |13
Cruise Missiles
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many exercises to simulate the dispersal of ground-launched cruise missiles from (i) RAF Greenham Common and (ii) RAF Molesworth were carried out between 1984 and the present date.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Sixty-one such exercises were carried out from RAF Greenham Common and none from RAF Molesworth.
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his most recent visit to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My right hon. Friend met members of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards during his recent visit to the Gulf. They are continuing to uphold the fine traditions of the regiment which will, I am sure, be familiar to the hon. Member.
Chemical Weapons Convention
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on exercises carried out by his Department into the verification of the proposed chemical weapons convention.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Ministry of Defence, in co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has recently completed a two-year programme of six practice challenge inspections at Government-owned facilities. The objectives of the practice challenge inspections programme were to test our ability to demonstrate compliance with a chemical weapons convention while at the same time protecting our legitimate national security interests, particularly at sensitive sites, and to draw any useful lessons on challenge inspection for the chemical weapons convention negotiations in Geneva. A paper describing the outcome of the practice challenge inspections programme was tabled at the conference on disarmament in Geneva last July by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and copies are being placed in the Library of the House.
The paper has been widely welcomed as a further positive United Kingdom contribution to the negotiations. The United Kingdom was the first country to embark on practical work on challenge inspection and we are encouraged that others have since followed our example.
SCOTLAND
Gaelic
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the total Government expenditure on the promotion and development of the Gaelic language in each year since 1985.
Mr. Lang : Government expenditure consists of grant aid, under the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985, to
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bodies which support the Gaelic language and culture and a scheme of specific grants to local authorities for Gaelic education. The breakdown of expenditure by financial year is as follows :
|Gaelic Bodies|Specific |Grants for |Gaelic |Education |£ |£ --------------------------------------------------------1985-86 |121,000 |Nil 1986-87 |131,000 |250,000 1987-88 |179,123 |300,000 1988-89 |208,000 |500,000 1989-90 |298,000 |850,000 1990-91 |305,000 |1,200,000
Unit Fines
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he will take to introduce day or unit fines in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The possibility of introducing unit fines in Scotland is being considered by my right hon. Friend as a further contribution to our programme of measures to reduce the unacceptably high level of imprisonment for fine default, but it is too early to announce firm proposals.
Speech Therapists
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from health boards about problems being experienced in recruiting speech therapists.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : No representations have been received from health boards about this matter, but I am aware that there are some localised recruitment problems.
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions he has drawn about the availability of speech therapists following the staffing survey of professions allied to medicine ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : A comparison of the manpower planning advisory group's survey of the professions allied to medicine for 31 March 1990 with the same period in 1989 shows that the funded establishment for speech therapists has increased from 386 whole-time equivalents to 400 whole-time equivalents although the staff in post has remained the same. The manpower planning advisory group is to produce a report on speech therapy in the near future and I will give attention to its recommendations.
Roodlands Hospital, Haddington
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions have been given to the Scottish ambulance service about the availability of casualty facilities at Roodlands hospital in Haddington ; and if he will make a further statement on the arrangements being made by Lothian health board for accident and emergency services in the Haddington area.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 26 November 1990) : Lothian health board has asked the chief area
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ambulance officer for Lothian, Fife and the Borders to operate a policy that ambulances carrying trauma cases in East Lothian are directed to Edinburgh royal infirmary. The board recommends that this should apply to any patient requiring an overnight stay and/or operative intervention.The health board intends to introduce a treatment service to ensure that minor injuries can continue to be dealt with locally. The board is actively exploring the ways in which this can be achieved.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Food Surpluses
14. Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to continue discussions with his fellow European Community Ministers on Community food surpluses and subsidies.
Mr. Gummer : The problems of overproduction will dominate in my discussions with Community colleagues in the coming months.
Common Agricultural Policy
15. Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the costs of the common agricultural policy for 1990 and 1991.
Mr. Gummer : Total agricultural expenditure for 1990 is well within budget. Expenditure will increase in 1991.
Productivity
16. Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what comparable figures he has for the productivity of farms in Britain, France and Germany.
Mr. Curry : Comprehensive comparisons of productivity are not available. As a broad guide, however, Eurostat figures for 1987 to 1989 suggest that gross value added per labour unit averaged some £12,200 in the United Kingdom compared with £10,700 in France and £10,600 in Germany.
GATT
18. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the progress of the GATT negotiations as they relate to agriculture.
Mr. Gummer : I refer to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) earlier today.
Horticulture
19. Mr. Hind : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current levels of Government support for research and development in horticulture.
Mr. Curry : This year the Department will be spending some £13 million on horticulture R and D. A similar sum is planned for 1991-92.
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Horses (Exports)
20. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received regarding the live export of horses and ponies.
Mr. Maclean : We have received a great many letters and petitions from concerned members of the public and from welfare organisations who fear a resumption of exports of horses for slaughter. We intend to reflect this very real depth of public feeling in our negotiations on new Community legislation on the protection of animals during transport.
Farm Incomes
21. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next meet the president of the National Farmers Union to discuss farm incomes.
Mr. Gummer : I meet the president of the National Farmers union frequently to discuss a wide range of issues.
Uplands Farms
22. Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he will make to the European Council of Agriculture Ministers to secure the incomes of family farmers in the hills and uplands of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take to assist livestock producers in upland areas ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson).
Animal Transport
24. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to review the legislation relating to the transport of casualty animals ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : We have accepted recommendations made by the Farm Animal Welfare Council for changes in the legislation on casualty animals to provide additional welfare protection. The necessary order will be made as soon as possible. We are also reviewing the controls on disposal of unfit meat to see whether any changes are needed.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has to improve conditions for the transport of animals for slaughter.
Mr. Maclean : There are European Community proposals for a Council regulation on the protection of animals during transport. In the negotiations we shall be pressing for the adoption of comprehensive Community rules setting high welfare standards for animals during all stages of transport.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the transportation for export of horses, ponies and other live animals.
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Mr. Maclean : There have been no recent discussions in the Community on the Commission proposals for a regulation on the protection of animals during transport. The Government will press for the adoption of comprehensive Community rules setting high welfare standards during all stages of transport, and for the retention of controls to prevent the export of horses and ponies for slaughter.
Farm Subsidies
25. Mr. Cran : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he will be making to the European Community External Relations Commissioner to uphold the recent agreement on farm subsidy reductions at December's GATT talks.
Mr. Gummer : I made my support for the Community's offer very clear in the recent Council meetings which Vice President Andriessen attended. I and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will be attending the ministerial meeting in Brussels next week which should bring the round to a conclusion, and we will keep in close contact with Mr. Andriessen.
Clingfilm
26. Mr. Stern : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the recommended uses of clingfilm.
Mr. Maclean : A detailed statement was issued in the Food Safety Directorate's information bulletin of 22 November, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Sludge Dumping
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the annual tonnage of sludge dumping in Liverpool bay and the Bristol channel for each year since 1979.
Mr. Curry : The amounts of sewage sludge deposited each year from 1979 in Liverpool bay and the Bristol channel were as follows :
Thousand tonnes (wet weight) |Liverpool Bay|Bristol |Channel --------------------------------------------------------1979 |1,654 |358 1980 |1,760 |393 1981 |1,693 |328 1982 |1,642 |320 1983 |1,299 |230 1984 |1,283 |305 1985 |1,499 |259 1986 |1,541 |257 1987 |1,626 |238 1988 |1,629 |273 1989 |1,646 |306
Tyrrell Committee
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Tyrrell committee last met, and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Maclean : The committee last met on 1 November when, among other things, it considered the progress of research and slaughterhouse practices.
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Farmed Salmon
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce an alternative to the use of Aquaguard in the marine salmon farming industry.
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Mr. Maclean : A number of alternative methods for controlling sea lice infestations of farmed salmon are currently being investigated through Government and industry-sponsored research into chemical substitutes for dichlorvos ; into vaccines ; and into the use of biological controls for sea lice such as the predator species wrasse. These studies are not yet complete.
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