| Previous Section | Home Page |
Pensioner Couples (Income Support)
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the number of new basic pensioner couples who are no longer entitled to income support because of the recent rise in basic pension ; and what is the average amount that their income is above the required level.
Mr. Hanley : The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In general, the income of those ceasing to be entitled to income support from the week commencing 8 April 1991 would have increased by at least 8.1 per cent. However, there was an additional real increase in the basic pensioner premium of £1 for single pensioners and £1.50 for couples aged 60 to 74 years.
Housing Benefit (South Down)
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are in receipt of full housing benefit and partial housing benefit at each of the social security offices in South Down.
Mr. Hanley : Information is not collected in the form requested. The available information is as follows :
Column 123
District |Full/partial
|housing benefit
-------------------------------------------------
NIHE district office area (tenants)
Banbridge |2,072
Downpatrick |3,501
Kilkeel |1,040
Newry No. 1 |2,822
Newry No. 2 |2,571
District council area (owner-occupiers)
Banbridge |474
Downpatrick |917
Newry and Mourne |2,651
Source: Northern Ireland Housing Executive and
Rate Collection Agency.
Pensions
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the cost in 1991-92 of raising the single pension by £5 a week and the married pension by £8 a week above current levels on the same basis as the answer given to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East, 30 April, Official Report, column 162.
Mr. Hanley : The additional cost of increasing the basic retirement pension in this way in Northern Ireland would be around £53 million, assuming a corresponding increase in income-related benefits. A reliable estimate is not available of the net cost with no such corresponding increase.
School Transport
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what was the total cost of providing early afternoon transport for primary 1 and primary 2 students in each education board area in each year since 1985 ;
(2) how many pupils availed themselves of early afternoon transport in each education board area, in each year since 1985.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 14 May 1991] : Statistics of the actual cost and numbers of pupils for whom early afternoon transport was provided since 1985 are not maintained separately by the education and library boards, but are included in overall costs and numbers for home to school transport. The estimated costs and numbers for 1990-91 are as follows :
Education and Library Board |Number of |Annual cost
|pupils
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North-Eastern |350 |24,000
South-Eastern |430 |22,000
Southern |727 |61,000
The Belfast and Western education and library boards do not provide early afternoon transport.
DEFENCE
RAF Finningley
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are taken to inform the local emergency services when a bomb-laden aircraft (a) takes off or (b) lands at Royal Air Force Finningley.
Column 124
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Advance notification of operations is not given to civil agencies for operational security reasons.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date a bomb-laden aircraft last (a) took off and (b) landed at Royal Air Force Finningley.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Available records cover the last seven years, during which time no such aircraft took off or landed at RAF Finningley.
The Gulf (Mitla Ridge)
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent the RAF participated in the attack on Mitla ridge in the final day of the Gulf war.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Dumbarton (Mr. McFall) on 25 March, at column 301.
Memoranda of Understanding
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the memorandum of understanding between the United Kingdom and Canadian Governments on the use of training facilities in Canada and the use of British troops ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sayeed : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the original memorandum of understanding between Her Majesty's Government and the Canadian Government that governs the use of the Suffield range, Canada, by United Kingdom forces and any amendments that have been made to the memorandum of understanding.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The training of the Brtitish armed forces in Canada is governed by an exchange of notes between the two Governments. These notes were exchanged on 26 November 1979, and in accordance with usual practice published in 1980 as Cmnd. 7894.
Training Injuries
Mr. Sayeed : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied with the liaison between his Department and the Department of Social Security when dealing with cases such as that of No. 24754102 Lance Corporal J. Ray, Grenadier Guards, who sustained serious injuries during training ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I am satisfied with the liaison between the MOD and the DSS, which is kept under review.
Mr. Sayeed : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the full report of the board of inquiry instituted to investigate the circumstances that led to No. 24754102 Lance Corporal J. Ray, Grenadier Guards, and two others sustaining injuries as a result of an explosion on the Suffield training area, Canada on 7 July 1989 or as much as will illuminate the unclassified summary of investigations dated 19 February 1991 in respect of whether Lance Corporal J. Ray or others were advised as to the possibility of buried unexploded munitions ; and what precautions they were advised to take.
Column 125
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Board of inquiry reports are internal Ministry of Defence documents produced to enable the appropriate authorities to ascertain the cause of an accident or incident and to take steps to prevent its recurrence. As such they are confidential to the Department. A summary of the board of inquiry report into the tragic accident which occurred on the Suffield range on 7 July 1989 has been sent to solicitors acting for Lance Corporal John Ray. This summary includes the comment of the board of inquiry that the three soldiers were adequately briefed for the task they were undertaking when the accident occurred.Radiation
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 1 May, Official Report, column 256, (1) if he will now provide a breakdown for (a) Rosyth dockyard, (b) Devonport dockyard, (c) Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment, (d) Coulport RNAD and (e) the Faslane submarine base, of individual radiation dose exposures for workers in the bands (i) 0 to 10, (ii) 10 to 15, (iii) 15 to 20, (iv) 20 to 30, (v) 30 to 40 and (vi) greater than 40 mSv for the year 1990 ;
(2) if he will give a breakdown for (a) HMS Neptune and (b) HMS Defiance of individual radiation dose exposures for individuals in the bands (i) 0 to 10, (ii) 10 to 15, (iii) 15 to 20, (iv) 20 to 30, (v) 30 to 40 and (vi) greater than 40 mSv for the year 1990.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I am unable as yet to add to the information set out in my letter to the hon. Member following my answer of 1 May at column 256. Final dose figures for the dockyards and naval bases will be produced at the end of May, but I regret that Aldermaston data are now unlikely to be complete until the end of June.
Battle Tanks
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's estimate of the present cost of scrapping a main battle tank.
Mr. Alan Clark : My Department would expect to incur no net cost in disposing of a main battle tank for scrap.
Output
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what percentage is defence output of the total output of the (i) south of England and (ii) the north of England ;
(2) what percentage is defence output of the total output of (i) Wales and (ii) Scotland.
Mr. Alan Clark : Government statistics do not identify "defence output" as such.
Civilian Jobs
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's estimate of the number of civilian jobs in the United Kingdom which are dependent upon defence expenditure.
Mr. Alan Clark : I refer the right hon. Member to tables 4.1 and 6.8 of volume 2 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990".
Column 126
Research and Development
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of Her Majesty's Government's defence budget is spent on research and development.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Figures for the defence budget and defence research and development are published in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates". In 1990-91 the percentage was 11.6 per cent.
Electronic Systems
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of Her Majesty's Government's expenditure on defence is spent on electronic systems.
Mr. Alan Clark : Government estimates exist only in respect of MOD expenditure placed with the electronics industry in the United Kingdom. I refer the hon. Member to table 2.5 in volume 2 of the 1990 "Statement on the Defence Estimates".
Degaussing Range, Barons Point
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have been held with the representatives of local fishermen concerning the establishment of a degaussing range, for use by Trident submarines, near Kilcreggan at Barons point ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The degaussing range at Barons point was selected after a major study of possible locations in the Upper Clyde and proved to be the only site to meet all the required parameters. The Clyde Fishermen's Association (CFA) was not consulted during the early discussions in 1989 to consider the proposals to lay a degaussing range at Barons point. However, it is now our practice to consult the CFA on matters affecting fishing in the Clyde.
Training Flights
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the regulations governing the carriage of live ammunition by aircraft in training flights over Britain are identical for British and American aircraft.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : In general the regulations governing the carriage of live ammunition by British and American aircraft on training flights over Britain are comparable, although they take account of differences in aircraft types and roles, and weapons carried.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy on the carriage of nuclear weapons on combat aircraft over the United Kingdom in peacetime.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is long-standing practice neither to confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons in specific instances.
Column 127
Radiation Monitoring
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why military police refused access to the Powys emergency services to undertake radiation monitoring at the site of the crash of a US aircraft at Capel-y- ftin in February 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Under regulations governing the guarding of crashed military aircraft in the United Kingdom, access to a crash site is permitted only to specifically authorised personnel.
Aldermaston
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of (a) the replacement and (b) installation costs of an alternative pipework system to the zone one ductwork plant area A90.1 in the building complex A90 at Aldermaston, is attributable to an ambiguous specification ; what percentage is attributable to bad workmanship in (i) manufacture or (ii) installation ; and what steps he is taking to recover any costs from the contractor.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Details of the A90 ductwork problems were given in evidence by my Department to the Select Committee on Defence and published in the reports "The progress of the Trident Programme" 5th of Session 1988-89 and 9th of Session 1989-90 (HC374 and HC237). All necessary remedial work has been completed and a thorough investigation by the appropriate authorities has failed to produce any evidence to support action for recovery of any costs from the contractor.
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether recent leaks of gases/solutions from prefabricated pipework in building A90/A91 at Aldermaston was due to the pipework (a) not complying with the contract specification, (b) not being capable of withstanding the waste material passing through and (c) not being inspected before installation ; whether the safety inspectorate approved the installation ; and what steps are being taken to ensure that faulty pipework does not create an unsafe workplace for the operators.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : There has been no leak of radioactive material from building A90 or A91 ; neither building is yet in use. During commissioning tests using simulated liquid waste corrosion has been discovered in pipework which is wholly contained within building A91. A detailed technical investigation is now in progress to discover the cause and extent of the problem. The installation will not be brought into use until we are assured of its safe operation.
Equipment Exhibitions
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has held since November 1990 with (a) Members of Parliament and (b) others concerning the policy of not releasing lists of countries invited to or attending defence equipment exhibitions.
Mr. Alan Clark : I have discussed this subject with representatives of the Campaign Against the Arms Trade at a meeting attended by some hon. Members.
Column 128
Gulf War
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discrimination was exercised by coalition air forces in their attacks on Iraqi conventional power stations ;
(2) what proportion of Iraqi conventional power stations were bombed by coalition air forces during the Gulf war ;
(3) what was Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the bombing of Iraqi conventional power stations during the Gulf war.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Coalition forces attacked Iraqi power stations in order to disrupt Iraq's military command control and communications, and other military capabilities such as air defence radars. These attacks were carefully planned to minimise the risk of causing civilian casualties and collateral damage. It is believed that over half Iraq's major power stations were damaged by coalition forces during the Gulf conflict.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department defines (a) a sub-strategic nuclear weapon and (b) a tactical nuclear weapon.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The MOD would understand both terms to refer to those weapons which provide the link between conventional forces and strategic nuclear forces in the spectrum of deterrence.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the types of currently deployed NATO land-based short-range nuclear weapons that have an operational service life that extends beyond the mid- 1990s.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The United Kingdom's ground-launched short- range nuclear systems currently comprise Lance and nuclear-capable artillery. Only the artillery (capable of firing nuclear warheads supplied by the United States) will have an operational life that extends beyond the mid-1990s. Questions relating to the nuclear systems of our NATO allies are a matter for their Governments.
Missiles
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will outline his Department's policy towards restricting the European deployment of NATO tactical air-to-surface missiles to time of crisis only ;
(2) what decisions have been taken regarding NATO deployment plans for tactical air-to-surface missiles ;
(3) what are the deployment implications for land-based short-range nuclear weapons of the deployment of tactical air-to-surface missiles by NATO.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We fully support the alliance's policy of keeping nuclear forces up to date where necessary and based in Europe in peacetime. But no decisions have been taken on NATO deployment in tactical air-to-surface missiles. As for currently deployed systems, the London declaration identifies a significantly reduced role for sub-strategic systems of the shortest range, and looks forward to new negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union on the reduction of short- range nuclear forces.
Column 129
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when a decision will be taken on the United Kingdom tactical air-to-surface missiles ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Consideration of replacement systems for our WE 177 free-fall bombs is continuing. The House will be informed as soon as a decision is taken.
JP-233 Bomb
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when the JP-233 bomb will complete its effective in-service life.
(2) what is his Department's policy towards the replacement of the JP-233 bomb.
Mr. Alan Clark : We expect the JP-233 bomb to remain in service until well after the turn of the century. We will consider its replacement at the appropriate time as part of the Department's normal equipment planning process.
Combat Training
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy towards the balance between low and medium-level combat training conducted by the RAF, in light of the experience of the Gulf war.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : We are still considering the outcome of the air campaign in the Gulf and the conclusions to be drawn from it.
Armament Sites
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours of inspection are allowed under existing disarmament treaty arrangements for (a) British and American observers to visit Soviet armament sites and (b) Soviet observers to visit British and American armament sites ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The United Kingdom has incurred rights and duties of inspection of military sites under two main agreements to which it is a signatory : the Vienna document 1990 on confidence and security- building measures in Europe, and the CFE treaty, which has not yet been ratified.
Section VIII of the Vienna document sets out compliance and verification provisions, under which the United Kingdom and Soviet Union are obliged to accept evaluation visits. Each such visit must take place within a single working day and last no more than 12 hours.
When ratified, the inspection protocol of the CFE treaty will allow inspection teams of participating states to spend up to 48 hours at sites notified as containing equipment limited by the treaty. There will also be provision for challenge inspections which may last up to 24 hours.
Although the United Kingdom is not a party to the INF treaty, the Soviet Union has the right to conduct inspections of sites within the United Kingdom to verify the elimination of US missiles. Procedures are set out fully in the associated protocol on inspections. For base-line,
Column 130
close-out and short-notice inspections, inspectors may spend up to 24 hours at a facility they are inspecting ; this may be extended by up to a further eight hours if the inspected site agrees. For elimination inspections, because of the number of missiles to be eliminated, there is no specified time limit for each inspection. The equivalent rights and duties of the United States Government under agreements to which it is a party are a matter for the US Government.Civil Servants
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what pre- retirement courses are currently offered to civil servants in the Gosport and Portsmouth area ; and if there are plans to change the existing arrangements.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Two pre-retirement courses are run by the Ministry of Defence in the Portsmouth area each year ; there are no current plans to change this. In addition, one will be held in the Gosport area in the near future. Anyone who is unable to attend one of these courses may be included in a course held at another location.
Trident
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest estimate of the cost of constructing (a) four Trident submarines and (b) three Trident submarines over the next five-year period from the start of the financial year ; and if he will give revenue running costs where applicable.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The Government remain committed to a four- boat Trident submarine force. Whilst it is not our practice to provide detailed forecasts of project expenditure, I can confirm that the estimated cost of constructing the four Trident submarines over the next five years is about £1,400 million.
Consultancy Contracts
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total amount spent by his Department in the 1990-91 financial year on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases ; and if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by his Department in 1990-91, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm, the subject of the assignment and, if appropriate, the executive agency for which the contract was carried out.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The Ministry of Defence spent some £3.94 million in the financial year 1990-91 on management consultancy contracts placed centrally. Details are listed. Computer consultancy contracts form, in many cases, part of wider computer procurement and support contracts, but it is estimated that consultancy contracts to a value of £14.34 million were placed in 1990-91. Details of individual contracts could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Column 131
Management consultancy contracts let in financial year 1990-91 Firm |Subject --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anderson Consulting |Defining a cost management system for RAF logistics Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte |The Joint Service Job Evaluation Review Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte |Specialized mortgage schemes for Service personnel Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte |Military Survey quality initiative total quality programme Kienbaum Unternehmensberatung |A study into the presentation of British Forces in Germany, to the German public Marketing Consultancy Network Ltd. |Contractorisation of AWE-Assistance with staff communications National Radiological Protection Board |Nuclear Test Veterans Report P A Consulting Group |A study of the customer interactions with micro-electronics research unit. P E Inbucon Ltd. |Tri-service resettlement review Price Waterhouse |Advice to MoD in respect of the creation of the DRA D Quilter |RAF ground training review T Q M International Ltd. |Total quality management for the Royal Naval Aircraft Repair Organization
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give for each available year from 1978 the amount invested in improving the energy efficiency of his Department in (a) cash terms and (b) 1990-91 money terms.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In 1990-91 the MOD invested some £12 million in specific energy-saving measures throughout the defence estate. Additional sums which are incorporated as part of major general works programmes are not separately identifiable. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the number of dedicated energy managers in his Department and the number of person-years devoted to energy management in the latest year.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Staff devoted wholly or mainly to energy management in the Ministry of Defence represented about 15 person-years of effort in 1990-91. A much larger number of personnel were employed as energy wardens at units and establishments on a part-time basis. The proportion of energy wardens' time devoted to energy management is not separately recorded.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the number of energy audits carried out in his Department in the past five years and for each audit a statement of its main conclusions.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Ministry of Defence has carried out 346 energy audits over the last five years. It is not practicable to summarise the findings of this number of audits without disproportionate cost.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give for each available year from 1978 the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, expressing the figures in (a) cash terms, (b) 1990-91 money terms and (c) units of consumption for electricity in kilowatt hours, gas in therms, liquid fuel in litres and solid fuel in tonnes ; and if he will give the square footage of accommodation to which these figures relate.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The information is not available in the form requested. Expenditure on consumption of non-operational fuel on the defence estate in 1989-90, the latest available, was as follows :
Column 132
|£000
----------------------------
Electricity |159,989
Gas |39,868
Solid fuel |9,576
Liquid fuel |42,854
For details of expenditure in earlier years and other available information I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 June 1990 columns 428 -29.
Nuclear Installations, Iraq
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 April, Official Report, column 164, to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn), what are the results of the inspections of Iraq's nuclear facilities with regard to radioactive contamination.
| Next Section
| Home Page |