| Previous Section | Home Page |
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 7 June, Official Report, columns 82-83, if he will list the official engagements undertaken on each visit by (a) Princess Alexandra, (b) the Duke of Kent, (c) the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and (d) Princess Margaret.
Column 642
Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 14 June 1993] : The main official engagements undertaken during these visits were as follows : a. Princess Alexandra
USA
60th anniversary celebrations of Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington.
Reception to honour cooperation between UK and US armed forces. Columbia lighthouse for the blind.
Corcoran gallery of art.
Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada
Red Cross headquarters
Centre for physically handicapped children.
Fort King George and fine arts centre.
Newlo children's rehabilitation centre.
Workshop for the blind.
b. The Duke of Kent
Japan
Priority Japan campaign--export promotions visits in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya including visits to department stores, meetings with local government, tour of airport, visits to factories, visit to exhibition, meetings with senior businessmen and British Chamber of Commerce, visit to research laboratories and meetings with politicians and members of Japanese Royal family.
Italy
Columbus 1992 ships and the sea exhibition.
Genoa metro project.
Germany
Munich Electronica Trade Fair.
c. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
Belgium
British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium.
1992 Britain in Brussels festival :
--Industrial design exhibition ;
--Scottish silver exhibition.
d. The Princess Margaret
Netherlands
International garden festival, Zoetermeer Het Loo (Palace).
DEFENCE
Defamation Cases
Mr. Garnier : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by number and title the actions for defamation brought by or against serving members of Her Majesty's armed forces in each year since 1989 in which the Department has provided all or a contribution to one or both sides' legal costs and damages ; and at what total cost in each case.
Mr. Hanley : Since 1989 there has been only one such case. It involved the legal costs of a junior NCO who was the subject of an action for defamation arising from a
Column 643
report he made to the military police about alleged assaults on him by another soldier. The full costs of the case are not yet known.Hercules
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the route flown at low level by Hercules XV193 on 27 May was a standard route established for use by RAF Hercules.
Mr. Hanley : The Hercules fleet do not fly fixed or standard low- flying routes.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) by what means are potential fixed low-flying routes for training of RAF Hercules aircrew surveyed prior to adoption ;
Column 644
(2) how many fixed low-flying routes in the United Kingdom are currently in use by the RAF Hercules fleet ; and what is the established periodicity for reviewing and changing any such fixed low- flying routes.Mr. Hanley : The RAF Hercules do not fly fixed low-flying routes.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many bird strikes have occurred to RAF Hercules aircraft in each year since 1980 ; and how many were in each of the damage categories 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Mr. Hanley : The information requested is as follows :
Column 643
‡
Birdstrikes to RAF Hercules 1980 to 1992
Category |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 and 2 |32 |47 |37 |53 |51 |60 |50 |67 |61 |33 |36 |37 |46
3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0
4 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
5 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
|-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |--
Total |32 |47 |37 |53 |51 |61 |50 |67 |61 |33 |36 |38 |46
Note: Breakdown of damage in categories 1 and 2 is not available.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the minimum authorised altitude for the low-level training sortie undertaken by Hercules XV193 on 27 May.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum flying experience required from an RAF Hercules captain to fly the aircraft at (a) 500 ft minimum separation distance, (b) 250 ft minimum separation distance and (c) 100 ft minimum separation distance.
Mr. Hanley : After at least six months service on operational Hercules squadrons, crews are trained, in preparation for specific operational commitments, to fly aircraft at 500 ft minimum separation distance (MSD) ; the training requires four sorties, totalling 12 flying hours. Subsequently, after six months service on tactical support squadrons, crews are selected for training to fly at 250 ft MSD ; the training comprises 20 sorties, totalling 41 flying hours. Approximately six months after qualifying to fly at 250 ft MSD crews undergo a further course of five sorties lasting 12 hours in total. Of these crews, a very small number of specifically selected crews are permitted to fly below 250 ft MSD.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the areas in which RAF Hercules are authorised to fly at less than 250 ft.
Mr. Hanley : Fixed-wing flying below 250 ft in the United Kingdom low flying system is restricted to three sparsely populated areas in northern Scotland, central Wales and the Borders which are designated as tactical training areas.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further precautionary measures have been adopted in the operation of the RAF Hercules fleet since 27 May.
Column 644
Mr. Hanley : There is no reason to doubt the validity and safety of current operating procedures and thus no further precautionary measures have been adopted.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the maximum bank angle permitted for turns by RAF Hercules flying at (a) 500 ft minimum separation distance, (b) 250 ft minimum separation distance and (c) 100 ft minimum separation distance.
Mr. Hanley : The maximum permitted bank angle for RAF Hercules flying is 60 deg subject to the aircraft maintaining its authorised minimum separation distance.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF Hercules sorties at less than 250 ft were authorised in each year since 1980.
Mr. Hanley : The numbers of movements authorised into the tactical training areas for flying below 250 ft by Hercules aircraft are as follows :
|Number
----------------------
1980 |1
1981 |2
1982 |10
1983 |17
1984 |28
1985 |0
1986 |15
1987 |13
1988 |7
1989 |9
1990 |28
1991 |16
1992 |9
<1>1993 |4
<1> To 30 April.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the route flown at low level by Hercules XV193 on 27 May was also flown by the other aircraft in the formation.
Column 645
Mr. Hanley : On 27 May Hercules XV193 flew the first part of the low-level element of its route in formation with other aircraft. As planned, the aircraft then broke formation to fly different routes for the final stage of the sortie.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the design bird strike impact strength of the windscreen of the RAF Hercules ; and what measures have been introduced to increase the protection of Hercules aircrew against bird strikes since the aircraft's entry in service.
Mr. Hanley : Information on the design bird strike impact strength is not available within my Department. In 26 years of service in the RAF no Hercules crew member or passenger has been injured a a result of bird strikes. As a result no measures to increase the crew's protection have been introduced since the aircraft entered service.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) sorties and (b) flying hours are devoted to low-level flying training in the training syllabus of No. 242 Operational Conversion Unit and in the continuation training programmes of operational Hercules squadrons.
Mr. Hanley : No. 242 Operational Conversion Unit is now 57 (Reserve) Squadron. After six months' service on tactical support squadrons, crews are selected for a five-week low-level flying course comprising 20 sorties and totalling 41 flying hours. Approximately six months after initial qualification crews undergo a further five-day low-flying course comprising five sorties and 12 flying hours.
Explosive devices
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many bombs have been removed or rendered harmless on the coast of England and Wales by the Royal Navy in 1992.
Mr. Hanley : A total of 19 bombs, some of which dated back to the second world war and earlier, were recovered from the coast of England and Wales by the Royal Navy in 1992.
Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that the gate of the Royal Clarence yard at Gosport is maintained in a state appropriate for its historical importance.
Mr. Hanley : The gate to Royal Clarence yard is being examined by consultants to determine what renovation work might be required.
Horse Guards Parade
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the Life Guards and Blues and Royals attending the Horse Guards parade ceremony on Thursday 27 May ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : Guidelines covering the presentation of new standards, guidons and colours to regiments of the Army are contained in The Queens Regulations for the Army 1975. It is customary that the Sovereign personally
Column 646
presents new standards or colours to the regiments of the Household Divisions in the case of the Household Cavalry on Horse Guards Parade. The men, horses and armoured cars participating in the ceremony on 27 May did so at no extra cost to the defence budget. The cost of transportation of troops to the ceremony was approximately £3,000.Shells (Uranium)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which sites his Department has tested armour-piercing shells tipped with depleted uranium.
Mr. Aitken : Since the programme was first authorised and announced to the House, Official Report, 8 March 1979, cols. 777-78 and 25 January 1980, col 395 , all United Kingdom depleted uranium firings, with the exception of a few small calibre rounds trialled at West Freugh in the late 1980s, have taken place at the Eskmeals and Kirkcudbright ranges. My Department has also test-fired DU armour-piercing shells at White Sands, New Mexico and Aberdeen proving ground, Maryland in the United States of America and at Gramat in France.
Science and Technology
Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will designate one of his Ministers to be responsible for his Department's contribution to the Government's science and technology "Forward Look."
Mr. Aitken : Paragraph 2.37 of the White Paper "Realising Our Potential--A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" describes the preparation of the "Forward Look" by the Office of Science and Technology, and the participation of Government Departments through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet Committees on Science and Technology.
Near-Market Research
Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is with regard to the funding of near-market research.
Mr. Aitken : I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 2.20 to 2.22 of the White Paper "Realising Our Potential--A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology".
Belize
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration was given by his Ministry prior to the decision to withdraw British forces from Belize being taken, to basing Gurkha regiments being transferred from Hong Kong in Belize rather than the United Kingdom.
Mr. Hanley : We have no current plans to increase the number of Gurkha battalions stationed in the United Kingdom as a result of the rundown of the Hong Kong garrison. A Gurkha infantry battalion from Hong Kong will, however, be deployed to Belize on a six-month tour in October.
Column 647
German Units (Repatriation)
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those units due to be repatriated from Germany as a result of "Options for Change" that have not yet been found facilities in which to be based in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Hanley : Accommodation, in one case albeit only temporary, has been identified for all the units redeploying to the United Kingdom from Germany. In some cases the exact nature of unit and location has not yet been decided.
Lumsden Road Estate, Portsmouth
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the sale price of the Lumsden Road estate, Portsmouth, to European Developments ; and what was the net total value of the bid submitted by Swaything Housing Society and Portsmouth Housing Association taking into account the value of nominal rights given back to the Ministry of Defence.
Mr. Hanley : This information is commercial in confidence.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the reasons for his decision to dispose of the Lumsden Road site in Portsmouth to European Developments ; and what precautions he has taken to ensure that the land is made safe for future use.
Mr. Hanley : The marketing of the Lumsden Road site involved the full disclosure of the site's history to all potential purchasers. The decision was taken to sell to European Developments because it submitted the highest compliant bid. It is now a matter for European Developments and Portsmouth city council to ensure that the site is suitable for the purpose for which it will be used.
Options for Change"
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the United Kingdom Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force bases that (a) have been made redundant and (b) are due to be made redundant as a result of "Options and Change".
Mr. Hanley : A list of the defence estate which has become, or could become, redundant as a consequence of the "Options for Change" is set out.
Alternative defence uses are sought in all cases where an activity ends at a defence establishment and this search continues until the site is disposed of. It does not necessarily follow, therefore, that all the sites listed will be disposed of.
RN Diesel Repair Depot Blackbrooke Farm
HMS St Vincent (Furse House)
Royal Navy Stores Depot Lathalmond
HMS Daedalus
Royal Navy Armaments Depot Trecwn
Oil Fuel Depot Invergordon
HMS Nelson Gunwharf
Royal Navy Stores Depot Exeter (Top Site)
HM Naval Base Portland
Royal Navy Hospital Stonehouse
Royal Navy Air Yard Wroughton
HMS Royal Arthur
Oil Fuel Depot Rosyth
Royal Navy Stores Depot Copenacre--Closure of all underground storage
| Next Section
| Home Page |