| Previous Section | Home Page |
Battle of Arnhem
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he proposes to take to commemorate the 50th anniversary in 1994 of the battle of Arnhem.
Mr. Hanley : The anniversary of the battle of Arnhem is commemorated each year in the Netherlands. The British Government will be represented at an appropriate level at the 50th anniversary in 1994. In addition, the occasion will be marked by a parachute drop by members of 5 Airborne Brigade.
Armed Services Suppliers
Mr. Hutton : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of ammunition and propellants supplied to the armed services are procured from foreign companies ; how many of those foreign companies are incorporated in EC states ; and what is the value of these contracts.
Mr. Aitken : Less than 5 per cent. by value of our current contracts for ammunition and propellants have been placed directly with foreign companies. Four companies are involved, three of which are incorporated in EC states. The total value of the overseas contracts is £10 million.
Wartime Command Centre
Mr. Hutton : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total cost to date of the construction of a wartime command centre underneath the Ministry of Defence building in Whitehall.
Mr. Hanley : The total cost to date of the construction and equipping of the command centre underneath the
Column 729
Ministry of Defence building in Whitehall is some £126 million, of which £66 million was for construction which has now been completed.Anti-ballistic Missiles
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's latest assessment of the improvements made to Russian anti- ballistic missile defences around Moscow since 1990 and of whether Russia is still acting in strict compliance with the terms of the 1972 anti- ballistic missile treaty.
Mr. Hanley : The current Moscow ballistic missile defence system, which became operational in 1989, includes the Gazelle short-range and Gorgon long-range interceptors and conforms to the 1972 treaty and its protocols. This is a bilateral agreement between the US and Russia, and we are not aware of any compliance concerns at present.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's assessment of Russia's capability to counter ballistic missile attack in areas of its territory which lie outside the operational range of the anti-ballistic missile defences that it deploys around Moscow.
Mr. Hanley : In accordance with the 1972 ABM treaty, there are no strategic missile defences deployed outside of the Moscow ABM system. Some Russian surface-to-air missiles do however have a capability against short- range tactical ballistic missiles, but these are assessed as ineffective against strategic missiles.
Trident
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the requirement to test fire the United Kingdom's Trident D5 missiles will be significantly less than that for the Polaris missiles ; (2) if the proportion of spare Trident missiles compared to the overall United Kingdom Trident missile buy will be significantly different from that of the United Kingdom's Polaris missile purchase.
Mr. Aitken : There will be no spare Trident missiles. All will be deployed operationally, test fired or form part of a processing margin. The proportion of missiles in the second and third categories is expected to be significantly less than for Polaris.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Trident submarines will be capable of deploying a sub-strategic nuclear capability upon entering operational service.
Mr. Aitken : Trident will be able to contribute to our sub-strategic capability on entering service.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Her Majesty's Government can deploy the Trident system as an effective minimum nuclear deterrent with the number of Trident D5 missiles that have already been purchased from the United States ; and whether there is a continuing requirement to purchase further Trident D5 missiles from the United States.
Mr. Aitken : The United Kingdom's Trident strategic nuclear deterrent is not yet ready for operational
Column 730
deployment. As previously announced, further Trident D5 missiles are planned to be purchased from the United States in due course to meet the overall requirements of the Trident programme.Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral statement of 18 October, Official Report, columnns 34-35, if it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to deploy only Trident D5 missiles in the nuclear role when the WE177 eventually leaves service ; and what are the implications of the decision for (a) the number of Trident D5 missiles required and (b) the overall number of nuclear warheads deployed by the United Kingdom.
Mr. Aitken : On current plans, the Trident D5 missile will be the only United Kingdom nuclear system after the WE177 is eventually withdrawn for service. My right hon. and learned Friend's announcement on 18 October does not alter our previous commitment that each Trident submarine will carry no more than 128 warheads. It is not our practice to comment on future plans for the purchase of missiles.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to place the order for the next batch of Trident D5 missiles from the United States.
Mr. Aitken : It is not our practice to reveal our future missile procurement plans.
Tornado
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of Tornado GR1s are withheld from conventional military duties in order to fulfil the sub-strategic nuclear role.
Mr. Hanley : None. All nuclear capable Tornado GR1s are dual-roled and would undertake conventional military duties in wartime until required to fulfil the sub-strategic nuclear role.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's latest assessment of (a) the nuclear weapon programmes of (i) Iran, (ii) Iraq, (iii) Libya and (iv) Syria and (b) the earliest date by which (1) Iran, (2) Libya and (3) Syria could develop a crude nuclear weapon and develop the means of delivering a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile.
Mr. Hanley : The UN inspection teams found incontrovertible evidence that Iraq was developing a crude nuclear weapon and there is concern that Iraq could reinstate its nuclear weapons programme if current UN sanctions were to be lifted. As states which are parties to the nuclear non- proliferation treaty--NPT--Iran, Libya and Syria have undertaken formal commitments not to acquire nuclear weapons which we expect them to honour in full. The experience with Iraq has demonstrated however that membership of the NPT alone is not a guarantee of non-proliferation. We therefore take every opportunity both bilaterally and in international fora to stress the significance we attach to all states which are parties to the NPT complying fully with their obligations.
Column 731
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's latest assessment of the number of air-launched sub-strategic nuclear weapons currently deployed by Russia.
Mr. Hanley : An assessment of the number of air-launched sub- strategic nuclear weapons currently deployed by Russia is complicated by the fact that many are being withdrawn from service and are earmarked for dismantlement. We estimate that a total of 11, 000 to 12,000 sub-strategic warheads of all types remain, but it is likely that some are non- operational.
Defence Research Agency
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of staff of the DRA at the Woolwich Arsenal site are on paid leave ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : This is a matter delegated to the Defence Research Agency under its framework document. I have, therefore, asked the chief executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. John Austin-Walker, dated 28 October 1993 :
In today's written answer the Minister of State for Defence Procurement informed you that I would be replying to your question about DRA staff at the Woolwich Arsenal sites.
In answer to the first part of your question, there are no DRA staff members on special paid leave at the Woolwich Arsenal sites, although 10 MOD staff who were until recently on loan to the DRA but have been returned to MOD are on special paid leave whilst MOD examines their future employment.
You also asked for a statement on the DRA situation at Woolwich. As I explained in my letter to you of 5 August commercial pressures have caused me to accelerate plans for the withdrawal of DRA staff from the Woolwich sites. Steps to achieve this withdrawal are in hand. Those scientific and technical staff from Woolwich for whom the DRA has a continuing requirement have now been transferred to the management of other Sectors within the DRA. The staff for whom we regrettably have no jobs have either been given letters of redundancy or have been informed that they will be returning to MOD. The last DRA staff will have left the Woolwich West site by 31 March 1994 ; a small number will remain on the East site until the end of March 1995.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Kenya (Refugees)
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Kenyan Government on the problems now being faced in that country as a result of refugees crossing the border from Somalia to Kenya ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : My right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development discussed this issue recently with the Kenyan Foreign Minister. In 1992-93, we provided over £2.4 million via UN agencies and non- governmental organisations as aid to refugees in northern Kenya, over 85 per cent. of whom were Somalis.
Column 732
Pergau Hydro-electric Project
Dr. John Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the factors underlying his decision to issue a ministerial directive to the accounting officer in his Department to incur expenditure on the Pergau hydro-electric project.
Mr. Hurd : The accounting officer correctly carried out his responsibilities. I reached my decision against the wider background of Britain's interests in Malaysia. I had to take into account that an undertaking had been given at the highest level, and that we had made a formal offer of aid support for the Pergau project to the Malaysian Government. The Malaysians wanted to proceed. It would have been damaging to British companies and to British exports to Malaysia to renege on our undertaking. Later developments including the rapid expansion of our trade indicate that this was the right decision.
Dr. John Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what considerations underlay his Department's decision to arrange for the loan agreement for the Pergau hydro-electric project to be made directly with Tenaga Nasional ; and what consideration was given to arranging it with the Government of Malaysia.
Mr. Hurd : The reasons for the loan agreement in respect of the Pergau project being with Tenaga Nasional rather than the Government of Malaysia are set out fully in paragraphs 40 to 42 of the National Audit Office report on the project, laid before the House on 22 October.
Dr. John Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what options for financing the Pergau dam were considered ; what was the cost of each ; which was chosen ; and what considerations underlay the choice.
Mr. Hurd : I refer the right hon. Member to paragraphs 4, 5, 35-39 and 57 and appendix 2 of the National Audit Office report on the project, laid before the House on 22 October.
Aid and Trade
Dr. John Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each individual scheme which received financial assistance under aid and trade provision since the programme began, in each case giving (a) the sum provided, (b) the date of project approval and (c) the project's location.
Mr. Hurd : A list has been placed in the Library of the House. Central records on ATP projects include the dates of each formal ATP aid agreement concluded with an overseas government, but not the dates of approval of individual projects.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
India
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current relations between India and Her Majesty's Government.
Column 733
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Our relations with India are excellent.
Kashmir
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Governments of Pakistan and India regarding the situation in Kashmir.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have regularly discussed the situation in Kashmir with the Governments of India and Pakistan, most recently at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Cyprus. We have encouraged both Governments to resolve their differences through bilateral dialogue.
European Parliament
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the rental of hemicycles rented by the European Parliament in (a) Strasbourg, (b) Brussels and (c) Luxembourg ; and how often each building will be used for a plenary session in 1993.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The EP is holding 11 plenary sessions in the hemicycle in Strasbourg in 1993, and has held two mini-plenary sessions in the new hemicycle in Brussels this year. It has held none in Luxembourg since 1981.
The detailed appropriations given in section 1, chapter 20 of the "General Budget of the European Community", published in "Official Journal" No. L31, volume 36 of 8 February 1993, copies of which are available in the House, indicate operating expenditure, including rental of buildings, as follows :
Strasbourg : Palais de l'Europe :
471,200 ecu
(approximately £367,583)
Brussels : D1 :
20,750,000 ecu
(approximately £16,187,075)
I will write to my hon. Friend if more precise figures are available from the European Parliament.
Endangered Species
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 20 October, Official Report, column 242, if he will give details of the seizures in Hong Kong restaurants and shops of suspected endangered animals and animal products.
Mr. Goodlad : Seizures by the Hong Kong authorities over the past 12 months--1 August 1992 to 3 July 1993--of suspected endangered animals and animal products from Hong Kong shops and restaurants were as follows :
Endangered Species
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pangolin |Scale |0.43 kg.
Musk |Pod |4 Nos.
|Grain |8.316 G
Rhinoceros |Medicine |4 small vials
Owl |Live |1 Hd.
Sea-Turtle |Stuffed |1 Hd.
|Scale |1 Pc.
Land-Tortoise |Live |3 Hds.
Giant Salamander |Live |26 Hds.
Asiatic Bony |- |-
Tongue Fish |Live |17 Tails
Arapaima Gigas |Live |3 Tails
Chemical Weapons Convention
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Her Majesty's Government plans to ratify the chemical weapons convention.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Legislation is necessary to enable the United Kingdom to fulfil its obligations under the convention. We intend to ratify the convention as soon as this legislation is in place. The legislation will be introduced when parliamentary time permits.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries in the middle east have not signed the chemical weapons convention.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : One hundred and fifty states, including Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, have signed the chemical weapons convention since it opened for signature in January 1993. Of the middle eastern countries, only Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon have failed to sign.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest date by which 65 signatories to the chemical weapons convention must have ratified the convention in order that it comes into force in January 1995.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The earliest possible date that the chemical weapons convention can enter into force is 13 January 1995. To achieve this 65 signatories must have ratified the convention by 18 July 1994.
Sudan
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent efforts he has made to encourage a peaceful settlement between the warring factions in the Sudan.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Small Heath (Mr. Godsiff) on 18 October, Official Report , column 79 .
Test Ban Treaty
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek the successful negotiation of a comprehensive test ban treaty by September 1996.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Kingdom will be seeking a successful outcome to negotiations for a comprehensive test ban treaty within a reasonable time scale. We do not believe that setting a deadline for the treaty's conclusion will necessarily help the conduct of negotiations.
Column 735
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when direct negotiations towards a comprehensive test ban treaty are expected to resume ; and which states are expected to participate.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Negotiations for a comprehensive test ban treaty are likely to begin in early 1994, when the conference on disarmament reconvenes in Geneva. We expect that all states who are members of the conference on disarmament will participate.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the conditions that will have to be met before Her Majesty's Government agree to sign a comprehensive test ban treaty.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Kingdom will be seeking a comprehensive test ban treaty which makes a real contribution to non- proliferation. Wide adherence and effective verification measures will be important in this regard, but we do not believe it sensible to set rigid conditions that a CTB treaty must satisfy before treaty negotiations begin.
Overseas Conferences
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by his Department on sponsoring conferences overseas, either alone or jointly, in each of the last two years.
Mr. Goodlad : I regret that details of expenditure on sponsoring conferences overseas are not recorded separately and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Committee of the Regions
Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government intend to nominate the United Kingdom members and alternative members of the Committee of the Regions ; and whom they will nominate.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : We have today proposed the following list of nominees for appointment by the Council of Ministers, in accordance with article 198a of the Maastricht treaty :
Members--
England
Councillor Simon Day
Devon County
(Conservative)
Lady Anson, DL JP
Waverley District
(Conservative)
Sir Peter Bowness, CBE
London Borough of Croydon
(Conservative)
Councillor Colin Warbrick
Trafford Metropolitan Borough
(Conservative)
Councillor Christopher Penn
Suffolk County
(Conservative)
Councillor Toby Harris
London Borough of Haringey
(Labour)
| Next Section
| Home Page |