House of Commons Hansard Debates for 21 Mar 1994

Mr. Hanley : A draft memoranda of understanding--MOU--has been submitted to the Government of Belize. This will replace the existing status of forces agreement which covers the presence of the garrison. The aim of the MOU is to reflect the evolvement of the British garrison into a residential training presence, rather than make any substantive changes.

Column 114

Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest timetable for the withdrawal of the battalion from Belize ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanley : It is planned to withdraw the infantry battalion which is currently in Belize at the end of this month. The garrison drawdown is well under way and is planned to be complete by the end of September this year. Thereafter, there will be a residual United Kingdom training presence.

Ferranti International plc

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the defence orders and projects in which Ferranti International plc has an involvement ; and if he will state the general nature of the involvement in each case.

Mr. Aitken : A comprehensive list of all projects in which Ferranti International plc, in administrative receivership, is involved is not held centrally, but the company is involved in the following types of project : submarine command systems, counter-measures and training systems ; surface ship command and control systems, air defence systems, information-handling systems, the Seawolf weapons system, and shore training facilities ; Eurofighter 2000 sub-systems, the Tornado radar system, Harrier FRS2 components, the radar warning receiver for Army Lynx and Gazelle helicopters, and air traffic control simulation ; Rapier weapon system.

The nature of the work may range from design and development, through production, to the provision of in-service support, spares, repairs and post-design services.

Defence Contracts

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) of 9 March, Official Report, column 254, if he will list which of the memoranda of understanding listed in his answer were (a) wholly or (b) partially related to exclusion from export licence controls ; and whether such exclusions formed part of the memoranda.

Mr. Aitken : Such exclusion formed no part of any memoranda of understanding.

Biological Warfare

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies he is undertaking of security from, or counter-measures against, environmental or biological attack.

Mr. Hanley : The United Kingdom continues an extensive and broad based programme of research aimed at providing our armed forces with effective protection against attack by chemical or biological weapons.

Political Advisers

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what access political advisers in his Department have to classified information ;

(2) what level of vetting is undertaken of political advisers to his Department.

(3) what access political advisers in his Department have to data held by his Department as commercial-in-confidence.

Column 115

Mr. Hanley : Classified information, and information with privacy markings such as commercial in confidence, is distributed within my Department on a need-to-know basis. All staff employed by my Department, including my right hon. and learned Friend's special adviser, have access to such information which they require to perform their duties effectively. It is Government policy to vet all staff who require regular access to material classified secret and above ; the level of vetting will depend on the classification of material to which staff require such access.

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all persons who have held the post of political adviser in his Department since 1979, giving the dates of office for each.

Mr. Hanley : Individuals who have held the post of special adviser in my Department since 1979 are as follows :

Andrew Dunlop Esq.--October 1986 to May 1988

Keith Simpson Esq.--June 1988 to December 1990

John Gardner Esq.--June 1991 to March 1992

Perry Miller Esq.--April 1992 to February 1993

Crispin Blunt Esq.--February 1993 to present

Low Flying

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the authorised height and speed of the pair of military jet aircraft that overflew the village of Clayton in South Yorkshire on 7 March at approximately 15.35 hours ; what was their actual recorded height and speed ; from which airfield they took off and landed at ; and what was the nature of their sortie.

Mr. Hanley : Central records are only maintained of low-level military flights, which are those carried out below 2,000 ft. No military jet aircraft were booked to fly at low level in the low flying area concerned at approximately 15.35 hours on 7 March. However, it is possible that military aircraft overflew Clayton at heights above 2,000 ft.

Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low flying exercises have taken place in Wales in which planes have flown below 100 ft in the last year.

Mr. Hanley : Flying below 100 ft by fixed wing military aircraft is not permitted in the United Kingdom low flying system.

Malaysia

Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution was made by his Department to the luxury yacht "Tunas Samudera" handed over to the Malaysian Government in 1989.

Mr. Aitken : My Department made no financial contribution to the sail training ship "Tunas Samudera".

Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Pitreavie

Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the current personnel establishment of the rescue co-ordination centre at Pitreavie ; and what plans he has to increase it ;

(2) what plans he has for the improvement of the improvement of the facilities of the rescue co-ordination centre at Pitreavie ; and what sums have been allocated for that purpose ;

Column 116

(3) if he will make a statement about the future of the rescue co-ordination centre at Pitreavie.

Mr. Hanley : Detailed internal work continues on the implementation of our plans to locate the single military rescue co-ordination centre--RCC --at Pitreavie. The current personnel establishment for the RCC is 24. On current plans, the single RCC will require 36 staff, however manning could be reduced to 27 following the introduction of improved information technology. Funding of some £3,900,000 has been allocated for improved accommodation, communications and IT systems to support the single RCC.

Options for Change"

Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many redundancies will occur under the "Options for Change" programme ; if he will list the ranks and regiments involved ; and if he will make a statement with regard to his Department's policy concerning redundancy during active service.

Mr. Hanley : The ranks involved in redundancy so far are as follows :


Navy                 |Army              |Royal Air Force                      

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ordinary Rate        |Private           |Corporal                             

Able Rate            |Lance Corporal    |Sergeant                             

Leading Rate         |Corporal          |Chief Technician                     

Petty Officer        |Sergeant          |Flight Sergeant                      

Chief Petty Officer  |Staff Sergeant    |Warrant Officer                      

Warrant Officer      |Warrant Officer 1 |Master Aircrew                       

                     |and 2                                                   

Sub Lieutenant       |Lieutenant        |Flying Officer                       

Lieutenant           |Captain           |Flight Lieutenant                    

Lieutenant Commander |Major             |Squadron Leader                      

Commander            |Lieutenant Colonel|Wing Commander                       

Captain              |Colonel           |Group Captain                        

                     |Brigadier         |Air Commodore                        

                                        |Air Marshal                          

                                        |Air Chief Marshal

All regiments and corps of the Army, with the exception of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Royal Irish Regiment--home service part time--and Adjutant General's Corps--military provost staff--were involved in the redundancy programme.

Personnel serving overseas who are selected for redundancy can return to the United Kingdom for their last six months of service to enable them to take their full entitlement of leave and resettlement training.

UNPROFOR (Pay and Conditions)

Sir Michael Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received regarding unfavourable comparisons of pay and conditions as between British and other forces currently serving in UNPROFOR in Bosnia and other parts of former Yugoslavia ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanley : My Department has received a considerable number of representations on this subject, based largely on misinformation and misunderstanding.

The full position on the pay of British troops serving with UNPROFOR was set out in my answer to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 7 February, Official Report, column 112.

Column 117

Head of Defence Sales

Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the name of the next head of defence sales.

Column 118

Mr. Aitken : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 9 March 1994, Official Report, column 253.

Home Page