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--Various local contractors

Bielefeld Bakery, Germany

--NAAFI

Food Distribution in Rear Combat Zone, Germany

--NAAFI

Line of Communication Freight Service (Low Countries), Germany

--DEPAIRE

Food Distribution in BAOR (now UK Support Services),

Germany

--NAAFI

Tailoring Service, Northern Ireland

--Private Individual

Ration Delivery Service in Northern Ireland

--NAAFI

Air Weapon Range, RAF Holbeach

--Siemens Plessey Assessment Services

Flight Checking, 115 Squadron, RAF Benson

--Hunting A/C Ltd.

Engineering and Supply, RAF Scampton

--Hunting A/C Ltd.

RAF/RN Elementary Flying Training, RAF Topcliffe

--Hunting A/C Ltd.

Inspectorate of Recruitment Exhibition Production Flight, RAF Henlow

--SERCO

Property Management of Buildings in Central London

--Planned Maintenance Engineering Ltd.

Information Technology Data Processing, Devizes

Hoskyns PLC

Domestic Services, MOD Police Training Centre

--Gardner Merchant

Works Services Maintenance, Belize, Cyprus, Gibraltar and Falkland Islands

--Turner (FM) Ltd./Balfour Beatty/ACO

Trident in Service Support

--Rolls Royce/Devonport Management Ltd./British Maritime Technology

Mess Catering, A and AEE Boscombe Down

--Gardener Merchant

Relocation Reconnaissance Visits for staff transferring to Bristol

--Peter Carol Executive Coaches

Security Guarding of Abbey Wood site, Bristol

--CHUBB Wardens Ltd.

Combat Systems Information Management Team

--EASAMS Ltd.

Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston

--Hunting-Brae Ltd.

Royal Navy Aircraft Second Line Engineering, Yeovilton

--FR Engineering/SERCO

Tri-Service Food Study

--NAAFI

Verbatim Court Recorders, Department of the Adjutant General --Harry Counsell and Co

Catering at Mill Hill Industrial Mess, Defence Postal and Courier

Service, London

--Gardner Merchant

Army Catering Strategy Study

--Various contractors across a range of sites Electronic Warfare Training Tasks, 360 Squadron, RAF Wyton

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Column 548

--FR Aviation Ltd.

Parachute Transport Flight, RAF Hullavington

--Hallett Silbermann

Operation of Air Weapons Range, Rosehearty

--Assessment Services Ltd.

Operation and maintenance of the Government Pipeline and Storage System

--Simon Storage Group, SERCO Gulf Engineering, Unipen

Maintenance Analysis and Computing Division, RAF Swanton Morley

--Bull Information Systems Ltd.

Airfield Services, Gibraltar

--SERCO Ltd.

Catering, cleaning and labouring activities, RAF Akrotiri --Compass Catering Services (Cyprus) Ltd.

Support Services, Hong Kong

--SERCO/Gardner Merchant

Food Supply and Distribution, Hong Kong

--Various contractors

School Bus Service, Hong Kong

--Hoi Tai Tours Ltd.

Curtain Manufacture, Hong Kong

--FCO Procurement Unit

Furniture Repair, Hong Kong

--Wing Cheung and Co Ltd.

Data Entry, Meteorological Office, Bracknell

--Alpha Numeric

Animal Experiments

Mr. Fatchett: To as the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of experiments involving animals at Ministry of Defence establishments in each year from 1989.

Mr. Freeman: Animal experiments are an essential but small part of my Department's research and development programme, and as such the costs of these experiments are not recorded separately.

Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 December, Official Report, column 573, if he will identify the country of origin and commercial source of the rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, sheep, goats, pigs, miniature pigs, marmosets and rhesus monkeys used in animal experiments at Ministry of Defence establishments; and if he will give the average cost of each animal by type.

Mr. Freeman: All experimental work carried out by the Department using animals is in accordance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Animals are used only when there is no acceptable alternative, and all the animals used are bred in the United Kingdom under conditions regulated by UK legislation. Animals are either bred on site, or purchased from suppliers at the prevailing commercial rate, and these costs are not separately recorded.

It is not in the public interest to disclose the identities of the specific suppliers.

Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State of Defence what consideration his Department has given to using alternatives to animal testing at Ministry of Defence establishments; how much is being spent on exploring these alternatives; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Freeman: All experimental work with animals at Ministry of Defence establishments is regulated by the Home Office under the conditions of the Animals

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Column 549

(Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and related legislation. Before any project involving animals is begun, a project licence must be granted by the Home Office. A critical part of the project licence application is a closely argued justification of the proposed use of animals considering the ethical and scientific issues. At each stage, the use of non-animal alternatives has to be considered and the licence is granted only where none is possible. In some cases, in vitro methods which do not use living animals are scientifically superior. Such methods have been developed by my Department, and the results of the research published in scientific literature. Costs are not separately identified and recorded.

Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will define the categories of experiments carried out on living animals at Ministry of Defence establishments in each year from 1989; if he will identify the animals involved; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman: Animal experiments are carried out within the overall categories as defined by the project licences which are issued in accordance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The project licences currently in effect cover mild 7, moderate 15, substantial 4, and unclassified 1.

It would involve disproportionate cost to identify the animals involved and the categories of experiment in each year since 1989.

Equipment Exports (Human Rights)

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 January, Official Report, columns 690 91, if he will list the equipment which he considers could be used to violate human rights.

Mr. Freeman: Part III, group 1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 as amended is a list of those military, security and para- military goods and arms, ammunition and related material which require export licences. The possible use for human rights violations is taken into account when applications for export licences are considered.

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Column 550

Support Helicopters

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consideration he has made of the purchase of Chinook support helicopters for the RAF;

(2) how many support helicopters he expects to purchase to meet the RAF's requirements;

(3) when he expects to make a decision on the procurement of support helicopters for the Royal Air Force; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman: As announced in the 1994 Statement on the Defence Estimates, we are considering the Boeing Chinook and Westland EH101 to meet our requirement for additional support helicopters. Price and performance data for the two aircraft have been received. Those data are currently being assessed. No decision has been taken as to how many helicopters or of what type to purchase. An announcement will be made as soon as our negotiations are complete.

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it is his policy to possess a mixed fleet of utility support helicopters for the RAF; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman: We recognise the potential advantages of a mixed fleet. Price is also a key consideration. Negotiations with industry are still continuing. No decision has yet been made.

Training Exercises (Injuries)

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces serving in (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) the Royal Navy have been (i) killed and (ii) seriously injured while on training exercises (1) overseas and (2) in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

Mr. Soames: From the records available, it is not possible to differentiate between the seriousness of injuries. Numbers of service personnel killed and injured are as follows:

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