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Mr. Freeman: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr Burns) on 18 February 1993, Official Report, column 307
Defence Research Agency
Mr. Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received of facsimile messages sent from the Defence Research Agency at Portsdown, Portsmouth, being received by private telephone subscribers due to incorrect dialling and if he will make a statement. [15898]
Mr. Freeman: Responsibility for such matters rest with the chief executive of the Defence Research Agency. I have therefore asked him to reply.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Peter Griffiths, dated 30 March 1995 :
In today's written answer the Minister for State for Defence Procurement informed you that I would be replying to your question concerning the misdirecting of Facsimile messages from the Defence Research Agency (DRA) site at Portsdown, Hampshire.
I can confirm that Mr. Wallis of Waterlooville has received a number of facsimile messages from DRA offices at Portsdown which should, in fact,have gone to other DRA offices at Farnborough. This has occurred as a result of a change to the dialling code used by DRA staff to obtain a British Telecom telephone line and the fact that Mr Wallis' facsimile number was then very similar to a small number of our Farnborough numbers.
The two main issues of concern in this matter are firstly, the inconvenience and irritation caused to Mr. Wallis. A member of DRA security staff has spoken to him, explained how the error has occurred, and apologise for the inconvenience that he has clearly been caused.
I am also concerned about any possible breach of national security. Standing DRA security instructions covering the use of the facsimile machines involved here does not permit the transmission of confidential material. We have no evidence to suggest that these rules have been breeched. The location of the machines in question also suggests that only messages of an administrative nature have been misdirected. We do not therefore believe there has been and serious lapse of security.
In the normal course of events we would overcome the problem of misdirection by ensuring that staff take more care and by changing all of our facsimile numbers involved. In this case, however, the change to the national telephone dialling codes, on 16 April 1995 should resolve this particular problem. We have discussed this with Mr. Wallis and he is content to wait until the codes change. I have of course taken steps to ensure that all staff take more care when using facsimile machines and are fully aware of their security obligations.
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Military Exports
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what proportion of military exports the assistance given by the Defence Export Services Organisation is a crucial factor. [16178]
Mr. Freeman: DESO assistance to industry ranges from the crucial, in such sales as the Government-to-Government arrangements with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, to a variety of small, but in some cases very significant, instances of advice and support. It is difficult to quantify this in terms of a proportion but I believe that UK defence industries would rate DESO assistance generally as an important factor in their achievement of export orders, which in 1993 were worth £7 billion.
United Nations Register of Conventional Arms
Mr. Rogers: To ask the Secretary of State forDefence (1) if he will press for the inclusion of fuel-airexplosives in the United Nations register of conventional arms; [15873]
(2) if he will press for the inclusion of airborne early warning and reconnaissance aircraft in the United Nations register of conventional arms; [15875]
(3) if he will press for the inclusion of land mines in the United Nations register of conventional arms; [15871]
(4) if he will press for the inclusion of small arms in the United Nations register of conventional arms; [15872]
(5) if he will press for the inclusion of submersibles in the United Nations register of conventional arms. [15874]
Mr. Soames: The seven current categories of equipment subject to reporting in the UN register were chosen to reflect the register's aim of identifying excessive and destabilising build-ups of major, conventional offensive weapon systems. An international group of governmental experts met last summer to discuss the operation of the register and ways in which it might be developed. Adding further categories of equipment to the seven already covered by the register was discussed, but there was no consensus for change. A United Nations resolution on transparency in armaments of December 1994 requests the Secretary General, with the assistance of a group of governmental experts to be convened in 1997, to prepare a report on the continuing operation of the register and its further development. In the meantime we shall direct our efforts at ensuring the continued successful operation of the register in its current form.
Mr. Rogers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what information has been submitted to the United Nations for inclusion in the United Nations register of conventional arms in respect of battle tanks; [15877]
(2) what information has been submitted to the United Nations for inclusions in the United Nations register of conventional arms in respect of policies and regulations concerning arms transfers; [15879]
(3) what information has been submitted to the United Nations for inclusion in the United Nations register of conventional arms in respect of military holdings; [15881]
(4) what information has been submitted to the United Nations for inclusion in the United Nations register of conventional arms in respect of warships; [15883]
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(5) what information has been submitted to the United Nations for inclusions in the United Nations register of conventional arms in respect of combat aircraft; [15885](6) what information has been submitted to the United Nations for inclusion in the United Nations register of conventional arms in respect of armoured combat vehicles; [15878]
(7) what information has been submitted to the United Nations for inclusion in the United Nations register of conventional arms in respect of procurement through national production; [15880] (8) what information has been submitted to the United Nations for inclusion in the United Nations register of conventional arms in respect of missiles and missile launchers. [15882]
(9) what information has been submitted to the United Nations for inclusion in the United Nations register of conventional arms in respect of attack helicopters; [15884]
(10) what information has been submitted to the United Nations for inclusion in the United Nations register of conventional arms in respect of large calibre artillery systems. [15886]
Mr. Soames: Copies of the United Kingdom returns to the UN register of conventional arms for 1992 and 1993 have been placed in the Library of the House. Each return includes information on the imports and exports of equipment in the seven categories covered by the register. The seven categories are: battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships and missiles and missile launchers. The UK return also includes information on national military holdings and procurement through national production in the seven categories and a statement of procurement and export policies. The UK return for 1994 is due to be submitted to the United Nations by 30 April. A copy of the return will be placed in the Library of the House when it is submitted.
Mr. Rogers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the British representatives are on the group of experts set up to review the operation of the United Nations register of conventional arms. [15876]
Mr. Soames: An international group of governmental experts met last summer to discuss the operation of the register and ways in which it might be developed. The UK representative on the group was the director of the proliferation and arms control secretariat from the Ministry of Defence. There is no standing group of experts, but it was agreed that a similar group should be formed when the UN next reviews the operation of the register in 1997.
Queen's Flight
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the journeys by the royal family on the Queen's Flight in 1993 94 were (a) in fixed-wing aircraft and (b) abroad. [16512]
Mr. Soames: Of the 968 occasions when the Queen's Flight was used by the royal family during financial year 1993 94, 608 flights were in fixed- wing aircraft and 185 flights were either from or to overseas locations.
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Defence Housing Executive
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total cost of severance pay to executives and staff of the Ministry of Defence, Defence Housing Executive. [16240]
Mr. Soames: I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tauton (Mr. Nicholson) on 16 March, Official Report , columns 721 23 .
Air Accidents
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by year for the last four years, and the current year to date, the number of two-seat Royal Air Force military jet aircraft that have crashed which resulted in the death of either the pilot or navigator; and what was the date, location and type of aircraft involved in each accident. [16258]
Mr. Soames: The information requested is as follows:
Date |Aircraft |Location
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 January 1991 |Tornado GR1 |Oman
29 August 1991 |Jaguar T2A |Carno, Powys
30 October 1991 |Phantom FGR2 |Falkland Islands
9 July 1992 |Buccaneer S2B |38nm east of RAF
| Leuchars
30 September 1992 |Hawk T1A |RAF Chivenor
8 July 1994 |Tornado F3 |15nm south of Akrotiri,
| Cyprus
1 September 1994 |Tornado GR1A |Killin, Central Scotland
10 March 1995 |Tornado F3 |5nm east of Spurn Head
Low Flying
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum rank in the prison service which is approved to request and the minimum rank in the RAF which can approve low-level air passes over prisons; and what provisions exist to protect the local population from noise pollution. [16253]
Mr. Soames: There are no regulations specific to the request for, and approval of, low-level passes over prisons; the circumstances behind the overflights of Stocken prison on 27 September 1994 were unique. I have nothing further to add to my answers of 1 December 1994, Official Report , column 906 , 10 January, Official Report , column 105 and 13 February Official Report , col. 545 .
Redundancy Terms
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total cost of redundancy of senior service officers; and if he will make a full statement on the details of the redundancy terms over the last five years. [16612]
Mr. Soames: The total cost of redundancy compensation paid to two- star officers and above since the start of the armed forces redundancy programme resulting from "Options for Change" is £606,125.
The terms of the armed forces redundancy scheme have been in place since 1975 and remain largely unchanged. These terms provide for the payment of lump sum compensation, known as the special capital payment, in
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all cases. The amount of special capital payment is calculated by reference either to each year or part year of the uncompleted portion of career to normal retirement age, or by reference to the number of years paid service given from age 18. In addition to the benefits normally available through the armed forces pension scheme, redundant personnel may qualify for early payment of pension and terminal grant provided they have completed 12 years full-paid service.Departmental Annual Report
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of producing and circulating the last departmental annual report; what was the circulation list; how many copies were produced; how many copies were sold; and at what price. [16655]
Mr. Soames: Two thousand copies of the Ministry of Defence departmental report, Cm 2801, were printed and published this year on 2 March. In addition to those copies required by Parliament and the Government Departments and agencies concerned, just over 1,250 copies were produced for sale at a price of £8.15 net. The costs of printing and publishing the report were borne by HMSO, which aims to recover these costs from sales revenue.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of producing and circulating the departmental annual report for each of the last 10 years in real terms. [16656]
Mr. Soames: Departmental reports were first produced in 1991, and since then have been published as Command Papers by HMSO, which has borne the printing and publishing costs with the aim of recovering these from sales revenue.
Public Relations
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on public relations during the financial year 1993 94; how much contracts with the private sector cost; and if he will list the activities covered by these contracts. [16288]
Mr. Soames: Expenditure by the MOD headquarters information division during financial year 1993 94 was £5,450,000. Within this figure, the cost of contracts placed with the private sector was £2, 427,000. This includes stand construction, graphics for various exhibitions, production of publicity films and videos, brochures and the printing of the MOD house journal, "FOCUS". The remaining £3,023, 000 relates to miscellaneous programme costs as well as staff and operating costs, including the MOD press office and service directors of public relations.
Expenditure on public relations outside my Department's HQ is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidelines his Department has issued to its agencies and other public bodies under its authority in respect of the employment of public relations companies and the procedures to be adopted in relation to requesting tenders for public relations companies. [16221]
Mr. Soames: My Department, and the agencies and other public bodies under its authority, adhere closely to
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guidelines produced by the Cabinet Office concerning the use of public relations consultants. My Department has also produced instructions for the guidance of budget holders on the use of external consultants in general.Dartmoor National Park
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the advertised usage of Okehampton range in the Dartmoor national park for live firing in the year ended December 1994 expressed by way of days; and how many days firing took place. [17084]
Mr. Soames: The advertised usage of Oakhampton range for live firing for the year ended December was 115 days, and firing took place on 50 days.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the advertised usage of Willsworthy range in the Dartmoor national park for live firing in the year ended December 1994 expressed by way of days; and how many days firing took place. [17085]
Mr. Soames: The advertised usage of Willsworthy range in the year ending December was 232 days, and firing took place on 108 days.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was a the advertised usage of Merrivale range in the Dartmoor national park for live firing in the year ended December 1994 expressed by way of days; and how many days firing took place. [17086]
Mr. Soames: The advertised usage of Merrivale range for live firing to the end of December was 174, and firing took place on 73 days.
Chemical Weapons
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when RAF Llandwrog was last tested for traces of chemical weapons; [17294]
(2) when Fort Belan was last tested for traces of chemical weapons. [17295]
Mr. Soames: The standard certificate confirming that all areas of the RAF Llandwrog site, including Fort Belan, were free from explosives and chemical contamination was issued in 1956. My Department is not aware of any further monitoring of the site having taken place since the land was handed back to its original owners at the conclusion of Operation Sandcastle.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what measures his Department has taken to assess the long-term success of Operation Sandcastle; [17296]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the state of the scuttled sea vessels (a) SS Empire Claire, (b) SS Vogtland and (c) SS Kotka. [17293]
Mr. Soames: The vessels scuttled in Operation Sandcastle sank in water up to 2,000 deep some 80 miles north-west of Northern Ireland. No monitoring of these dump sites has been undertaken because of the depth of water and also because the cargo, comprising the nerve agent Tabun, is destroyed by hydrolysis and rendered harmless in sea water. The potential hazards of chemical weapon dump sites and possible remedial action have been reviewed in a number of international maritime fora, and the consensus of international expert opinion is to leave such sites undisturbed.
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Land Sales
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 March, Official Report , column 257 , if he will provide a breakdown of the (c) £14.7 million in the financial year 1994 95 in respect of receipts received for the sale of land and buildings. [17195]
Mr. Soames: The figure of £14.7 million quoted in my earlier reply related to the projected costs incurred during the current financial year in respect of land and building sales. These costs comprise of planning and other consultancy costs, £3.7 million; works to facilitate disposal including maintenance and guarding, £9.7 million; and legal costs, £1.3 million.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify the total (a) acreage and (b) market value of land and buildings that his Department is currently planning to sell. [17196]
Mr. Soames: A substantial number of sites are at present being sold and others are at various stages in the disposal process. It is also expected that further sites will become available for disposal as a result of on-going rationalisation of the defence estate. At this stage it is not possible to be certain about which sites will be released, when they will be sold or the receipts which will accrue. Estimates provide for some £697 million of receipts for the 10 years to financial year 2004, however, which is broadly the same as has been achieved in recent years.
Gulf War
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what non- medical monitoring his Department undertakes on the activities of (a) serving and (b) non-serving soldiers with relation to Gulf war syndrome. [17168]
Mr. Soames: There is no monitoring of the activities of serving or former members of the armed forces in relation to the alleged Gulf war syndrome. As part of our investigation, however, all available material relating to the alleged syndrome is collated. This material includes: potential claims for compensation received from Gulf war veterans; media reports concerning the alleged syndrome which may refer to Gulf veterans; and correspondence with my Department from Gulf veterans and others. Where appropriate, individual veterans whose concern for their health comes to the attention of my Department are contacted and invited to take part in the medical assessment programme.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Defence if he will rule out the possibility thatchemical weapons were used during the1990 91 Gulf war. [17177]
Mr. Soames: No confirmed reports of the detection of chemical warfare agent have been received relating to the Gulf conflict.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investigations the MOD police have undertaken in respect of Gulf war syndrome. [17169]
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports from other countries concerning analysis of weapons usage by Iraq in the Gulf war his Department has received. [17176]
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Mr. Soames: My Department regularly exchanges information and assessments with allies, including data on analysis of weapons usage by Iraq in the Gulf war.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a register is maintained by his Department of membership of the Gulf War Veterans Association. [17178]
Mr. Soames: No such register is held by my Department.
Warrior Vehicles
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what technical problems with bolt fittings to secure machine guns in Warrior fighting vehicles in Bosnia have been encountered; and if he will make a statement. [17170]
Air Bases
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many air bases his Department currently has for sale; if he will name the bases together with the counties that they are located in; and if he will specify the asking price or market value of each of these sites. [17174]
Mr. Soames: The following are the former RAF sites currently being sold which represent the whole, or a significant part of an establishment:
.
|Acres
----------------------------------------------
RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire |1,300
RAF Greenham Common, Berkshire |1,000
RAF St. David, Dyfed |350
RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire |629
RAF Bentwaters, Suffolk |1,057
East Camp, Hendon, Middlesex |24
RAF Medmenham, Marlow, Buckingham |90
RAF West Drayton, Middlesex |43
It is not our practice to disclose the sale price of sites as that information is commercial in confidence.
Army Bases
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army bases his Department currently has for sale; if he will name the counties that they are located in; and if he will specify the asking price or estimated value of each of these sites. [17175]
Mr. Soames: A number of units or establishments may share parts of a single site and closure of one unit may therefore lead to the disposal of only a part of that site. However, the main sales of sites previously occupied by the Army which are currently in hand are as follows:
K
|Acres
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilton Vehicle Storage Depot, Derbyshire |249
| (phased sale)
Ruddington Storage Depot, Nottinghamshire |35
| (phased sale)
Royal Arsenal West, Woolwich, SE London |76
Royal Arsenal East, Woolwich, SE London |15
Old Park Barracks, Dover, Kent |210
Beavers Lane Camp, Hounslow, Middlesex |29
It is not our practice to disclose the sale price of sites as that information is commercial in confidence.
Reserve Forces Bill
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of his Department are currently working on the Reserve Forces Bill; and how many of these are lawyers. [17172]
Mr. Soames: The Reserve Forces Bill team in the Ministry of Defence consists of four administrative civil servants--a grade 6, a grade 7, a higher executive officer and an administrative officer; a service officer, currently a commander RN; and a legal adviser grade 6. They are supported by other staff in the legal adviser's and reserves policy branches, and elsewhere in the Ministry of Defence, when required. In addition, a team of five members of the volunteer reserve forces, who are lawyers in civilian life, have provided valuable advice on a part-time basis as the work has progressed.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received from employers' organisations regarding the Reserve Forces Bill. [17173]
Mr. Soames: My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has had correspondence about the proposed Reserve Forces Bill with Sir Alexander Graham GBE, chairman of the National Employers's Liaison Committee, which is responsible for promoting support of the reserve forces among employers. The NELC will be conducting an advertising campaign in the national press, starting tomorrow, 31 March 1995, to publicise the proposed legislation, and to ask employers to give their reactions and contribute their views.
COBRA Radar System
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total cost to date of the COBRA counter-battery radar system at current prices; what was the original total cost at current prices; when the COBRA will be in service; and when it was first estimated to be in service. [17194.]
Mr. Freeman: The latest estimated total cost to the United Kingdom of developing the COBRA counter-battery radar system is £63 million at current price levels which remains in line with the original estimate.
However, the project has not yet entered production, and the total estimated costs of the production phase are commercially sensitive. Current production cost estimates predict an increase to the UK of some £30 million at current prices owing to exchange rate variations and a change in our VAT liability arising from revised deployment plans.
The in-service date--ISD--for COBRA is classified. The currently endorsed ISD is five years later than that originally forecast in 1985 and further slippage of 18 months is expected. This delay is principally due to a reassessment of ISD following the project definition phase, protracted negotiations with collaborative partners and industry, and further development work that is aimed at reducing production costs.
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Excess Equipment
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 March, Official Report, column 256, if he will provide a breakdown of the £72.4 million of receipts for the sale of excess equipment forecast for financial year 1994 95. [17197]
Mr. Freeman: The answer is as follows:
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