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Mr. Freeman: The most recent review of attache s was the Goddard study, which considered the tasks of the corps, its long-term role and deployment, and its management and operation and reported in July 1993.
Departmental Land
21. Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much land is currently owned or leased by his Department. [20096]
Mr. Freeman: My Department owns some 242,000 hectares of land including foreshore, of which 226,700 hectares are freehold and 15, 300 hectares are leasehold. These figures are at 1 April last year, the latest date for which records are available, and relate to freehold and leasehold landholdings, including foreshore, for which deeds or lease agreements were held. Acquisitions or disposals which may have been completed but where deeds had not been transferred, or agreements not formally signed or determined by that date, are not included in these figures.
Helicopters
22. Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement on new helicopter orders for the armed forces. [20097]
Mr. Freeman: My Department is evaluating tenders to meet the Army's requirement for an attack helicopter. We hope to announce a decision on the purchase of that equipment before the summer recess. We do not expect to make any other announcements on new major helicopter orders in the near future.
28. Mr. Dykes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to visit the Eurocopter Helicopter Group in the near future to discuss procurement policy. [20103]
Mr. Freeman: I shall be visiting Bonn on 19 May and hope to see the Eurocopter Tiger during my visit. My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to visit Eurocopter in the near future to discuss procurement policy.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 26 April, Official Report , columns 586-87 , if he will place in the Library a summary of the six reports on the cost and operational effectiveness investment appraisal of the EH101 helicopter. [22330]
Mr. Freeman: No summary exists, and one could be prepared only at disproportionate cost. Furthermore, the material on which it would be based is both classified and commercially confidential. It would not be appropriate to place such material in the Library.
Equal Opportunities
24. Mr. Janner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will take steps to increase the representations of women and of people from ethnic minorities in senior ranks in the armed forces. [20099]
Mr. Freeman: Promotion in the armed forces is on merit and positive discrimination would be unlawful. Opportunities for promotion to the most senior ranks exist for service personnel irrespective of their ethnic origin. Although some areas of employment remain closed to women on grounds of operational effectiveness, many
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new employment opportunities have been opened to them in recent years.Polaris
25. Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how soon he expects to be able to withdraw the last Polaris submarine. [20100]
Mr. Freeman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 20 April, Official Report , column 224 .
Northern Ireland (Troops)
26. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the number of troops in Northern Ireland. [20101]
Mr. Freeman: There are currently some 17,500 armed forces personnel in Northern Ireland. In addition, the units which have recently been relocated from Northern Ireland remain available to the general officer commanding and can return at short notice if required. Force levels are kept under review to ensure that they remain appropriate to the security situation.
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
27. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is Her Majesty's Government's position on the non-proliferation treaty negotiations. [20102]
Mr. Freeman: The nuclear non-proliferation treaty is the cornerstone of international efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We are committed to securing its unconditional and indefinite extension at the current NPT review and extension conference of states parties in New York.
Departmental Budget
29. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what portion of his budget in cash and as a percentage is spent on (a) service pay and (b) the pay of ancillary staff; what were the equivalent figures 20 years ago; and if he will make a statement. [20104]
Mr. Freeman: In 1995 96 my Department has budgeted for a service pay bill inclusive of associated allowances and expenses of £6,065 million which represents 26.9 per cent. of its budget. The pay bill inclusive of associated allowances and expenses for the civilian staff of the Department has been budgeted for at £2,485 million which equates to 11 per cent. of the Department's total budget. Comparable figures for money actually spent in financial year 1975 76 are some £1,304 million for service pay which amounted to 24.6 per cent. of the total budget that year and £988 million for civilian staff which represented 18.6 per cent.
Royal Naval College, Greenwich
30. Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about future use of the historic buildings at Greenwich currently occupied by the Royal Naval college. [20105]
Mr. Freeman: As we have previously made clear, we do not intend to reach any firm conclusions on the future
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of the Royal Naval college, Greenwich at this stage, but will shortly be seeking expressions of interest in the site from organisations able to propose uses sympathetic to the character of the buildings.A campaign will be launched in the next few weeks, about which we are consulting English Heritage and the local planning authorities, with a view to defining suitable alternative uses and maintenance arrangements. We shall consult further with these bodies later in the year when we come to evaluate the expressions of interest submitted as a result of the campaign.
We hope to be in a position to make an announcement on the future of Greenwich by the end of the year.
US Airlines (Contracts)
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much will be spent by his Department in contracts with US airlines in the current financialyear. [20093]
Mr. Freeman: My Department has spent an estimated £775,000 with US airlines in the financial year 1994 95 and I would expect this level of expenditure to continue within the current financial year. This expenditure was in respect of duty travel on internal schedules and not associated with any specific contracts.
My Department is in the process of completing an open competition to privatise the UK to north America route. This will replace the existing VC10 schedule which operates between RAF Brize Norton and Dulles airport and will commence 1 September 1995. The contracts will be for both international flights from the UK--USA and Canada and provide the facility to book intercontinental internal travel for the MOD traveller at substantial discounts to the normal fares. Responses from the airlines sector were not limited to UK-registered operators.
Until the contracts are awarded I cannot be precise about the cost to my Department for this financial year which will be offset in part by the savings arising from the reassignment of the RAF VC10 aircraft on more essential operational tasks, such as air-to-air refuelling.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom security of the failure to reach agreement in respect of the pay award to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. [21057]
Mr. Soames: Royal Fleet Auxiliary officers have already reached agreement on last year's pay award, and we hope that ratings will also vote for acceptance in their present ballot. If agreement is not reached, however, the security implications would depend on the nature and extent of any industrial action taken.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has to privatise the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he will make a statement. [21058]
Mr. Soames: None. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary service operates in direct support of our front-line forces.
Tornado
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total cost of keeping a Tornado airborne for one hour. [21827]
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Mr. Soames: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 24 October 1994, Official Report, columns 499 500.
Bank Disposal
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all locations which have required clearance by bomb disposal teams since 1965 for each county council area in Wales indicating the year of clearance; and if he will make a statement. [20670]
Mr. Soames: Information in the form requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Chemical Weapons
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now set up an independent medical assessment to examine the long-term health effects upon individual service men who participated in experiments at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down. [21611]
Mr. Soames: There is no evidence to suggest that any of the service volunteers--approximately 6,900 in number--who have participated in studies at Porton Down over the past 40 years have suffered any harm to their health. I do not, therefore, consider it necessary to set up an independent medical assessment to examine any of the individuals concerned.
VE Day (Merchant Navy)
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the activities designed to recognise the role of Merchant Navy personnel included in the national programme to commemorate VE day; and if he will make a statement. [21712]
Mr. Soames: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I have to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 28 April 1995, Official Report , column 772 .
Empty Accommodation, Dorset
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of empty dwellings owned by his Department in the constituencies of Dorset, North; Dorset, South; and Dorset, West. [21713]
Mr. Soames: As at 31 March, my Department owned the following number of empty dwellings in the constituencies in question: Dorset, North: 152
Dorset, South: 175
Dorset, West: 0
The vacant properties in Dorset, North are being held for a unit deployment from the north of England. Of the vacant properties in Dorset, South, 86 are in the process of being sold. The remainder are either undergoing or awaiting major maintenance work, already allotted to service families due to move in shortly or form part of the management margin needed to ensure that accommodation is available for entitled service families.
RNAS Portland
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the benefits to be achieved by moving the RAF Osprey Squad from
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Portland to Yeovilton before the Lynx is replaced by the Merlin in 2005. [21714]Mr. Soames: As explained in my Department's consultative document on the proposed closure of the royal naval air station at Portland, a copy of which is in the Library of the House, it will be possible to collocate the remaining Royal Navy Lynx helicopters at Yeovilton from 1999. The closure of RNAS Portland would result in significant savings to the defence budget.
Railings, Devonport
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the materials being used recently to refurbish the railings around the royal naval base along Saltash road. [21718]
Mr. Soames: These railings form part of the east side of HM naval base, Devonport and were last partly refurbished in 1964. The materials used for the recent refurbishment were paint, including primer and undercoat, galvanised steel, lime stone, lime mortar and timber boarding.
Civil Servants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the individual value of each (a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his Department on grounds of limited efficiency in each of the last five years. [22090]
Mr. Freeman: My Department does not keep central records of early retirement awards made on grounds of limited efficiency and the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number of individuals released on such terms is as follows:
1990 91: 10
1991 92: 4
1992 93: 2
1993 94: 3
1994 95: 1
RAF Chicksands
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals his Department is considering with regard to the future of RAF Chicksands, Bedfordshire; and if he will make a statement. [22328]
Mr. Soames: With the US withdrawal from RAF Chicksands due to be completed by 30 September 1995, we are at present considering alternative defence uses for the site. Should no alternative defence uses be identified, we would consider the future of the site in consultation with the local authority.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Bedford community retirement group with regard to the future of RAF Chicksands, Bedfordshire. [22329]
Mr. Soames: The Bedford community retirement group wrote to my Department in March enclosing a copy of its proposals for the future use of RAF Chicksands. The proposals are a matter for the local authority, however, and this was made clear in my Department's response of 11 April.
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Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his Russian counterpart concerning the renegotiation of the conventional forces in Europe treaty; what consideration he has given to the renegotiation of the conventional forces in Europe treaty; and if he will make a statement. [22297]
Mr. Soames: We maintain a dialogue with the Russians at all levels about issues which might affect their compliance with the conventional forces in Europe treaty.
Renegotiation of the treaty is not a subject which has been discussed. The treaty is widely recognised as the cornerstone of European security and it is in everyone's interest to see it fully implemented. To that end, we continue to urge all states parties, including Russia, to meet their obligations under the treaty, as only by doing so will the basis be created for a constructive review of the treaty's operation at the May 1996 treaty review conference.
Information to Members
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which right hon. and hon. Members his special adviser, Mr. Crispin Blunt, has written to inform them of the placing of contracts by his Department in their constituency; what are the values of these contracts; which contracts were involved; what assistance the civil service provides in order to ensure the efficiency of this system of informing hon. Members; when this system was first introduced; and if he will make a statement. [22298]
Mr. Rifkind: In October 1993, my special adviser began writing to right hon. and hon. Members of all parties about MOD contracts awarded to firms in their constituencies which, while of local significance, were too small to merit individual announcements. Since 1993, the practice has become more systematic, and standard letters are now sent about all contracts worth more than £1 million notified to the special adviser by the responsible contracts branch. Since October 1993, more than 300 letters have been sent to right hon. and hon. Members.
Commercial Exploitation Levies
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify how much money his Department received in each of the last 10 years from commercial exploitation levies in cases where it has funded the development of the exported equipment in question. [22299]
Mr. Freeman: The information requested is as follows:
£ million
1986 87: 29.2
1987 88: 27.9
1988 89: 44.0
1989 90: 24.8
1990 91: 16.7
1991 92: 35.0
1992 93: 15.3
1993 94: 39.8
Details for 1984 85 and 1985 86 are not available. Final figures for 1994 95 have not been calculated.
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Land Mines
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 21 April, Official Report , column 306 , what types of anti-personnel mines other than Ranger mines his Department possesses; when they were purchased; from whom they were purchased; what was the total cost of the order; when they will need to be replaced; and if he will make a statement. [22300]
Mr. Freeman: My Department possesses the following anti-personnel mines, other than Rangers:
(a) Mine anti-personnel C3 (Elsie)
(b) Mine anti-personnel M18A1 (Claymore)
(c) Projector Area Defence L1E1 (PJRAD)
These mines were purchased as follows:
(a) C3 Elsie between 1965 and 1968 from Canadian Arsenals Ltd. (b) M18A1 Claymore between 1965 and 1968, and in 1989 from the US Department of Defence.
(c) L1E1 PJRAD in 1986 from Royal Ordnance.
We no longer retain a record of the costs of these procurements, and there are currently no plans for their replacement.
Mines
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those British companies which (i) have stockpiles of, (ii) are producing, (iii) have producedsince 1965 and (iv) manufacture components for (a) anti- personnel mines, (b) area denial mines, (c) self-destruct mines and (d) other forms of mines; and in the case of (iii) if he will give the year in which production ceased.
Mr. Freeman [holding answer 18 April 1995]: These matters are the responsibility of the companies concerned. However, I am advised that the following information can be provided from my Department's records.
My Department classifies land mines by their effect, for example, anti-tank or anti-personnel. Any type of land mine can be self-destructing. We therefore do not recognise area denial mines or self-destructing mines as separate categories.
My Department is not aware of any British company holding stockpiles of land mines.
The "Defence Manufacturers' Handbook" lists British Aerospace Defence, British Aerospace (Royal Ordnance), Hunting Engineering, and Plalite as having land mines among their products. My Department is not aware that any of these companies is currently producing land mines and I can confirm that there are no current MOD orders for land mines, nor are there any current export licence applications. My Department believes that Thorn EMI Electronics, Royal Ordnance and Hunting Engineering are the only British companies to have produced land mines since 1965.
Production of conventional anti-personnel land mines for the MOD ceased in 1983, and of anti-tank land mines in 1991.
In 1986 the Royal Ordnance factories produced a small number of projector area defence weapons for my Department. Previously, these were classified not as anti-personnel land mines, but as command-detonated point defence weapons. However, further research has now established that these weapons fall within the
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standard NATO definition of a land mine. Consequently, previous statements that"the UK has not produced anti-personnel mines for over a decade" are not accurate in relation to the PJRAD.
My Department is not aware of any British companies which currently manufacture components for land mines.
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