| Previous Section | Home Page |
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam His Excellency Dato Haji Mohamad Kassin Bin Haji Mohamad Daud High Commissioner, Brunei Darussalam High Commission
Mr. A. J. Sindall
High Commissioner, Brunei
Marshall of the Royal Air Force Sir Peter Harding
Chief of the Defence Staff
Air Chief Marshall Sir Michael Graydon
Chief of the Air Staff
General Sir Brian Kenny
Governor, Royal Hospital Chelsea
Lord Weinstock
Column 92
Managing Director, General Electric CompanySir Dennis Thatcher
Mr. Thorold Masefield
Assistant Under Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Major General Robert Corbett
General Officer Commanding London District
Major General Jack Deverell
Director General Army Manning and Recruiting
Major General Mike Jackson
Director General Personal Services (Army)
Major General (retired) David Pank
Chief Executive of Newbury Racecourse
Mr. Christopher Hanbury
Former Equerry to His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei
Mr. Max Hastings
The Editor Daily Telegraph
Lieutentant Colonel Hamon Massey
Commanding Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment
Lieutentant Colonel Hj Brahim bin Jumahat
Defence Adviser High Commission Brunei
Live Animal Exports
Mr. Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what agreement has been entered into for the export of livestock by air from the military airbase at Thurley, north of Bedford. [32030]
Mr. Soames: My Department has entered into no agreement for the export of livestock from Thurleigh airfield, nor have we been asked to enter into such an agreement.
Orders
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department continues to consider contract bids from the defence companies Borletti, Gebruder Junghans, and AS Raufoss. [31770]
Mr. Freeman [holding answer 30 June 1995]: No. The position remains as stated by my predecessor on 26 November 1993 at column 239.
Public Interest Immunity Certificates
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many public interest immunity certificates he has signed in each of the last three years. [31775]
Mr. Soames [holding answer 30 June 1995]: Since the answer to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 10 March 1994, Official Report, column 399, I have signed two public interest immunity certificates --one for each of two potential military witnesses for the prosecution in a criminal case. Both certificates set out the national security and personal safety grounds for screening the witnesses from the public. In the event, the witnesses were not called to give evidence and the certificates were not used.
Column 93
Laser Weapons
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if it is Government policy to support a protocol to ban laser weapons or blinding as a method of warfare; and if he will make a
statement; [31201]
(2) what measures Her Majesty's Government are taking to persuade other countries to agree to a ban on laser weapons. [31202]
Mr. Freeman: The Government would be prepared to support the addition to the UN weaponry convention of a new protocol covering lasers, if it were to meet humanitarian concerns without restricting normal military uses of lasers. We are considering specific proposals.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the study by F. H. Cripps and A. Stimson at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment entitled "The Distribution of Uranium 235 and Plutonium 239 around the United States Airforce base at Greenham Common". [31072]
Mr. Freeman: The report is currently being retained under section 3(4) of the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967. It will be reviewed at regular intervals until release into the custody of the Public Record Office becomes possible.
Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with his United States counterpart in regard to his announcement on 18 June that the United States wishes to resume nuclear tests. [31123]
Mr. Freeman: It is for the United States Government to determine what is necessary to ensure the safe stewardship of their nuclear weapons.
Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the unclassified version of his departmental report evaluating the effectiveness of the Migrant Echo nuclear weapons accident exercise in April 1994; [31066]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the scenario used by the Migrant Echo nuclear weapons emergency exercise held in Suffolk in April 1994; and if he will make a statement on the
exercise. [31068]
Mr. Howard: I have been asked to reply.
Exercise Migrant Echo was an exercise which was held on 14 15 April 1994, prior to Exercise Diver Mist, with the objective of testing the joint UK-US procedures for dealing with a terrorist threat to nuclear materials held on a RAF base in Suffolk.
Column 94
A series of classified contingency plans exist for responding to a wide range of terrorist threats, including those which might involve the threatened or actual use of nuclear, chemical and biological materials. In the interests of national security and the protection of the public these are regularly reviewed, tested and updated in the light of changing circumstances.Peacekeeping Medals
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many United Kingdom personnel have been awarded UN peacekeeping medals in each year since 1965. [31509]
Mr. Soames: Information on the number of UN peacekeeping medals awarded to United Kingdom personnel is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by whom the decision to award a UN peacekeeping medal is taken. [31510]
Mr. Soames: Within the United Nations the decision to award a UN peacekeeping medal is established by the Secretary-General. The award of the medal is authorised by the Under-Secretary-General for peacekeeping operations. In the United Kingdom, final approval for the acceptance of the medal by United Kingdom service men and women is granted by her Majesty The Queen on the advice of the chiefs of staff, the Secretary of State for Defence and the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals.
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days service on a UN peacekeeping mission are necessary before qualifying for a United Nations peacekeeping medal (a) for each NATO country and (b) for the United Kingdom. [31506]
Mr. Soames: The qualifying period for a United Nations peacekeeping medal for service on a Nations peacekeeping mission for all NATO countries, including the United Kingdom, is 90 days' consecutive service.
Mail Deliveries
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the efficiency of mail deliveries to and from service men based at Incerlik, Turkey; [30946]
(2) What is the average time taken by mail each way between the United Kingdom and service men based at Incerlik, Turkey; and if he will take steps to improve the speed of delivery. [30947]
Mr. Soames: The average delivery time for mail between the United Kingdom and Incerlik should be seven days. Recently, however, mail has been taking longer than this and a review of mail operations has been conducted. A number of improved procedures and checks have been identified and where possible these will be implemented.
Column 93
|
| Home Page |