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Anti-missile Defence
20. Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement of progress on the feasibility study on anti-- missile defence. [36580]
Mr. Arbuthnot: A contract was awarded in October 1994 to a consortium led by British Aerospace to carry out a pre-feasibility study to identify ballistic missile defence systems to counter potential threats to the United Kingdom, the dependent territories and our forces deployed overseas. The study, which is scheduled to run for some 18 months and is proceeding according to schedule, will identify practical defensive architectures against a range of scenarios taking account of performance criteria, costs, timescales and technical risk. This advice will inform subsequent policy consideration, including whether the UK has a requirement for ballistic missile defence.
Official Hospitality
21. Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on official hospitality by his Department in 1994 95 and in 1995 to date. [36581]
Mr. Soames: During financial year 1994 95 my Department spent £4.867 million on official hospitality, and as at 1 October 1995 £2.14 million has been spent during the current financial year. These figures include expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Defence itself, by formations and establishments of the armed forces at home and abroad, and by individual officers occupying command and international appointments for which entertainment allowances are payable.
RAF Northolt
22. Sir Michael Shersby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the number of military air traffic movements at RAF Northolt for the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available. [36582]
Mr. Soames: There were 7,750 military air traffic movements at RAF Northolt during the period 1 October 1994 to 30 September 1995. Additionally, there were 2,085 civil movements on Ministry of Defence business during the same period.
Western European Union
23. Mr. Jim Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his counterparts in the WEU to discuss the further development of a common defence policy; and if he will make a statement. [36583]
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Mr. Soames: WEU Foreign and Defence Ministers last met in Lisbon in May this year. The outcome was published in a communique of the meeting, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. They will meet again in November.
Bosnia
24. Mr. Macdonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the situation in Bosnia. [36584]
28. Mr. Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Bosnia. [36588]
Mr. Soames: I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer given to the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops are currently serving in Bosnia; and if he will make a statement. [36847]
Mr. Soames: Following the relocation of 24 Airmobile Brigade to the UK as part of the reconfiguration of United Nations forces requested by the UN Secretary General, almost 5,000 UK ground troops will remain in the former Yugoslavia. In addition, there are some 3, 000 Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel deployed in the Adriatic theatre in support of UN and NATO operations.
Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many humanitarian aid convoys to Sarajevo were escorted over Mount Igman by United Nations forces during August and September 1995; and approximately what tonnage of relief supplies was delivered by that route. [38328]
Mr. Soames: No United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees humanitarian aid convoys were escorted over Mount Igman by UNPROFOR during August and September. Aid convoys from non-governmental organisations were escorted over this route during the same period, but the UN has been unable to provide statistics on the numbers or tonnage involved.
Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average minimum temperature at the British Army positions on Mount Igman during the last two weeks of September; and when the soldiers serving at these positions were issued with cold weather clothing. [38045]
Mr. Soames: The average minimum temperature at the British positions on Mount Igman during the last two weeks of September was minus 1 deg C. Winter clothing was issued in the first half of September to personnel in exposed positions such as observation posts; the balance was issued over the period 23 to 27 September.
Helicopters
25. Mr. Mark Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Britain's requirements for attack and support helicopters now meet the United Kingdom's needs into the next century. [36585]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The orders which were announced during the 1995--for 67 Apache attack helicopters for the Army and 14 Chinook MkII and 22 utility EH101 support
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helicopters for the Royal Air Force--will ensure that the United Kingdom's requirements for these capabilities will be satisfied for the foreseeable future.Land Mines
26. Mrs. Jane Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ban the export of self-destruct anti-personnel land mines. [36586]
Mr. Arbuthnot: No. It would not be right to ban completely the export of a weapon which we may in future need to import for our own armed forces.
New Office Accommodation
27. Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff have been or are planned to be accommodated in new office accommodation. [36587]
Mr. Arbuthnot: Detailed information relating to all the new-build office accommodation is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Four new office accommodation projects in excess of £10 million in value have been approved centrally since 1991 to accommodate some 8,800 staff in total. All of these are part of wider strategies which result in significant savings to the taxpayer. They are the new Procurement Executive headquarters at Abbey Wood near Bristol, an additional office block at Andover for HQ Quarter Master General's staff, a new personnel and training command headquarters at RAF Innsworth and a new logistic command headquarters at RAF Wyton.
French Nuclear Tests
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications he has had with his French counterpart on nuclear testing since July. [36751]
Mr. Arbuthnot: Nuclear testing was one of a wide range of defence issues discussed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State during his meeting with the French Defence Minister in Paris on 27 September.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what access the United Kingdom will have to information or data resulting from the current French nuclear testing programme. [38457]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The UK has neither asked for, nor been offered, information or data resulting from the current French nuclear test programme.
Nuclear Weapons (France)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each of the memoranda of understanding which currently exist between Britain and France with regard to all aspects of nuclear weapons, outlining the purpose of each, the date on which each one was signed and whether its text is classified; on what dates each one has been amended; and if any other countries are party to these memoranda. [38455]
Mr. Arbuthnot: It is not our practice to reveal details on contacts with France on defence nuclear matters.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will define the current status of the technical discussions between Britain and France, referred to in
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para. 25 of the Commons report of the Defence Committee, "Progress of the Trident Programme", HC 350, on issues related to nuclear weapons stewardship, hydrodynamic experiments and computer simulations; which Ministers and officials have taken part in these discussions; and what subjects were covered. [38456]Mr. Arbuthnot: I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson) on 16 October 1995, Official Report, column 37.
Helicopter Accident, Wales
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the report of the inquiry into the cause of the accident on 12 August 1993 at Padarn Lake, Llanberis, involving an RAF Wessex helicopter. [38097]
Mr. Soames: The RAF board of inquiry into this accident has been protracted by the complex technical investigation. It is planned to release the findings shortly.
Royal Naval College (Irradiation Facilities)
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the extent to which the Royal Naval College at Greenwich irradiation facilities have been used for commercial purposes. [39260]
Mr. Soames: This is a matter for the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency, under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive of the NRTA to reply to the hon. Member.
Letter from A. D. Ferguson to Mr. Llew Smith, dated 24 October 1995:
The Secretary of State for Defence has asked the Chief Executive of the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency (NRTA) to reply to your Parliamentary Question, about the extent to which the irradiation facilities at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich have been used for commercial purposes. I am replying on behalf of the Chief Executive who is away.
Whilst it is Ministry of Defence policy to make use of any irreducible and temporarily unallocated training capacity wherever it is possible to do so, it is not the case that RNC Greenwich has provided irradiation facilities for commercial purposes. RNC Greenwich is part of the recently created NRTA and the Agency operates in accordance with the MOD policy and HM Treasury guidelines to market spare training capacity at its shore training facilities and thereby generate income.
The Navy's Department of Nuclear Science and Technology (DNST), together with its low power nuclear reactor (known as JASON) are located at RNC Greenwich and are also part of the NRTA. Whilst DNST has a number of irradiation facilities other than JASON (including X-radiation and Gamma radiation facilities), in the context of your Parliamentary Question you will wish to be aware that DNST has provided only two training courses on a commercial basis during the past 12 months. The first being a one day training session for university students where the students observed JASON, but did not use it as an irradiation facility. The second was a three week course on instrument calibration. During this course, one practical session made use of JASON, but, again, not as an irradiation facility. I hope that you will find the foregoing to be helpful.
Next Steps Agencies
Sir Irvine Patnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about possible defence agency status for the Director General Naval
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Bases and Supply and Director General Ships organisations. [39420]Mr. Soames: I have decided that the Director General Naval Bases and Supply and Director General Ships organisations, within the Naval Support Command, should be considered as candidates for defence agency status under the next steps initiative. Prior options studies will be undertaken to establish whether agency status or other options would be appropriate. Comments and ideas would be welcome from any interested parties. These should be sent by 15 December 1995 to D. G. Jones Esq, Director General Naval Bases and Supply, Management suite, Room 13, Block C, Ensleigh, Bath BA1 5AB or R. V. Babington Esq, Director General Ships, Spur 12, Block B, Foxhill, Bath BA1 5AB as appropriate.
Air Defence Fighter Aircraft
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has with the United States authorities concerning the leasing of F-16C aircraft for use as air defence fighters by the Royal Air Force. [38130]
Mr. Arbuthnot: My Department is currently examining proposals to upgrade the weapon systems of the Tornado F3 air defence fighter. A routine part of our evaluation procedure is to examine the comparative costs of alternative options. We have, in this context, contacted the United States Department of Defence for information concerning F-16 aircraft.
Dodman Point Naval Firing Range
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many days firing practice has taken place since the naval firing range opened at Dodman Point in Cornwall; and on how many of those days safety boats have been present. [38479]
Mr. Soames: There have been 16 naval gunfire support training serials in the exercise areas off Dodman Point since the Operational Sea Training organisation moved to Plymouth this summer. Firing has taken place during five of these, at each of which a range safety craft was present.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when firing practice is taking place at Dodman Point naval firing range in Cornwall; on which occasions safety boats have been present throughout the firing; and for what period of time they have been absent. [38480]
Mr. Soames: Naval gunfire support training will be carried out in the sea exercise areas off Dodman Point on up to 72 occasions per year. Details of the specific timings of the individual firing serials are being published in advance in the local press and are also being broadcast through the Gunfacts system. A range safety craft has been present throughout all the firings which have been completed to date.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what regulations are in force regarding the use of safety boats during firing practice at Dodman Point naval firing range in
Cornwall. [38478]
Mr. Soames: There are no specific regulations governing the use of safety boats during firing practice off Dodman Point. The requirement for such a boat is decided on a case by case basis by the Royal Navy, taking account of the particular conditions and circumstances of
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the firing. The main methods of ensuring that the range is clear are through visual and radar observation from the firing ship, and observation from the helicopter which is present.Live Animal Exports
Mr. Heppell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans has he for allowing the use of MoD airfields to export livestock from the United Kingdom or for the sale of MoD airfields to exporters of livestock; and if he will make a statement on this point. [38704]
Mr. Soames: We have no plans to allow the use of operational MoD airfields for the export of livestock from the United Kingdom. I am not aware of any specific offer from companies to purchase any redundant airfield for this purpose at this time.
Defence Expenditure
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission a study of the cost savings that would be made from linking British defence expenditure to the average level of out western European partners. [39250]
Mr. Soames: No. United Kingdom defence expenditure is determined by the Government's assessment of the UK's defence needs and spending priorities. It would be wrong to link defence spending to the average of other countries' defence spending.
RAF 100 Squadron
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the specification used under the market-testing initiative in respect of contracts involving RAF 100 Squadron; how many firms bid for these contracts; and which firms were successful. [38378]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The statement of requirement used in respect of the strategic contractorisation of target towing facilities at RAF 100 Squadron is an integral part of the contract which has been placed and is, therefore, considered to be contracts in confidence. As such, it cannot be made available in the Library of the House. Six contractors bid for the contract, which was won by Hunting Aviation.
Regimental and Military Museums
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money will be provided out of MOD funds to pay for staff in each regimental or military museum in the United Kingdom in 1995 96. [38382]
Mr. Soames: Seventy regimental museums will receive a total of around £1.6 million funding from MOD towards staff costs in 1995 96. Separately, MOD provides a grant in aid of £3.2 million to the National Army Museum which is applied to the museum's operating costs and purchase grant.
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if we will ensure that his Department's funding for the museum of the Royal Dragon Guards and Prince of Wales, Own Regiment in York will be maintained in future years at a sufficient level to keep this joint regimental museum open; [38384]
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(2) what are the terms of reference of his Department's review of funding for regimental museums; and when the conclusions of the review will be made public. [38383]Mr. Soames: An internal MOD study earlier this year suggested, that savings might be possible in MOD funding for regimental and corps museums. Work is continuing on how savings could be achieved and the impact this would have on the continued existence of these museums, but no decisions have yet been made.
Tornado Aircraft
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the location of the Tornado event to be held in 1996. [38124]
Mr. Soames: We are not aware of any substantial Tornado event in 1996.
Navigator Flying Training
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to privatise Royal Air Force navigator flying training. [38142]
Mr. Soames: There are no plans to privatise Royal Air Force navigator flying training.
Air Miss, Humberside
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the US air force F15 aircraft involved in an air miss incident with an Icelandair Boeing 737 off Humberside on 19 August 1994 were found to have penetrated controlled airspace; and if he will make a statement. [38141]
Mr. Soames: The United States air force aircraft was operating legitimately within controlled airspace under air traffic control instruction at the time of the alleged incident. The pilot of the civil airliner has now withdrawn his report of an air miss, based on air traffic control evidence.
Army Careers Information Office, York
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to close the Army careers information office in Micklegate, York. [38385]
Mr. Soames: No decision has yet been taken on when the Army careers information office in Micklegate, York should close.
Jaguar Aircraft (Stress Corrosion)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the circumstances of the damage to Jaguar T.2A, serial number XX839; and what is the current status of the aircraft. [38119]
Mr. Soames: During a routine major servicing of Jaguar T.2A, serial number XX839, some relatively small stress corrosion cracks were identified in part of the fuselage structure. The aircraft is being held temporarily at St. Athan awaiting delivery of repair parts from the manufacturer.
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RAF Waddington
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what hydrazine incident response capability exists at RAF Waddington; and how many hydrazine incidents have occurred at RAF Waddington in each of the last three years. [38143]
Mr. Soames: All RAF Waddington's fire crash and rescue personnel are fully trained--and continue to receive refresher training--in hydrazine emergency handling procedures. Apart from a minor incident on 17 October 1995, which was successfully handled in accordance with standard procedures, there have been no other incidents involving hydrazine at RAF Waddington in the past three years.
Flying Regulation Breaches
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates, locations, numbers, types and nationalities of aircraft, nature of the breach, disciplinary actions taken against aircrew and lessons learned from each of the confirmed breaches of flying regulations other than low flying regulations during 1994. [38139]
Mr. Soames: Unlike breaches of low flying regulations, no cental record is maintained of breaches of general flying regulations which are much more wide ranging and varied. As a result, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, details of incidents with flight safety implications are notified to the appropriate authority.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the methods of BSE transmission since the ban on certain forms of offal in animal feed. [36422]
Mrs. Browning: This Department has an extensive programme of research on BSE. Results are published in scientific journals. Details are also contained in the latest report of the Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee--"Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies--A Summary of Present Knowledge and Research", published in February this year. In addition, they are detailed in the regular reports on BSE which MAFF makes to the House. Copies of these reports are available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases have been discovered of prohibited forms of offal being put into animal feeds since the ban was introduced, and if he will make a statement. [36426]
Mrs. Browning: We are not aware of any cases of Specified Bovine Offals being put directly into animal feeds since the ban was introduced. However, the fact that we are continuing to see cases of BSE in animals born after the introduction of the feed ban in July 1988 suggests that there has been some continued leakage of BSE infective material into feed. The results of recent
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surveillance at slaughterhouses and head boning plants, announced in the House on 19 July, Official Report, 19 July 1995, columns 1467 68 , also suggested that this was a possibility.Mr. Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the rate of enforcement of the ban on the use of certain forms of offal in animals feeds, with particular reference to restricting BSE transmission; and if he will make a statement. [36424]
Mrs. Browning: The state veterinary service regularly monitors the enforcement of the controls in slaughterhouse and elsewhere, on specified bovine offals, which are required to be separated and disposed of by incineration or burial. The results of recent surveillance of slaughterhouses and head boning plants were announced in the House on 19 July, Official Report , 19 July 1995, columns 1467 48.
Mr. Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of maternally transmitted BSE have been recorded in the United Kingdom herd, for each of the last seven years; and how many cases of BSE have been recorded for each of the last seven years. [36421]
Mrs. Browning: There is no experimental or epidemiological evidence available to confirm that maternal transmission of BSE occurs. Results of research to test the hypothesis that the disease might be transmitted maternally will not be available until 1997, when a definitive cohort study will be completed. It is already clear, however, that if maternal transmission does occur, it does so too infrequently to be detected with current statistical techniques or to sustain the epidemic.
The following list of the number of confirmed cases of BSE in United Kingdom up to 13 October 1995. The cases prior to 21 June 1988 are recorded by date of clinical onset of disease and the cases thereafter are recorded by date of restriction.
1986: 7
1987: 435
1988: 2,469
1989: 7,137
1990: 14,181
1991: 25,032
1992: 36,681
1993: 34,371
1994: 23,943
1995: 9,602
It is not possible to identify routes of transmission for each individual suspect given the long incubation period BSE, and considerable potential for exposure via feed. Evidence gathered when individual cases are investigated forms the basis of a statistical analysis on a population basis.
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