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Corporal Lee Clegg

26. Mr. Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial support his Department is giving to the legal costs of Corporal Lee Clegg. [6366]

Mr. Soames: My Department has provided financial support for the legal costs of Lance Corporal Clegg at his trial and subsequent appeals. The full costs are not yet known, but are likely to be several hundred thousand pounds. It would not be appropriate for my Department to provide further funds, in the absence of legal proceedings.

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Mid-air Collisions

27. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will calculate the statistical probability of a mid-air collision involving fast jets on exercise over the next 12 months. [6367]

Mr. Soames: A study is being conducted by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency to assess the probability of a random mid-air collision between various types of aircraft operating in the United Kingdom low flying system.

Royal Yacht

Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efficiency gains have been achieved in the running of the royal yacht since 1990. [7045]

Mr. Soames: The demands on Britannia vary from year to year, depending on the number and location of countries she is required to visit. Efficiency gains are therefore difficult to quantify precisely. There has, however, been an estimated reduction in running costs--excluding repairs and refits--of some 12.7 per cent. since 1990.

Gulf War

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the auxiliary services served in the Gulf war; and if he will list the number of personnel and their unit. [7680]

Mr. Soames: A total of 1,774 reservists were called out or recalled in support of the Gulf conflict. Of these, 877 were members of the volunteer reserve forces and 897 had a liability for call-out or recall as a result of previous regular service. They served, among others, with medical, movements, intelligence and military police units and in public relations posts. In addition, members of the Territorial Army undertook short periods of service as members of the Regular Army in the Gulf or in support of operations: they served, again among others, in infantry and transport units.

A full list of the units concerned, and the number of reserve personnel who served with each, could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what inquiries he has instituted into the recent allegations made by service men who served in the Gulf war that chemical weapons were used by Iraq. [7615]

Mr. Soames: No confirmed reports of the detection of chemical warfare agent have been received relating to the Gulf conflict.

Gulf War Syndrome

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the amount of each of the ingredients in the nerve agent pre-treatment tablet set L1A1 given to Her Majesty's armed forces during the Gulf War. [7684]

Mr. Soames: The nerve agent pre-treatment set tablet L1A1 given to British troops during the Gulf war consisted of the following constituents:


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Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his current policy in respect of the recognition of Gulf war syndrome. [7731]

Mr. Soames: The MOD recognises that some individual Gulf veterans have become ill and keeps an open mind on any possible link to Gulf service. However, the most extensive and detailed investigations, in this country and other Gulf coalition countries, have so far found no medical or scientific evidence to date to suggest the existence of a unique medical condition or syndrome. The Royal College of Physicians gave broad endorsement to our work in July 1995 and recommended that expert advice be sought on the possible direction of future research. We are currently following this up.

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the known side effects of the inoculations given to Her Majesty's forces prior to and during the Gulf war. [7681]

Mr. Soames: The only known side effects are short term and commonly occur after the administration of any vaccine or combination of vaccines. These side effects can include soreness or swelling at injection site and possible nausea. Severe reactions, such as anaphylactic shock, are extremely rare.

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nerve agent pre-treatment tablets set L1A1 each Her Majesty's forces personnel were instructed to take each day during the Gulf war. [7682]

Mr. Soames: During the periods when there was an assessed threat of possible chemical agent attack, orders were given for British troops in the Gulf theatre of operations to take nerve agent pre-treatment set tablets in accordance with the recommended dose, which is one 30mg NAPS tablet taken every eight hours.

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the side effects of the ingredients in the nerve agent pre-treatment tablet set L1A1. [7683]

Mr. Soames: It is well recognised that the active constituent of the nerve agent pre-treatment set pyridostigmine bromide, can have minor short-term side effects on a minority of those taking the drug. These include sweating, excess salivation, abdominal pains and diarrhoea. The side effects cease when the tablets are stopped and there is no record of long-term adverse effects resulting from the drug.

Contractors

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) full-time contractors and (b) other civilians were employed (i) at November 1990 and (ii) at the latest available date at (1) Castlemartin range, (2) Llanorbrier range, (3) Penally range, (4) RAF Brawdy, (5) RNAD Milford Haven, (6) RNAD Trecwn, (7) P and EE Pendine and (8) Pembroke dock mooring and salvage depot. [7732]

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Mr. Arbuthnot: The information requested is not available. Such information as is available is detailed in the table.

As at July 1990 As at November 1995
LocationContractor staffOther civiliansContractor staffOther civilians
Castlemartin070050
LlanorbrierN/K8N/K10
Penally0808
RAF BrawdyN/K166N/K33
RNAD Milford HavenN/K161N/K6
RNAD TrecwnN/K381(28)123
P and EE
PendineN/K6012117
Pembroke Dock(29)31292180

(28) July figure.

(29) November figure.

Redundant Equipment

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what new proposals he has to increase the receipts from the sale of redundant equipment. [7818]

Mr. Arbuthnot: These matters are the responsibility of the chief executive of the Disposal Sales Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Keith Ellender to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 9 January 1996:


Army Technical Support Agency

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the changes made to the site option investment appraisal figures for the collocation of the Army Technical Support Agency between the first draft of the figures and the figures currently being considered; [7976]

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Mr. Soames: These matters are the responsibility of the chief executive of the Army Technical Support Agency. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member.

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 100

Letter from J. R. Prince to Mr. Nigel Jones, dated 5 January 1996:




    Please note that this letter is copied to the Minister.
    I regret that I had been unaware of your interest in the ATSA and have not included you in the distribution of the consultative document on collocation. I attach, therefore, a copy of the consultative document and also copies of the Agency Framework Document and Corporate Plan.
    The answers to your questions are as follows.
    Question 1: What account has been taken of the accommodation available at the Malvern site in deciding the location of the ATSA following collocation?
    Answer 1: All of the accommodation at the Malvern site was taken into account when deciding on the location of the ATSA following collocation.
    Question 2: What arrangements are being made to consult the trade unions and the personnel involved regarding the future of the ATSA Drawing Office/Graphics Support Services if the ATSA is collocated at the Chertsey site?
    Answer 2: A consultative document specifically addressing the future of ATSA Drawing Office/Graphics Support Services will be forwarded to the Council of Civil Service Unions shortly. Drawing Office and Graphics staff across the ATSA sites are an integral part of the Agency and are included in the ATSA collocation proposals.
    Question 3: List the changes made to the site option investment appraisal figures for the collocation of the ATSA between the first draft of the figures and the figures currently being declared.
    Answer 3: The drafting process is part of the normal management of any proposal, giving appropriate Departmental officials opportunity to contribute to the process. It is not Agency policy to make such drafts available for public consumption.
    Question 4: If the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency will be able to remain on its Chertsey site if the ATSA is collocated elsewhere? Answer 4: Chertsey is currently a viable site to operate, but the situation could change if a major unit vacates the site. The Chief Executive of DERA therefore takes the view that DERA would need to review its position at Chertsey should ATSA collocate elsewhere.
    Question 5: What is the estimated realisation figure from the sale of the present site in Malvern of the ATSA?
    Answer 5: I regret that land valuations are commercial in confidence.
    Question 6: What assessment has been made of the effect of the closure of the ATSA at Malvern on the economy of Malvern and the surrounding area; and what plans the Government has to rejuvenate the local economy in the event of closure?
    Answer 6: Whilst appreciating the local effect of withdrawal of the ATSA from Malvern and our other sites, it is my responsibility to consider the implications of collocation in Defence terms. For both budgetary and business reasons, the exhaustive appraisals carried out have indicated that the most appropriate site for collocation is Chertsey.
    Question 7: Who is the main leaseholder of the Chertsey site proposed for the collocation of the ATSA?
    Answer 7: The Chertsey site is wholly owned by the MOD and is vested in the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) Trading Fund.

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    Question 8: What account has been taken of the comparative travel and subsistence costs in assessing the long-term costings of the collocation of the ATSA at Malvern or Chertsey?
    Answer 8: No account has been taken of the comparative travel and subsistence costs in assessing the long-term costings of the collocation of the ATSA at Malvern or Chertsey. However, by far the greatest majority of ATSAs customers are based at Andover and my judgement is that, from a travel and subsistence point of view, collocation at Malvern would be more expensive than collocation at Chertsey.
    Question 9: List the financial advantages of the collocation of the ATSA onto a leased site rather than onto a site owned by the Ministry of Defence.
    Answer 9: The Chertsey site is wholly owned by the MOD and is vested in the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) Trading Fund.
    Question 10: Whether it remains the policy of the Government to move Civil Service posts from London to the provinces, and what account will be taken of this policy in deciding whether to collocate the ATSA at Chertsey?
    Answer 10: Moves from London, or anywhere else for that matter, are only agreed if proven to be both cost effective and good business sense. The site selection for the ATSA has been based on the business needs and value for money for the MOD as a whole.
    Question 11: What will be the annual rent payable by the ATSA if it is collocated on the Chertsey site?
    Answer 11: The Chertsey site is wholly owned by the MOD. There is trading between the two Defence Agencies, but no rent is paid to organisations external to MOD.
    Question 12: What plans are being made for the future of the Ministry of Defence's Student Engineering Training Centre if the ATSA is collocated at Chertsey?
    Answer 12: The ATSA costings have made no assumption that the MOD Student Engineering Training Centre will vacate the site. In due course consideration will be given as to whether continued occupation makes both economic sense and best use of the Defence Estate, or whether there might be more appropriate locations.
    Question 13: What factors were taken into account in deciding not to consult the trade unions on the original investment appraisals for the collocation of the ATSA?
    Answer 13: The main part of the initial study concentrated principally on business and organisational aspects of the Army's Technical Branches and Authorities. It was recognised by Armed Forces Minister of the time (Jeremy Hanley) that much more detailed work would be necessary before a final decision could be taken and, in particular, more comprehensive investment appraisals were required into the rationalisation proposals. The trade unions, and other interested parties, were advised of the situation in August 1993.
    Question 14: What consideration led to the omission of the security and build costs for the collocation of the ATSA at the Chertsey site from the site option appraisal figures and the inclusion of the clean-up costs for the Chertsey site?
    Answer 14: The appraisal figures for the Chertsey site included security and build cost but excluded possible clean-up costs.
    I hope the information given above satisfactorily answers the questions you have raised. Should you require any further information I will be pleased to answer any additional questions you may wish to raise.

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