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Former Yugoslavia
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel have been killed or wounded in the course of military operations in the former Yugoslavia; and how many of those casualties were as a result of blue on blue incidents relating to non-hostile troops. [1503]
Mr. Soames: Eighteen British service personnel have been killed and a further 39 have sustained serious injuries in the course of military operations in the former Yugoslavia None of these casualties resulted from "blue on blue" incidents.
RAF (Total Quality Management)
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to introduce the total quality management system to Royal Air Force flying operations. [1278]
Mr. Soames: The RAF continually strives for excellence in all its flying operations, and in doing so embraces and keeps under review relevant aspects of the philosophy associated with total quality management systems.
Danger Areas
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military activities permitted in each of the danger areas D411, D509, D606, D608 and D609. [1302]
Mr. Soames: The danger areas specified are used for the following purposes:
| Danger Area | Location | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| D411 | Port Patrick | Trials of Sonobuoy Equipment |
| D509 | Campbeltown | Anti-Air and Surface Shoots |
| D606 | Forth Area | Live Anti-Submarine Warfare Depth Charge and Mortar firings |
| D607 | Forth Middle | Surface firings; sleeve shoots; radar trials and air to air firings |
| D608 | Forth Outer | Surface firings; sleeve shoots; radar trials and air to air firings |
| D609 | St. Andrews | Radar training buoy |
Trident
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research is being undertaken into the feasibility of adapting the Trident system to carry conventionally armed missiles; and what has been the expenditure on this research in the last three years. [1291]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The UK has conducted no such research.
22 Nov 1995 : Column: 177
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many United Kingdom personnel visited Sliac air base in Slovakia in September 1995. [1307]
Mr. Soames:
Two United Kingdom service personnel visited the Sliac air base in September 1995, under the auspices of the Vienna document of 1994.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on plans for Exercise Purple Star in 1996. [1299]
Mr. Soames:
This exercise will take place in spring next year on the eastern seaboard of America. It is the UK's major field training exercise for 1996 and involves over 15,000 personnel from all three services.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions are given to Royal Air Force commanders concerning the frequency with which the self-authorising status of aircrew under their command must be reviewed; and what formal examination or test is conducted to assess the suitability of aircrew to retain self-authorising status. [1279]
Mr. Soames:
The self-authorising status of aircrew is approved by the station commander of each flying unit. There are no specific instructions concerning the frequency with which this must be reviewed, nor is any formal test conducted specifically to assess the aircrew's suitability to retain the status. However, all aircrew undergo a continual assessment of their ability to perform their duties including, where appropriate, their suitability to retain self-authorising status.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the work of the nuclear weapons safety adviser since his appointment. [1567]
Mr. Soames:
Details of the nuclear weapons safety adviser's current and planned programme of work have been provided to the Select Committee on Defence and are contained in its 1995 report on progress of the Trident programme, pages 24 and 25, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the annexes which have been added to the 1980 memorandum of understanding on chemical and biological defence between the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Canada in November 1988, October 1989, October 1991 and June 1994. [1584]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
It is not our practice to place copies of memoranda of understanding or their annexes in the Library.
22 Nov 1995 : Column: 178
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates amendments to the 1980 memorandum of understanding on chemical and biological defence between the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Canada were first notified to Parliament; and on what date the memorandum was last amended. [1585]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
It is not our practice routinely to notify amendments to memoranda of understanding to Parliament. The memorandum of understanding on chemical and biological defence between the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Canada was last amended on 21 November 1994.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications he has received from the Slovak authorities concerning the use of Slovak airspace for Royal Air Force training; and what response he has made to the Slovak authorities. [1306]
Mr. Soames:
None since the meeting in February 1995 between my right hon. and learned Friend the then Secretary of State for Defence and the Slovakian Defence Minister, referred to in my answer of 8 March to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond), Official Report, column 254. However, we continue to explore with the Slovak authorities military training opportunities for the United Kingdom in the region.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the additional cost to the defence budget, other than direct payments to the Canadian authorities, of training Tornado crews at Canadian forces base, Goose Bay in each year since 1990. [1310]
Mr. Soames:
The total costs in £millions of running the RAF unit at CFB Goose Bay since 1991 are in the table. Figures for 1990 are not readily available.
| Year | RAF unit running cost |
|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 2.096 |
| 1992-93 | 2.456 |
| 1993-94 | 3.103 |
| 1994-95 | 3.453 |
| 1995-96 | 3.292 |
Any other costs to the defence budget, other than direct payments to the Canadian authorities, are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what payments have been made to the United States and Canadian authorities for Royal Air Force use of training facilities centred on (a) Nellis air force base, Nevada, (b) Cold Lake, Alberta and (c) Eielson air force base, Alaska, in each year since 1990. [1309]
Mr. Soames:
Payments to the United States authorities for use of training facilities at Nellis air force base, Nevada and Eielson air force base, Alaska are as follows:
| Nellis $ | Eielson $ | |
|---|---|---|
| FY 1991-92 | 25,000.00 | -- |
| FY 1992-93 | 111,684.65 | 143,175.75 |
| FY 1993-94(5) | 365,609.92 | 354,308.33 |
| FY 1994-95(5) | 462,127.82 | 907,402.00 |
| FY 1995-96(5) | 130,441.85 | 417,011.43 |
(5) Because of US billing procedures, the accounts for these years
remain open and further payments may be made against them.
The figures for 1990-91 are no longer available for either of the US locations, nor are the 1991-92 figures for Eielson air force base. No payments have been made to the Canadian authorities for use of training facilities at Cold Lake, Alberta.
British American Community Relations Committees
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the functions and budgets of the Anglo/Scottish/Welsh-American community relations committees; what is the current membership of each; and what is the process by which individuals are appointed to these bodies. [1297]
Mr. Soames: The function of these committees, now known as British American community relations committees, is to promote friendship and understanding between the US service personnel and civilian components, their dependants, and the British communities amongst whom they live. The only cost to the Department of these committees are certain out-of-pocket expenses for chairmen and administrative support provided by MOD-employed community relations advisers. Membership of the committees includes a chairman, who is appointed by my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, the US commander who acts as co-chairman, and, where applicable, a community relations adviser and an RAF commander. Also serving on the committees are a number of British civilians and US service personnel, selected by the chairman and co-chairman respectively.
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