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Sea Dumping Operations
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all coastal or sea disposal sites used for the dumping of (a) surplus chemical weapons, (b) chemical weapons recovered from enemy forces, (c) surplus conventional explosives, (d) toxic wastes and (e) radioactive waste since 1965; and what quantity of the waste materials of each category is dumped at each site. [1581]
Mr. Soames: Complete records of MoD sea dumping operations undertaken are no longer available. Accordingly, it is not possible to identify the total tonnages or precise nature of defence-related materials or waste products disposed of by this means. Records show that sea dumping of chemical weapons ended in 1957. Beaufort's dyke was the Departments's main conventional munitions disposal site in the north channel, where over 1 million tonnes of munitions were dumped between 1945 and 1973. An emergency MoD disposal took place in 1976 involving two cases of heavily corroded 40mm shells. Hurd Deep, situated in the English channel some 50 miles south of Prawle Point near Plymouth was also a conventional weapon dump site but no complete record appears to have survived of dumping operations at this site after the immediate post-war period until its use was discontinued in 1973. Between 1973 and 1985, up to 2,000 tonnes of conventional munitions were disposed of annually at the deep water dump site situated approximately 400 miles south-west of Lands End, off the continental shelf. From 1985 until October 1992, when the sea dumping of munitions was terminated, the annual disposals were as follows: 904 tonnes; 1,882 tonnes, 1,565 tonnes; 3,244 tonnes; 1,544 tonnes; 1,775 tonnes; 1,093 tonnes and 8,764 tonnes. There are a number of other explosive dumping grounds charted in British waters but these were not routinely used. Details of the UK's sea disposal programme for low and intermediate level radioactive wastes, including wastes generated by MoD establishments, are contained in a report commissioned by the Department of the Environment, "Report of the Independent Review of Disposal of Radioactive Waste in the Northeast Atlantic", published in November 1984.
Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the climatic chamber in the human factors section at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down was built; and what this chamber is used for. [1562]
Mr. Arbuthnot: This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 267
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 23 November 1995:
Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking when the climatic chamber in the Human Factors section at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment was built and what it is used for has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBDE as one of its divisions.
Mr. Arbuthnot:
This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 23 November 1995:
Mr. Arbuthnot:
This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 23 November 1995:
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 268
facility was opened in February 1994; and how many years this new facility is projected to be in service. [1563]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 23 November 1995:
Mr. Arbuthnot:
This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 23 November 1995:
Mr. Arbuthnot:
This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 23 November 1995:
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 269
Mr. Arbuthnot:
This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 23 November 1995:
(2) if he will place in the Library copies of reports arising out of the Health and Safety Executive inspections of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, in 1983 and 1988. [1615]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 23 November 1995:
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 270
Mr. Soames:
This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down have been exposed to chemical warfare agents in experiments since 1965; what was the purpose of these experiments; when these experiments took place; and what were the conclusions of these experiments. [1560]
This facility, which is used to assess the effects of wearing protective equipment on personnel in a variety of ambient temperatures and humidities, was built in the early 1950s.
I hope this information is helpful.
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many scientific and biological papers were published between 1969 and 1991 under the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment technical paper series; and how many of these papers are now unclassified. [1609]
Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking how many staff at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment have been exposed to chemical warfare agents in experiments since 1965 has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBDE as one of its divisions.
No members of staff have been exposed to chemical warfare agents as part of experiments since 1965.
I hope this information is helpful.
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what experiments have been carried out in the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment's new facility for testing equipment and volunteers since the
Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking how many papers were published between 1969 and 1991 in the Chemical Defence Establishment Technical Paper series and how many of them are now unclassified has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBDE as one of its divisions.
A total of 610 technical papers in the CDE Technical Series were published between 1969 and 1991. These reports are now held in a variety of places and it would involve disproportionate effort to check on the current security classification of all of them, bearing in mind that classification is reviewed from time to time. I can, however, tell you that of the total 610 technical papers, 193 were produced as unclassified documents.
I am sorry I cannot be more helpful.
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of section 6 No. 5 of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment's range safety regulation issued in 1984 which relates to the use of exposure chambers. [1564]
Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking what experiments have been conducted in the new facility opened in February 1994 at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBDE as one of its divisions.
The new facility opened in February 1994 replaced the exposure chambers previously used to conduct studies involving equipment and service volunteers. To date the new facility has been used to carry out evaluations of collective and individual protection equipment and chemical agent detection systems. No studies involving service volunteers have taken place in this facility so far. The fitting and testing of respirators routinely issued to personnel at CBDE is also carried out in this facility. The lifetime of the facility is projected to be at least twenty years.
I hope this information is helpful.
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what new buildings are planned to be built at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, as part of its building replacement programme. [1610]
Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking if copies of Section 6 No. 5 of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment's Range of Safety Regulations issued in 1984 can be placed in the Library of the House of Commons has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBDE as one of its divisions.
I have made arrangements for a copy of this section of the Range Safety Regulations to be placed in the Library. You should be aware however that the procedures set out in this section refer exclusively to the now disused exposure chambers and not to the facility opened in February 1994.
I hope this information is helpful.
Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking what new buildings are planned to be built at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down as part of the building replacement plan has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBDE as one of its divisions.
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the conclusion of the research work at Nancekuke to investigate the storage of GB referred to in his answer of 16 March, Official Report, column 709; and when this work was carried out. [1616]
CBDE are currently undertaking an investment appraisal into the possibility and viability of replacing a number of the ageing buildings with more modern, cost effective structures. The scheme being considered provides for replacement buildings for the Medical Countermeasures, Detection, Protection and Hazard Assessment Sections together with their support facilities in a floor area considerably smaller than that presently occupied. The scheme has yet to receive permission to proceed to the design stage.
CBDE are about to award a design commission for a new Containment Building for work with microbiological organisms. If constructed this building will replace some of the old Microbiological building which will then be demolished. The scheme does not currently have permission to proceed beyond the design stage.
I hope this information is helpful.
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when the Health and Safety Executive last conducted a safety inspection at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down; and when the next Health and Safety Executive inspection of the establishment is scheduled; [1561]
Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking what the conclusions of the research carried out at Nancekuke to investigate the storage of GB has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment as one of its divisions.
The work carried out at Nancekuke on the long term storage of the nerve gas GB took place from 1957 until the late 1970s and concluded that, suitably stabilised, the agent would have a shelf life in excess of twenty years.
I hope this information is helpful.
Your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence asking when the Health and Safety Executive last inspected the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down and if copies of the reports of the inspections carried out in 1983 and 1988 can be placed in the Library of the House of Commons has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBDE as one of its divisions.
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the 21 safety audits referred to in his answer of 18 July, Official Report, columns 175-76 reviewed the arrangements for carrying out tests and studies in the service volunteer programme. [1611]
The Health and Safety Executive last carried out a full safety inspection at CBDE in 1988. The next inspection is scheduled to take place early in 1996. Requests for placing copies of the reports of the Health and Safety Executive inspections in the House of Commons Library should be made to the Director General of the Health and Safety Executive.
I hope this information is helpful.
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