| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Procurement
25. Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of Ministry of Defence defence equipment is procured in the United Kingdom and in Europe. [16864]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The "Statement of Defence Estimates 1995", chapter 5, figure 13, provides a breakdown of the proportion of equipment expenditure in the UK, overseas and on collaborative projects over the last five years. This indicates that, including the UK share of collaborative work, 91 per cent. by value of our direct equipment expenditure is placed with UK industry, and 9 per cent. overseas. The Department does not compile the data to break this figure for overseas expenditure down by individual countries.
Europe
26. Mr. Carrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans next to meet his French counterpart to discuss the future defence of Europe. [16865]
Mr. Soames: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State meets his French counterpart on a regular basis and they discuss a wide range of European security and other issues.
Land Mines
27. Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with representatives from the United Nations concerning the UN Secretary-General's call for a ban on the export of anti-personnel land mines. [16866]
Mr. Arbuthnot: My right hon. Friend has had no discussions on this issue with representatives of the United Nations.
5 Mar 1996 : Column: 116
Joint Service Command and Staff College
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are his plans for the provision of a joint service command and staff college; and if he will make a statement. [19446]
Mr. Soames: Further to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North Thanet (Mr. Gale) on 6 February, Official Report, column 169, we have now completed our appraisal of the options for staff training from September 1997 until the opening of the permanent site of the joint service command and staff college.
RAF Bracknell, Queen Elizabeth Park barracks Guildford, and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst were examined as possible temporary sites for the new college.
We have chosen RAF Bracknell and propose, subject to formal consultation, to open the new joint service command and staff college there in September 1997. The consultation document is available in the Library of the House.
The Government intend to dispose of the Bracknell site by the end of 1999, by which time the new college should be well established at its permanent site.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of the threat posed to UK interests by the Condor missile programme; which countries have participated in it; and whether missiles developed in respect of the programme are still in position. [17208]
Mr. Soames:
While we remain extremely vigilant to the potential for ballistic missile technology proliferation, we do not consider Condor II to be a threat to UK interests. The Condor II ballistic missile programme developed by Argentina in partnership with a number of European technical consultants in the 1980s, was deactivated in May 1991 when Argentina acceded to the missile technology control regime. Although both Egypt and Iraq were customers for Condor missile technology and associated production facilities, we do not believe that Condor was ever flight tested or deployed anywhere in the world.
Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqi pilots were trained at RAF Chivenor during the 1980s. [17717]
Mr. Soames:
From 1980 until 1986, a number of Iraqi pilots received training at Ministry of Defence establishments; none received weapons training or training in combat techniques. Full details of students trained at individual establishments are not available.
Sir Peter Lloyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel or former personnel have been awarded war pensions for asbestos-related conditions resulting from their service (a) between 1967 and 1987 and (b) since 1987; and how many of those in (b) were also awarded compensation. [18168]
5 Mar 1996 : Column: 117
Mr. Soames:
No compensation payments have been made to service or ex-service personnel for asbestos-related conditions under my Department's common law liability. War pensions are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.
Sir Peter Lloyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's civilian employees or former employees have been awarded compensation for asbestos-related conditions resulting from their service (a) between 1967 and 1987 and (b) since 1987. [18167]
Mr. Soames:
I will write to my right hon. Friend.
Mr. Spellar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what have been the increases in rents for service family quarters in each of the last five years; and what are the planned increases. [18253]
Mr. Soames:
The average percentage increases in accommodation charges recommended by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body for service family quarters owned by the Ministry of Defence are given.
Mr. John Townend:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his written answer to the hon. Member for Canterbury (Mr. Brazier) of 26 February, Official Report, column 320, if he will place a copy of the information memorandum in the Library. [18944]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
As I explained in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Canterbury (Mr. Brazier), the information memorandum has been issued to prequalified bidders on a commercially confidential basis. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to place a copy in the Library of the House.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the matters discussed and decisions taken at the meetings held between Ministers and officials in his Department and US congressman Steve Buyer on Gulf war-related illnesses. [18551]
5 Mar 1996 : Column: 118
Mr. Soames:
Constructive meetings were held with Congressman Buyer and a range of issues were discussed. In particular, Congressman Buyer was given a progress report on the findings to date of our Gulf medical assessment programme and was advised of our plans for a series of Gulf-related epidemiological studies. Congressman Buyer was also assured of our intention to maintain close liaison with the US authorities investigating Gulf war illnesses.
Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current provisions governing the publication of investigations into crashes of RAF aircraft. [18491]
Mr. Soames:
A military aircraft accident summary, outlining the circumstances and cause of each RAF aircraft accident, together with any significant flight safety lessons learnt, is published when the board of inquiry has been completed and, when there has been a fatality, after next of kin have been made aware of the inquiry's findings. Copies of the MAAS are sent to the hon. Members in whose constituency the accident occurred as well as to those in whose constituency the aircraft involved was based. Copies are also placed in the Library of the House and published in the specialist press. This arrangement applies equally to Royal Navy aircraft accidents.
Mr. Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provisions exist for (a) the payment of compensation for the (b) awards in recognition of gallantry, shown by RAF personnel who have died while directing a crashing aircraft away from populated areas. [18492]
Mr. Soames:
Compensation would be paid in accordance with common law principles to dependants of service personnel whose death resulted from negligence on the part of the Ministry of Defence or someone acting on its behalf. If the fatal accident had been caused by the negligence of members of the aircrew, dependants of those who had been negligent would not receive compensation.
Where RAF personnel die in service and are members of the armed forces pension scheme, benefits are payable either to their dependants or to the estate of the deceased. In addition, where the cause of death is accepted as attributable to service, additional benefits will be paid even if the person had opted out of the AFPS and had made their own personal pension arrangements. These additional benefits would include a tax-free war widow's pension, where appropriate, under the scheme operated by the Department of Social Security.
The Air Force cross and Queen's commendation for bravery in the air are available to recognise acts of non-combatant gallantry by RAF personnel while flying. Higher levels of gallantry in the air may be recognised by the George cross or George medal. Each may be awarded posthumously. Recommendations for these awards are made by commanding officers when appropriate.
5 Mar 1996 : Column: 119
Mr. Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the crash of a Harrier at Burnworthy, Somerset; and what measures he is taking (a) to avert crashes of RAF aircraft and (b) to improve training instructions to avert casualties to (i) RAF personnel and (ii) civilians on the ground. [18490]
Mr. Soames:
Investigations into all the aircraft accidents that have occurred this year, including the accident involving a Royal Navy Harrier T4 in my hon. Friend's constituency on 23 February, are still continuing. Action will be taken to ensure any flight safety lessons are communicated widely within my Department as soon as they become apparent. All aircrew must reach specified professional standards before they are permitted to take part in any military flying activity. There is no question that either the RAF or the Royal Navy would ever jeopardise the safety of its aircrew or civilians on the ground by allowing inadequately trained personnel to fly an aircraft.
Charges are recommended annually by the AFPRB, who have always followed the principle that charges levied on service personnel should compare fairly with the costs civilians have to incur for comparable housing. The AFPRB acknowledged this year that family quarter charges had slipped significantly behind comparable rents in the private sector and as such had recommended a significant increase in charges. It sees this as the beginning of a number of increases over the forthcoming years to close the gap, but these are not expected to be of the same magnitude as those recommended this year. The higher percentage increases have been applied to senior officers, while increases for junior personnel have generally been in the region of 10 per cent.
1992-93: 3.9-9.2 per cent.
1993-94: 1.5 per cent.
1994-95: 5 per cent.
1995-96: 5-8 per cent.
1996-97: 10-25 per cent.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |