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RAF Northolt

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to increase (a) the size and capacity of RAF Northolt and (b) the number of flights into and out of that airport; and if he will make a statement. [18341]

Mr. Soames: Following the rejection of the proposal to create a civil enclave at RAF Northolt, the Government have consulted further with the business aviation industry to identify working arrangements at RAF Northolt which could improve the service offered to civil users and to business in the south-east more generally. Such arrangements could result in some limited increase in non-MOD use of RAF Northolt, but my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence and my noble Friend Viscount Goschen will of course take into account the views of local communities and other interested parties before any final decisions are made.

Armed Forces Pensions Scheme

Mr. French: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the probable cost of making payments under the armed forces pensions scheme to the widows of service men who retired before 6 April 1978, and subsequently remarried. [18333]

Mr. Soames: My Department has no record of the number of marriages which were contracted before 1978 by former service men after their retirement, and it is not possible, therefore, to provide an accurate estimate of the cost of awarding pensions to their widows from these marriages. In broad terms, however, my Department has assessed that the final cost of recognising all service prior to 1978 in the case of post-retirement marriages could amount to about £60 million in total for the armed forces.

Empty RAF Stations

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the empty RAF stations in the United Kingdom and the acreage covered by such stations. [18294]

5 Mar 1996 : Column: 120

Mr. Soames: The following RAF stations are in the course of disposal:

	Acres
RAF Greenham Common	1,029
RAF Upper Heywood	1,250
RAF Elvington	400
RAF Bentwaters	1,042
RAF West Raynham	685
RAF Swinderby	628
RAF Binbrook	576
RAF Medmenham	35
Former RAF Kenley	15
RAF Kemble	500
Former RAF Burtonwood	136
RAF Alconbury (enclave retained)	1,050

Additionally, there are a number of other stations currently under consideration for alternative defence use and which may ultimately be passed for disposal, and others where some land is surplus to requirements and is either in disposal or may be passed for disposal.

Finningley Airport

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the bid by Virgin to operate Finningley airport was refused. [18824]

Mr. Soames: No formal bid has been received by my Department from Virgin Airways in regard to RAF Finningley.

Eurofighter

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what aircraft he plans to purchase as an interim measure before the Eurofighter enters service. [19099]

Mr. Arbuthnot: None.

Korean War (British Prisoners)

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral answer of 6 February, Official Report, columns 129-30, what communication he has had on the issue of the possibility of Korean war British prisoners-of-war being still held in Russian camps, with Mr. Malcolm Mackintosh CMG, formerly senior fellow in Soviet studies at the Institute of Strategic Studies; and if he will make a statement. [17032]

Mr. Soames: My officials have discussed the subject with Mr. Mackintosh. If any new information emerges, we will of course pursue it.

Changing the Guard (Buckingham Palace)

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many changing the guard ceremonies there have been outside Buckingham palace in each of the past three years; at what cost in 1996 prices; what was the average number of (a) men and (b) women on parade in each case; and if he will make a statement. [17170]

5 Mar 1996 : Column: 121

Mr. Soames: There were 236 changing the guard ceremonies outside Buckingham palace in 1993, 245 in 1994 and 247 in 1995. Of the 142 service personnel involved in the ceremony, 60 are engaged in the provision of music. The bands sometimes include female personnel, but a record of the specific numbers on specific occasions is not maintained.

The provision of personnel for the changing of the guard ceremonies does not incur additional manpower costs. Details of travel, food and accommodation costs are not held separately and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Troop Deployment

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the level of troop deployment in each of the spheres of operation. [16843]

Mr. Soames: Operational deployment of UK forces is kept under constant review to ensure that the levels match the requirements at any time. At present, there are some 17,500 service personnel deployed in Northern Ireland, 12,700 deployed in support of implementation force operations in the former Yugoslavia and about 400 more on operations in support of United Nations Security Council resolutions in Iraq. In addition, over 400 personnel are committed to UN operations in Cyprus, Kuwait, Angola and Georgia.

RAF Aircraft Losses

Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on (a) the numbers, (b) the total cost and (c) the known causes of all training and operational RAF aircraft lost during (i) 1992, (ii) 1993, (iii) 1994 and (iv) 1995. [18846]

Mr. Soames: The number of RAF aircraft either substantially damaged or destroyed in air accidents in the years in question are as follows:

Year	Number
(i) 1992	9
(ii) 1993	9
(iii) 1994	8
(iv) 1995	8

Each accident is most thoroughly investigated by separate RAF boards of inquiry. Summaries of BOI findings, including accident cause and flight safety recommendations, are routinely place in the Library of the House. No additional costs are incurred for the replacement of aircraft lost in accidents since replacements are drawn from an attrition reserve, which is procured as part of the total aircraft requirement to offset predicted losses. The cost of this reserve is therefore borne when the fleet is procured, not when an aircraft is transferred from the reserve.

Iraq and Turkey (British Troops)

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total British military presence in northern Iraq and in southern Turkey; and what forecasts he has made of the future presence. [19056]

5 Mar 1996 : Column: 122

Mr. Soames: The British contribution to the enforcement of the no-fly zone over northern Iraq is six Tornado GR1 and one VC10 aircraft supported by some 150 military personnel based in southern Turkey; there is also a small number of military personnel based at Zakho in northern Iraq. We have no current plans to alter this contribution.

RAF Air Defence Capabilities

Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he intends to take to improve the RAF air defence capabilities into the next century. [19064]

Mr. Arbuthnot: In order to improve our air defence capability pending the introduction of Eurofighter, we have decided that, subject to the agreement of satisfactory contractual terms and conditions, a contract will be placed with British Aerospace to upgrade the RAF's Tornado F3 aircraft to make them capable of carrying advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and advanced short-range air-to-air missiles.

Together with the radar improvements and joint tactical information distribution system with which the aircraft is already being equipped, this upgrade will greatly enhance the capability of the Tornado F3 and provide the Royal Air Force with an up-to-date beyond visual range missile capability. The overall programme is expected to cost £125 million.

Procurement Executive Headquarters

Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the construction costs of his Department's procurement executive at Abbey Wood. [16853]

Mr. Arbuthnot: The outturn costs for the construction of Abbey Wood are estimated to be £247.2 million at 1992 prices--£273.3 million at 1995 prices--against the approved budget of £248.5 million at 1992 prices--£273.4 million at 1995 prices. The project is therefore within budget.

Overseas Armed Forces (Training)

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries members of whose armed forces were designated as civil or Government servants with his Department's knowledge or consent during periods in the United Kingdom since 1980. [16400]

Mr. Arbuthnot: I will write to the hon. Member.

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