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United States Bases
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the United States bases in the United Kingdom which are covered by (a) leases, (b) security of tenures and (c) other arrangements. [21842]
Mr. Soames: Bases are made available for use by United States forces in accordance with the NATO status of forces agreement of 1951 and confidential arrangements between the Governments of the United Kingdom and of the United States of America. It is not our practice to comment on the details of such arrangements.
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what approaches he has received from (a) the US Government and (b) the US armed forces to renew the security of tenure arrangements at (i) Menwith Hill station and (ii) other US bases in the UK. [21850]
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Mr. Soames: The administration arrangements governing the basing of United States forces at RAF Menwith Hill are confidential between the Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States of America. These include the security of tenure correspondence which applied solely to Menwith Hill.
RAF Brawdy
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many United States personnel work at RAF Brawdy; and how many of them are employed by the National Security Agency of America. [21844]
Menwith Hill Station
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planned numbers of United States military personnel at Menwith Hill station will be in (a) the coming year, (b) the next three years and (c) the next five years. [21846]
Mr. Soames: It is not our policy to give details of personnel assignment.
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) United States, (b) British and (c) Government communications headquarters personnel currently work at Menwith Hill station. [21848]
Mr. Soames: There are currently approximately 1,200 United States and 600 UK personnel employed at RAF Menwith Hill. This includes a significant GCHQ presence. It is not Government policy, however, to give more detailed information on the deployment of GCHQ staff.
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which members of the Intelligence and Security Committee visited Menwith Hill station; if the Committee took (a) oral and (b) written evidence before its visit; who the Committee met during the visit; what report the Committee plans to make about work undertaken at the station; and if he will make a statement; [21839]
- (2) when the Intelligence and Security Committee visited Menwith Hill station; what was the purpose of its visit; if the proposal that Menwith Hill station should become an RAF station was discussed; who invited the Committee to visit; how long the visit lasted; to what parts of the station the Committee was denied access; what was the outcome of the visit; and if he will make a statement. [21840]
Mr. Soames: It is not the Government's practice to disclose details of the Intelligence and Security Committee's business. The Committee itself does this through its annual report to the Prime Minister which he lays before Parliament; the publication of other reports is dependent on their content.
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Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into links between the operations of Menwith Hill station and local incidence of cancer. [21841]
Mr. Saomes: My Department has neither commissioned nor evaluated any such research. Health issues affecting the local population are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are taken to ensure that operations at Menwith Hill station (i) comply with the Interception of Communications Act 1985 and (ii) do not intercept the communications of British businesses. [21843]
Mr. Soames: All interception of communications on public telecommunications networks in the UK is subject to the provisions of the Interception of Communications Act 1985. It is not Government policy to comment on the detailed operations of the intelligence and security agencies.
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what new building and construction work has been carried out or commissioned, at Menwith Hill station over the last six years; at what cost; to whom and what further work is planned over (a) the next year, (b) three years and (c) five years. [21845]
Mr. Soames: Over the past six years, there has been a variety of new building and construction work at RAF Menwith Hill including new radomes and operational structures as well as a range of social and domestic buildings including barrack accommodation and water towers. The total cost is a matter for the US authorities. Further planned development of the site will cover a new child development centre, an extension to the chapel, the erection of portable classrooms and extension of security fencing.
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many US military personnel have started work at Menwith Hill station since 8 August 1995. [21847]
Mr. Soames: Since 8 August 1995, the overall manpower structure has not changed significantly.
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what legal basis the US army occupies Menwith Hill station. [21849]
Mr. Soames: The basis on which the US army, along with other United States forces, is stationed in the UK is contained in the NATO status of forces agreement of 1951.
Redundancy Costs
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the costs incurred by his Department as a result of redundancies in each of the three services in each of the last five years. [21886]
Mr. Soames: The "Options for Change" redundancy programme began in financial year 1992-93. In that year, redundancy payments of £232 million were made. In 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 the payments totalled £509 million, £453 million and £187 million respectively.
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These costs are split between the three services as follows:
| 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RN | 12 | 95 | 75 | 28 |
| ARMY | 209 | 328 | 281 | 16 |
| RAF | 11 | 86 | 97 | 143 |
| Total | 232 | 509 | 453 | 187 |
These payments include special capital payments, and early payment of terminal grants, commuted pension payments and the first year's payment of immediate pensions.
Merchant Vessels
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions merchant vessels chartered by his Department to transport troops and equipment to the UN implementation force operation in Bosnia have been inspected under port state control arrangements; and what vessel deficiencies have been identified by such inspections. [22001]
Mr. Soames: Neither of the two merchant vessels chartered for IFOR and used for deployment and sustainment was subject to a port state control inspection during the period of MOD charter.
USAF Lakenheath
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what emergency plans are in place in the event of an accident involving the American nuclear weapons store at USAF Lakenheath. [21851]
Mr. Soames: It has been the long-standing policy of both the United Kingdom and the United States Governments neither to confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any particular place or time. Bilateral arrangements for responding to an accident involving a US nuclear weapon provide for a joint response in which US and UK military and civilian personnel would work in conjunction with the civil emergency services.
Recruitment Costs
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the costs of recruitment in each of the three services in each of the last five years. [21887]
Mr. Soames: The costs of recruitment in each of the three services for each of the last five years is shown. Total recruitment figures for the Army are not available for the first year as they cannot be identified separately.
| Year | Royal Navy | Army | RAF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 23.48 | n/a | 26.33 |
| 1991-92 | 26.83 | 42.20 | 27.98 |
| 1992-93 | 19.00 | 42.60 | 27.45 |
| 1993-94 | 21.10 | 48.61 | 27.60 |
| 1994-95 | 19.50 | 45.91 | 27.87 |
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Reservists
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to replace those members of the Territorial Army and Army Reserve who were called out last December and February to support the United Kingdom's contribution to the NATO implementation force in former Yugoslavia. [22650]
Mr. Soames: Work has commenced to trawl for suitably qualified volunteers from the Army Reserve and Territorial Army who are willing to be called out for service in former Yugoslavia, and also to identify those reservists currently called out who are prepared to extend their period of service.
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