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HMS Sheffield

Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action (a) has been taken and (b) will be taken to recover the nuclear weapons on board HMS Sheffield in the south Atlantic; what assessment has been made of the environmental risks arising from nuclear materials on board; and what action (i) has been taken and (ii) will be taken to reduce the risk to the marine environment. [29743]

Mr. Soames: There has been no action to recover any weapons from HMS Sheffield, either between when she was hit and sank or since. There is no risk to the marine environment in the area where she sunk.

Contractors

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what monitoring is undertaken of post-programme completions to ensure that non-United Kingdom contractors have achieved the offset work promised. [29859]

Mr. Arbuthnot: Companies with offset obligations are required to submit reports to my Department every six months, detailing relevant contracts awarded to UK defence industry during the reporting period. A full audit of these reports is conducted in order to establish the validity of the claims, and to ensure that the companies are complying with the terms and conditions of their offset commitment.

Research Investment

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his procurement policy in respect of equipment which has been developed as a result of Government research investment. [29861]

Mr. Arbuthnot: As described in pages 68-71 of the current "Statement on the Defence Estimates", my Department's procurement policy on research investment is to obtain best value for money, encourage technological innovation and reduce equipment procurement risk. The extent of Government research investment in a particular piece of equipment is one of the many factors taken into consideration when procurement decisions are made, as are the potential benefits of defence research spin-off to the private sector.

Works of Art

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 May, Official Report, column 22, if he will list the 107 works of art belonging to his Department which are classified as missing, indicating their individual estimated value. [29829]

Mr. Arbuthnot: It has not been my Department's practice to obtain valuations for our works of art, but most of the missing items are prints and photographs which we believe are of little value. I will place a list of missing works of art belonging to my Department in the Library of the House.

Acoustic Processing

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what level of Government funds have been invested in the research and development of United Kingdom acoustic processing capabilities for the last 10 years. [29860]

20 May 1996 : Column: 56

Mr. Arbuthnot: Details of expenditure on development of defence capabilities are not available in the form requested. However, estimates of research expenditure on underwater acoustic processing for the period in question, at 1996 prices, are:

1986-87: 9.6
1987-88: 9.4
1988-89: 9.2
1989-90: 9.0
1990-91: 8.8
1991-92: 8.6
1992-93: 8.4
1993-94: 8.2
1994-95: 7.8
1995-96: 6.9 ^{1 1} Provisional outturn.
All figures £ million, excl-VAT.

Housing Stock

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will maintain a golden share after the sell-off of the married housing stock. [29648]

Mr. Arbuthnot [holding answer 16 May 1996]: My Department's continuing interest in the married quarters estate will be reflected in the terms of the leases, and other contractual arrangements, for example the provision for profit share.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Goods and Services

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department paid to the private sector for goods and services in 1995-96. [29457]

Mr. Hanley: The FCO diplomatic wing does not yet have this information available. We will forward it to the House of Commons Library as soon as possible.

ODA figures on payments made for goods and services to the private sector are not separately held, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Small Firms

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many firms with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50, (c) 20 and (d) 10 employees were used by his Department in each of the last five years. [29442]

Mr. Hanley: We do not hold this information in the form requested. It could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Performance Bonds

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy on the use of performance bonds; in what circumstances they are used; what was the total sum paid by bond in each of the last five years; and if his Department requires bonds from businesses with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50 and (c) 20 employees. [29420]

20 May 1996 : Column: 57

Mr. Hanley: The FCO diplomatic wing does not use performance bonds in the United Kingdom. Performance bonds are used in overseas countries where it is standard practice to use such bonds, and where the risk of technical or financial failure is high.

The ODA uses performance bonds in accordance with normal commercial practice on capital aid contracts between overseas clients and United Kingdom contractors.

The FCO (DW) has not called in any performance bonds during the last five years. The ODA has called in one; the money was used to complete the contract.

In both the FCO (DW) and ODA, information about performance bonds is not held on companies according to the number of employees.

Sudan

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received about human rights violation in the Nuba mountain region in Sudan. [29897]

Mr. Hanley: We have received disturbing reports of human rights violations in the Nuba mountains. Access to the area is difficult because of the civil war, but there is evidence of a policy of forced arabisation and islamisation of the Nuba people. The United Nations special rapporteur has stated that a large number of civilians, including women and children, have been killed in attacks by Government forces, or summarily executed.

Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the forced acculturation policy of the Sudanese Government. [29898]

Mr. Hanley: There is credible evidence, including that cited by the United Nations special rapporteur, Dr. Biro, that the Sudanese Government have been conducting forced islamisation and arabisation, notably in the Nuba mountains, in the camps for southern Sudanese in northern Sudan, and among children.

Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding human rights violations in Sudan. [29899]

Mr. Hanley: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) on 13 May, column 360.

Bhutan

Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received concerning human rights in Bhutan; and if he will make a statement. [29738]

Mr. Hanley: A representative of the Bhutanese refugees in eastern Nepal called on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 22 March. The human rights situation in Bhutan was discussed. A number of British non-governmental organisations have also raised the issue with us.

20 May 1996 : Column: 58

Mr. Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning the number of refugees who have recently left Bhutan for Nepal and the reasons for their departure; and what assistance is being provided by the United Kingdom to assist those refugees. [29739]

Mr. Hanley: We understand that only a few family groups have arrived in Nepal from Bhutan over recent months. The United Kingdom has contributed more than £475,000 to refugee relief in Nepal over the past three years.

Mr. Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has recently made to the Indian Government about the detention of appeal marchers campaigning for change in Bhutan; how many such marchers were detailed; how many remain in custody; and if he will make a statement. [29740]

Mr. Hanley: While we discussed Bhutan in our bilateral talks with India on 28 March, we have made no specific representations to the Indian Government about the arrest of the marchers, but we continue to monitor the situation closely with our EU partners. We understand that about 1,400 marchers have been arrested, of whom 792 remain in custody.

Mr. Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning the outcome of the 7th round of inter-ministerial talks on Bhutan and Nepal; what steps he is taking to ensure (a) the constructive involvement of India in those talks and (b) a just resolution of the problems with which they are dealing; and if he will make a statement. [29741]

Mr. Hanley: The latest round of inter-ministerial talks between Bhutan and Nepal in Kathmandu on 4 to 8 April ended with agreement to continue the talks in Thimpu, though no dates were set. We have regularly raised Bhutan in bilateral talks with India--most recently on 28 March. We believe that negotiation between Bhutan and Nepal offers the best solution to this problem and will continue to encourage both governments in this.

Mr. Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report the terms of the resolution of 14 March passed by the European Parliament in relation to refugees from Bhutan. [29742]

Mr. Hanley: I am arranging for the resolution to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

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