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St. Helena
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects guidelines for editing the "St. Helena News" and for access to broadcasting in St. Helena to be made public. [37249]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: The Government of St. Helena plan to publish the guidelines during August 1996.
15 Jul 1996 : Column: 358
Former Yugoslavia
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on licensing arms exports to the states of the former Yugoslavia following the lifting of the United Nations arms embargo. [37694]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: On 18 June, the UN Security Council confirmed that the UN arms embargo on former Yugoslavia was terminated in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1021. The Government have decided that, taking into account the overall situation in the states of the former Yugoslavia and the paramount importance of ensuring the safety of British and other troops deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, applications for arms export licenses will be dealt with on the following basis:
(a) for Slovenia and the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia, applications for licences to export military equipment listed in group 1 of part III of schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 and dual use equipment will be considered on a case-by-case basis;
(b) for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, our policy is not to allow the export of military equipment listed in group 1 of part III of schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order of 1994 during the period of the NATO-led implementation force's deployment. Within this context, applications for export licences will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis, as will applications for export of dual use goods.
DEFENCE
U-Boats (Salvage)
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department expects to receive from the salvage of the U-boats sunk to the north of Ireland in Operation Deadlight in 1945; if the proceeds will benefit wartime Royal Navy and Merchant Navy crews and their families who survived; and if he will make a statement. [37123]
Mr. Arbuthnot: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Disposal Sales Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Keith Ellender to Mr. David Atkinson, dated 15 July 1996:
I am responding to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about receipts from the salvage of the World War II U-boats scuppered in Operation Deadlight in 1945, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Disposal Sales Agency.
15 Jul 1996 : Column: 359
Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid in compensation in each financial year since 1990-91 (a) to farmers whose cattle have aborted or been damaged and (b) to people who have been injured or whose health has been damaged by low flying aircraft. [36840]
Mr. Soames:
It is not possible to provide details of compensation for cattle in the form requested without incurring disproportionate cost. My Department has paid the following amounts of compensation in respect of (a) livestock losses and (b) personal injury claims as a result of military aircraft activity since financial year 1990-91:
With the agreement of the Russian and US authorities, joint signatories with the UK to the 1945 Tripartite Agreement on the disposal of all ex-German shipping, my Agency let a licence for the scrapping of a number of surrendered U-boats sunk to the north of Ireland. In addition to a licence fee, the contract allows for a proportion of the proceeds from the scrapping operation to be paid to the Ministry of Defence by the Contractor. Both amounts, the latter being necessarily estimates at this stage, are commercially confidential and, in line with the Department's policy, are not disclosed publicly.
It has been the policy of successive Governments that any compensation paid to the victims of hostilities should be broadly similar for all. It follows that it would not be fair to the majority if money from an unexpected small windfall was to be used by a Government department to pay additional compensation, whether directly or through related charities, to particular groups of survivors or their families.
| (a) | b) | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| 1990-91 | 270,000 | 66,000 |
| 1991-92 | 320,000 | 33,000 |
| 1992-93 | 182,000 | 63,000 |
| 1993-94 | 379,000 | 51,000 |
| 1994-95 | 327,000 | 121,000 |
| 1995-96 | 196,000 | 35,000 |
Bett Review
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 June, Official Report, column 64, if he expects his Department's consideration of the recommendations contained in the report of Sir Michael Bett to be completed by 21 September. [36860]
Mr. Soames: We have been studying all of the recommendations contained in Sir Michael Bett's report carefully, and hope to make a further announcement shortly on progress and our proposed way forward.
Scottish Bases
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's jobs there were at each Navy, Army, Air Force and reserves defence installation in Scotland for the year ended 1 April 1996. [37543]
Mr. Soames: I will write to the hon. Member.
Accommodation
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new armed forces married quarters and single quarters accommodation are currently being built by his Department. [37066]
Mr. Soames [holding answer 12 July 1996]: Sixty-one married quarters and 14 single accommodation projects are currently under construction.
15 Jul 1996 : Column: 360
Procurement Projects
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list his Department's 25 most expensive current procurement projects; what was the original estimated cost of each of these projects at today's prices; what is the current estimated final cost of each of the projects; and if he will list the delays in the in-service dates of these projects. [33999]
Mr. Arbuthnot: Pursuant to my answer of 27 June 1996, Official Report, columns 247-48, I regret to say that the most recent major project report--MPR95--has not been placed in the Library of the House owing to the confidential classification of the document. An unclassified version is being prepared and will be placed in the Library of the House. The projects covered by the report are:
1. Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile AMRAAM
2. Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile ASRAAM
3. Bowman radio system
4. Bridging for the 90s--BR90
5. Challenger 2
6. Common New Generation Frigate--GNGF
7. COBRA
8. EH101 Merlin
9. Eurofighter
10. Hercules C-130J
11. Infra Red Counter Measures --IRCM
12. Landing Platform Dock (Replacement)--LPD (R)
13. Landing Platform (Helicopter)--LP(H)
14. Rapier--Field Standard C
15. Sea Harrier attrition buy
16. SKYNET 4 Phase 2
17. SKYNET 5
18. Spearfish Torpedoes
19. Swiftsure and Trafalgar class submarines--update
20. Tornado GR1 Mid Life Update
21. Trafalgar Class Submarines--Batch 2
22. Trident
23. Tracked utility vehicles--TUL/TUM/TUM(HD)
24. Medium range TRIGAT
25. Vertical Launch Seawolf.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Oil Installations
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 25 June, Official Report, column 62, if he will (a) place in the Library a copy of the International Maritime Organisation guidelines to which he refers and (b) set out the considerations as a result of which the United Kingdom has not yet ratified the UN law of the sea convention of 1982; and when United Kingdom ratification is expected to take place. [35928]
Mr. Page: I have placed in the Library of the House copies of the International Maritime Organisation guidelines and standards for the removal of offshore installations and structures on the continental shelf.
15 Jul 1996 : Column: 361
Ratification of the UN law of the sea convention of 1982 is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Composite Insurance Companies
Mr. French: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the regulatory organisations within his Department which have a responsibility in relation to composite insurance companies; and if he will indicate their responsibilities. [36035]
Mr. Nelson: The regulatory responsibilities of the Department in relation to composite insurance companies as such fall to the insurance directorate of the DTI, which carries out prudential regulation including, in the case of long-term business, safeguarding the reasonable expectations of policyholders under the Insurance Companies Act 1982 and related legislation.
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