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Electric Shock Weapons
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received and what discussions he has held (a) within the UN and (b) with his EU counterparts about the possibility of a global ban on electric shock weapons. [38401]
Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 22 July 1996]: None.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Public Interest Immunity Certificates
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to announce the outcome of the review into the operation of public interest immunity certificates; and if he will make a statement. [38225]
The Attorney-General: On 26 February, I announced that the Government were to seek the views of interested parties about the use of public interest immunity certificates. Although responses were invited by 1 May, a number of late responses were received, including some very recently. The views of those who have responded are currently being carefully considered. I expect to announce the outcome of the Government's consideration of this issue once Parliament has resumed after the summer recess.
Marchioness Incident
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Attorney-General when the Crown Prosecution Service received the transcripts of the evidence given at the inquest which followed the sinking of the Marchioness; what factors have prevented a decision being taken on whether to initiate a prosecution; when such a decision is expected; and if he will make a statement. [39017]
The Attorney-General: The transcripts became available in stages, the final instalment having being received on Friday 15 December 1995. The Crown Prosecution Service has sought the advice of senior counsel. The matter is complex, but the Director of Public Prosecution expects to issue her decision very shortly.
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Government Property Lawyers
Mr. Simon Coombs: To ask the Attorney-General if he will announce the key performance targets for the Government Property Lawyers agency for 1996-97; and if he will make a statement. [39660]
The Attorney-General: On 18 July 1995, I informed the House, Official Report, column 1037, of the key performance targets which I had set for the Government Property Lawyers for 1995-96.
The agency has carried out its work to a high standard and has achieved the targets which I set. I have set the following targets for the agency for 1996-97:
Mr. Coombs:
To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to (a) lay before Parliament and (b) publish the annual report and accounts of the Government Property Lawyers for the year 1995-96. [39661]
The Attorney-General:
The annual report and accounts for the Government Property Lawyers was laid before Parliament this morning and then published.
Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
I wish the chief executive and his staff another successful year.
To recover the full operating cost of the agency.
To achieve at least 4,350 new instructions from its clients.
To effect an average of 95 completions per caseholder.
To maintain and improve the quality of service in particular by keeping the proportion of cases completed satisfactorily--that is, without requiring rectification by reason of any fault of the agency--on or before the target date at or above 99.5 per cent.
Over the three-year-period, 1996-97 to 1998-99 to achieve a reduction in operating costs of an average of 2.5 per cent. per year in real terms taking 1996-97 as the base year.
Chessington Computer Centre
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what changes have been made to the performance targets of Chessington Computer Centre trading fund for the current year. [39633]
Mr. Freeman: The only change to the targets I gave in my answer on 1 April, Official Report, column 19, is an adjustment to the financial surplus. As disclosed in the financial statement for the year ending 31 March 1996, the Chessington directors reassessed the carrying value of certain software assets and provision was made in these accounts for a diminution in value of these assets thus reducing future depreciation charges. Mainly as a result of these changes, the target operating surplus before interest has increased from £223,000 to £470,000.
DEFENCE
Gulf War
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for each armed service the number of people who served in the Gulf war who have
23 Jul 1996 : Column: 207
subsequently died (a) while serving in the armed services and (b) since they were discharged; and if he will show in each case the cause of their deaths. [35004]
Mr. Soames: Figures for service personnel who served in the Gulf war and have subsequently died since the end of that conflict, while serving, are shown in the table:
| Cause of death | Army | Navy | RAF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injuries and poisoning | 20 | 6 | 34 |
| Neoplasms | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Disorders of the circulatory system | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Disorders of the nervous system and sense organs | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Infections | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 25 | 9 | 44 |
Information on the numbers of discharged service personnel who have died since the end of the Gulf war is not available.
I very much regret that in my answer of 12 June to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on this matter, Official Report, column 210, the figure for the total number of service personnel who had died during the conflict and subsequently while still serving was incorrect. As at 19 July this year, the correct figure is 117.
Mr. Simon Coombs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the private finance initiative for the provision, maintenance and management of the RAF's United Kingdom requirement for cars, vans and minibuses. [38989]
Mr. Sykes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress with the private finance initiative project for the provision, maintenance and management of the Royal Air Force's United Kingdom requirement for cars, vans and minibuses. [39550]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
I am pleased to announce that, following a competition a contract will be placed with LEX Service, for the provision, maintenance and management of the majority of the RAF's UK fleet of cars, vans and minibuses. The RAF has harnessed the opportunities offered by the Government's private finance initiative to secure private sector capital investment and management expertise for these vehicle services. A firm price five-year contract has been negotiated and savings of approximately £17 million are expected over the duration of the contract. The scheme will save money for the taxpayer, maintain the standard of service at less cost and allow the RAF to concentrate on its core business.
Mr. Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information has been released by the Government concerning the accident at Greenham Common airbase on 28 February 1958; what recent reassessment he has carried out of the validity of the conclusions of the 1961 Aldermaston report on the accident; and what are the current health implications of that accident. [39134]
23 Jul 1996 : Column: 208
Mr. Soames:
To detail all of the information released by the Government relating to this accident, which occurred almost 40 years ago, would involve disproportionate cost. My Department has recently released two previously classified reports on radioactivity measurements in the Greenham Common area and an unclassified report, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The National Radiological Protection Board has carried out an independent assessment of the findings of the 1961 Aldermaston report and considered also the later reports published in 1986 and 1994. The NRPB announced on 18 July that if the data in the 1961 report are correct, the indications are that the radiological impact would have been negligible. The NRPB will also be carrying out a limited programme of measurements to provide further reassurance. We believe that the levels quoted in the 1961 report are well below any public health significance, and no subsequent monitoring in the area has found any elevated measurements.
Mr. Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 16 July, Official Report, column 484, if he will place in the Library a copy of the paper on uranium and plutonium contamination around the Greenham Common airforce base when it is released to the Public Record Office. [39053]
Mr. Soames:
Copies of the 1961 report have already been placed in the Library of the House, together with copies of a reassessment report on the 1961 findings, prepared in 1986.
Mr. Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 16 July, Official Report, column 485, if he will list by date and locations the seven category one accidents involving nuclear weapons to which he refers; and if he will provide details in each case. [39052]
Mr. Soames:
No. It remains our policy neither to confirm nor to deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any particular time or place.
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