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DEFENCE
Skin Cancer (Falkland Islands)
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the risk of skin cancer for service men in the Falklands as a result of perceived changes in the ozone layer; and what precautions he has initiated. [40708]
Mr. Soames: There is no evidence of health problems amongst service men or their families from ultraviolet light in the Falkland Islands.
Personnel deploying to the Falkland Islands are briefed on the risk of ultraviolet light exposure to the skin. Regular news bulletins warn of the daily risk, with personnel being advised to use high factor sun block and to cover up with long sleeve shirts and wide-brimmed hats. There is an environmental health team based at Mount Pleasant which regularly monitors the risk of all environmental health factors on the Falkland Islands.
Anti-depressants (Female Recruits)
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many female recruits in the armed services anti-depressants have been prescribed since the start of training, in the last year. [40770]
Mr. Soames: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Consultants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [41175]
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Mr. Arbuthnot: Individual budget holders in my Department have delegated powers to employ external consultants as they think fit within the limit of their resources and consistent with all requirements for propriety and value for money. The information required has therefore not hitherto been held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Furthermore, external consultants may be engaged by budget holders for assistance on a wide range of problems, but very seldom with the sole specific aim of securing financial savings.
My officials have now begun to collect data from all areas of the Department to establish the total expenditure on external consultancy. The exercise covering financial year 1995-96 was completed earlier this year and revealed that expenditure by the Department, including its agencies, in that period was £150.8 million. I wrote on 21 June 1996 to the hon. Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy), a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House, giving a breakdown of this expenditure.
A similar exercise will be undertaken to show expenditure during 1996-97. Once the information is to hand I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the extent of use of organophosphate insecticides by British forces during the Gulf war; how many troops sprayed these pesticides; what items were sprayed by the insecticides; where were the insecticides purchased; what research his Department had carried out (a) before the Gulf war and (b) after the Gulf war into the health implications of using organophosphates; and what advice was given by his Department during the Gulf war to service personnel spraying the insecticides. [41112]
Mr. Soames:
These questions will be fully covered in the investigation I have already announced.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list all the pesticides, together with the quantities, used by British troops during the Gulf war; [41253]
(3) if he will make a statement on the tests carried out by his Department on pyridostigmine bromide before its use in the Gulf war. [41255]
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if his Department's current investigations into the cause of Gulf war syndrome include research into the possible contribution made by the inhalation of uranium dust arising from the use of depleted uranium armour-piercing shells; [41295]
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(3) what research has been conducted on behalf of his Department by the national poisons information service into the causes of Gulf war syndrome. [41292]
Mr. Soames:
I will write to the hon. Members and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what post Mr. Nicholas Pope was appointed by his Department after his tour of duty with Secretariat (Air Staff) Department 2A; and if he will make a statement. [40920]
Mr. Soames:
Mr. Nicholas Pope was posted on promotion two years ago to a general finance policy branch.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the current risk posed to civilians from exploded depleted uranium-tipped shells in Kuwait. [41101]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
My Department has conducted no formal assessment of the risks to civilians from exploded depleted uranium-tipped ammunition in Kuwait.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the risk to soldiers of handling depleted uranium-tipped shells. [41100]
Mr. Soames:
Depleted uranium has a very low level of radioactivity and the risks attached to the handling of depleted uranium ammunition are minimal.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the 1991 Atomic Energy Authority report on industrial technology concerning the risk of exposure to exploded depleted uranium-tipped shells. [41102]
Mr. Soames:
I refer the hon. Member to the letter sent by my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 7 August 1996, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many depleted uranium-tipped shells were fired by British forces during the Gulf war; and what assessment he has made of the number of exploded shells remaining in Kuwait. [41099]
Mr. Soames:
British forces fired some 88 depleted uranium shells during the Gulf conflict. The Ministry of Defence has made no assessment of the number of exploded shells remaining in Kuwait, as we judge the risk to human health posed by DU rounds to be negligible. It is likely, though, that a large proportion of the 88 shells was expended in Iraq rather than Kuwait.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been conducted by his Department into the nephrotoxicity of the inhalation of uranium particles. [41296]
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Mr. Soames:
I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Spellar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the locations of the houses from the married quarters estate that have been released to Arrington Homes for immediate use by the private sector. [40931]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work is currently undertaken at RAF Rudloe Manor; what work was undertaken in the last 10 years; what was, by rank, the establishment for the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [40823]
Mr. Soames:
I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the current function of DI55 SIG; what was its function (a) five years and (b) 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement; [41040]
(3) what is the current function of DI55; what was its function (a) five years and (b) 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement; [41041]
(4) what is the current function of DI61E; what was its function (a) five years and (b) 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement; [41037]
(5) what is the current function of DI10; what was its function (a) five years and (b) 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement. [41039]
Mr. Soames:
I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
(2) if he will list the vaccines given to British forces before they were deployed to the Gulf war; [41254]
(2) which delousing agents were used to treat Iraqi prisoners captured during Operation Granby in the Gulf war; and what health protective measures were taken for (a) the British Army medical service and (b) the Iraqi prisoners from inadvertent inhalation ingestion or skin contamination; [41304]
(2) what is the current function of DI65B; what was its function (a) five years and (b) 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement; [41038]
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