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Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of state for Defence what has been the total cost in each of the last five years of acquiring and operating nuclear weapons and their delivery systems. [9670]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The strategic nuclear deterrent is the UK's only dedicated nuclear weapon delivery system. I refer the hon. Member to the Trident procurement and Polaris and Trident operating costs for 1991-92 and 1992-93 given in answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) on 27 October 1993, Official Report, column 702, for 1994-95 given in answer to the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Cox) on 6 March 1996, Official Report, column 232, and for 1995-96 given in answer to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) on 26 November 1996, Official Report, column 193. The figure for 1993-94 is £1,082 million. The operating costs of the WE177 free-fall nuclear bomb and the Lance nuclear artillery system, which was withdrawn from service in 1992-93, are not recorded separately.
18 Dec 1996 : Column: 628
Great Lakes Region
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral statement of 14 November, Official report, columns 487-89, what contribution United Kingdom forces have made to the resolution of the humanitarian crisis in the great lakes region; and if he will make a statement. [10399]
Mr. Soames: British forces deployed to the region have made an extremely valuable contribution to the action taken by the international community. The Canberra PR9 has flown 24 sorties, playing a pivotal role in determining the precise location and numbers of refugee groups in eastern Zaire. Our liaison personnel in Rwanda have provided unique information about the situation on the ground, and have assisted in the co-ordination of work in the area.
Substantial numbers of refugees have returned home to Rwanda, and aid agencies now enjoy greater ease of access to eastern Zaire. In the light of the dramatic change in the humanitarian situation, the steering group overseeing the multinational mission to the region has recommended to the UN Secretary-General that the multinational force be withdrawn by 31 December. The focus now must be on efforts to obtain wider access for the aid agencies on the ground and to enable them to assess the scale and nature of humanitarian needs and how these can best be met.
Our forces in the region will accordingly return to the UK this week. Our international partners are making similar plans for the withdrawal of their own forces.
The UK will continue to lend full support to the humanitarian mission in the region and to regional efforts to find a lasting political solution. In that context we welcome the outcome of the Nairobi summit of 16 and 17 December.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Army pension payments will be made to each of the three soldiers convicted of the manslaughter of the Danish tour guide in Cyprus; when such payments will commence; and what is the current value of such pensions. [8639]
Mr. Soames:
I can confirm that the three former soldiers had accrued sufficient military service to qualify for a preserved Army pension, which will be payable from their 60th birthday. Under the code of access to Government information, it is not our policy to release information relating to an individual's financial affairs on the grounds that to do so without that person's consent could facilitate an unwarranted invasion of privacy.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of state for Defence if his Department will adopt a policy on the reporting of unidentified craft of releasing to the press details of (i) shape, flight pattern, colour and size of craft, (ii) where and when the craft was seen, (iii) what action his Department took and (iv) the radar profile of the craft. [9410]
18 Dec 1996 : Column: 629
Mr. Jones:
To ask the secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the incident on 16 October 1990 involving two unidentified craft in the vicinity of Wylfa nuclear power station on Anglesey; what estimate the intercepting helicopter pilots made of the departing speeds of the two unidentified craft; if they showed up on radar; and if he will make a statement. [9561]
Mr. Soames:
None, so far as we can establish from existing records.
Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the two attempted interceptions of unidentified craft that occurred near Anglesey in September and November 1995; what other attempts have been made to intercept unidentified craft in this vicinity; and if he will make a statement [9562]
Mr. Soames:
From records available, and from the limited information given in the question, we are unable to identify any incidents of this kind.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many beds there are in the Pindar bunker; how many of these will be occupied over Christmas; and what is his Department's estimate of the cost of using the unoccupied beds to shelter the homeless; [9669]
Mr. Soames:
I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training facilities are provided for Bahrain defence force personnel in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [9737]
Mr. Soames:
The Bahrain defence force is provided with access to a range of military training courses in the UK. Details of military assistance remain confidential between Governments.
Mr. Tipping:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what circumstances his Department will arm patrols by the Military Provost guard service outside an establishment. [9693]
Mr. Soames:
I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Tipping:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the introduction of area policing teams at Chilwell and Donnington in the event of the annulment of the Army Terms of Service (Amendment) Regulations (S.I., No. 2973/96). [9699]
Mr. Soames:
I hope that these will not be annulled. In the event that they were, the implications would be carefully considered at the time.
18 Dec 1996 : Column: 630
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the cost of the anti-botulism toxin vaccine serum produced from October 1990 for use in the Gulf war, mentioned in the memorandum prepared by his Department issued in support of the ministerial statement on Gulf war illness on 10 December, Official Report, columns 119-23; [9632]
(3) what was the cost of the anthrax vaccine ordered from the public health laboratory service in August 1990, to which reference is made in his Department's memorandum released in support of the statement made on Gulf war illness on 10 December, Official Report, columns 119-23. [9637]
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral statement by the Minister of State for the Armed Forces of 10 December Official Report, column 120, on Gulf war syndrome, what steps he has taken to assist Professor Nicola Cherry and Dr. Patricia Doyle to visit Iraq in order to meet Dr. Mubarrak, Minister of Health. [9429]
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will include in the investigation being conducted by his Department's permanent under-secretary into the misleading of the House on the issue of organophosphate pesticide use the conclusions of the inquiry conducted by his Department's security official Mr. A. G. Rucker into the alleged theft of Gulf war syndrome documents, as reported to him by the hon. Member for South Shields in November 1995; [9727]
(3) pursuant to his oral statement of 10 December, Official Report, column 121, on how many occasions information was provided in background material to parliamentary answers on the possible local purchase of organophosphate pesticides between October 1995 and September 1996; [9725]
(4) how many medical records of those in his Department serving in the Gulf war are currently missing; and if he will make a statement on the steps being taken to recover them; [9722]
(5) if he will name the staff undertaking clinical work for his Department as part of the medical assessment programme. [9724]
Mr. Soames:
I will write to the hon. Members and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the terms of reference of the investigation being conducted by his Department's permanent under-secretary into the misleading of the House on the issue of organophosphate pesticide use during the Gulf war; and who will assist the permanent under-secretary in his investigation. [9719]
18 Dec 1996 : Column: 631
Mr. Soames:
The terms of reference of the investigation being conducted by my Department are to establish why proper and timely advice on the subject of organophosphate pesticide use during the Gulf war was not provided to MOD Ministers between July 1994 and September 1996. The permanent under-secretary will be assisted principally by members of the organophosphate pesticide investigation team.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of the inquiry which is being set in hand by his Department into the misleading of the House on the issue of organophosphate pesticide use during the Gulf war. [9721]
Mr. Soames:
The investigation within my Department into the failures in providing proper and timely advice to Ministers about organophosphate pesticide use during the Gulf war is expected to be completed by February 1997. The findings of the investigation will be made available to the House at the earliest opportunity.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many parliamentary questions his Department answered between October 1995 and September 1996 on the use of organophosphate pesticides during the Gulf war. [9726]
Mr. Soames:
Between October 1995 and September 1996 one parliamentary question was answered by my Department on the use of organophosphate pesticides during the Gulf war. This question was answered on 30 October 1995.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the investigation being conducted by his Department into the misleading of the House on the issue of organophosphate pesticide use during the Gulf war has commenced; and when he expects to report its findings to the House. [9720]
Mr. Soames:
The investigation within my Department into the failures in providing proper and timely advice to Ministers about organophosphate pesticide use during the Gulf war commenced on 16 December 1996. I expect to be able to report the findings of the investigation to the House by February 1997.
(2) what estimate he has made of the operating costs of the Pindar bunker in 1996-97. [9668]
(2) what quality control was applied to the purchase of propoxur and bendiocarb-based pesticides from suppliers in Riyadh in January 1991; [9595]
(2) how many of the Gulf war veterans examined by the medical assessment programme have been found to be suffering from (i) kidney and liver damage, (ii) lung complications, (iii) osteoporosis, and (iv) neurological damage; [9723]
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