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PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 30 January. [12112]
The Prime Minister: This morning, I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
European Court of Human Rights
(Compliance Measures)
Mr. Alton: To ask the Prime Minister what steps have been taken by him during the past decade in connection with the implementation of legislation or other compliance measures required as a result of a finding by the European Court of Human Rights of a violation by the United Government or local authorities; what reports he has requested and obtained about (a) the case of Graham Gaskin and (b) other cases; how much time has been spent by him on such compliance matters in the past 10 years; and what plans he has to improve the speed of compliance with and enforcement of findings of the European Court of Human Rights. [13470]
The Prime Minister: It is Government policy to implement judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, and to do so promptly.
We have a very good record in this respect, but we are aware that in the case of Mr. Gaskin there has been considerable delay. This is an exception and it is being dealt with.
We are content with the manner in which we deal with implementation of judgments and have no plans to alter current practice.
Royal Yacht
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) dates, (b) destinations, (c) duration, (d) passengers and (e) cost of the royal yacht Britannia's last 10 voyages; and if he will make a statement. [13223]
Mr. Soames [holding answer 28 January 1997]: The information requested is as follows:
| Date | Location | Royal family member(s) embarked/engagement |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | ||
| 19-20 June | Rendsburg, Germany | TRH the Duke and Duchess of Kent embarked 19 June |
| 20-23 June | Kiel | TRH the Duke and Duchess of Kent disembarked 21 June |
| 26-27 June | Dundee | Commercial event HRH the Prince of Wales embarked 26-27 June |
| 29 June | Portsmouth | |
| 26 July-2 August | Cowes | HRH the Duke of Edinburgh embarked 28 July-2 August |
| 4-14 August | Western Isles | HM the Queen embarked 4 August HRH the Duke of Edinburgh embarked 7 August Royal visit to Oban--7 August |
| 14 August | Aberdeen | HM the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh disembarked 14 August |
| 16-21 August | London | HM the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family embarked 18-20 August |
| 22 August | Portsmouth | |
| 28-29 September | Gibraltar | Routine visit/fuel |
| 3-9 October | Piraeus | Commercial events |
| 13-20 October | Palma, Balearic Islands | Informal visit |
| 23-27 October | Lisbon, Portugal | Commercial events |
| 30 October | Portsmouth | |
| 1996 | ||
| 20-21 February | Devonport | Sea training |
| 27-28 February | Ponta Delgada | Routine visit/fuel |
| 6-9 March | Bermuda | Informal visit/fuel |
| 12-17 March | Palm Beach | HRH The Duke of Edinburgh embarked 13-17 March |
| 18-20 March | Savannah | Commercial events |
| 22-26 March | Baltimore, USA | Commercial events |
| 28 March-8 April | Boston, USA | Commercial events HRH The Duke of York embarked 31 March-2 April |
| 15-22 April | Toronto, Canada | Commercial events |
| 26-27 April | Halifax, Canada | Routine visit/fuel |
| 3 May | Ponta Delgada | Routine visit/fuel |
| 7 May | Portsmouth | |
| 22-24 June | Douglas | HRH the Prince of Wales embarked 24 June |
| 25 June | Belfast | Royal visit |
| 26-27 June | Londonderry | HRH the Prince of Wales disembarked 27 June |
| 29 June | Portsmouth | |
| 5 July | Marchwood | HM the Queen Mother embarked |
| 6-7 July | Falmouth | Royal visit |
| 8-10 July | Portsmouth | HM the Queen Mother disembarked 8 July |
| 11-14 July | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | HRH the Duke of Kent embarked 11-12 July |
| 15 July | Portsmouth | |
| 31 July-7 August | Cowes | HRH the Duke of Edinburgh embarked 2-7 August |
| 7-17 August | Western Isles | HM the Queen embarked 7 August HRH the Duke of Edinburgh embarked 12 August Royal visit to Stranraer--10 August |
| 17 August | Aberdeen | HM the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh disembarked 17 August |
| 19 August | Portsmouth |
30 Jan 1997 : Column: 347
Information on the marginal costs of individual deployments could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 28 January, Official Report, column 200, for the total annual running costs for Britannia since 1990.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days the royal yacht Britannia has been on (a) active service and (b) personal duty to the royal family in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [13230]
Mr. Soames
[holding answer 28 January 1997]: The information requested is as follows:
| Year | Total number of days Britannia was used on active service(6)(7) | Number of days Britannia was used for personal duty by the royal family(7) |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 85 | 12 |
| 1993 | 189 | 11 |
| 1994 | 128 | 0 |
| 1995 | 143 | 11 |
The precise figures for 1996 are not yet available.
(6) Active service includes all official duties, both royal and commercial, undertaken by HMY Britannia.
(7) The figures include the transit times to and from Portsmouth.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days in each of the last five years the royal yacht Britannia was (a) docked out of service in a home port, (b) docked in service in a home port, (c) docked in a foreign port and (d) at sea; and if he will make a statement. [13220]
Mr. Soames [holding answer 28 January 1997]: The information requested is as follows:
| Year | Docked out of service in a home port(8) | Docked in service in a home port | Docked in a foreign port | At sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 171 | 135 | 16 | 43 |
| 1993 | 44 | 134 | 98 | 89 |
| 1994 | 105 | 167 | 39 | 54 |
| 1995 | 148 | 99 | 51 | 67 |
The precise figures for 1996 are not yet available.
(8) Includes maintenance and Docking and Essential Defect periods.
30 Jan 1997 : Column: 348
Rudolf Hess (Death Certificate)
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consideration he has given to reinstating (a) as previously completed and (b) with the amendments applied for by the next of kin the cancelled death certificate of Rudolf Hess; [13490]
- (2) what recent representations he has received in relation to the registration of the death of Rudolf Hess; and if he will summarise his duties in this respect under (a) the four power agreement providing the prison regulations for Spandau Allied prison, (b) the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Special Provisions) Act 1957 and (c) other provisions [13489]
Mr. Soames: The death of Rudolf Hess in Spandau prison, Berlin, was registered under the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Special Provisions) Act 1957 and the Service Departments Registers Order 1959. In 1995, Herr Wolf Rudiger Hess applied for an amendment to the register entry, and at that point it was realised that the registration of his father's death was not in accordance with statue. The Act and the Order provide for the keeping of records of births, deaths and marriages outside the United Kingdom among members of the armed forces, the civilians employed in connection with those forces and in certain organisations concerned with their welfare, or their families. The Registrar General therefore cancelled the entry.
The solicitors acting for the Hess family have asked my Department to recommend that the death should be registered in accordance with the application made in 1995, but since Rudolf Hess belonged to none of the categories specified in the legislation the question of a new entry, in any form, does not arise. This has been explained in a letter from my Department's legal advisers to the solicitors. We are not aware of any duties placed on the Secretary of State for Defence by an agreement between the four powers.
Services Recruitment
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what age his Department starts recruiting (a) males and (b) females in each of the services; and at what age recruits are allowed into front line duties in each of the services. [13485]
Mr. Soames: The minimum age for recruitment into the armed forces is 16 years for each service. The minimum ages at which recruits are allowed into front-line duties in each of the services are:
| Minimum age | |
|---|---|
| Royal Navy | 16 years 3 months |
| Royal Marines | 17 years |
| Army | 17 years 3 months |
| Royal Air Force | 17 years 5 months |
30 Jan 1997 : Column: 349
The age of recruitment and deployment is the same for both men and women, with the following exceptions:
(a) On submarines--males only--deployment is from age 17, and on overseas shore establishments at 18 years.
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