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Radium Experiments (Alverstoke)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what data his Department has collated concerning radium experiments on humans at Alverstoke. [18098]
Mr. Soames: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library.
Air Traffic Control
Mr. Spellar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on operational
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effectiveness of moving from a system of military air traffic control to utilising the system of civilian air traffic control. [18260]
Mr. Soames:
The RAF has carried out a thorough assessment, involving practical simulations and managerial studies, of delivering a military air traffic control service using the equipment and associated software designed to be provided for the new en route centre at Swanwick. The assessment determined that the same degree of service in terms of quality and safety could be provided to military aircraft without any loss of operational freedom.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report specific corrections to each of the previously inaccurate replies relating to the use of organophosphate pesticides during the Gulf war. [18342]
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Mr. Soames:
I apologised to the House on 10 December last year for the fact that earlier parliamentary questions on this subject had been answered incorrectly. Full details of what is now known about the use of organophosphate pesticides by British service personnel during the Gulf war are contained in the organophosphate pesticide investigation team report which was published on 10 December 1996. A copy of this report was also placed in the Library.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost to his Department of aid to the Russian Federation to assist the safe transport and storage of nuclear weapons for each of the last five financial years; and from which subheads of which votes these funds were taken. [18278]
Mr. Soames:
UK assistance to the Russian Federation in the context of safe transport and storage of nuclear weapons has comprised two related projects: the supply of heavy duty trucks and the supply of supercontainers. The total costs by year for each of the last five years for these two projects are as follows:
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| 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles | 1.171 | 11.358 | 9.447 | 2.049 | 1.653 |
| Containers | 0.000 | 2.75 | 8.65 | 0.03 | 0.007 |
These costs are charged to Vote 2. Further breakdown by subhead is not held centrally and is not available.
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RAF Greenham Common (Radioactive Contamination)
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the recent report by the geosciences advisory unit of Southampton oceanography centre relating to alleged radioactive contamination around RAF Greenham Common base.[18340]
Mr. Soames: As this report was issued only very recently, it has not yet been possible to assess in detail all the information it contains. We are, however, pleased to note that the conclusions of this independent study broadly substantiate the findings of the National Radiological Protection Board report which was published in December last year. The results relating to the Greenham Common and Newbury areas must be particularly reassuring to local residents and provide further confirmation that there was no truth in last year's irresponsible allegations of a nuclear weapon accident.
The tentative evidence regarding man-made radioactivity in the immediate environment of AWE Aldermaston must be compared with the extensive environmental survey data held at AWE and published annually before any proposals for yet further work can be considered.
British Military Personnel (Rwanda)
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training assistance British military personnel have provided in Rwanda over the past five years. [18474]
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Mr. Soames:
No training assistance has been provided by British military personnel in Rwanda over the past five years. A member of the Royal Army Medical Corps has, however, provided assistance in 1995 to the independent international commission of inquiry set up at the request of the Government of Rwanda to investigate events surrounding deaths of an unknown number of persons at the Kibeho refugee camp. In addition, a member of the RAF legal services led a seminar sponsored by the UN centre for human rights in February on training the Rwandan army in the human rights aspects of military activity.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work has been carried out or commissioned by (a) his Department and (b) the Adjutant General to assess the impact on the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force of (i) the working time directive, (ii) the posting of workers directive, (iii) the parental and family leave directive, (iv) the young workers directive, (v) the burden of proof directive and (vi) the data protection directive. [18369]
Mr. Soames:
The Ministry of Defence takes its full part in government consideration of EU legislation. All relevant directives are examined within MOD to assess the potential impact on the armed forces, and the appropriate service authorities contribute fully to the debate. Any proposed EU directives which might affect service personnel policy are routinely referred to the Army's Adjutant General and to his counterparts in the other two services for their views. The parental and family leave directive and the burden of proof directive do not
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apply to the UK since they are being made under the agreement on social policy. The posting of workers directive does not apply to the armed forces. The working time directive, the young workers directive and the data protection directive are all currently under active consideration within the Department.
Mr. Jamieson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the loss of the Lynx helicopter from HMS Monmouth off Plymouth on 25 February; and what the helicopter will cost to replace.[18424]
Mr. Soames:
HMS Monmouth was exercising in the channel south of the Eddystone light on 25 February, in heavy seas, when the lashing securing her Lynx helicopter to the flight deck broke, causing the aircraft to topple overboard following a sequence of heavy rolls by the ship. The crew of the helicopter, who were aboard the aircraft at the time, were recovered shaken but uninjured. The Royal Navy has begun an inquiry into the incident.
It is intended to salvage the aircraft so that the extent of the damage to it, and the possibility of returning it to service, can be assessed. HMS Monmouth is currently being provided with a replacement Lynx from within the existing aircraft fleet. It is too early to say what further action, if any, will be required to replace the damaged aircraft, or what the costs would be.
Mr. Berry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (1) pursuant to his answer of 27 January, Official Report, column 32, if the new claim for additional payments and extensions for time submitted by the shell and core contractor for his Department's new building at Abbey Wood, Bristol, incorporates the claims referred to in his answer of 24 June 1996, Official Report, column 39; [18502]
(3) on how many occasions the shell and core contractor for his Department's new building at Abbey Wood, Bristol, was prevented from progressing because of delays by the client team in approving design change.[18504]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The new claim submitted for additional payment and extensions of time has subsumed that previously submitted by the Abbey Wood shell and core contractor.
Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the agreement made between France and Germany at Nuremburg in December 1996 on common security and defence and the relevance of this agreement to NATO obligations. [18587]
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Mr. Soames:
The agreement is a matter for the French and German Governments, but we note its reaffirmation of the importance of NATO to Europe's stability and security, and its signatories' commitment to strengthen their contribution to the alliance.
Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement describing the current restrictions on the participation of German military forces outside their own borders in consequence of post-war agreements. [18588]
Mr. Soames:
Germany is not bound by any post-war treaty in this respect. The basic law lays down that the German armed forces may be used only for defensive purposes. The federal court ruled in July 1994 that this provision was no bar to the deployment of German forces outside Germany. The court did, however, require that any such deployment be approved by the Bundestag in each case. German forces are now deployed to Bosnia as part of NATO's security force.
(2) what claims for compensation have been made on the basis of the accuracy of the specifications in his Department's documentation for its new building at Abbey Wood, Bristol; [18503]
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