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Housing (Privates)

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average cost to his Department in the last year for which figures are available of housing (a) a military local service engagement private 1 and (b) a full engagement Regular private 1 band 1. [19730]

Mr. Soame: I regret that the information requested is unavailable in the format requested and figures cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost. Furthermore, the Military Provost Guard Service is only now forming.

Low Flying

Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on low flying by the RAF in the vicinity of Seaham on Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 March between 12 noon and 5 p.m; [19941]

Mr. Soames: The RAF police have been tasked to investigate the activity of 3 and 4 March. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State will write to the hon. Member when these inquiries are complete. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Joint Services Defence College

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the cost of using the temporary site at Bracknell for the joint services defence college. [19893]

Mr. Soames: To enable the joint services command and staff college to use Bracknell as its main interim site, additional capital expenditure estimated of some £10.2 million has been agreed to cover works, including the provision of temporary teaching and living accommodation, IT and relocation costs.

Pied a Terre (Quartermaster General)

Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of maintaining the pied a terre in London used by the Quartermaster General; and what paintings are located there. [20328]

Mr. Soames: The Quartermaster General does not have a pied a terre in London. He retains a London office on the seventh floor of MOD main building, and the following prints and paintings are hung there:


17 Mar 1997 : Column: 385

Departmental Housing

Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many homes are (a) currently owned by his Department and (b) vacant by local authority area. [20378]

Mr. Soames: There are 69,306 homes owned by the Ministry of Defence in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The information on vacant homes is not held in the form requested and could be only provided at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the likely costs of making the properties at Mansergh close, Woolwich fit for habitation. [20382]

Mr. Soames: The properties at Mansergh close, Woolwich were passed as surplus to Annington Homes as part of the sale of the married quarter estate. Refurbishment costs are a matter for Annington Homes.

Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when construction of MOD homes at Mansergh close, Woolwich, was completed; when the properties were first occupied; for what reasons the properties are vacant; and how long they have been vacant. [20380]

Mr. Soames: There are 36 houses at Mansergh close, which were built in the late 1960s and early 1970s and occupied thereafter. The properties were vacated by June 1996, due largely to the reduction in service demand after the closure of the military hospital at Woolwich, and were passed as surplus to Annington Homes as part of the sale of the married quarters.

Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of Nomura Securities in the disposal of the married quarters estate. [20379]

Mr. Soames: The new owners of the married quarter estate are Annington Homes, a British-based company. MOD's continuing relationship on the married quarter estate is with this company. Finance for the transaction was arranged by Nomura International plc, the European arm of Nomura Securities, not the parent company in Tokyo.

Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the costs of security for the empty properties at Mansergh close, SE18; and if he will make a statement. [20381]

Mr. Soames: The properties at Mansergh close, SE18 were passed as surplus to Annington Homes as part of the sale of the married quarters estate. The security of these properties is the responsibility of Annington Homes.

Infantry

Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the strength of front-line infantry for each of the past 10 years. [20363]

Mr. Soames: The figures for front-line infantry can be provided only for the past four years and are shown below.

YearTotals
199428,000
199526,000
199625,000
199724,000

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Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 11 March, Official Report, column 185, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current front-line infantry establishment to meet its responsibilities. [20362]

Mr. Soames: The infantry is fully able to meet its responsibilities.

Gulf War

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many anthrax vaccine injections were given to British soldiers in the Gulf war; and over what period. [20450]

Mr. Soames: The programme of vaccination against anthrax which was implemented by the MOD for British troops in the Gulf war commenced at the start of January 1991. It consisted of a course of three vaccinations, which were to be administered at 0, three and seven weeks. Owing to deficiencies in contemporary medical record keeping, the exact number of anthrax inoculations given to British soldiers in the Gulf war is not known.

Ministerial Meetings

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will next meet the Russian Defence Minister. [20806]

Mr. Portillo: At the invitation of Defence Minister Rodionov, I shall be in Moscow on 17-18 March for discussions with him. I also hope to see other members of the Russian Government. We plan to sign a new memorandum of understanding covering bilateral defence co-operation between the United Kingdom and Russia, which will provide a framework for building on the significant bilateral defence relationship established with Russia in recent years.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Mobile Telephone Antennae

Ms Walley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the number of masts and antennae required to meet the projected growth in the use of mobile telephones over the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [19826]

Mr. Ian Taylor: The number of telecommunications masts required by an operator depends largely on the future coverage planned by that operator, the future volume of traffic it expects on its network in any specific area, and technological developments in antenna design. No estimates are made of the number of masts required by operators over future years since these factors are commercial matters for each individual operator.

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The erection of telecommunications masts is regulated by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the licence issued to operators under the Telecommunications Act 1984. The Government regard mast sharing as highly desirable in order to help keep the number of masts to a minimum, and require mobile phone operators to take all reasonable steps to investigate using an existing mast or other structure before seeking to erect a new mast.

Ms Walley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidance he has issued on the installation of antennae required for mobile telephones (a) on school buildings and (b) on other locations used by (i) children and (ii) the sick; and if he will make a statement. [19827]

Mr. Taylor: We issue no specific guidance on the installation of mobile telecommunications equipment in these locations. The operators of the equipment have a number of recommendations and requirements to follow.

In March of last year, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales published a code of best practice on the installation of radio masts up to 15 m in height using permitted development rights. Installation of radio masts above 15m in height are governed by normal planning guidance.

A Wireless Telegraphy Act licence may specify spectrum performance requirements, for example in relation to frequency assignment and power output. All equipment installed in the UK will have been approved to the relevant national or European--European Telecommunications Standards Institute--standards on performance, and must comply with provisions of the electromagnetic compatibility directive. The operators also follow guidance from the National Radiological Protection Board on exposure to non-ionising radiation.

Precautionary advice concerning possible interference with medical equipment from mobile telecommunications devices used by the public has also been issued by the Department of Health.


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