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Defence Exhibition, Farnborough
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the companies exhibiting at the Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition in Farnborough in September 1997. [3592]
Mr. Spellar:
The following companies have registered to participate as exhibitors at the third Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition:
AB Connectors Ltd.
Aeroflex Hose and Engineering Ltd.
Aireshelta
Alvis Industries Ltd.
Applied Visuals Ltd.
Archer Communications Systems Ltd.
Armourshield Ltd.
Avimo Ltd.
Avon Technical Products
B.C.B. International Ltd.
Babcock Facilities Management Ltd.
Basys Marine Ltd.
Beechwood Equipment
Blair Catton Defence Products
Bolle UK Ltd.
British Aerospace
British Naval Equipment Association
BTR Group
Burmarc Ltd.
CAE Invertron (CAE Electronics plc)
Case United Kingdom Ltd.
Chemring Group plc
CMN Support Services Ltd.
CMT Dynamics
Cogent Defence Systems
Colebrand Ltd.
Combined Services Publications Ltd.
Cummins Engine Company Ltd.
David Brown Defence Equipment Ltd.
Defence Manufacturers Association
DESO--British Army Export Support Teams
Devonport Management Ltd.
Digital
DSD Ltd.
Dunlop-Beaufort Ltd.
EKA Ltd.
European Data Systems
Ferranti Technologies Ltd.
Firearms Training Systems UK Ltd.
GEC plc
GKN Westland/GKN Defence
Graseby
Greys Defence Systems Ltd.
Holt Lloyd Export Ltd.
Horstman Defence Systems Ltd
Howeden Airdynamics Group
Hunting Engineering Ltd.
Ian Allan Regalia Ltd.
Icore International Ltd.
Imagebase Technology Ltd.
Information Security Systems Ltd.
Instro Precision Ltd.
Interspiro Ltd.
19 Jun 1997 : Column: 263
ITT Defence Ltd.
Iveco Ford Truck Ltd.
J & S Franklin Ltd.
Jane's Information Group
John Crane Marine International
Kelvin Hughes Ltd.
Kidde Graviner
Kudos 2000 Ltd.
Land Rover
Leyland Trucks Ltd.
Light Alloy Ltd.
Litton Data Systems
Lockheed Martin
Logica UK Ltd.
Lynwood
Macro Engineering Co Ltd.
Mannesmann Rexroth Ltd.
Marshall Specialist Vehicles
Meggitt plc
Ministry of Defence--Defence Public Relations
ML Aviation Ltd.
National Employers Liaison Committee
National Engineering and Assessment Group
Naval Bases and Supply Agency
Nickleby and Co (Scotland) Ltd
P W Allen and Co Ltd.
Pandect Precision Components Ltd.
Park Air Electronics Ltd.
Partek Cargotec Ltd.
PDQ Emergency Homes
Peak Trailers Ltd.
Pearson Engineering Ltd.
Penman Specialist Vehicles
Photon Security Services Ltd.
Pilatus Britten-Norman
Pilkington Optronics
Premier Product Support Services
Protex Fasteners Ltd.
Racal Electronics Plc
Radamec Defence Systems
Radio Systems Ltd.
Raytheon Computer Products Europe Ltd.
Raytheon Cossor
RBR Armour Ltd.
Redifon MEL Ltd.
Rescue and Medical Services
Richmond Electronics and Engineering International Ltd.
Rolls-Royce plc
RTK Marine
S and D Security (Equipment) Ltd.
Scottish Trade International
Seymour Systems Ltd.
Shorts Missile Systems Ltd.
Siemens Plessey Systems
Silicon Graphics Computer Systems
Simrad Optronics Ltd.
Spanset Ltd.
Stella Meta
Stonebridge Facilities Ltd.
Stop-Choc Ltd.
Television Installation Services (Mansfield) Ltd.
The Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency
The Friends of the Royal Engineer Museum
Thomson-Thorn Missile Electronics
Toye Kenning and Spencer
TRL Technology Ltd.
UCC International Ltd.
Ultra Electronics Ltd.
Universal Vehicles Group
Varity Perkins
Vickers Defence Systems
Vosper Thornycroft
W L Gore and Associates (UK) Ltd.
W Vinten Ltd.
Westair Ltd.
W S Atkins
19 Jun 1997 : Column: 264
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to reduce the yield of Trident warheads in the light of the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the use of nuclear weapons. [3951]
Dr. Reid:
Pending the achievement of the Government's goal of the global elimination of nuclear weapons, the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion does not require a change in the United Kingdom's nuclear policy.
Mr. Tom King:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time persons employed by his Department and its agencies are paid (i) less than £4 an hour, (ii) less than £3.50 an hour and (iii) less than £3 an hour. [4190]
Dr. Reid:
The information requested is shown in the table below for MoD civilian staff. The number of staff shown as earning less than a given figure includes those also shown in any lower pay category.
| Number of civilian staff | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of staff earning less than £X per hour | Full-time | Part-time |
| £4.00 | 4,432 | 685 |
| £3.50 | 3,050 | 416 |
| £3.00 | 246 | 1 |
It is not possible to provide meaningful comparable figures for Service personnel in the form sought by the right hon. Member. Members of the Armed Forces are not paid by the hour. Nor do the long hours worked by many Service personnel equate to the average civilian working week; a factor which the Armed Forces Pay Review Body takes into account when making its annual recommendations to the Prime Minister.
MOD Homes (Colchester)
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the number and proportion of Ministry of Defence homes currently vacant in Colchester; how many homes the Ministry of Defence has sold in the past year, and to whom. [4034]
Mr. Spellar: There are 1,361 properties on the Colchester family quarters estate of which 138 (10.1 per cent.) are currently vacant. Of the 138 properties, 75 have been allocated to incoming families; nine have been set aside for major refurbishment and 36 have been identified for possible short-term leasing. The future of the remaining 18 remains under review.
Within the past year, nine family quarters have been sold on the open market by the Defence Estates Organisation. I am withholding information on the companies and individuals involved in this sale for reasons of commercial confidentiality under exemption 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information.
A further 46 houses were sold freehold to Annington Homes Ltd. as part of the asset sale in November 1996.
19 Jun 1997 : Column: 265
Mr. McDonnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the review being undertaken of the terms of disposal of the Ministry of Defence married quarters estates to the Nomura Investment Bank. [4043]
Mr. Spellar:
The sale was completed on 5 November 1996. The Government is monitoring carefully the operation of the new arrangements.
Mr. McDonnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many accommodation units are currently empty on the RAF Uxbridge site. [4045]
Mr. Spellar:
Of the 609 families quarters at RAF Uxbridge, 79 are currently vacant. Of these vacant quarters, 17 are allocated to incoming families and 44 are currently undergoing major works. The remaining 18 empty quarters fall within a total of 24 properties which are under review for possible release to Annington Homes.
Mr. Sedgemore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons no announcement was made in April that faulty plastic baton rounds that had been in use for three years were being withdrawn. [4542]
Dr. Reid:
My hon. Friend will be aware that these events relate to a previous Administration. I am advised by officials that issues concerning the performance of plastic baton rounds were under consideration between the departments concerned and no decision had then been reached on the form or timing of a public announcement.
Mr. Sedgemore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the highest muzzle velocity of the plastic baton rounds recently found to exceed the upper limit in the equipment specification; and what is that upper limit; [4541]
(3) what tests were carried out by his Department on the faulty batch of plastic baton rounds supplied in 1994 and recently withdrawn from service; [4543]
(4) what action is being taken against the manufacturers of the plastic baton rounds issued from early 1994 which have been found to have a muzzle velocity in excess of the upper limit in the equipment specification; [4540]
(5) how many plastic baton rounds were withdrawn from operational use in April; how they are to be disposed of; who manufactured them; and what is the estimated cost of each round. [4544]
Dr. Reid:
The highest muzzle velocity of plastic baton rounds recently tested was 76 metres per second; the upper limit specified in the contract is 70 m/s.
All batches of rounds were tested by the Contractor at the time of manufacture to enable the Department to accept them against the proof specification.
19 Jun 1997 : Column: 266
In addition to initial Contractor proofing, the following tests were carried out. In 1995 trials were carried out on a number of rounds manufactured in 1994 as a part of the ongoing baton round development programme. Assessment of these initial tests in early 1996 indicated that some of the rounds were going marginally faster than the specified velocity, but the tests were not considered conclusive. Reproofing trials of the 1994 rounds started in April 1997 and the results have yet to be established. Further tests were carried out in 1996 on rounds manufactured in 1996 which indicated that those rounds did not exceed the maximum specified velocity.
The issue of possible action against the manufacturer will be considered when all of the facts have been established.
Approximately 45,000 rounds were withdrawn from service in April 1997; they will be disposed of either by reworking or incineration. I am withholding information about the name of the manufacturer under exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The cost of each round is approximately £6.
Mr. Sedgemore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the rules for the use of plastic baton rounds by members of the armed forces in Northern Ireland; on how many occasions they have been used by members of the armed forces in Northern Ireland since the batch with and excessive muzzle velocity was supplied in 1994; and if he will list the dates on which and the places where they were used; [4546]
Dr. Reid:
The use of force in Northern Ireland is governed by the Criminal Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1967 which provides that "A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large". Plastic baton rounds are used by the armed forces in situations of violent disorder where life or property is at risk and their use is judged to be minimum and reasonable force in the circumstances. They must be fired at selected persons and not indiscriminately and should be aimed so they strike the lower part of the body. Soldiers are fully trained in their use.
(2) how often stocks of plastic baton rounds in operational use before April 1997 were tested to ensure that muzzle velocities were in line with the equipment specification; [4538]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of plastic baton rounds used by the armed forces in Northern Ireland since the batch with an excessive muzzle velocity was supplied in 1994. [4545]
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