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Military Exhibitions
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy on allowing private companies to host military, security and police events on Ministry of Defence property. [14366]
Mr. Spellar:
The Ministry of Defence would consider any request for use of its land on a case-by-case basis.
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Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the annual cost of promoting arms exports. [15300]
Mr. Spellar:
The net cost in financial year 1996-97 of operating the Defence Export Services Organisation in my Department was £16.6 million.
This sum should be judged in the context of the substantial benefit to the taxpayer which in the same year included receipts of more than £50 million in Commercial Exploitation Levy, income of £84 million from the sale of surplus military equipment, and contributions of more than £300 million in reduced overheads on the MOD's own procurement costs.
Mr. Keith Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice he has received from the Lord Chancellor concerning the case of Major Eric Joyce, Adjutant General to Corps. [15333]
Dr. Reid:
I am withholding this information under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Kate Hoey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the reliability of the FADIC computer system controlling Chinook helicopters; and if he will make a statement. [15437]
Mr. Spellar:
For the Chinook HC Mk2 aircraft, a Full Authority Digital Electronic Control system, FADEC, was procured to replace the hydro-mechanical fuel control system which had been used on the Chinook HC Mk1. An initial FADEC target reliability figure of 1.1 failures per thousand flying hours was agreed, to improve to 0.6 after seven years in service with the RAF. After five years, the FADEC system reliability is currently about 0.4 failures per thousand flying hours, and has thus improved upon the contractual target.
Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) his Department's policies and initiatives designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and (b) the departmental policies and initiatives designed to reduce other greenhouse gases; if he will estimate for each the annual reduction in tonnage of greenhouse gas emissions achieved in the most recent year for which figures are available compared to those for 1990; and what estimate he has made of further reductions, or increases, predicted for 2000 and 2010, assuming continuation of current policies. [15546]
Mr. Spellar:
I refer the hon. Member to the United Kingdom's Second report under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which was published in February 1997. It reports the UK's progress in implementing its programme for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and gives a projection of what the programme
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is expected to deliver by 2,000. The report projects forward what the programme is expected to achieve to 2020.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the accident on 31 October involving a Harrier jet at RAF Wittering, indicating the level of hazard at the accident site, with special reference to the proximity of nuclear material. [15636]
Dr. Reid:
The aircraft crashed half a mile southwest of RAF Wittering and the usual post crash management procedures, to eliminate or contain any hazard to the public or the environment, were carried out. There were no nuclear materials involved in the accident.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review funding for the private education of service personnel provided by his Department; and what is the estimated cost of such funding in the current financial year. [15825]
Dr. Reid:
There are currently no plans to review the funding provided by my Department for the private eduction of Service personnel. Costs for such provision for 1996-97, the last year for which figures were available, were £660,000 for Royal Naval personnel and £300,000 for Army personnel. Figures for the RAF are not available as this information is not held centrally.
Mr. Keith Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to have four fully commissioned Vanguard nuclear submarines in service. [15893]
Dr. Reid:
The fourth Vanguard class submarine, Vengeance, is planned to enter service early in the next century.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide a breakdown of the defence budget by amount spent in each of the regions of the United Kingdom (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the total, ranked according to percentage per region. [15937]
Dr. Reid:
Ministry of Defence budgetary data are not maintained in manner which would allow the regional analysis requested. However, estimates of the value of defence expenditure on equipment by UK region are given in "UK Defence Statistics 1997", Table 1.9, a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. McAllion:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the submissions to the Strategic Defence Review which have not been placed in the Library. [15934]
Mr. George Robertson:
No. We have placed in the Parliamentary Libraries the submissions from all of the outside bodies and individuals from whom we have
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received consent to do so. We will be placing further batches of submissions in the Parliamentary Libraries in due course as we receive the appropriate consent.
Mr. Keith Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards maintaining the United Kingdom's independent nuclear deterrent; [15894]
Mr. George Robertson:
This Government were elected on a specific manifesto commitment to retain Trident while also pressing for multi-lateral negotiations towards mutual, balanced and verifiable reductions in nuclear weapons. The Strategic Defence Review will examine all aspects of our deterrence requirements to ensure they reflect changing strategic circumstances.
Mr. Letwin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures will be taken to improve the AFPS pensions for widows whose husbands retired before 31 March 1973. [15942]
Mr. Spellar:
The Government have no plans to alter the rules of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme which apply to Service Widows whose husbands retired before 31 March 1973.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 22 May, Official Report, column 115, if his Department has completed its work on dead animals found and analysed during the Gulf war; and if he will make a statement. [15847]
Dr. Reid:
My Department has now completed a survey amongst a sample of serving Gulf War veterans on this subject and collated the contemporary documentation which has been found. My officials are, however, still seeking information in respect of one important aspect of this matter from outside MOD. We deem the outstanding issue to be sufficiently significant to delay publishing a report until we know whether further information is likely to be available.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who will pay for the construction and operation of the two radomes to be situated at RAF Menwith Hill for which planning permission has recently been granted; and what is their operational purpose. [15698]
Dr. Reid:
The costs will be borne by the United States Government. These facilities will support the new Space Based Infra Red System developed to replace the existing satellite system to provide early warning of ballistic missile launches.
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Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will retain the Pattern Room in public ownership. [16204]
Mr. Spellar:
The future of the Ministry of Defence Pattern Room at Nottingham is currently under review. No decisions have been taken.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current status of the Army's Challenger 2 programme; and if he will make a statement.[16724]
Mr. Spellar:
I am pleased to announce that the sequence of three production reliability growth trials has been successfully completed and the contractor, Vickers Defence Systems, has met the agreed technical milestones. The company have successfully demonstrated, therefore, that the high technical and reliability standards demanded by the Ministry of Defence have been met. Work continues to ensure that logistic support arrangements are established prior to the completion of deliveries of tanks to the first regiment in June 1998, as planned.
(2) if the Strategic Defence Review will examine the role, shape, size and cost of the United Kingdom's independent nuclear deterrent. [15940]
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