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Sub-strategic Nuclear Capability

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the purpose of the United Kingdom's sub-strategic nuclear capability; and if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's future sub-strategic nuclear capability. [24601]

Mr. George Robertson: A sub-strategic capability enhances deterrence by demonstrating that the United Kingdom has a range of nuclear options available for self-defence in extreme circumstances. Our sub-strategic capability will in future be provided solely by our Trident force.

Nuclear Warheads

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account his Department takes of the relationship between megatonnage and destructive effect when assessing warheads of different explosive yields. [24600]

Mr. George Robertson: Assessments of our deterrence requirements take into account a range of factors that might affect the destructive effect that would result from the use of a nuclear weapon, including the explosive yield.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's assessment of the comparative explosive yields of the warheads currently carried on strategic ballistic missiles deployed by Russia relative to those deployed in the 1960s. [24593]

Mr. George Robertson: By the end of the 1960s, we assess the Russian strategic ballistic missile force comprised (approximately) 1,050 single warhead Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) with a total yield of 1,380 megatonnes (Mt), and 215 single warhead Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) with a total yield of 395 Mt. The total explosive yield of both was 1,775 Mt.

By contrast, in 1997, the Russian strategic ballistic missile force comprised (approximately) 755 ICBMs with single and multiple (3,580) warheads giving a total yield of 2,330 Mt, and 524 SLBMs with multiple (2,314) warheads giving a total yield of 670 Mt. The total explosive yield of both was 3,000 Mt.

Anti-ballistic Missile Defence Systems

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many anti-ballistic missile defence systems capable of use against strategic ballistic missiles are deployed world-wide, where they are located; how many launchers are involved; and what is his Department's assessment of how soon other states will be capable of deploying such defences. [24599]

Mr. George Robertson: Russia has the only deployed strategic ballistic missile defence system. This has up to 100 launchers in the vicinity of Moscow. No other state is known to be developing such systems.

26 Jan 1998 : Column: 31

Agricultural Holdings

Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the regional lists of his Department's agricultural holdings, indicating respectively, (a) the number of hectares used for agricultural production and (b) the number of agricultural tenancy agreements involved. [24694]

Mr. Spellar: The number of agricultural holdings by Region for my Department is given in the table:

	Number of tenancies	Number of hectares
Southern Eastern Region	78	2,944
South Western Region	155	24,230
Eastern Region	123	7,342
Northern Region (including Wales)	186	3,863
Scotland	13	1,933
Total	555	40,312

Anglo-Bahrain Defence Talks

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the latest Anglo-Bahrain defence talks. [25031]

Mr. George Robertson: The last round of UK-Bahrain defence talks were held on the 18-19 November 1997 in Bahrain. The UK delegation was led by my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement. The talks addressed issues of mutual defence interest and bilateral defence relations.

Western European Union

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications of the Amsterdam Treaty for the future of the Western European Union. [25033]

Mr. George Robertson: The Treaty of Amsterdam provides for closer practical co-operation between the Western European Union and the European Union but makes clear that the two organisations will remain separate unless all Member States, in accordance with their national constitutional requirements, agree otherwise.

Missile Defence (Russia)

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's current assessment of the efficacy of Russia's missile defence system around Moscow; what is the extent of the geographical area protected by that system; and what is his assessment of Russia's future modernisation plans for that system. [24598]

Mr. George Robertson: We assess that the Moscow Anti Ballistic Missile system comprising the short range GAZELLE and longer range GORGON interceptors remains operational and effective. The range of GORGON extends to several hundred kilometres. Deployment of any significant upgrades in the near future appears unlikely.

26 Jan 1998 : Column: 32

Porton Down

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many project licence applications for animal procedures at Porton Down have been (a) approved unamended for submission to the Home Office, (b) approved in amended form for submission to the Home Office and (c) rejected for each year from 1990 to date. [24832]

Mr. Spellar: These are matters for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Norman Baker, dated 26 January 1998:

As Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) I have been asked to reply to your question about the progress of project licence applications for animal procedures at Porton Down submitted to the Home Office in each year since 1990.

DERA's Chemical and Biological Defence Sector (CBD) at Porton Down has had a formal, internal, ethical review process for all project licence applications since March 1995. Prior to that date the review process was conducted on a much less formal basis which was not documented. I can, therefore, only provide you with accurate details of the progress of licence applications, prior to submission to the Home Office, since 1995.

Each project licence application is submitted to an internal, peer group, ethical review meeting which is open to all members of staff. After hearing the licence application details the staff discuss both scientific and ethical issues. The review can result in an application being held over subject to revisions being made, approved without further amendment for submission to the Home Office or it is possible that a licence application could be completely rejected.

Since the internal ethical process was formalised in 1995, no applications have been totally rejected prior to submission to the Home Office, but all have been amended to a greater or lesser extent. The table below shows the number of project licence applications submitted to the Home Office since March 1995.

Year	Number of applications
1995	6
1996	11
1997	13

I hope this is helpful.

Search and Rescue

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reviews he has undertaken into the location of search and rescue helicopters in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [24584]

Mr. Spellar: The provision of search and rescue capability, along with every other aspect of defence, is being considered as part of the Strategic Defence Review. No decisions have yet been taken.

RAF Menwith Hill

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 31 July 1997, Official Report, column 472, on RAF Menwith Hill, if a copy of the report resulting from the internal US review was sent to his Department; and which Department within the United States Government carried out this review. [24542]

26 Jan 1998 : Column: 33

Dr. Reid: The review was conducted by the National Security Agency and looked into US security practices at the site. As such, there was no requirement for the report to be made available to Her Majesty's Government. However, my Department was made aware of the broad recommendations of the report at the time.

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the European Commission report Assessing the Technologies of Political Control, and its application to RAF Menwith Hill. [24579]

Dr. Reid: I am aware of the report referred to by my hon. Friend, which is not a European Commission report but one that has been prepared for, although not endorsed in any way by, the European Parliament. I have no comments to make on the contents of the report, other than to say that no activity considered inimical to British interests is, or would be, permitted at RAF Menwith Hill, which operates with the full knowledge and consent of Her Majesty's Government.

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