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RN Base Faslane
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if installed personal IPM7 monitors are in use at RN Base Faslane; if personnel are monitored by IPM7 when they leave the yard; and if he will make a statement on the practice at other nuclear establishments. [69465]
Mr. Spellar: One IPM7 walk through monitor is installed in the Clyde Naval Base. When leaving classified areas all personnel are monitored for contamination by trained Health Physics staff using hand held instruments. They also have the option of using the IPM7 at this stage. In the very unlikely event that personnel are contaminated, they are taken to the Health Physics Group for decontamination, which includes compulsory monitoring by the IPM7.
At MOD-owned nuclear establishments, it is the practice to monitor the working environment and exposed personnel for possible contamination. Contamination monitors are used as part of the overall monitoring arrangements.
Landmines
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in finding alternatives to landmines for use in military operations. [69561]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: There is no single weapon which can replace the capability previously provided by anti-personnel landmines. Work is continuing to establish how best to provide the required capability in the future, consistent with our obligations under UK and International law. Where necessary, anti-tank mines will continue to be used in military operations.
9 Feb 1999 : Column: 130
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the overseas sources which will meet his Department's requirements for propellants following the closure of Royal Ordnance, Bishopton. [69569]
Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: The supply of sub-components, including propellant, for equipment supplied under existing MOD contracts is a matter for Royal Ordnance and other prime contractors until the completion of the contract. Future MOD requirements for propellant will be subject to procurement decisions in due course. We expect that alternative sources of propellant will be available from friendly and reliable sources in Europe, or further afield.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when access will be restored to the website of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. [69570]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: Work is underway to restore access to the website of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). This work is a matter for the SHAPE authorities.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the prototype biological defence vehicles which his Department intends to purchase; [69560]
Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: A number of vehicle-mounted Prototype Biological Detection Systems were accepted into service on 7 December 1998. They provide a deployable detection capability to supply field commanders with the information necessary to institute protective and medical countermeasures. These prototype systems provide an interim capability until the vehicle-mounted Integrated Biological Detection System enters service. This is currently the subject of a competition for full development and production.
MOD work on a personal biological agent detection system is currently at the research stage.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the senior civil service, in his Department for 1998-99; and to what extent the pay awards were staged. [69519]
Mr. Spellar:
The headline pay settlement was 2½ per cent. on the paybill and, together with the additional funds from staff turnover, staff in post received performance-related increases averaging 4½ per cent. The increase was not staged.
9 Feb 1999 : Column: 131
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of competitive sport in the armed forces. [70122]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Participation in competitive sport within the Armed Forces has long been recognised as playing a very considerable part in Service life. In addition to being a key means of promoting physical fitness, team spirit and of great benefit to maintaining high levels of morale, sport within the Armed Forces contributes to military effectiveness by developing personal qualities such as motivation, courage, resilience, stamina and co-ordination.
Market research indicates that opportunities for competitive sport within the Services is high on the list of factors which attract many potential recruits to join the Armed Forces. It is my Department's firm policy to promote fitness and a healthy lifestyle among personnel and to encourage fully the participation by members of the Armed Forces in structured sporting activities, together with adequate time to do so.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Wednesday afternoons are still set aside for competitive sport for armed forces personnel. [70128]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The Armed Forces have traditionally set aside Wednesday afternoons, on an informal basis, to give personnel the opportunity to partake in competitive and non-competitive sporting activity. This is still encouraged although the level of participation is very much dependent on operational requirements and training commitments within the various chains of Command, with whom the final decision rests. In some cases representative sports are played on other days of the week in order to reduce the effect of absence from primary duties.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the cost of relocating and retasking existing brigades in establishing the proposed northern division. [70123]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
No existing brigades are to be relocated as a result of the establishment of the northern division. Rather, there will be a transfer of responsibility for some existing tasks between Divisional and Brigade Headquarters; small numbers of staff will transfer accordingly, but the costs will not be significant.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the cost of providing new and refurbished buildings in Edinburgh when 2 Divisional HQ moves from York to Edinburgh. [70127]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
We estimate that the initial cost of refurbishing office accommodation at the Headquarters Scottish District in Craigiehall will be some £250,000; there is a project to rebuild the headquarters in due course
9 Feb 1999 : Column: 132
and it was assumed in the review of the Army's divisional/district structure that this project would proceed at a cost of £7 million during the second half of the next decade.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what criteria he based his decision to move the Army's 2 Divisional HQ from York to Edinburgh. [70124]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The criteria were that the headquarters of the Northern Division should be able to carry out its role effectively and at reduced cost when compared with existing arrangements.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in the past five years the Ministry of Defence Observer has attended a board meeting at the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research. [70023]
Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost of backdating the changes which became operative from 1 April 1975 to the Armed Forces pension arrangements to cover all those who retired before 1 April 1975. [70230]
Mr. Spellar:
The only change to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme which became operative on 1 April 1975 was the introduction of preserved pensions for those with insufficient service to qualify for an immediate pension. In line with public service pension scheme practice the improvement was not applied retrospectively to those who had already left the Armed Forces. An estimate of the cost of backdating the change is not available and could be obtained, if at all, only at disproportionate cost.
(2) what progress his Department is making on the development of personal biological weapons detectors. [69558]
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