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DEFENCE
Military Exercises
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which countries had armed forces involved in the NATO joint exercise in Norway carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72828]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the NATO joint exercise in Portugal carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72831]
(3) which countries had armed forces involved in the NATO joint exercise in Portugal carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72835]
(4) what is his assessment of the value of the NATO joint exercise in Norway carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72968]
(5) what is his assessment of the principal benefits of the NATO joint exercise in Portugal carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [72969]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 1 March 1999]: Exercise STRONG RESOLVE, which took place in March 1998 jointly in Norway and in Portugal, consisted of two halves; exercise CRISIS NORTH, in Norway, and exercise CRISIS SOUTH, in Portugal. The aim of exercise STRONG RESOLVE was to exercise NATO's ability to cope with multiple, simultaneous crises in separate geographic regions, drawing on the resources of both Major NATO Commanders, and involving the full spectrum of NATO missions, and the exercise is assessed to have succeeded in its aim. Members of the armed forces of the following nations participated in CRISIS NORTH: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Members of the armed forces of the following nations participated in CRISIS SOUTH: Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany,
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Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify the minimum military readiness and training standards required of members of NATO; and whether the UK currently complies. [75274]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
NATO Allies, including the United Kingdom, hold forces at a range of readiness and training levels required to meet the full range of Alliance missions, so that NATO is ready to respond effectively to present and future needs. The UK reports to NATO on its forces through the Alliance defence planning process.
Angela Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost to public funds of (a) the demolition of the Britannia Beagles kennels at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and (b) their rebuilding elsewhere. [75525]
Mr. Spellar:
The beagles at BRNC Dartmouth are funded by private subscriptions, and are not supported by public funds. The beagles are a registered encroachment, and as such the MOD can terminate the agreement at any time giving reasonable notice. The MOD is not liable for any damage or repairs and if notice was given for the beagle pack to leave BRNC Dartmouth, then any costs for a new facility outside the College would be the sole responsibility of the beagle pack.
As an option within the College redevelopment plan, the present beagle kennels have been identified as a potential site for the College's new recreational facility. However, options are still being developed and no decisions have yet been taken. The approximate cost of any demolition of the kennels would be in the region of £1,000.
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Mr. Viggers:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions were given to (a) service personnel and (b) civilian personnel employed at the Royal Hospital, Haslar concerning (i) participation in the save Haslar rally and march on Sunday 24 January and (ii) signature of a petition to save Haslar organised by Gosport Borough Council. [75213]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 8 March 1999]: Written instructions were issued to Service and civilian staff by the Hospital Commander at the Royal Hospital, Haslar concerning participation, by staff, in the 'Save Haslar' campaign. Those instructions reminded staff of their responsibilities as public servants. They also requested that items promoting the campaign should not be displayed within the hospital, directed that petition signatures should not be collected on site and advised Service personnel that they should not participate in the march, in accordance with joint Queen's Regulations and MOD policy.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the possible genetic effects on the children of veterans who served on Christmas Island during nuclear testing periods. [75831]
Mr. Spellar:
My Department has not commissioned any research into the possible genetic effects on the children of nuclear test veterans who served on Christmas Island.
As far as I am aware, there is no scientific or medical evidence to show that health or other physical problems suffered by the children or grandchildren of nuclear test veterans can be attributed to participation in the UK's nuclear test programme 40 years ago.
In November 1997, the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) published the results of a major epidemiological study of the children of radiation workers. The study, entitled "Cancer in the Offspring of Radiation Workers--A Record Linkage Study" discounted the hypothesis (known as the Gardner Hypothesis) that fathers' exposure to radiation before conception is a cause of childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This study was peer reviewed and published in the British Medical Journal.
The other major study in this area involved about 30,000 children of those Japanese nationals irradiated as a result of the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan in World War II. This was published in 1990 and failed to detect any significant excess of mutations, untoward pregnancy outcomes, childhood mortality or excess cancer.
A report on the US Nuclear tests published by the US Institute of Medicine in 1995 concluded that the size of the US test veteran population was not large enough to make practical a scientifically adequate and epidemiologically valid study of genetic effects in the children of test veterans. This is despite there being over 210,000 US test veterans, ten times the number in the UK.
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Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reinstate multiple myeloma as a pensionable condition for UK nuclear test veterans. [74729]
Mr. Bayley:
I have been asked to reply.
There is no prescribed list of medical conditions for which a war pension may be awarded. A war pension claimed more than seven years after discharge from service can be awarded for any condition, if, on the basis of reliable evidence, there is a reasonable doubt that disablement or death is due to service in HM forces. The Department's policy is that on current medical evidence and research a reasonable doubt has not been established that a causal link exists between multiple myeloma and participation in the UK nuclear tests programme. However, the Ministry of Defence has recently announced a further limited study into the incidence of multiple myeloma among veterans of the UKs atmospheric nuclear test programme in the 1950s. The results of this study are expected to be available by the end of next year.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the pension applications of nuclear test veterans that were rejected on the basis of the National Radiological Protection Board's conclusions on risk of cancer. [74727]
Mr. Bayley:
I have been asked to reply.
We know of no reason to do so. We accept the current findings of the study by the National Radiological Protection Board. However, the Ministry of Defence has recently announced a further limited study into the incidence of multiple myeloma among veterans of the UKs atmospheric nuclear test programme in the 1950s. The results of this study are expected to be available by the end of next year.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many unminuted pre-arranged meetings occurred between (a) himself, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) his officials and representatives of the biotechnical industry sector since 1 May 1997. [74835]
Dr. Jack Cunningham
[holding answer 5 March 1999]: I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Gentleman on 25 February 1999, Official Report, column 430.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the biotechnical companies which have placed staff (a) on secondment and (b) on placement within his Department since 1 May 1997. [74841]
Dr. Jack Cunningham
[holding answer 5 March 1999]: Secondments and attachments from other sectors of the economy are part of the Interchange Initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations.
No staff from biotechnology companies have been placed in the Cabinet Office since 1 May 1997.
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