| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Dubai
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 10 March 1999, Official Report, column 229, what
17 Mar 1999 : Column: 683
representations he plans to make to the Government of Dubai regarding its failure to answer his Note Verbale of 10 November 1998. [76946]
Mr. Fatchett
[holding answer 16 March 1999]: Our Embassy in Dubai has today asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dubai when we might expect a reply to the Note Verbale of 10 November 1998.
Mr. Gardiner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many export licences have been granted for arms exports to Sri Lanka since 2 May 1997; when the last licence was granted; and what it was for. [75510]
Dr. Howells:
I have been asked to reply.
The entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the following results were obtained. Between 2 May 1997 and 25 February 1999, 106 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and 12 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were issued covering the export to consignees or end-users in Sri Lanka of goods subject to export control by being listed in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. Individual licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings (and OIELs may also cover a range of countries).
Where this is so, the licence is included in the table in the total for all of the relevant ratings.
| Rating | Number of SIELs issued covering goods with this rating | Number of OIELs issued covering goods with this rating |
|---|---|---|
| ML1 | 23 | 0 |
| ML2 | 8 | 0 |
| ML3 | 11 | 0 |
| ML4 | 14 | 1 |
| ML5 | 2 | 0 |
| ML6 | 2 | 0 |
| ML7 | 2 | 0 |
| ML10 | 3 | 4 |
| ML11 | 33 | 5 |
| ML13 | 1 | 1 |
| ML14 | 1 | 0 |
| ML15 | 3 | 1 |
| ML21 | 2 | 0 |
| ML22 | 3 | 0 |
| PL5001 | 1 | 0 |
| PL5006 | 1 | 0 |
| PL5017 | 3 | 0 |
This information does not cover any Media OIELs that may have been issued during this period. Media OIELs
17 Mar 1999 : Column: 684
authorise the export to all destinations of protective clothing, mainly for the protection of aid agency workers and journalists, when working in areas of conflict.
This information should be considered in light of the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 30 October 1997, Official Report, columns 870-71.
In addition, goods on the Military List may have been exported to Sri Lanka under certain Open General Export Licences; copies of all Open General Export Licences valid at any time during the period are in the Library of the House.
The date on which the last of the above licences was issued during the period was 18 February 1999, and this licence, a SIEL, covered the export of goods with the rating ML3.
As noted in the answer given by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd), to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones), on 14 July 1998, Official Report, column 149, details of the military equipment for which licences have been granted will be published in the Government's annual reports on strategic export controls and their application.
Mr. Salter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions he has had with Hunting-Brae since the Environment Agency served an enforcement notice on AWE Aldermaston, concerning the presence of tritium from the establishment in the Aldermaston stream; and if he will make a statement; [76021]
Mr. Spellar:
The Chief Executive of Hunting-BRAE Ltd. made the MOD aware of the Environment Agency's intention to serve an enforcement notice on AWE Aldermaston in early February.
An enforcement notice was duly served by the Environment Agency on 9 February 1999, requiring Hunting-BRAE to provide information to the Agency on discharges of tritium into the Aldermaston stream, and to make proposals to bring the discharges under regulatory control.
17 Mar 1999 : Column: 685
The Environment Agency has declared that, because the levels of radioactivity are not a danger to human health or the environment, it has decided not to stop the discharges. It also stated that the radiation dose from tritium in this groundwater at the point of entry into the Aldermaston stream is about 100 times less than the annual European radiation dose limit and 200 times less than natural background radiation. The stream flows into the River Kennet. I understand that samples taken downstream at Padworth bridge indicate that by that point, the levels are close to the limits of detection.
17 Mar 1999 : Column: 686
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the joint defence projects under development which involve members of the European Union. [76264]
Mr. Spellar:
The joint defence projects under development involving the UK and other members of the European Union is as shown in the table. It does not include equipment that is either in-service or in production unless there is development activity proceeding in parallel.
17 Mar 1999 : Column: 685
(2) if he will make a statement on the enforcement notice served on AWE Aldermaston by the Environment Agency following the alleged illegal discharge of tritium into the River Kennet. [76022]
| Projects | Nations involved |
|---|---|
| Naval equipment | |
| HORIZON/Common New Generation Frigate | UK, France, Italy |
| NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS) | UK, France, Italy, Norway(1), United States(1) |
| Land equipment | |
| MRAV (Multi Role Armoured Vehicle) | UK, France, Germany |
| Aimed Controlled Effect Anti-Tank Mine | UK, France, Germany |
| Future Tank Main Armament | UK, France, Germany, United States(1) |
| Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System | UK, France, Germany, Italy, United States(1) |
| Future Fire Control System for Multiple Launch Rocket System | UK, France, Germany, Italy |
| Very Short Range and Short Range Air Defence System Programme | UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway(1), Turkey(1), United States(1) |
| Missiles | |
| Long Range TRIGAT | UK, France, Germany(2) |
| (Third Generation Anti-Tank Guided Weapon) | |
| Medium Range TRIGAT | UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands |
| (Third Generation Anti-Tank Guided Weapon) | |
| Principal Anti-Air Missile System | UK, France, Italy |
| Air Systems | |
| Eurofighter(3) | UK, Germany, Italy, Spain |
| Allied Standards Avionics Architecture Initiative | UK, France, Germany, United States(1) |
| Active Electronically Scanned Radar for Airborne Multi-mode Solid State Active Array Radar | UK, France, Germany |
| Advanced Aero-engine Technology | UK, France Germany |
| Other Equipment | |
| NATO Improved Link Eleven | UK, Canada(1), France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, United States(1) |
| METOP (Next Generation Meteorological Satellites) | UK, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway(1), Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland(1), Turkey(1) |
| Technology Demonstration Programme: Rechargeable Lithium Batteries | UK, France |
| Technology Demonstration Programme: Towed Decoys | UK, France |
(1) Non-EU Members
(2) The UK has declared that they are to withdraw from Long Range TRIGAT at the end of the Development Phase
(3) Eurofighter has recently moved into the Production Phase but there are a number of years of Development activity proceeding in parallel
17 Mar 1999 : Column: 685
Nimrod MRA4 Programme
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current (a) estimated cost and (b) in-service date of the Nimrod MRA4 programme; and what each was when the contract was placed. [76645]
Mr. Spellar:
The current estimated cost of procurement of Nimrod MRA4 is £2.4 billion (at September 1998 economic conditions), an increase of 0.5 per cent. since the contract was placed in December 1996. When the contract was placed, BAe undertook to meet an ISD of April 2003. Resource and technical difficulties with the early phases of the programme at BAe mean that the company does not now expect the aircraft to enter service with the RAF before early 2005. The precise slippage is still the subject of negotiations between MOD and BAe.
17 Mar 1999 : Column: 686
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of work for the Nimrod MRA4 programme is being placed with UK registered companies; and what was the forecast workshare when the contract was placed. [76627]
Mr. Spellar:
When the Nimrod MRA4 contract was placed in December 1996, the direct workshare for UK companies was estimated at 76 per cent. I will write further once we have been able to calculate the current position and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |