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Chinook Helicopters

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 June 1999, Official Report, columns 326-27, on FADEC software, when, between 1989 and June 1994, the FADEC software was redesigned on the Chinook MK2; what was the nature of the redesign work undertaken; and which contractor was responsible for carrying out the work. [89860]

Mr. Doug Henderson: Between 1989 and June 1994, there were 58 design changes incorporated in the FADEC software. The changes (categorised in the table) were all undertaken by the prime contractor Textron Lycoming.

Software	Changes
Improved maintainability of software	7
Improved fault logic	10
Customer request	11
Fault logic corrections	9
Improved accuracy	6
Modification due to Hardware changes	5
Improved Comms link and Qualification test changes	4
Corrections and Improvements in reliability	6

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 June 1999, Official Report, column 327, on the inquiry into the loss of the RAF Chinook on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994, if he will place in the Library the letters his Department has received from the public requesting the re-opening of the inquiry. [89859]

Mr. Doug Henderson: Correspondence between the Ministry of Defence and members of the public is a private matter between my Department and the individuals concerned. Release of these letters into the public domain could be done only with the consent of these individuals and seeking this for all correspondence on the accident since 1994 could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

RNAS Culdrose

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has (a) to respond to complaints of local residents with regard to aircraft from RNAS Culdrose and (b) to alter air routes used to and from the base to avoid residential areas. [90244]

Mr. Spellar: All complaints concerning military aircraft activity at RNAS Culdrose are carefully considered and where there is sufficient evidence to

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suggest that a breach of flying regulations may have occurred, a thorough investigation is undertaken. The approach and climb out routes to and from the base are dictated by the position of the runways and the prevailing weather conditions, and although they do not take aircraft over major residential areas, overflight of some individual properties is unavoidable. There are no other established air routes in the vicinity of RNAS Culdrose and every effort is made to mitigate the disturbance caused to local communities within the limitations imposed by the need to maintain operational capability.

Army Widows

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that widows of all pre-1973 Army pensioners are identified and reimbursed with full refund and supplement; and that reasonable effort is made to make refunds to estates where neither pensioner nor spouse has survived. [90620]

Mr. Doug Henderson: We are making every effort to review the case files of pre-1973 Army pensioners to identify the widows/widowers of individuals who might be eligible for a tax refund. Because of the numbers of files, their age and the way in which they are indexed, the process is not straightforward. Individual cases can be processed more quickly if widows who believe they may be entitled to a refund submit a claim to my Department. We have therefore sought to publicise the possible entitlement, and we are grateful for the assistance of the ex-Service organisations in this. It is more difficult to trace more distant entitlements where no pension is in payment because the scheme member and his immediate dependants have died or (in the case of children's pensions) have reached adulthood. But if claims with supporting evidence were submitted, the Inland Revenue would consider them and make a refund if entitlement is proved.

Data Series

Jackie Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since June 1997. [90825]

Mr. Spellar: My Department publishes statistical data on the age, gender and ethnicity of Service personnel and the gender, ethnicity and the disability status of civilian staff annually in the publication "UK Defence Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces Insignia

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what amount of revenue his Department expects to receive from the 3 per cent. reproduction fee being charged by the Ministry of Defence for products displaying insignia of the armed forces. [90776]

Mr. Doug Henderson [holding answer 12 July 1999]: Reproduction fees charged by MOD in respect of Crown Copyright material are discretionary. Where they are charged they vary between 1 per cent. and 7.5 per cent. The amount of revenue my Department expects to receive from reproduction fees charged for products displaying insignia of the armed forces is expected to be in the region of £45,000 in the current financial year.

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Military Visits

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will (a) list the countries from which military officers have visited Northern Ireland since 1 May 1997, (b) set out the purpose of each visit, (c) set out the nature of the related training programme, (d) indicate which delegations have participated in (i) military and (ii) RUC patrols and (e) indicate which delegations have visited surveillance and observation posts in South Armagh. [89912]

Mr. Doug Henderson [holding answer 12 July 1999]: The information requested is as follows:

The New Zealand Defence Attache to London accompanied the Chief of Staff of the General Staff on his St. Patrick's Day visit to Omagh and Ballykelly on 17 March 1998.

Military officers from the following countries visited the Army in Northern Ireland on 1 April 1998 as part of a visit by the Royal College of Defence Studies:

Colonel, Omani Ministry of Defence

Colonel, Spanish Air Force

Colonel, French Gendarmerie

Colonel, Hellenic Army

Colonel, Czech Air Force

Colonel, US Air Force.

Two Russian officers carried out an Arms Control Inspection in Northern Ireland from 17-24 October 1998.

Military officers from the following countries visited the Army in Northern Ireland on 24 March 1999 as part of a visit by the Royal College of Defence Studies:

Air Commodore, Omani Air Force

Colonel, Royal Netherlands Army

Captain, Italian Navy

Lieutenant Colonel, Polish Army

Colonel, New Zealand Army

Colonel, US Marine Corps.

Twelve Czech officers carried out an Arms Control Inspection in Northern Ireland from 21-24 April 1999.

None of the visitors listed participated in military or RUC patrols or visited surveillance and observation posts in South Armagh.

Departmental Travel

Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by (a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91012]

Mr. Spellar: The information on the number of kilometres travelled on departmental business is not collected in the form requested and therefore cannot be provided.

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Like other departments, we are working to develop green transport plans in line with the targets for government buildings set out in the integrated transport White Paper in July 1998. These plans, which we are taking forward in the context of wider Environmental Management Systems, will as a matter of course seek to reduce the environmental impact of commuting, business travel and fleet operations--for all departmental sites, and not solely for HQ and other key buildings.

Nuclear Test Veterans

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for reassessing the National Radiological Protection Board's report of 1997 on the impact of radiation on British service personnel who participated in atomic weapons tests. [91013]

Mr. Spellar: I assume the hon. Member is referring to the report published by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) in 1993, in which case I have no such plans: and nothing to add to my responses of 1 July 1999, Official Report, column 534, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock), during the recent Armed Forces Personnel Debate and subsequently in writing. A copy of my letter of 7 July has been placed in the Library of the House.

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