| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
DEFENCE
Multi-role Armoured Vehicle
Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle programme. [97922]
Mr. Hoon:
I am pleased to announce that the UK and Germany today signed a contract with ARTEC GmbH, a consortium including Alvis Vehicles Ltd. from the UK, for the development of a family of armoured utility vehicles, known in the UK as the Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle (MRAV). The MRAV programme will provide the British Army with a modern and flexible family of
5 Nov 1999 : Column: 342
armoured utility vehicles that can operate in both high intensity conflict and in rapid response peace support and humanitarian operations world-wide.
The contract represents a major step forward in European co-operation in armoured vehicles, and will be procured through the quadrilateral Organisation for Joint Armaments Cooperation known as OCCAR. This contract will help secure up to 500 manufacturing jobs within the UK supplier base over the life of the programme, the majority of which will be in the Telford area.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the cost of the Landing Craft Utility Mk 10 programme; and if he will make a statement; [95799]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
The current delivery dates for the production of Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk 10 vessels are:
(2) what are the delivery dates for the production series Landing Craft Utility Mk 10 vessels. [95798]
| Delivery date | Mk 10 vessel |
|---|---|
| 2001 | |
| 14 December | LCU 03 |
| 14 December | LCU 04 |
| 2002 | |
| 31 March | LCU 05 |
| 31 May | LCU 06 |
| 31 August | LCU 07 |
| 31 October | LCU 08 |
| 31 December | LCU 09 |
| 2003 | |
| 28 February | LCU 10 |
In addition to these vessels, two prototype vessels will have delivery dates of 25 November this year.
The current cost of the LCU Mk 10 programme is £35 million.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the manufacture, purchase, deployment and export of (a) cluster bombs and (b) munitions containing depleted uranium; and if he will make a statement. [95677]
Mr. Hoon:
Cluster bombs and depleted uranium (DU)-based ammunition are purchased for the UK armed forces because they are currently the most effective weapons available to satisfy the military requirements for which they are deployed. Cluster bombs are used against armoured and soft-skinned vehicles, artillery, surface to air missile sites, anti-aircraft artillery or forces on the ground. DU-based ammunition is used because of its unique capability as a kinetic penetrator. It offers a significant operational advantage over all currently available alternative materials.
Any applications for a licence to export these equipments are considered against the criteria which my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced to the House on 28 July 1997, Official Report, columns 26-29, and the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports.
5 Nov 1999 : Column: 343
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on whether uranium-tipped weapons were used in Kosovo. [95865]
Mr. Hoon:
I can confirm that depleted uranium-based munitions were used by NATO forces during the Kosovo campaign.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to assist in the removal of undetonated land mines from Kosovo. [95973]
Mr. Hoon
[holding answer 2 November 1999]: Since KFOR deployed, the UK has undertaken a great deal of work to ensure that Kosovo is made safe from unexploded ordnance (UXO) including undetonated Serbian land mines. The British Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams in Kosovo have been closely involved in marking minefields and clearing unexploded ordnance where it presents an immediate threat to life. All such sites in the UK-led sector of Kosovo have now been marked. KFOR as a whole has now cleared over 4,400 Serbian anti-personnel mines and 2,300 anti-tank mines.
Mr. Duncan Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what existing WEU agreements with NATO will be incorporated into the EU. [96971]
Mr. Hoon:
A decision on agreements with NATO that will allow the EU to assume its responsibilities in respect of a Common Security and Defence policy is not expected until the end of the 2000--the timeframe agreed at the European Council meeting in June this year.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed in his Department in examining arms export licence applications. [97059]
Mr. Hoon
[holding answer 2 November 1999]: Thirty people are currently employed full time in my Department examining export and promotion applications for military and dual-use items, and around a further fifty are involved on a regular basis as part of their duties. In addition, other staff may become involved as required.
Mr. Alan Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the health and safety incidents which have occurred at AWE Aldermaston since 1 October. [96986]
Mr. Hoon
[holding answer 2 November 1999]: The data for October 1999 are still being compiled for inclusion in the fourth of AWE's quarterly Environment, Safety and Health Reports for 1999, produced as part of their normal procedures for informing the Local Liaison Committee (LLC). I will place a copy of that report in the Library of the House as soon as it is available. I will also place a copy of the first quarter's report in the Library of the House along with copies of the second and third quarters' reports, due for release to the LLC on 10 November, as soon as they become available.
5 Nov 1999 : Column: 344
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received in the last 12 months on the RAF Chinook helicopter crash on Mull of Kintyre in 1994. [97235]
Mr. Spellar:
In the past 12 months there have been 40 parliamentary questions, 63 parliamentary inquires, an Early Day Motion and a short debate in the House of Lords. Some of these made representations and some sought information, which my Department was pleased to provide.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if regulations required under EU Directive 92/104/EEC (O.J. No. L404, 31.12.92, p.10) regarding health and safety of workers in the mineral extracting industries have been published in all EU member states; and if he will list those regulations together with their proposed implementation dates. [96456]
Mr. Meacher:
EU Directive 92/104/EEC has been implemented in the United Kingdom. Many of its provisions were covered in existing law. Those that were not, were implemented by:
Sir Peter Emery:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to update existing legislation on SSSIs. [96524]
Mr. Meacher:
The Government are committed to introducing legislation to improve the protection and management of Sites of Special Scientific Interest. We will take action as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Sir Peter Emery:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to increase the penalties for those who breach the regulations governing SSSIs. [96592]
5 Nov 1999 : Column: 345
Mr. Meacher:
The Government are examining the level of penalties for damaging an SSSI, and has proposed that the Court should be able to impose unlimited fines where this is appropriate. We will take action as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
The Mines Miscellaneous Health and Safety Provisions Regulations 1995 (SI 1995 No. 2005);
The Mines Miscellaneous Health and Safety Provisions Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 (SR 1995 No. 379);
The Quarries Miscellaneous Health and Safety Provisions Regulations 1995 (SI 1995 No. 2036);
The Quarries Miscellaneous Health and Safety Provisions Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 (SR 1995 No. 378);
The Escape and Rescue from Mines Regulations 1995 (SI 1995 No. 2870); and
The Escape and Rescue from Mines Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 (SR 1999 No. 173).
It is for the European Commission to monitor the transposition of EU Directives across the Community and take appropriate action as necessary. The Commission publishes information on which Directives have been transposed on its CELEX database. This can be accessed on the parliamentary intranet at the House of Commons Library.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |