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Iraq
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the approximate weight of ordnance dropped on Iraq by allied planes in 1999; and if he will make a statement. [97634]
Mr. Hoon: I will write to the right hon. and learned Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Porton Down
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down has ever been a secret germ warfare base. [97610]
Mr. Kilfoyle: An experimental establishment was first set up at Porton Down in 1916 in direct response to the use of chemical warfare in World War I against the allied forces. At that time, the remit was for both defensive and retaliatory capabilities. Since the late 1950s, the work has been entirely concerned with the defence of the UK and our Armed Forces against the threat posed by both chemical and biological warfare agents.
Though the past 83 years have seen many organisation changes at the site, Porton Down remains home to the UK's centre of expertise in chemical and biological defence matters and is now the Chemical Biological Defence Sector (CBD) of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).
Whilst there have been, and still are, aspects of the work which are necessarily classified in the interests of national security, CBD and its predecessor establishments have always sought to encourage their scientists to publish the results of their work in open literature and to inform interested parties, including the media, about their work through activities such as open days, visits and conferences.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received opposing the work of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency's Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton
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Down from (a) members of the public, (b) non- Governmental organisations, (c) charities and pressure groups and (d) hon. Members since May 1997; if he will make it his policy to close the establishment; and when he will visit CBD Porton Down to meet the scientific and industrial staff. [97642]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
Since May 1997, there have been no representations opposing overall the work of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency's (DERA) Chemical and Biological Defence Sector at Porton Down (CBD). Letters from members of the public, Members of Parliament and other organisations have focused only on specific programmes and on some areas of work at CBD's predecessor establishments.
As made clear by the previous Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence paper 'Defending Against the Threat from Biological and Chemical Weapons' announced on 21 July 1999, Official Report, columns 534-35, CBD Porton Down will continue to play a vital part in the Government's response to the proliferation of these weapons.
My noble Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement hopes to be able to visit CBD in the near future, as part of a programme of visits to DERA sites.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions on which (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) agency staff have (i) corresponded with, (ii) met and (iii) spoken to Mr. Rob Evans about the chemical and biological defence establishment at Porton Down. [97644]
Mr. Spellar:
Since May 1997, staff at the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency have responded to some 15 written requests from Mr. Rob Evans for lists of titles, copies of technical papers and other information about work at the Chemical and Biological Defence Sector (CBD) of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) or its predecessor establishments.
Mr. Evans has spoken to DERA Press Office staff on several occasions during 1998 and once this year to date. I am advised that he may have attended a DERA exhibition in Dorset in September 1997 and may have visited the Porton site as part of a group visit.
Mr. Evans has also written on a number of occasions to officials in other branches of the MOD about matters that are linked to CBD Porton Down.
I am not aware of any direct contact between Mr. Evans and MOD Ministers in the period of this Government.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards he has put in place to ensure that the medium range Trigat missiles will be completed before the Milan 1 ATGW systems expire. [97876]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
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Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK troops took part in the Bright Star 99 exercise; at what cost; and if he will make a statement. [97879]
Mr. Spellar:
I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many orthopaedic surgeons are in post at Royal Hospital Haslar; what is the waiting time for an appointment for (a) a local civilian and (b) a serving member of HM forces; and how many (i) service men and (ii) civilians are on (1) the waiting list and (2) the pending list. [97853]
Mr. Spellar:
Royal Hospital Haslar has six orthopaedic surgeons in post, of whom four are service men and two are civilian locums.
There is not a separate waiting list for civilian patients and for patients of HM forces. Equally, both may be seen by service or NHS consultants. Waiting times for first routine orthopaedic outpatient appointments are five weeks for the Fracture Clinic and seven to ten months for the General Clinic. The number of service personnel on the waiting list for their initial outpatient attendance is 271. The number on the pending list is 351. The number of civilians on the waiting list for their initial outpatient attendance is 143. The number on the pending list is 287. A system is in place, based on operational readiness state, that enables service personnel to receive their first outpatient appointment more quickly.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many (a) servicemen and women and (b) civilians are (i) resident or (ii) visiting for work at the Warminster Training Centre; and how many physicians and other trained medical staff provide (1) 24-hour cover and (2) working day cover; [97856]
Mr. Spellar:
1,644 Servicemen and women and 944 civilians are employed at the Warminster Training Centre, none of whom is resident within the perimeter. In addition, up to 1,000 servicemen and women may be visiting, or on course at, the Training Centre at any time, some of whom may be accommodated in any of the two Officers' Messes, the Warrant Officers' Mess, the Sergeants' Mess or the Corporals' Mess.
Medical support to Warminster Training Centre consists of a Primary Care Practice, which is a designated Army Training Practice and provides the following service:
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In addition, a Dental Centre adjoins the Practice and consists of one civilian Practitioner, two civilian auxiliaries and one military Dental Nurse. All provide working day and 24 hour cover. Secondary medical care is provided by the Defence Secondary Care Agency and by the National Health Service Hospitals at Bath, Salisbury and Warminster.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the titles of research studies, audits and surveys (a) being undertaken and (b) commissioned by his Department for completion within (i) 1999 and (ii) 2000, indicating in each case when the results are due to be published. [98015]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the information technology projects being undertaken by his Department and agencies responsible to his Department including the (a) start date, (b) planned completion date, (c) expected completion date, (d) planned cost and (e) estimated cost; and if he will make a statement. [98014]
Mr. Spellar:
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
(2) how many (a) physiotherapists and (b) osteopaths are (i) resident at or (ii) visitors to the Warminster Training Centre; and if he will make a statement about medical support at Warminster Training Centre. [97852]
Working day and 24 hour medical cover by:--
a Senior Medical Officer (Lt Col) and a Regimental Medical Officer (Captain);
two civilian locums who between them provide nine nights per month cover and three sessions (1.5 days) in total each week.
A Community Psychiatric Nurse who visits for two sessions (one day) in total each week;
a non-residential physiotherapist contracted for 11 hours each week who, with effect from 29 November, will be replaced by a full time military physiotherapist;
six Regimental Medical Assistants and three Combat Medical Technicians of the 1st Battalion The Devon and Dorset Regiment; and
a full time Health Visitor from Wiltshire Health Authority.
There are no osteopaths employed at, or visiting, the Centre.
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