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Raytheon Systems

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the contract with Raytheon

18 Jan 2000 : Column: 394W

Systems for 5 Air Bourne stand-off radar will be spent with (a) UK-based companies, (b) other Europe-based companies and (c) US-based companies. [104833]

Mr. Spellar: About 75 per cent. of the contract will be spent with UK-based companies. The remainder will mainly be spent with US/Canadian based companies. Raytheon have undertaken to provide additional work to UK companies to bring the total to 100 per cent. of the contract value.

Medical Reserves

Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken to implement the proposal outlined in paragraph 106 of the Strategic Defence Review to call out medical reserves at lower scales of effort; and what assessment he has made of the level of success in establishing this proposal without disruption to the National Health Service. [104807]

Mr. Spellar: My Department and the Department of Health are currently progressing work to assess the implications for the National Health Service of deploying substantial numbers of Territorial Army and other medical Reservists on military operations, should that prove necessary. The initial stages of this work are expected to be completed by this summer.

Kosovo

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the adequacy of accommodation for British forces in Kosovo in the absence of the planned temporary field accommodation; and if he will make a statement. [104798]

Mr. Spellar [holding answer 17 January 2000]: In order to bridge the gap between the current in-service tentage and the more robust Temporary Field

18 Jan 2000 : Column: 395W

Accommodation, an interim solution, known as Improved Tented Camps, has been put in place. This has been a great success which has provided warm, dry and comfortable accommodation and met with the approval of the British forces who use it.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Salisbury of 10 January 2000, Official Report, column 92W, for what reasons the temporary field accommodation project in Kosovo was not fully deployed by December 1999; and under contract penalty clauses how much of the cost he will claw back from the contractor. [104797]

Mr. Spellar [holding answer 17 January 2000]: The original requirement and camp build sequence were drawn up before UK forces had entered Kosovo. Delays have been caused partly by the need to change the requirement and Temporary Field Accommodation (TFA) camp build sequence to reflect the circumstances actually encountered on entry into Kosovo and partly by supply, communications, transport and technical problems experienced by the contractor. Improved tented camps have been made available which provide a good enhancement to accommodation standards. Under the TFA contract we are withholding a significant element of the payment for each camp pending completion and will seek liquidated damages where delay can be shown to be the fault of the contractor.

Royal Marines Rifle Range, Deal

Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the report on the long-term management of the redundant Royal Marines rifle range at Kingsdown in Deal, commissioned by his Department in 1988 and conducted by the consultants Mouchel, will be made available to Dover District Council. [105210]

Mr. Spellar: Mouchels sent their report to W. S. Atkins, as Dover District Council's technical consultants, on 7 January 2000.

Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received in connection with coastal protection work at the redundant Royal Marines rifle range at Kingsdown in Deal. [105209]

Mr. Spellar: My Department has received representations from, and been in dialogue over a number of years with, various individuals and bodies about aspects of the future of Kingsdown Range, including coastal protection issues. These include the present hon. Member for Dover and his predecessor as MP, Dover District Council, Kent County Council, Ringwould with Kingsdown Parish Council and a number of members of the public.

Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he intends taking in the immediate term to prevent the potential collapse of Undercliff Road at the redundant Royal Marines rifle range at Kingsdown in Deal into the sea. [105211]

Mr. Spellar: Undercliffe Road is a public road and neither the property nor responsibility of my Department, but of Dover District Council, who are statutorily empowered to take what action it considers appropriate to protect its road from the sea.

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Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects works to commence to secure the long-term future of Undercliff Road at the redundant Royal Marines rifle range at Kingsdown in Deal in line with proposals made by his Department in May 1996. [105212]

Mr. Spellar: My Department did not in May 1996, nor has at any other time, make proposals to carry out work intended to secure the long-term future of Undercliffe Road. As a public road, it is neither the property nor the responsibility of my Department, but of Dover District Council.

Far East Prisoners of War

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of ex-servicemen and women who are former Far East prisoners of war. [105239]

Mr. Spellar: 50,016 Service personnel from the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom were captured by Japanese forces during the Second World War. No centrally collated figures exist of the number of former FEPOWS still living since, once their military liability had ended, any subsequent deaths of ex-Service personnel were not centrally recorded.

Sandhurst

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 January 2000, Official Report, columns 89-90W, on Sandhurst, how many of the British officer cadets who were medically discharged from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in each of the years 1995 to 1999 received their secondary education at (a) Welbeck College, (b) state schools, (c) independent schools and (d) overseas schools. [105241]

Mr. Spellar: From the records available, the information requested is as follows:

19951996199719981999
Welbeck College2232--
State Schools191310113
Independent Schools1811733
Overseas Schools1--------
Number Recorded----23--
Total402622196

Nuclear Deterrent

Ms Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in implementing the aspects of the Strategic Defence Review relating to the nuclear deterrent; and if he will make a statement. [105643]

Mr. Hoon: The SDR conducted a rigorous re-examination of our deterrence requirements. The Government have made it clear that we shall maintain the minimum credible nuclear deterrent while working towards the global elimination of nuclear weapons. The longer-term goals of arms control, non-proliferation and multilateral disarmament were advanced considerably by a range of SDR measures. In addition to announcing Trident as the UK's only nuclear weapon system, these included: a reduction in the number of warheads

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deployed in each submarine; a significant reduction in the size of the UK's total nuclear weapon stockpile; the de-targeting of Trident missiles; having only one submarine on deterrent patrol, and the placing of the submarine on deterrent patrol at several days' notice to fire. These measures have all been introduced.

Following a trial period of moving towards single crewing of SSBNs, we have however decided to retain double crews. This decision reflects our determination, as part of our policy for people, to minimise the pressure on our service personnel and give them greater stability and time with their families.

Married Quarters

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations where there are more than 100 married quarters. [105562]

Mr. Spellar: A list of locations where there are more than 100 married quarters is as follows:



    Brecon


    Chepstow


    Haverfordwest


    Hereford


    Innsworth


    St. Athan


    Cosford


    Donnington


    Kineton


    Lichfield


    Nuneaton


    Shawbury


    Stafford


    Ternhill


    Blanford


    Bovington


    Poole


    Portland


    Weymouth


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    Wilton


    Drayton


    Eastney


    Fareham


    Hilsea


    Marchwood


    Old Rowner


    Paulsgrove


    Stamshaw


    Thorney Island


    Winchester


    Worthy Down


    Bulford


    Tidworth


    Aborfield


    Bracknell


    Hermitage, Thatcham


    Sandhurst


    Shrivenham


    Aldershot


    Waddington


    Wittering


    Dishforth


    Fulford


    Gatenby


    Harrogate


    Hemswell Cliff


    Kirton in Linsey


    Leconfield


    Linton on Ouse


    Ripon


    Strensall


    Topcliffe


    Catterick (N)


    Catterick (S)


    Longhoughton


    Newcastle-upon-Tyne


    Benbecula


    Lossiemouth


    Aldershot North Camp


    Bordon


    Burghfield


    Church Crookham


    Cove


    Deepcut


    Farnborough


    Odiham


    Pirbright


    Heston


    Salamanca Park


    Bushey


18 Jan 2000 : Column: 399W


    Whetstone


    Chelsea


    Hounslow


    Kingston


    Knightsbridge


    Putney


    Victoria


    Windsor


    Woolwich


    Canterbury


    Chatham


    Dover


    Maidstone


    Shorncliffe


    Abingdon


    Benson


    Bicester


    Brize Norton


    High Wycombe


    Basic


    Bassingbourne


    Brampton


    Chicksand


    Halton


    Henlow


    Oakington


    Waterbeach


    Wyton


    Coltishall


    Honington


    Marham


    Swanton Morley


18 Jan 2000 : Column: 400W


    Polton


    Redford


    Rosyth


    Buchan


    Elgin


    Forres


    Inverness


    Kinloss.


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