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British Transport Police
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will bring forward legislation to extend the jurisdiction of the British Transport Police to give them the same constabulary powers as Home Office police; and if he will make a statement. [117668]
Mr. Hill: The Government announced on 31 July 1998, Official Report, column 637W, their intention to seek to establish, when a suitable legislative opportunity arises, an independent national police authority for the British Transport Police (BTP). Following consultation with the police service, my Department is considering with the Home Office an extension to the BTP's jurisdiction in specific circumstances. If accepted this extension would be included within the legislation.
DEFENCE
AWE
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation took place with regulatory authorities in relation to the appropriateness of BNFL as a partner in the consortium set up to bid for the contract to manage AWE. [113667]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 9 March 2000]: MOD has regular meetings with officials of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and of the Environment Agency on safety and environment at AWE, including the conduct and progress of the competition to appoint a new management and operating contractor. Both bodies were consulted on the suitability of all consortia member companies before RFQs (Requests for Quotation) were issued for the competition and both have been kept fully informed of developments. On 13 April 1999, the NII and EA made presentations to BNFL and all other parent companies of the competing consortia informing them of the standards that would be required of the successful contractors. Both regulators were given copies of each consortium's management prospectus and bid material relevant to environmental, safety and health matters. The NII has also given presentations and has taken part in syndicate discussions and assessment meetings with bidders. Finally, as detailed to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, West (Mr. Salter) on 29 March 2000, Official Report, columns 159-60W, the most recent review found nothing which would cause them to oppose AWE ML's take over of the sites on 1 April.
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the criteria against which the applications for the new contract to run AWE Aldermaston were assessed. [113668]
Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 9 March 2000]: In assessing bids to manage and operate the Atomic Weapons Establishment from 1 April 2000 information was required from all participating consortia to demonstrate that their parent companies met full compliance on safety performance. This was essential to
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qualify for further consideration of the bids. Once over this hurdle assessment was made against the following criteria:
Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 27 March 2000]: It is intended that at the start of the contract responsibilities will be allocated to parent company nominees as follows:
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings Ministers in his Department have held with members and officials of the United States Government to discuss proposed US plan to deploy a national missile defence system since 1 January; when each meeting took place; which Ministers were involved; and which members and officials of the United States Government and from which departments attended each meeting. [117077]
Mr. Spellar:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 April 2000, Official Report, column 400W, to my hon. Friend for Milton Keynes, South-West, (Dr. Starkey).
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the 70 per cent. reduction in the explosive power of the UK's nuclear arsenal is matched by an equal reduction in the combined potential destructive power of each separately targetable warhead. [117094]
Mr. Hoon:
The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) announced that we need a stockpile of less than 200 operationally available warheads. Against levels at the end of the Cold War, this represents a reduction in the potential explosive power of the deterrent of more than 70 per cent. The SDR also made clear that the one Trident submarine on patrol would carry a reduced load of 48 warheads. The SDR did not refer to the potential explosive power of individual Trident warheads; such information remains classified.
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Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates and locations of the United Kingdom/United States Stocktake meetings to review the co-operation on nuclear weapons under the 1958 US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement which have taken place since 1 January, 1996; how many members of his Department and which United States Government departments took part in each of these stocktake meetings. [117079]
Mr. Spellar:
Two UK/US Stocktake meetings have taken place since January 1996. The first was on 18 June 1997, in London, at which a total of nine officials from my Department were present. In addition, five AWE Aldermaston staff attended. The second meeting was held on 10 June 1998, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at which seven MOD officials and four AWE Aldermaston staff were present. At both meetings, US representation was from the Departments of Defense and Energy.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date Professor Peter Lachmann and his panel were appointed to conduct a review of the zinc cadmium sulphide trials; how many times he and his team visited the Porton Down chemical and biological defence establishment and the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency during the course of their inquiry; and on what dates he and his team made each of their visits. [117059]
Dr. Moonie:
Professor Lachmann was appointed on 23 August 1999 to lead the independent study of the zinc cadmium sulphide trials. Other members of the team, namely Dame Barbara Clayton, Professor Paul Elliot and Dr. Clive Philips, were selected by Professor Lachmann following his own appointment.
Professor Lachmann and two of his team visited CBD Porton Down on 29 September 1999.
Mr. DuncanSmith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the Israeli Arrow missile system. [117561]
Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 3 April 2000]: A Pre-feasibility Programme (PFP) that was undertaken in 1994-1996 examined possible options, cost and timescales for ballistic missile defence of the UK and its deployed forces. This was carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Defence by a consortium led by what was then BAe. In considering potential system architectures, the PFP examined publicly available material on all government funded BMD capable weapons systems. The Arrow weapon system was assessed within this limited context.
Mr. Gardiner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what British military personnel (a) currently employed by his Department and (b) on the Reserve List have been on secondment to Sri Lanka (i) military training establishments and (ii) units since 1 January 1997. [117644]
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Mr. Spellar:
An Army officer has been loaned to the Sri Lankan Army Command and Staff College to advise on syllabus development and training since January 1998. No other British military personnel have been seconded to Sri Lanka since 1 January 1997.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what security clearance has been awarded to Lord Levy in respect of his meetings with the Chief of Defence staff. [117775]
Mr. Hoon:
All personnel who have access to sensitive material are subject to security clearance procedures. It would not be appropriate to give details of the particular level of clearance held by individuals.
Safety (the risk of harm and potential harm to people, property and the environment to be as low as reasonably practicable).
National Capability (the ability of AWE to underwrite safety and reliability of nuclear warheads without recourse to nuclear testing and to maintain minimum capability to design and produce a successor to Trident if this were to be deemed necessary).
Security (the protection of assets, information and people).
Management (including the provision of Directors, adequate management measurement criteria and public relations).
Infrastructure (the maintenance of the capital asset base to support outputs and waste management and decommissioning).
Material (the production and through life support of weapons).
Commercial (including the costs of the contract).
Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the areas of responsibility assigned to each of the three members of the AWE management consortium under the terms of the contract to manage the AWE Aldermaston site. [116344]
Serco--Chief Executive, Business Services, and Communications
Lockheed Martin--Deputy Chief Executive, Research, and Production
BNFL--Assurance, Infrastructure, and Human Resources and Strategic Development.
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