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DEFENCE

Fuel Tankers

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions and co-operation with UK-based oil companies there has been concerning the training of personnel from the armed services for the driving of road fuel delivery tankers; and if he will make a statement. [139806]

Mr. Spellar: We maintained close contact with the Oil Industry Emergency Committee both while we prepared our training programme and while training was under way. We discussed our requirement for the training of personnel with the Petroleum Training Federation as well as other organisations within the oil industry. As a result, a number of these organisations provided instructors and commercial fuel tankers to assist with this training and to ensure that it met industry standards.

Porton Down

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will establish an independent inquiry into the experiments on service personnel and civilians at Porton Down. [139054]

Dr. Moonie: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Erewash (Liz Blackman) and to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Atkinson) on 21 November 2000, Official Report, columns 101-02W.

Cluster Bombs

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if work to make safe cluster munitions at the Luce Bay range has been completed; and if he will make a statement. [139239]

Mr. Spellar: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (Mr. Morgan) on 1 November 2000, Official Report, column 466W. Work on the containment of the remaining nine sites will be completed as soon as weather permits and should take slightly less than two weeks if the weather remains favourable.

23 Nov 2000 : Column: 270W

Animal Experiments

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the procedures conducted on animals and the training facilities used by his Department for (a) experimental research and (b) training programmes in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [138919]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 21 November 2000]: DERA's Chemical and Biological Defence Sector (CBD) carries out a number of research programmes involving the use of animals that are aimed at providing the armed forces with safe and effective protection against combat related trauma and the chemical and biological agent threat. During 1999, a total of 11,501 procedures, defined as licensed techniques under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, were reported to the Home Office from CBD Porton Down. These procedures were carried out on mice, rats, rabbits, guinea-pigs, hamsters, marmosets, pigs, and Rhesus monkeys.

Additionally, DERA's Centre for Human Sciences (CHS) carried out 149 procedures on goats during 1999 as part of its on-going submarine escape programme.

All work at DERA involving the use of living animals is carried out in strict accordance with the requirements specified under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. DERA does not undertake any training with the armed forces which involves the use of living animals.

Members of the Defence Medical Service have, however, participated in surgical training exercises conducted by the Danish Armed Forces' Medical Services, which involve live, fully anaesthetised pigs as surgical models. The last exercise in which a UK military surgical team took part was in May 1998. UK participation was subsequently suspended, but is now being resumed, with two military surgical teams taking part in an exercise this week.

Departmental Employees (HIV)

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that people who are HIV-positive do not suffer discrimination as a result of employment practices followed by his Department. [137788]

Dr. Moonie: I can confirm that all possible steps are taken to prevent such discrimination. The Ministry of Defence and its Agencies are committed to, and operate a policy of, equal opportunity for all staff, whether civilian or military. This means that all members of the MOD, and potential recruits, must be treated fairly on the basis of their ability and qualifications. HIV is treated no differently from any other illness as far as employment practice is concerned. An individual risk assessment is carried out and, subject to the appropriate fitness or occupational health standard, all reasonable modifications to the individual's employment are undertaken where necessary.

Asbestos (Ships)

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent consultations there have been on health and

23 Nov 2000 : Column: 271W

safety issues between his Department and trade unions representing civilian contractors employed in removing asbestos from Royal Navy ships. [139052]

Dr. Moonie: There have been no recent consultations on health and safety issues between the Ministry of Defence and trade unions representing contractors employed in removing asbestos from Royal Navy ships. Responsibility for such consultations rests with the contractor, as the employer.

We consult regularly with trade unions representing our own employees on all issues related to Health and Safety, including work with asbestos.

Warships

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost when new was of (a) HMS London, (b) HMS Boxer, (c) HMS Beaver and (d) HMS Brave. [139347]

Dr. Moonie: HMS London, HMS Boxer, HMS Beaver and HMS Brave, when new in the 1980s, cost approximately £159 million, £147 million, £148 million and £166 million respectively. The costs are at the price level relevant to the year in which each ship was delivered.

HMS Beaver

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason HMS Beaver is to be sold in a non-operational condition; and if he will make a statement. [139346]

Dr. Moonie: The 1998 Strategic Defence Review announced the reduction in the size of the surface flotilla including the decommissioning of some Royal Navy Batch 2 Type 22 frigates earlier than planned. HMS Beaver was the first of these. Despite strong efforts by the Disposal Sales Agency, no foreign navy customer was found for her before she became non-operational in March 1999. Offers of the ship in a regenerated condition have similarly found no customer. Any cost-effectively re-usable parts of the ship have been removed leaving sale for scrap as the most economical remaining option.

Royal Hospital Haslar

Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the sufficiency of doctors, nurses and other staff at the Royal Hospital Haslar; and if he will make a statement. [139098]

Dr. Moonie: We have acknowledged that there are significant shortfalls in the Defence Medical Services and this is reflected in the manning situation at the Royal Hospital Haslar. However, Haslar continues to provide a broad spectrum of clinical services and when military personnel are unavailable, locum and full-time civilian personnel are employed where possible. We are working very closely with the Portsmouth Hospitals Trust to ensure services are maintained for the local military and civilian population.

23 Nov 2000 : Column: 272W

Nuclear Submarines

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are being taken to ensure the safety of all nuclear submarines following the damage to HMS Tireless. [139681]

Mr. Spellar: Following inspections in HMS Tireless, the Ministry of Defence has carried out checks in all Royal Navy hunter-killer submarines. Defects similar to those found in Tireless, though at a much earlier stage of development, have been found in a further six submarines. A programme to address these defects is being drawn up. No submarine will return to sea unless it is safe for it to do so. Of the five submarines in which defects have not been detected, only HMS Triumph is currently available for operation duties because other vessels are in refit. Ministry of Defence safety authorities have approved her operation and she will be subjected to further regular inspections.

Vanguard Class ballistic missile submarines have a different design of reactor plant and Ministry of Defence safety authorities have endorsed their continued operation.

Cobridge Barracks

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much he has spent on the barracks building at Cobridge for each of the last three years; and what grants have been awarded to cadet forces based at Cobridge. [139666]

Dr. Moonie: The amount of money expended on the barrack buildings at Cobridge in the last three years was as follows:

£

Year	Maintenance	Running costs
1997-98	7,537	11,440
1998-99	3,169	8,745
1999-2000	6,850	18,185

No grants are paid at detachment level.

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