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Terrorist Organisations
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will (a) list those organisations which he regards as terrorist and (b) make a statement on the strategies he proposes to deploy to counter their threat. [7425]
Mr. Blunkett: Schedule 2 to the Terrorism Act 2000, which came into force on 19 February 2001, lists those organisations which are proscribed through being concerned in terrorism. The Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2001, which came into force on 29 March, added 21 organisations to the 14 already in Schedule 2. Copies of the Terrorism Act 2000 and the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2001 are available in the Library.
The Terrorism Act 2000 provides a new legal framework, responding to the continuing need for specific powers to combat the current and future threat from all kinds of terrorism. I announced on 3 October further details of the package of anti-terrorism measures which are under consideration as part of the Government's legislative response to terrorism. The bills that the Government will put before Parliament will focus on practical measures which will deter and disrupt the activities of terrorists in the United Kingdom, and build on our current tough framework of anti-terrorism legislation.
Unaccompanied Luggage
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported cases of (a) unidentified, and (b) other unaccompanied luggage arriving at British airports there have been since 11 September; which airports have received such luggage; which airlines have transported the luggage; what action the Minister plans to take against airlines which allow such practice to continue; and if he will make a statement. [7432]
Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
My Department does not require any records to be kept of unidentified or unaccompanied baggage arriving in the UK. Any such baggage which is leaving the UK for a flight to any other destination will be screened to a higher standard before being loaded for flight under existing security requirements.
City Status
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he expects the announcement will be made on which town has been granted city status to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen's accession to the throne; [6320]
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- (2) if applications by those towns which applied unsuccessfully for city status to commemorate the Third Millennium will be considered as applications for city status to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen's accession to the throne; [6321]
(3) what plans he has to publish criteria for towns wishing to apply for city status to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen's accession to the throne; and if he will make a statement; [6322]
(4) when he will invite applications for city status to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen's accession to the throne. [6323]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Telford (David Wright) on 20 July 2001, Official Report, column 787W.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will sit on the committee which will consider applications by towns which wish to be granted city status to commemorate the 50 Anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen's accession to the Throne. [6339]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
Decisions on the grant of city status are made by the Queen, under the royal prerogative, on the advice of Ministers. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor will be responsible for advising the Queen on the towns in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to be granted city status to mark Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee after consulting other Ministers as he judges appropriate. These will include the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.
Ministers will be advised by their officials in the normal way. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department and I will not be involved in the consideration process because of our constituencies' potential interests in the outcome.
DEFENCE
Porton Down
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a list of the titles and dates of films held by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down which recorded the establishment's trials with the chemical agent BZ in the 1960s. [6562]
Dr. Moonie: The following is a list of items from the archive at Porton Down which have been identified as relating to trials involving the incapacitating agent referred to as BZ. Some of these items are films and others are sound tracks only. The records are not dated and there may be other material in the archive concerning BZ which has not been identified or catalogued as BZ. These items listed are currently held by the Wiltshire police as part of their investigation into the Porton Down Volunteer programme.
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| Identified as: | Film/sound |
|---|---|
| RF98 | Sound |
| RE17B | Film |
| 'BZ Trial' | Sound |
| Reel 4 | Film |
| Reel 5 | Film |
| Reel 6 | Film |
| Reel 7 | Film |
| Reel 8 | Film |
| Reel 9 | Film |
| Reel 11 | Film |
| Reel 12 | Film |
| Box Marked'BZ Trial' | (45)Sound |
| RE17C | Sound |
| RE17 | Film |
| RF98 | Film |
| Box Marked 'Jim Sound' | (46)Sound |
(45) Five sound recordings
(46) Five relate to BZ recordings
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many MoD police officers have been involved in Wiltshire Constabulary inquiries into events at CBD Porton Down; what has been the cost to his Department; and if he will make a statement. [7376]
Dr. Moonie: Two Ministry of Defence Police Officers have been working with the Wiltshire Constabulary on Operation Antler, the inquiry into the Porton Down Service volunteer programme. The cost to date has been approximately £170,000 which includes salary and support costs.
In addition, one Royal Navy Regulator, two Royal Military Policemen and two Royal Air Force Policemen have been working with the Wiltshire Constabulary on this inquiry at an approximate total cost of £143,000.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a representative of the Porton Down Veterans Support Group will be invited to the seminar in October at the head office of the Medical Research Council to discuss the epidemiological study of service volunteers who took part in experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down. [6576]
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates the independent Ethics Committee of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, scrutinised the study which took place in August 2000 involving RAF volunteers at the Rapier Detachment Engagement Trainer at RAF Honington; and if he will place in the Library copies of the papers of the committee which relate to the discussion of this study. [6561]
Dr. Moonie: The protocol for the study at RAF Honington was reviewed and approved by the Independent CBD Ethics Committee during their 22nd meeting held on 4 September 1997.
The discussions of the Independent CBD Ethics Committee are undertaken in confidence and I am therefore withholding the release of the complete minutes under exemption 2 of the Code of Practice to Access to Government Information. I will, however, place the section of the minutes relevant to this trial in the Library of the House.
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Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the reports produced by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down (a) in 1972 entitled, "The effect of miosis on visual acuity in dim light", and (b) recording the results of an experiment in 1983 in which service personnel were exposed to sarin nerve gas via single fibre electromyography. [6574]
Dr. Moonie: Yes. I will also place in the Library of the House copies of two internal Porton Down papers that record the preliminary data and conclusions of the 1983 Study. The full results and final conclusions of this 1983 study have already been published entitled: Single fibre electromyographic changes in man after organophosphate exposure (Human and Experimental Toxicology 1996, 15, 367–75).
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the protocol drawn up by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, to carry out the study in August 2000 involving RAF volunteers at the Rapier Detachment Engagement Trainer at RAF Honington. [6581]
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the report produced by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down in 1973 entitled "A comparative study of central visual field changes induced by GB vapour and physostigmine salicylate eyedrops". [6563]
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the report arising out of the study in August 2000 involving RAF volunteers at the Rapier Detachment Engagement Trainer at RAF Honington organised by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down. [6580]
Dr. Moonie: The report in question contains operational information. I am therefore withholding its release under exemption 1(a) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates staff of his Department held meetings with the Medical Research Council prior to 21 November 2000 to discuss seeking advice from the Council on the feasibility of an epidemiological study into volunteers who took part in experiments at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down. [6577]
Dr. Moonie: No such meetings were held with the Medical Research Council prior to 21 November 2000.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the War Pension Agency started on 19 February to identify as separate records claims for war pensions from service personnel who took part in experiments at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down. [6564]
Dr. Moonie: In order to improve available management information the War Pensions Agency decided to record separately War Pension claims from
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ex-Service personnel who participated in trials at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will transfer films from the archives of the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down, to the Imperial War Museum. [6575]
Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 9 May 2001, Official Report, column 196W.
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