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Defence Aviation Repair Agency

Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the consultant's report recommending the relocation of the fixed wing aircraft repair business of DARA from RAF St. Athan to Cardiff international airport. [16389]

Mr. Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 20 July 2001, Official Report, columns 707–08W.

RAF Menwith Hill

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been to his Department of the use of MOD police in connection with RAF Menwith Hill since 5 July; and what the preset departmental budget was for this function. [15878]

Dr. Moonie: I am withholding the cost of the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) deployed at RAF Menwith Hill in accordance with Exemption 1 (Defence Security) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The financial arrangements governing the MDP presence at bases made available to the United States visiting forces in the UK, including RAF Menwith Hill, are covered by a Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and US Governments. The costs incurred by Her Majesty's Government for the MDP presence at RAF Menwith Hill are reimbursed by the US Government, except where overtime is occasioned by the activities of protesters, which is a direct cost to the UK.

19 Nov 2001 : Column: 9W

Missile Trials

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what missile trials involving live firing of missiles have been undertaken by (a) HMS Marlborough, (b) HMS Lancaster and (c) HMS York in the past three years. [14627]

Mr. Ingram: There have been no specific missile trials involving the named vessels in the past three years. A number of routine practice firings have been undertaken. However it is not our policy to comment on the details of the live firing programme and I am withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information which relates to Defence, Security and International Relations.

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what missile trials involving Trident class submarines have taken place in the past three years. [14628]

Mr. Ingram: One trial has been conducted in the past three years when HMS Vengeance successfully conducted a post-build firing of a Trident missile with an inert warhead.

Departmental Sites (Planning Applications)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is towards submitting planning applications for his Department's sites the use of which is already subject to a local plan public inquiry. [15713]

Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence is obliged to optimise receipts to the Exchequer from the disposal of its surplus estate and adopts strategies which ensure that this objective is achieved while taking full account of local issues and concerns. Planning permission is sought in advance of disposal in order to release the site at the most beneficial value to the taxpayer.

In some cases where a local plan inquiry is in progress or has been completed it may be necessary to submit a planning application in order to determine development proposals in a reasonable timescale. This course is particularly useful if the principles of development have not been previously challenged at the local plan inquiry.

Defence Estates Disposal Programme

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has conducted a review this year of Defence Estates' disposal programme; what was the conclusion of that review; and if he will make a statement. [15715]

Dr. Moonie: The Defence Estates disposal programme is managed carefully to ensure that the targets set under the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) and subsequent public service agreements are achieved. Best practice and lessons learned from post project reviews help to ensure that our disposal process and procedures are taut and provide best value. The SDR target of £700 million by March 2002 will be achieved and we expect property to make up the majority of the current PSA target of £600 million in asset disposals in the three years to March 2004.

19 Nov 2001 : Column: 10W

Territorial Army

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment has been made of the capability of the Territorial Army to provide aid to the civil powers. [9674R]

Dr. Moonie: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced to the House on 4 October that, following the attacks on 11 September, we are conducting work designed to ensure that we have the right capabilities in place to deal with international terrorism. The range of options being considered includes how the TA may be used in providing assistance to the civil community in an emergency.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made as to the suitability of former civilian aircraft being purchased or leased directly by his Department for conversion to the future strategic tanker aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [13836]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 9 November 2001]: It is intended that the future strategic tanker aircraft will deliver the RAF's air to air refuelling capability from around 2007. Bids for this prospective PFI project were received from two consortiums on 3 July 2001. Potential aircraft solutions include both new and former civilian airliners. We are currently examining the suitability of these options as part of a detailed assessment phase.

Porton Down Volunteers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals have contacted the Porton Down volunteers helpline since February 1998. [14761]

Dr. Moonie: Since February 1998 the helpline has received requests for information relating to 750 individuals.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, are employed to answer queries in the form of letters and telephone calls by former service personnel about experiments in which they took part. [14760]

Dr. Moonie: Currently, two full-time and three part- time members of Porton Down staff work exclusively on volunteer inquiries. Additionally, five other members of staff devote a significant proportion of their time to volunteer issues.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make ex-gratia compensation payments to service volunteers who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, because they believed that they were volunteering for common cold research; and if he will make a statement. [14835]

Dr. Moonie: No. Despite in-depth searches of the Ministry of Defence archive, no evidence has been found to substantiate the allegation that volunteers were recruited under the pretext that they were attending Porton Down for common cold research. Indeed, Porton Down has never conducted work on the common cold.

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Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have visited the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, to inspect records of their experiments and discuss their test with members of staff since 6 April. [14752]

Dr. Moonie: Since 6 April 2001, staff at Dstl Porton Down have hosted visits from seven former Porton Down volunteers.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the War Pensions Agency is being kept informed of the plans to set up an epidemiological study to explore the health of volunteers who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down; and what meetings have taken place between the War Pensions Agency and (a) the Medical Research Council and (b) the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit with regard to this matter. [14763]

Dr. Moonie: The War Pensions Agency is aware of the planned research but has not been involved in meetings with the Medical Research Council or the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit on this matter.

The Agency's core function is delivery of the War Pensions Scheme, with decisions on war pensions claims based on case specific facts, the relevant law and contemporary medical understanding.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times since 9 April staff at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, have supplied information about former volunteers to the War Pensions Agency in response to claims for disablement by such individuals. [14764]

Dr. Moonie: Since 9 April 2001, Dstl Porton Down has supplied information relating to 25 individuals following requests for information from the War Pensions Agency.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 11 May 2001, Official Report, columns 415–16W, regarding Porton Down, if his Department's officials conducting the comprehensive survey of the service volunteer programme at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, have made a decision on whether to interview (a) former scientists and staff at Porton Down who conducted the experiments and (b) former service personnel who took part in the experiments. [14751]

Dr. Moonie: No decision has yet been taken.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Professor Ian Kennedy will meet representatives of the Operation Antler team of Wiltshire Police as part of his supervision of the comprehensive survey of the service volunteer programme at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down. [14756]

Dr. Moonie: Professor Kennedy is acting in a supervisory and advisory role with respect to the comprehensive survey. It would not ordinarily be part of such a role to have discussions with representatives of a police investigation team, and thus Professor Kennedy has no plans to do so.

19 Nov 2001 : Column: 12W

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 936–37W, regarding Porton Down, if he will place in the Library papers relating to the War Pensions Agency's decision of 19 February. [14745]

Dr. Moonie: I am withholding this information under Exemption 2 (Internal discussion and advice) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

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 agents CS and CR tear gas in the 1960s and 1970s. [14798]

Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 May 2001, Official Report, column 197W. An attempt to collate a list even of the trials involving the tear gases CS and CR undertaken in the 1960s and 1970s could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in Library a list of the (a) common and (b) chemical names of the eight nerve agents which have been tested on service volunteers at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, during the service volunteer programme; and how many service volunteers were tested with each of the nerve agents. [14754]

Dr. Moonie: The eight nerve agents known to have been used in trials involving volunteers at Porton Down, together with their common and chemical names, are as follows:

GA; common name, Tabun; chemical name, O-ethyl N-dimethyl phosphoramidocyanate:

GB; common name, Sarin; chemical name, O-isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate:

GD; common name, Soman; chemical name, O-pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate:

GE; common name, Ethyl sarin; chemical name, O-isopropyl ethylphosphonofluoridate:

GF; no common name; chemical name, O-cyclohexyl methylphosphonofluoridate:

VX; no common name; chemical name, O-ethyl- S-[2(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate: and radio-labelled versions of GB and VX.

At present there are no definitive figures detailing the numbers of service volunteers who have been exposed to each of these agents. It is hoped that these details will become apparent during the forthcoming epidemiological study, which is being overseen by the Medical Research Council. It is intended that the results from this study will be published in the open literature.

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 defence establishment, Porton Down, in 1972 entitled, The Effect of Wind Speed on the Mitogenic Potency of GB and VX Valpour. [14759]

Dr. Moonie: This report is still classified as confidential and contains information which could have a direct bearing on operational effectiveness. I am therefore

19 Nov 2001 : Column: 13W

withholding this information in the interests of national security in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

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 defence establishment, Porton Down in 1984 entitled, Experience in Man with Nerve Agents with Reference to Generalised Symptoms—A Review and Proposals for Further Experiments. [14758]

Dr. Moonie: This report is still classified and contains information which would be of use to a potential aggressor or terrorist. I am therefore withholding this information in the interests of national security in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

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