21 Mar 2002 : Column 443W
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 21 March 2002
DEFENCE
Porton Down Volunteers
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 936W, regarding the 1973 report prepared at Porton Down, on what dates the Ethics Committee overseeing the human experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment scrutinised this experiment; and if he will place in the Library copies of the papers of the committee which relate to the discussion of this experiment. [43477]
Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
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 1985 entitled "Pyridostigmine pre-treatment and neuromuscular transmission in man—a study using single fibre electromyography". [43445]
Dr. Moonie: Yes. This technical note reports preliminary results and analysis. The full results and final conclusions of the work in which Service volunteers who had been exposed to a low dose of Sarin and monitored over a number of years using single fibre electromyography 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 list of the common and chemical names of the vesicants which have been tested on Service volunteers at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down during the Service volunteer programme; and if he will list the numbers of Service volunteers who were tested with each of these vesicants. [43452]
Dr. Moonie: At present there are no definitive figures detailing the numbers of Service volunteers who have been exposed to vesicant agents or all the agents which were used. However, it is believed that some 8,000 individuals have participated in studies which have involved the use of the following two vesicants:
- Sulphur mustard; chemical name 2–2'-di(chloroethyl) sulphide
Lewisite; chemical name 2-chlorovinyl dichloroarsine.
- Phosgene oxime; chemical name dichloroformoxime
Nitrogen mustard; chemical name 2–2'-2''-tri(chloroethyl)amine.
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Test and Evaluation Centres
Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the BUTEC and Rona test and evaluation ranges, and if he will make a statement. [44428]
Dr. Moonie: The BUTEC and Rona ranges are Ministry of Defence facilities operated by QinetiQ under contract to MOD. They provide a comprehensive range of test and evaluation facilities, for which the MOD has a continuing requirement.
Munitions
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the quality difference between shells manufactured in (a) the USA and (b) the UK by BAE Systems. [43392]
Dr. Moonie: All munitions, irrespective of the country of manufacture, must meet the Department's same high quality requirements and rigorous safety standards before entering service with the UK armed forces.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means he plans to apply benchmark prices to munitions. [43394]
Dr. Moonie: Benchmarking is already an integral part of the Framework Partnering Agreement (FPA) between Royal Ordnance Defence (ROD) and the MOD. A specific Benchmarking Working Group, comprising both MOD and ROD staff, has been established within the FPA and currently uses two techniques to monitor benchmarking. These techniques are comparative analysis and performance analysis.
Explosives
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long-term security of supply for explosives is defined in the Framework Partnering Agreement between his Department and ROD. [43396]
Dr. Moonie: The Department entered into a Framework Partnering Agreement with Royal Ordnance Defence in 1999. Long-term security of supply is not specifically defined within the agreement; however, both parties are committed to a long-term relationship and continuous dialogue on matters of mutual interest, including security of supply.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much explosive used by his Department was bought from the USA in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [43393]
Dr. Moonie: In the last 12 months, the Ministry of Defence has not bought explosive substances from the USA.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the ROD Framework Partners Agreement includes the plant in Bridgwater; [43399]
- (2) pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 656W, on explosives, which plants controlled by BAe are (a) included and (b) not included in the Framework Partnering Agreement between his Department and ROD. [43427]
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Dr. Moonie: The Royal Ordnance Defence (ROD) facility at Radway Green is explicitly included in the Framework Partnering Agreement because of the organisational structure of the Company. Beyond this, individual ROD facilities are not specifically included or excluded from the Agreement.
Depleted Uranium
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the training exercises that have
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taken place on the Eskmeals and Kirkcudbright training areas over the last five years and the regiments that have been involved. [43424]
Dr. Moonie: The training exercises (broken down by type of training) that have taken place on Kirkcudbright training area within the last five years, and the formations or units that have been involved are shown in the table:
| Year and frequency | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formation training (non-firming exercises) | Formation/unit | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
| Extended period operational training | HQ Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Exercise Eagles Eye | 16 Air Assault Brigade | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Exercise Eagles Strike | Queens Own Yeomanry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Operational training | 5 Airbourne Brigade | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exercise Northern Lights | 3 Royal Marines Commando | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exercise Swift Hawk | 5 Army Air Corps | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| Exercise Executive Stretch | 107 Brigade | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Individual training | Infantry Training Centre Catterick | 2 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 2 |
| Exercise Deep George | 1 Reconnaissance Brigade | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Field firing | 39 Regiment Royal Artillery | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Field firing | 32 Regiment Royal Artillery | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Field firing | 101 Regiment Royal Artillery | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Field firing | 9 Royal Irish Regiment | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Field firing | A Company Kings Own Scottish Borderers | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Field firing | 3 Squadron Royal Air Force | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Field firing | A Company Black Watch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | Officer Training Corp Glasgow | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | C Company Lowland Volunteer | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | Scottish Yeomanry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 105 Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 4/5 Irish Rangers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 27 Transport Regiment | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 245 Provost Company | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | Campbell College | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 4/5 Royal Irish | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | Royal Ghurka Rifles | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 24 Field Ambulance | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 3 Royal Highland Fusiliers | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 152 Field Ambulance | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | Scottish Transport Regiment | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 9 Royal Irish Regiment | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 162 Squadron Royal Corps of Transport | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | United States Navy SEALs | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 101 Regiment Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 52 Lowland Regiment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | 204 Field Ambulance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Non-firing exercises | Royal Marines Reserves Scotland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Non-firing exercises | Officer Training Corps (Northumbrian) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Eskmeals is not used in support of training activities for any of the three services. The site is owned by the Ministry of Defence and operated by QinetiQ who provide test and evaluation services in support of the UK armed forces on a variety of medium to heavy calibre weapon systems.
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