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7 Nov 2002 : Column 475W—continued
Defence Export Services
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when Mr. Tony Edwards resigned as Head of Defence Export Services. [79875]
Dr. Moonie: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Gates of Remembrance
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with representatives of the Gates of Remembrance Appeal; and what discussions he has had with the (a) Royal British Legion, (b) Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, (c) Army Benevolent Fund, (d) RAF Association, (e) Royal Navy Association and (f) War Widows Association of Great Britain about that appeal. [79839]
Mr. Ingram: Although no specific discussions have taken place with representatives from the Gates of Remembrance Appeal numerous wide ranging discussions have taken place with those other bodies mentioned. In accordance with the long established policy of successive Governments, the cost of erecting war memorials or their subsequent maintenance is not met from public funds but from private donations or public subscription.
Scientific Advisory Council
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the members of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council, and in each case his or her employer. [79829]
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Mr. Ingram: The Defence Scientific Advisory Council is a Non-Departmental Public Body; it consists of an Independent chairman and eight other independents. In addition a number of senior Ministry of Defence officials are members of the Council.
| Independent Chairman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professor A Ledwith | Retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Independent Members | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professor R Needham | Microsoft Research Ltd (Cambridge) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dr. D J Price | Rolls Royce—Marine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mr. P J Stein | Roke Manor Research Ltd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dr. A L Mears | QinetiQ plc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dr. L V Bennett | Risk Solutions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professor P G Blain | University of Newcastle upon Tyne | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professor A J Kinloch | Imperial College, University of London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professor R Voles | R V Consultancy
Official Members from MoD and OGDs
Air Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup
Lt Gen R C Menzies
Mr. G H B Jordan
Mr. M Earwicker
Mr. P Roper,
Mr. P D Ewins
Professor D King CSA to the Government
Dr. A Keddy Department of Trade & Industry
|
| Project Name | Contract signed | Service start date | Contract end year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Materials Handling Equipment | May 2002 | August 2002 | 2010 |
| Ii | TAFMIS | August 1996 | August 1996 | 2006 |
| Iii | Defence Fixed Telecommunications Service (DFTS) | July 1997 | June 1998(1) | 2007 |
| Iv | Hawk Simulator | December 1997 | December 1999 | 2015 |
| V | Attack Helicopters Training-Apache Simulator | July 1998 | January 2002 | 2028 |
| Vi | Defence Intelligence System | June 1999 | October 1999 | 2006 |
| Vii | Tornado GR4 Simulator | June 1999 | Not yet started | 2031 |
| Viii | Royal Navy Fleet Communications Service | June 2000 | Not yet started | 2027 |
| Ix | RAF Sentry E3D Aircrew—(E3D Simulator) | August 2000 | February 2002 | 2030 |
| X | ASTUTE Training Service | November 2001 | Not yet started | 2031 |
| Xi | Heavy Equipment Transporters | December 2001 | Not yet started | 2024 |
| Xii | Strategic Sealift (Ro-Ro Ferries) | June 2002 | Not yet started | 2024 |
| Xiii | Field Electrical Power Supplies | July 2002 | Not yet started | 2022 |
Note:
(1) The exact Service Start date for DFTS cannot be specified as the contract was subject to a one year Transition Period whilst the existing Networks where transferred to BT.
Deepcut Barracks
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what professional mental health assistance is given to recruits at the Deepcut barracks; and if he will make a statement. [79995]
Mr. Ingram: The medical centre at Deepcut barracks provides recruits with primary health care. The medical centre's establishment comprises a Civilian Medical Practitioner and full time practice nurse who look after patients' medical problems, both physical and mental. Should further referral for diagnosis and/or
7 Nov 2002 : Column 477W
management of a mental health problem be considered necessary, referral would normally be to the Community Psychiatric Department in Aldershot, where Consultant Psychiatrist and Community Psychiatric Nursing services are available. At weekends, urgent cases would be referred to the Duchess of Kent Psychiatric Hospital at Catterick.
Nuclear Weapons Tests
Mr. Llewellyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what papers have been published (a) in referred journals and (b) as departmental monographs on the health impact on observers of British atmospheric nuclear weapons tests since 1990; and if he will place copies of each in the Library. [79967]
Dr. Moonie: In December 1993 the report was published of a study carried out by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) on behalf of the Ministry of Defence entitled Mortality and Cancer Incidence 1952–1990 in UK Participants in the UK Atmospheric Nuclear Weapon Tests and Experimental Programmes. Findings from the study were published after peer review in the British Medical Journal, Volume 307, pages 1530–5, dated December 1993. A copy of the NRPB report is already available in the Library of the House.
The MOD has not published any monographs on this subject.
European Rapid Reaction Force
Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department has provided foreign countries to develop tank ammunition and weaponry composed of depleted uranium, and depleted uranium components; and if he will make a statement. [65043]
Dr. Moonie: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made toward the establishment of a European Rapid Reaction Force; and what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts regarding the issue. [79972]
Mr. Hoon: There is no standing European Rapid Reaction Force. Under the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), the EU will undertake crisis management operations where NATO as a whole is not engaged. Forces for these operations will be provided voluntarily by Member States, and in some cases by others. (The same arrangement applies for NATO and UN crisis management operations.)
I discuss ESDP with European counterparts frequently. EU Defence Ministers last met collectively to discuss ESDP and other matters on 4–5 October.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much depleted uranium was used in bombing campaigns by UK forces in (a) Kosovo during the recent conflict, (b) Serbia during the conflict over Kosovo and (c) Afghanistan in 2001–02. [79695]
7 Nov 2002 : Column 478W
Depleted Uranium
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what stocks of weapons containing depleted uranium are held in (a) United Kingdom bases and (b) by United Kingdom forces operating in Iraq. [79654]
Mr. Ingram: I am withholding details in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much depleted uranium was used in bombing campaigns by United Kingdom forces in (a) the 1990–91 Gulf War and (b) bombing campaigns over Iraq since 1991. [79741]
Mr. Ingram: No depleted uranium was used in bombing campaigns by United Kingdom forces in the 1990–1991 Gulf Conflict or in bombing campaigns over Iraq since 1991.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has collated on the effects of depleted uranium exposure on the (a) military personnel and (b) civilian population in Iraq since 1991; and if he will make a statement. [79655]
Mr. Ingram: Many independent reports have been produced that consider the battlefield effects of using depleted uranium (DU) munitions, but none has found widespread DU contamination sufficient to affect the health of the general population or deployed personnel.
The Ministry of Defence has no information on exposure of Iraqi military personnel or civilians to DU. We support proposals by the World Health Organisation to carry out studies to address public health issues in Iraq, including a proposal to explore health effects of environmental risk factors, including DU. The proposals were sent to the Iraq Ministry of Public Health in October 2001 but there has been no response.
3,339 United Kingdom military personnel who served in the Gulf Conflict have now been seen by the Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme (GVMAP). Physicians at the GVMAP examine all those attending for signs of ill health that could be attributed to exposure to DU, but no such evidence has been found to date.
Under the auspices of the independent Depleted Uranium Oversight Board a test for DU in urine is currently being developed and we hope to be able to make it available to all those who wish to be tested in the first half of next year. In parallel with this, we will also carry out an epidemiological study which will examine the link between exposure to DU and health.
No UK troops who served in the Gulf experienced the highest level of DU. However, 33 United States soldiers were exposed to DU when their vehicles were accidentally hit by DU rounds of whom 17 have embedded DU shrapnel. Their health is closely monitored by the US Government and so far has shown no signs of health problems attributable to DU.
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