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Downer Cow Syndrome
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the signs and symptoms of the disease known as Downer Cow Syndrome found in cattle in the USA, what is the incidence and to what is the cause attributed.
Lord Lucas: The so-called "Downer Cow Syndrome" is not a disease in itself, but is a common consequence of other conditions. Any cow which has for a period of four to six hours or more been unable to rise from a recumbent position is described as a "downer".
Once a cow has been recumbent for a period of time, damage to the nerves and/or muscles of the hind legs can occur, particularly if the animal is lying on hard ground. Recovery then becomes less likely. The syndrome can be caused by any disease (particularly of the legs or feet), injury or weakness which prevents an animal from getting up. Milk Fever, for example, causes inco-ordination and recumbency in cows around the time they calve.
In the USA, it has been estimated that about two cases of "downer cow syndrome" occur per 100 cows per year. There are no comparable data for the UK.
Warble Fly Prophylaxis: Research
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What research has been done or is planned on the safety or otherwise of the standard prophylactic used on cattle against warble fly.
Lord Lucas: All veterinary medicines, including treatments for warble fly, are authorised in accordance with the statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy. The responsibility for undertaking research and
providing information to meet these criteria rests with applicants for marketing authorisations. Safety in this context includes the safety of the treated animal, the user of the product, the consumer of products from treated animals, and the environment. Information on research provided by the applicant is evaluated as part of the authorisation process.Safer Cities Programme: Costs
Baroness Mallalieu asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the annual cost of each current "Safer Cities" programme.
The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Earl Ferrers): Phase 2 of the Safer Cities programme consists of 29 projects in England and three in Wales. The management of these projects is contracted out to organisations with relevant experience. Each project has access to a grants budget of up to £100,000 per annum for three years. In addition, Her Majesty's Government pays the running costs of the projects but the precise amounts are commercial-in-confidence, as these were determined following a competitive tendering exercise.
RAF Bentwaters: Sale
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What consideration they have given to the environmental implications of the sale of RAF Bentwaters site in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Earl Howe): A detailed planning brief was drawn up and, following an Examination in Public, the draft was agreed with Suffolk Coastal District Council, the local planning authority. The brief identifies suitable uses for the property when it leaves government ownership and takes into account the designation of part of the area as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the RAF Bentwaters site is under offer for sale to the Chris Parker Group Ltd. and whether they will consider any other offers that may be made to purchase the site.
Earl Howe: My department has exchanged contracts with the Chris Parker Group of Companies for the sale of the RAF Bentwaters site. Completion is due by the end of July 1996. No further offers can therefore be considered.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are prepared to contemplate the sale of the RAF Bentwaters site on the basis of staged payments and, if so, whether they would require an independently secured bond to guarantee that all the payments would be met in the event of the subsequent insolvency of the purchaser.
Earl Howe: My department has exchanged contracts with the Chris Parker Group of Companies for the sale of RAF Bentwaters. Completion is due by the end of July 1996. The contract does not provide for stage payments.
Armed Forces Married Quarters: Sale
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces have agreed to the terms for sale of married quarters to the private sector and whether these terms satisfy the interests of the Services and their families and accord to a sale price which properly reflects the public interest.
Earl Howe: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State has made it clear that the sale will only proceed on terms which satisfy the interests of the Services and at a price which properly reflects the public interest. That remains the case. The terms of the sale proposal have been designed in full consultation with the Chiefs of Staff.
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What safeguards and controls will be incorporated to ensure that the better quality married quarters in popular development areas are not sold leaving the poorer quality houses for Services families; and how many current official Service residences will be retained for representational command appointments.
Earl Howe: After the sale of the married quarters estate, we will retain substantial control over which quarters we retain and which we relinquish in the years ahead. Approximately half the current official service residences in England and Wales will be included in the sale of the married quarters estate. In common with the rest of the estate, they will be retained on underleases where we have a continuing need for them.
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the Armed Services married quarters estate is to be sold to the private sector on lease back scheme and why the sale of surplus married quarters could not provide greater savings and be more cost effective if undertaken by the Defence Housing Executive rather than by the private sector.
Earl Howe: The purpose of the sale is to improve the quality and management of Service housing, while transferring to the private sector an asset which the Government do not need to own. The sale will enable us to carry out an accelerated programme of improvements to the housing stock which otherwise would not be possible. It will also assist us in reducing the number of empty homes we hold. The Defence Housing Executive is a maintenance and management organisation, and does not undertake property disposals.
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What percentage of the sale price will be returned to the Defence Housing Executive for the maintenance and refurbishment of houses if the Agency undertakes the sale of surplus married quarters.
Earl Howe: A successful sale will provide funds enabling the Defence Housing Executive to carry out an accelerated programme of upgrading Service families' homes. The funding will not be fixed as a percentage of the sale proceeds, but will reflect our estimate of need.
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why rents for married quarters were increased by 25 per cent. this year and what rent controls will be implemented in the future.
Earl Howe: It is the independent Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) which makes recommendations to the Prime Minister on levels of Service pay and charges, including charges for married quarters. The AFPRB has explained the reasoning behind its recommended increase to married quarters charges of between 10 and 25 per cent. (averaging some 14.5 per cent.) in this year's report [Cm 3091--I], a copy of which is held in the Library of the House. The AFPRB will continue to seek to ensure broad comparability with the private sector in both pay and charges and to recommend married quarter charges which are in line with outside comparators, taking into account the relative disadvantages of living in Service accommodation.
US Fighter Planes: "Times" Report
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether it is the case, as reported in The Times of May 20th 1996, that they have agreed that the United States F22 Stealth Fighter and the United States Joint Strike Fighter should be based in Britain from 2005 and 2010 respectively; whether the aircraft are to be under NATO control and, if not, under whose control they are to be; and whether they will publish the agreements they have entered into relating to these aircraft.
Earl Howe: No such agreement has been made.
The Gulf War and Chemical Weapons
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What signs and symptoms in humans and animals were members of HM Armed Forces trained to observe as indicators of an attack by chemical weapons at the time of Operation Granby.
Earl Howe: All members of HM Armed Forces were and still are taught to recognise the effects of the most commonly found groups of chemical weapons, deduce from which group of agents a casualty is suffering and administer the appropriate first aid. The agent groups taught are; Nerve, Choking, Blood, Blister, Mental Incapacitants and Riot Control Agents. They are also taught to recognise the effects of atropine poisoning; atropine is found in the issued self injection device to counter the effect of nerve agent. Each sailor, soldier and airman was and still is issued with a booklet to
remind him or her of the procedures to deduce which chemical agent may have been used and the appropriate action to take. They have never specifically been taught to recognise the signs of chemical agents poisoning in animals except to watch for obvious signs of distress. These lessons have always been reinforced on the various officers' and instructors' courses run at the Defence NBC School at Winterbourne Gunner.
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