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Camp Doha Fire, July 1991: Casualties
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many members of the 14th/20th Hussars, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the Queen's Own Irish Hussars were present in the St. George's Lines, Camp Doha on 11 July 1991 and in the subsequent four days when a fire occurred in the British military headquarters; how many casualties were reported as a result of exposure to oxidised depleted uranium; and what regime is in place to monitor the possible delayed effects of such exposure.
Lord Gilbert: In the time available, it has not proved possible to obtain sufficient information properly to answer this Question.
I will write to the noble Countess as soon as our investigations are complete and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Chemical Warfare Agents: Immunisation Effects
Lord Ironside asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many ex-service personnel and reservists are known to be suffering from the latent adverse effects of immunisation treatment against chemical warfare agents; and how many of these are female.
Lord Gilbert: In the time available, it has not proved possible to obtain sufficient information properly to answer this Question.
I will write to the noble Lord as soon as our investigations are complete and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Lord Ironside asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have examined the needs of ex-service personnel and reservists who have suffered latent adverse effects of immunisation against chemical warfare agents; and whether they will
- consult Sir Kenneth Calman, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, to examine ways of commissioning a report on the assessment of the optimum management of such sufferers and the current availability of specialist consultants for such management in each of the NHS regional centres.
Lord Gilbert: In the time available, it has not proved possible to obtain sufficient information properly to answer this Question.
I will write to the noble Lord as soon as our investigations are complete and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
RAF TriStar Maintenance
The Earl of Denbigh asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the contract for the deep servicing of RAF TriStar Aircraft provides for financial penalties in the event of late delivery.
Lord Gilbert: The RAF TriStar maintenance contract includes a liquidated damages clause which allows the department to make a claim against the contractor should an aircraft not be delivered within the contracted turnround times.
Lord HolmPatrick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are satisfied with the arrangements for the deep servicing of RAF TriStar Aircraft.
Lord Gilbert: The five-year contract for the maintenance of RAF TriStar Aircraft is proceeding satisfactorily.
The Earl of Denbigh asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the cost, including crew costs but excluding contractor costs, of each rotation to
Abu Dhabi by RAF TriStar Aircraft for the purpose of maintenance.
Lord Gilbert: The average cost of each rotation to Abu Dhabi, including fuel, and travel and subsistence costs for the crew, is some £24,500. These costs were taken into account during the commercial assessment of the tenders received for this work.
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the servicing of RAF TriStar Aircraft at long distances from the United Kingdom creates any logistical problems for operational staff.
Lord Gilbert: There are no significant logistic problems for operational staff arising from the current arrangements for maintenance of the RAF TriStar fleet.
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
- On how many occasions during the last 12 months RAF TriStar Aircraft have been returned from deep servicing late or with significant defects outstanding.
Lord Gilbert: During the past year, work on five out of the six aircraft passed to the contractor for maintenance has been completed on time. One TriStar tanker aircraft has had to be returned to the contractor for rectification of an outstanding problem following major servicing.
The Viscount of Oxfuird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the arrangements for the rectification of significant defects arising with RAF TriStar Aircraft within the United Kingdom.
Lord Gilbert: Rectification of any significant defects on the aircraft are undertaken by the maintenance contractor at RAF Brize Norton or, alternatively, at a repair facility within 1½ hours' flying time of RAF Brize Norton.
The Viscount of Oxfuird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the deep servicing for RAF TriStar Aircraft at long distances from the United Kingdom has any effect on the operational effectiveness of
the fleet.
Lord Gilbert: Current arrangements for the maintenance of the RAF's TriStar Aircraft are not expected to have any adverse effect on the operational effectiveness of the fleet.
RAF TriStar: Operation and Maintenance Costs
Lord HolmPatrick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the total hourly cost of operation of RAF TriStar Aircraft and what proportion of this cost is devoted to maintenance.
Lord Gilbert: Based on current tasking, the estimated operational cost for an RAF TriStar Aircraft is some £7,000 per hour. Of this, some 45 per cent. may be attributed to the cost of maintenance.
Ballistic Missile Defence: Studies
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they propose to allow the release of the following studies commissioned by the previous government: (a) ballistic missile defence technologies, from a consortium of firms led by British Aerospace and Messrs. Lockheed Ltd.; and
(b) the fundamental issues of ballistic missile defences, from Professor Neville Brown.
Lord Gilbert: The study into ballistic missile defence systems conducted by a consortium led by British Aerospace contains a great deal of information which remains classified. We do not therefore propose to publish it. We are, however, declassifying the internal Ministry of Defence report based on this and other external inputs. This will involve a considerable amount of detailed work but should be completed during Autumn 1998. Work on a declassified version of Professor Brown's fundamental issues study report is nearing completion. Publication of the report will be a matter for Professor Brown.
Nuclear Weapons
Viscount Exmouth asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are prepared to support the United States plans to target American nuclear weapons on so-called "rogue states".
Lord Gilbert: Neither UK nuclear weapons nor those of the US are targeted at any country. All members of NATO agree that the primary purpose of nuclear weapons is to preserve peace and deter aggression.
RAF Northolt
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the main functions of RAF Northolt; the number of aircraft movements in the most recent
12 month period for which figures are available; the total area in acres of the Ministry of Defence property at Northolt; and the annual cost of the establishment.
Lord Gilbert: The main function of RAF Northolt is to provide the airhead for communications, and VIP and royal flying tasks, which are undertaken principally by aircraft of No. 32 (the royal) Squadron. The station is also host to a number of other units and is regularly used by other military and MoD charter flights and, on a repayment basis, by business aviation users. In the 12 months to the end of November 1997 there were 14,236 air movements at the station. The station covers some 490 acres. The total annual running costs for financial year 1997-98 are estimated at some £26 million.
Multilateral Agreement on Investment
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the draft text of any multilateral agreement on investments has been or is to be published, and if so where and when; and which government department will be responsible for presenting it to Parliament.
The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Simon of Highbury): My department is responsible for presenting the multilateral agreement on
investment (MAI) to Parliament. Copies of the current draft MAI consolidated text were put on the Internet at the OECD's site in October and in the Library of the House. The text is also available on request from my department and has already been circulated among interested parties including business and NGOs.
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether it is their intention to sign a multilateral agreement on investment, such as is being prepared for signature next year within the OECD.
Lord Simon of Highbury: It is the Government's intention to sign the multilateral agreement on investment, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of
the negotiations. We support the general aims of the agreement and are working hard to achieve a successful outcome by April 1998.
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