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Written Answers
Wednesday, 22nd April 1998.
Mentally Incapacitated Adults: Consultation Papers
Lord Rowallan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, as the result of the recent consultation documents, Who Decides? Making Decisions on behalf of Mentally Incapacitated Adults (CM 3803) and Managing the Finances and Welfare of Incapable Adults (February 1997), they intend to introduce an Incapable Adults Bill for either England and Wales or Scotland or both; and, if so, when.[HL1507]
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg): Consultation on Who Decides? closed on 31 March 1998. The Government will be considering the responses carefully. It is too soon to give any indication about the timing of any legislation which might result from this consultation or that conducted recently in Scotland.
Depleted Uranium Bullets: Use in Gulf War
Lord Jenkins of Putney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What were the results of the use of depleted uranium bullets in the Gulf War.[HL1309 ]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert): The small arms bullets used by UK forces during the Gulf conflict did not contain depleted uranium (DU) and, as far as the Ministry of Defence is aware, neither did the bullets used by any of our Coalition partners.
Some Royal Navy ships were equipped with 20mm ammunition containing DU for the Phalanx close-in weapon system, which was not used during the Gulf conflict except for some rounds fired for proving purposes. The British Army's Challenger tanks were equipped with CHARM 1 120mm armour-piercing rounds which had a DU core, and the MoD's current assessment is that fewer than 100 such rounds were fired during the land campaign in which 1 (UK) Armoured Division successfully engaged and destroyed a number of Iraqi formations.
Various units of the US forces which participated in the Gulf conflict were also equipped with ammunition containing DU. The results of the use of that ammunition are a matter for the US Government.
Gulf Deployment Costs
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether all the costs of the recent deployment of forces in connection with events in Iraq continue to be borne by the United Nations.[HL1455]
Lord Gilbert: There is no UN funding for the present deployment to the Gulf.
Turkish Armed Forces: Training in UK
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many members of the armed forces of Turkey are currently studying or receiving training in the United Kingdom; and at what cost to public funds.[HL1468]
Lord Gilbert: Training has been provided in the UK to members of the Turkish armed forces, as is normal practice between NATO nations. Currently, there are 12 members of the Turkish armed forces on courses in the UK, at a cost of some £200,000.
Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle Programme
Lord Bassam of Brighton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the current position on the Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle programme.[HL1386]
Lord Gilbert: I am pleased to announce that, together with Germany and France, we intend to develop and produce a family of armoured utility vehicles to meet the requirements of all three nations. The UK needs these vehicles to replace FV430, Saxon and Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) utility vehicles. We plan to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the joint programme, known in the UK as the Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle, MRAV, covering development and initial production of a total of 600 vehicles. Subject to the completion of the national approvals processes in Germany and France and the negotiation of satisfactory contract terms and conditions, it is intended to place a contract with Eurokonsortium, a consortium including GKN Defence Ltd from the UK, Krauss-Maffei/Wegmann and MAK from Germany, and GIAT from France.
This programme will be managed within the quadrilateral Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation, known as OCCAR, and represents a major collaboration with our European allies. Collaboration will bring a number of benefits, including improved interoperability and financial savings, through sharing of development costs and economies of scale in production. The project also offers UK industry the opportunity to strengthen its links with the leading companies in the European armoured vehicles industry.
Nuclear Materials in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Lord Hughes of Woodside asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What recent actions they have taken to improve the security of nuclear materials in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.[HL1583]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given today by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Doug Henderson, to a Private Notice Question asked in another place by Mr. Robert MacLennan MP.
London Transport Board: Restructuring
Lord Graham of Edmonton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to restructure London Transport's Board.[HL1591]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Baroness Hayman): We have decided to restructure the London Transport Board, bringing in a part-time non-executive chairman. The present chairman of London Transport (LT), Peter Ford, who is a full-time executive chairman, has therefore been asked to vacate the chairman's job. Mr. Ford will therefore leave LT today.
We would like to pay tribute to the commitment Peter Ford has shown to London Transport over the past three and a half years. His period as chairman has seen a marked increase in the number of passengers using the Underground and the London buses, reaching record levels. There has also been a major improvement in the financial performance of both businesses, and of LT as a whole, such that LT now makes a substantial contribution to its investment programme. Peter Ford has been an untiring advocate for London Transport, and his contribution to thinking and debate about the future has been significant. We are grateful to him, and wish him well for the future.
The changes we are making will cover the period during which we will be implementing the London Underground Public Private Partnership which was announced last month, and the run up to the creation of the Greater London Authority. We have concluded that the best arrangement will be to move to a new senior management structure. We shall be announcing new appointments to the LT Board in due course. Mr. Brian Appleton, currently non-executive vice-chairman of the LT Board, has agreed to act as chairman until a permanent appointment can be made.
Environmental Resource Assessment: "Willingness to Pay"
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their view of the "willingness to pay" method of environmental resource assessment.[HL1528]
Baroness Hayman: "Willingness to pay" is a useful concept which can provide valuations of environmental impacts or other changes for which there is no readily observed market price. In some cases it underpins the
use of cost benefit analysis in making decisions on policies, projects or programmes in the public sector.Traffic Light Cameras, Edgware
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will install traffic light cameras on the A.5 at the junction with the B.461 in Edgware.[HL1502]
Baroness Hayman: The installation of traffic light cameras at this junction is a matter for the police and the local highway authorities, in this case the London Boroughs of Barnet and Harrow.
Traffic Accidents, Edgware
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many (a) slight, (b) serious and (c) fatal accidents have occurred at the junction of the A.5 and the B.461 in Edgware; and how many persons were killed or injured in such accidents during each of the last three years for which figures are available.[HL1499]
Baroness Hayman: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include all casualties and accidents occurring at, or within 20 metres of, the junction of the A.5, Edgware Road with the B.461, Whitchurch Lane and the A.5100, Station Road.
| Fatal | Serious | Slight | |
| 1994 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 1995 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Fatal | Serious | Slight | |
| 1994 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 1995 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many pedestrians were (a) killed and
(b) injured at the junction of the A.5 and the B.461 in Edgware during each of the last three years for which figures are available.[HL1500]
Baroness Hayman: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include all pedestrian casualties occurring at, or within 20 metres
of, the junction of the A.5, Edgware Road with the B.461, Whitchurch Lane and the A.5100, Station Road.| Fatal | Serious | Slight | |
| 1994 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1995 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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