HC Deb 24 October 2002 vol 391 cc420-1W
Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many petro-chemical and biotechnology plants in the United Kingdom have the technical capacity for dual civil/military use. [75836]

Ms Hewitt

Petro-chemical plants in the United Kingdom are designed to process crude oil for the production of fuels, lubricants and other hydrocarbon chemicals. Although such facilities, given access to the appropriate raw materials, could potentially he used for the production of chemical weapons or their precursors, in the UK their only dual civil/military use is for the production of fuels, lubricants etc. which are required for normal military as well as civil purposes.

Biotechnology facilities in the United Kingdom having the requisite safety infrastructure, equipment and starting materials may have the technical capacity to produce biological agents and other products which have dual civil/military use. Vaccines are an example of such products. Such facilities in the United Kingdom are subject to extensive regulation and inspection.

The UK abandoned its offensive biological and chemical weapons programmes many years ago.