§ 8. Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many road accidents have occurred in the county of Leicestershire involving military vehicles during the last 12 months.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Mr. Roger Freeman)My Department maintains statistics centrally on road traffic accidents involving military vehicles by parent unit and not by county. The information by county could be provided only by checking with every unit in the country.
§ Mr. JannerIn that case, will the Minister tell the House how many accidents have occurred in the country during the past year involving military vehicles, and in how many of those cases the vehicles were carrying nuclear weapons?
§ Mr. FreemanAs regards the latter part of the hon. and learned Gentleman's question, for security reasons we cannot depart from the principles followed for many years by successive Labour and Conservative Governments and release information on the arrangements governing the movement of nuclear weapons. As regards the information he requested about accidents involving military vehicles, the answer is that in the year ended 31 March 1986 there were five fatalities involving military vehicles.
§ Mr. LilleyIs my hon. Friend aware that a few days ago a military convoy allegedly carrying nuclear weapons 794 heading in the direction of Leicestershire passed through St. Albans, thereby breaching the lorry ban zone covering that city? In view of the fact that our noble Friend in another place has previously apologised for a similar incursion into the lorry ban zone, will he investigate the incident and seek to ensure that it does not occur again?
§ Mr. FreemanAs I have already said, and as I hope my hon. Friend will appreciate, we do not comment on the movement of nuclear weapons. As regards any infringement of road traffic regulations, I would be glad to look into any allegation concerning military convoys or military vehicles and write to my hon. Friend.