§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what numbers of missiles, since records were kept, have been fired into the sands in the vicinity of the proposed new airport at Foulness; what proportion of these missiles remain unexploded and what is the estimated cost of clearing these unexploded missiles before any construction work can safely begin.]
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE (LORD CARRINGTON)My Lords, from 1942 to 1970 inclusive, nearly two million rounds were fired into the Maplin Sands area but not all of these contained high explosive. It is not possible to say how many of the high explosive rounds remain unexploded in the sands. The proportion of"blind"rounds, that is shells which should have exploded but failed to do so, should not be large; but a considerable quantity of unfused high explosive shells were fired, particularly in the period 1942 to 1945, and, being unfused, should not, of course, have exploded. Clearance measures are now being considered; their costs have not yet been assessed.
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that we are all very interested in the information he has given? Is he further aware that the estimate I have been given is that 20 per cent. of these missiles are unexploded? And would he agree that this is scarcely a suitable foundation for an airport runway? Will the cost of clearing these be included in any future estimate for the construction of the Foulness Airport?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I am aware that the noble Lord is interested in my reply; otherwise, I imagine, he would not have asked the Question. I do not exactly know what percentage of shells are unexploded; I should have thought it would be much lower than the noble Lord's estimated figure. Although it would not form a very good basis for a runway, there were certainly hazards at the other three sites that were open to the Government, though not particularly of that character. With regard to the costs, that is a matter for my right honourable friend.
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, is the noble Lord also aware that my research has shown that below these 1.9 million missiles there are a number of cannon balls which were fired there from the beginning of the 19th century? Is he also aware that, though I am a very powerful advocate, I hope, of vertical take-off, this is not the system I had in mind?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I am beginning to think that it is I who should be asking the noble Lord questions about this matter, and not the other way round. I think it is unlikely that there are cannon balls, because the range has been used for only about 100 years; and even if it is so, I think it unlikely that they would go off because they did not have a charge of high explosive in them.