§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the expected completion date of the construction of the nuclear bunker near Coupar Angus;
(2) what are the amounts to be spent annually on the construction of the nuclear bunker at Coupar Angus; and what are the estimated annual running costs of the bunker after completion;
(3) why the Scottish Home and Health Department has advised Tayside regional council on the need for economies in spending on the £360,000 nuclear bunker near Coupar Angus;
(4) if he will publish in the Official Report the text of the letter from the Scottish Home and Health Department to Tayside regional council on the need for economies in the construction of the nuclear bunker near Coupar Angus.
546W
§ Mr. AncramThe information, which is for the period from 30 November 1981 to 30 September 1984, is given in the following table:
§ Mr. AncramTayside regional council does not propose to provide a "nuclear bunker". It proposes to establish an emergency centre to control and co-ordinate the maintenance of essential services during wartime. This meets an obligation placed on it by regulations approved by Parliament in November 1983. I understand that the regional council hopes to complete construction of the centre in 1987–88, that the estimated construction costs included in its financial plan 1984–90 are as shown in the table, and that the annual running costs, including loan charges, are estimated at about £13,000. In discussions at official level, my Department has emphasised the need to reduce costs to the essential minimum, consistent with providing an effective emergency centre, but no letter of the kind mentioned has been sent. Formal approval of the scheme and the estimated costs have not yet been given.
- £ thousand Prior to 1984–85 8 1984–85 19 1985–86 47 1986–87 272 1987–88 14 Total 360