§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the NATO Civil Defence Committee will issue guidelines on civil defence measures and long-term measures for the protection of the civilian population against the effects of chemical weapons; and if such guidelines will be made available to authorities charged with a duty to plan for the protection of the public in war;
(2) if he will make available in the Library minutes of the meetings of the medical sub-group and warning and monitoring sub-group which provide expert advice to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's Civil Defence Committee.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggMinutes of the medical sub-group carry a NATO security classification and cannot be made available. Minutes of the warning and monitoring sub-group are unclassified and copies will be placed in the Library shortly.
The Civil Defence Committee issued on 18 December 1986 a "Compendium of Technical Information for the Basic Protection of Populations"; this includes a chapter on chemical protection. Copies have been circulated to county emergency planning officers and will today be placed in the Library.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all capital projects costing 205W over £100,000 which are included in the total of civil defence expenditure within public expenditure White Papers for 1984–85 to 1989–90.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggDetails of central Government capital projects costing more than £500,000 are given in tables included in the Supply Estimates, published in April annually.
Information about central Government and local authority capital projects costing over £100,000 is not readily available and could be provided only at disprortionate cost.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will enable fire and civil defence authorities to extend their emergency planning functions by providing statutory powers to incur expenditure in the preparation of contingency plans to respond to peacetime civil nuclear emergencies.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggDistrict and borough authorities have powers under section 138 of the Local Government Act 1972 to incur such expenditure as they consider necessary in taking action to avert, alleviate or eradicate the effects of disasters or emergencies in their area. This power allows for the deployment of the full range of local authority services.
Under the revised arrangements for the former metropolitan areas, these powers remain with the district and borough authorities; we do not think it necessary to extend them to the fire and civil defence authorities. Fire and civil defence authorities are, however, enabled by the Civil Protection in Peacetime Act 1986 to co-ordinate matters, if requested to do so by the districts or boroughs concerned.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to celebrate officially the 50th anniversary of the civil defence college, Easingwold, and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggA reception for representatives from the local community and organisations concerned with the college's work took place at the college in July. An anniversary dinner is to be held there in December.