§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answers of 15 February,Official Report, columns 448–50, what screening is operated by contractors employed by his Department in relation to crew members on board ships transporting sensitive military components; what precautions his Department requires contractors to take; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe level of sensitivity of military components determines the extent of screening required 377W for crew members. The security aspects are defined in each contract and it is the contractor's responsibility to meet these. Particular items of structure lost in this incident were not of a highly sensitive nature.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answers of 15 February,Official Report, columns 448–50, if he will give the dimensions, approximate weight and function of each of the Vanguard submarine sections lost on 5 and 6 February.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe dimensions, approximate weight and function of the sections are as follows:
- (a) 9m diameter × 2.4m × 57 tonnes—forward dome.
- (b) 12m × 9m × 1.6m × 2.5 tonnes — deck/tank structure.
- (c) 14m × 9m × 0.2m × 15 tonnes—deck structures.
- (d) 14m × 8m × 0.2m × 12 tonnes—deck structures.
- (e) 5m × 3m × 0.2m × 1 tonne—deck structures.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answers of 15 February,Official Report, columns 448–50, when he expects the inquiries into the loss of Vanguard submarine sections to report; what resources are being directed to these inquiries; at what level his Department is represented; what interim measures have been taken, pending the outcome of the inquiries; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SainsburyAn investigation has been mounted by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd under the terms of its contract. The committee of inquiry includes an officer from the staff of the principal naval overseer at VSEL. The VSEL report will be issued to MOD early March, and will be considered at high level within the Department. As an interim measure taken pending the outcome of the inquiry, VSEL has informed its subcontractors that careful attention must be given to future transportation arrangements by sea.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 15 February,Official Report, columns 448–50, what were the weather conditions at the time of the loss of Vanguard class submarine sections on 5 and 6 February.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe weather conditions generally prevailing in the Mallin and Irish sea areas for the periods in question were:
- 5 February
- Surface wind from a south westerly direction force 6 to 7
- Weather: Occasional showers
- Visibility: Good
- Sea: Moderate to rough
- 6 February
- Surface wind west to north-west force 7 to gale force 8
- Weather: Occasional showers
- Visibility: Good
- Sea: Moderate to rough
However conditions in these areas are known to be locally variable.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answers of 15 February,Official Report, columns 448–50, if he will give further details of the numbers and types of picket boats exercising surveillance over the Vanguard submarine forward dome structure; whether any armed Royal Navy vessels are in the vicinity; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe MOD initially requested that a picket boat he stationed in the vicinity of the position378W where the dome was reported to be lost. Subsequent search operations in the area to ascertain the exact location make this unnecessary. This arrangement will be reviewed if there is any time gap between the search and the salvage operations. No special deployment of Royal Naval vessels has been considered necessary as a result of this incident.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answers of 15 February,Official Report, columns 448–50, what assessment he has made of the metallurgical suitability of the lost Vanguard submarine sections for further use; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SainsburyNo assessment of the metallurgical suitability for further use of the submarine sections can be made until they have been recovered.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answers of 15 February,Official Report, columns 448–50, when his Department first announced publicly that more Vanguard class submarine sections have been lost off Walney island on 6 February; if he will describe the nature of these sections; what precautions were taken following the loss of the forward dome structure on 5 February to avoid losses of further sections; why these precautions were not effective; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe secondary structure lost near Walney island was internal deck and tank units. The precise precautions taken following the loss of the forward dome structure and why these precautions were not effective has yet to he established and is a matter for the committee of inquiry.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answers of 15 February,Official Report, columns 448–50, if he will now answer the question from the hon. Member for Linlithgow as to his assessment of the risk of the lost Vanguard class submarine forward dome structure falling into the hands of a foreign power; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe forward dome structure, which is not of a highly technical or sophisticated nature nor highly classified, is of such a size that it could only fall into the hands of a foreign power of an overt salvage operation were to be mounted. The risk of this in the close vicinity of the Scottish coastline and within United Kindom territorial waters is negligible.