§ Mr. DenhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to ensure that his Department(a) discloses all knowledge of contamination and (b) takes appropriate measures to tackle contamination before disposing of surplus military sites. [35352]
§ Mr. SoamesMy Department is already subject to the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations 1992, which provide freedom of access to, and the dissemination of, environmental information it holds. Decontamination of my Department's land is undertaken where there is a significant risk to health and safety or the environment, or where land is being sold. In the latter case, decontamination work is limited, generally, to the removal of ordnance and other contaminants such as chemical warfare agents, radioactive and microbiological materials, in respect of which a civilian contractor could not be expected to have the appropriate expertise.