HC Deb 06 November 1995 vol 265 cc549-51W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what information Her Majesty's Government had received on activities conducted since 1985 in connection with(a) the BADR-2000 missile, (b) project 144 on missile modification,

The first point is that staffing levels in NRI are highly variable. They reflect day to day changes in the large number of individual projects and contracts which make up our business. It is therefore not meaningful to speak in terms of absolute numbers in a particular grade for a complete year as the numbers will change significantly over that period.

We have therefore based the data on the number of man-years of employment in each grade over the two years about which you have asked.

There is a further complication in respect of the estimated figures for 1995/96. We are currently in the process of implementing a voluntary redundancy programme which has as its aim the reduction of staffing levels to 360 by 1 April 1996. We do not know - and cannot reasonably speculate about - the identity of the staff who will volunteer to accept redundancy or when precisely they might be released. We have therefore compiled the 1995/96 estimate on the assumption that the volunteers will be evenly distributed across all grades and that the timing of their departures will occur on a straight-line basis between the end of September (when the first departures began to occur) and 31 March 1996.

All this does mean, I am afraid, that the 1995/96 estimate is subject to a considerably greater degree of uncertainty that might ordinarily be the case.

(c)project 1728 on liquid propellant rocket engines and (d) the Karama project on production of missile guidance and control by Iraq, prior to the publication of the eighth biannual United Nations Special Commission report on the visits of the UN Special Commission on Iraq, pursuant to UN Security Council resolution 687 of 1991; [41505]

(2) what information Her Majesty's Government had received on activities conducted since 1985 at (a) the Muthanna state establishment, (b) the Al Hakan facility, (c) the Al Hazen Ibn Al Haythan Institute in Al Salman, (d) the single cell protein plant at Tajis, (e) the Sammarra drug factory and (f) the Muhammadiyat weapons test range in Iraq, in regard to development of biological and chemical weapon or precursor agent development, prior to the publication on 11th October of the UNSCOM eight biannual report on its mission to Iraq. [41504]

Mr. David Davis

It is not our practice to comment in detail on information given to us in confidence by UNSCOM. Nor do we comment on intelligence matters.

Mr. Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional assistance has been offered by Her Majesty's Government to meet the acute shortage of funds detailed at page 35 of the UNSCOM eighth biannual report on its mission in Iraq pursuant to UN Security Council resolution 687 of 1991. [41472]

Mr. Davis

We strongly support the work on UNSCOM and make a major effort to supply personnel, equipment and expertise. The funds which the United Kingdom commits to this have been about £1 million per annum. We have no plans to increase this.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 27 October,Official Report, column 862, if he is following up any evidence that British companies have supplied materials relevant to Iraqi programmes to acquire weapons of mass destruction; and if he will make a statement. [41433]

Mr. Davis

Inspections by the UN Special Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency have revealed the names of many companies from Britain and other countries which have traded with Iraq. UNSCOM and the IAEA inform us in confidence of British equipment found in order to help verify Iraqi statements. However, it is not our practice to comment on information passed to us by these organisations or to publish the names of the companies. Any evidence of wrong-doing will be investigated and, if appropriate, will be a matter for the courts.