§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nuclear weapon accident exercises entitled Senator have taken place since 1985; and where and when each exercise took place. [35366]
§ Dr. ReidTwo exercises entitled Exercise SENATOR have taken place since 1985. The details are as follows:
Date Exercise SENATOR 96 20 May 1996 to 24 May 1996 Army Training Area Otterburn SENATOR 97 22 September 1997 to 25 September 1997 Prince William of Gloucester Barracks Grantham, with the Strategic Co-ordination Group meeting at Lincolnshire Fire Bridgade HQ, Lincoln.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer on 5 March 1998,Official Report, columns 761–62; what will be the scenario of the Diagonal Glance exercise; on which of his Department's properties the exercise will take place; how many of his Department's personnel will take part in the exercise; and if the media will be invited to the exercise. [35365]
§ Dr. ReidExercise DIAGONAL GLANCE will test the procedures in place for responding to the crash of a US transport aircraft carrying nuclear weapons. RAF Locking will be used as a convenient location to base elements of the MoD response forces. There will also be exercise activity in Main Building, Whitehall and at AWE Aldermaston. Approximately 300 personnel from my Department will participate. A press statement about the exercise will be issued, but it is not intended to invite members of the media to the exercise.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 5 March 1998,Official Report, columns 761–62, what are the definitions of Grade B and Grade C nuclear weapon accident exercises; and if his Department has other categories of nuclear weapon accident exercises. [35363]
§ Dr. ReidPrior to March 1997, nuclear accident response exercises were categorised as major, medium and minor; descriptions of the scales of these exercises were given in the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1995. They were then recategorised as Grade A, B, C and D. This was done to give external agencies a better understanding of the levels of our exercises by reference to the co-ordination levels detailed in the Home Office publication "Dealing with Disaster". The definitions of these exercises are
Grade A—A demonstration exercise of all phases of the response in which live play and the participation of all MoD and external agencies is maximised at the national strategic, local strategic, tactical and operational levels.Grade B—A demonstration exercise focusing on medium and long term phases of the response in which live play and the participation of MoD and external agencies is maximised at the local strategic and tactical levels.90WGrade C—A demonstration exercise focusing on immediate and medium term phases of the response in which live play and the participation of MoD and external agencies is maximised at the tactical and operational levels.Grade D—An exercise of the MoD response only, involving live play at levels appropriate to the exercise and its duration.