§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence why, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown) of 6 December, Official Report, column 387, he considers it not to be in the public interest to reveal details of the manpower effort engaged on research into verification of a comprehensive test ban treaty.
§ Mr. Norman LamontIt would not be in the national security interest to reveal full details of research into verification of a CTB, including the manpower effort involved, for the reasons set out by my predecessor, the right hon. Member for Bosworth (Sir A. Butler) in answer to a question on 4 April 1985 at column703. However, I am able to inform the hon. Member that 29 staff are engaged currently on unclassified seismological research at the establishments at Blacknest and Eskdalemuir, including permanent civil servants and contract and visiting academic staff.