§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if a bunker connected with Gough barracks, Armagh, features in the Government's contingency plans for the event of actual or threatened nuclear attack.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 5 March 1986, c. 171–72]: Gough barracks does not feature in civil defence contingency plans.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why the Government have decided that the proposed new nuclear bunkers should not be sited in the area which houses the normal peacetime administration of Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 5 March 1986, c. 171–72]: The risk of breakdown of public administration is considerably lessened by locating alternative administrative centres from the peacetime headquarters.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement outlining the condition of Belfast in the event of nuclear attack as assessed by the Government in their consideration of the plans for the three new bunkers.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 5 March 1986, c. 171–72]: The Government cannot forecast targets which may be chosen for attack by a hostile power in the event of war. The extent of the destruction caused by a nuclear attack would vary with the scale and nature of the attack.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the proposed arrangements following completion of the three new nuclear bunkers outlining what actual affairs will be managed or monitored from each of the bunkers.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 5 March 1986, c. 171–72]: It is intended that essential services to the community will be co-ordinated from three proposed civil defence centres should normal peacetime arrangements for these services be threatened or damaged during a war emergency.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the latest estimate for the cost of building the three new nuclear bunkers; what proportion of this is accounted for by security costs; and what is the estimated cost of maintaining the bunkers once they have been built.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 5 March 1986, C. 171–72]: The latest estimate of the cost of building the 229W three proposed civil defence centres in Northern Ireland is £7.8 million. Included in this sum is a figure of £540,000 for site security. The cost of maintaining the centres when constructed has not been precisely determined, but it will be relatively low because the buildings will not normally be staffed in peacetime.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what role the civil defence main control building in Mount Eden park, Belfast, will play in the new arrangements following completion o the three nuclear bunkers.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 5 March 1986, c. 171–72]: No decision has yet been taken on the long-term role of the building at Mount Eden park.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when work will begin on the proposed three new nuclear bunkers in Northern Ireland; when it will be completed; and what role the Property Services Agency will have in the development of the three proposed sites.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 5 March 1986, c. 171–72]: Construction of the three civil defence centres is now scheduled to start in 1987 and to be completed in 1989. The buildings were designed by a project team from the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland and construction will be supervised by them. The Property Services Agency, although not directly involved in the project, has made available to the design team its considerable experience of similar buildings in Great Britain.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statment outlining the restrictions or vetting to be imposed on the selection of contractors and employees at the sites of the proposed three nuclear bunkers; under what restrictions workers at the sites will operate; and if he will make a statement outlining what type of security measures will be taken around the sites to prevent public access or view.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 5 March 1986, c. 171–72]: Arrangements for contractors and their employees will be the same as for those employed for other Government building work. It is intended to provide commercial site security during construction. The public will, therefore, not be permitted access during construction, but no special measures are envisaged to prevent public view.