HC Deb 29 July 1988 vol 138 cc681-2W
Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the three nuclear bunkers to be developed in Northern Ireland, indicating how far work has progressed on each bunker, the expected date of completion of each bunker and the most recent estimate of the total cost of each.

Mr. Ian Stewart

[holding answer 28 July 1988]: Work is progressing satisfactorily on the first of the three Northern Ireland emergency centres at Ballymena. Work on this centre was started in July last year and is due to be completed in November 1989 at an estimated cost of £3.2 million. No date has yet been scheduled for work to be commenced on either of the other two centres. The most recent estimate for the cost of the other two centres is £2.6 million and £2 million respectively.

Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement indicating what areas are to be served by each of the proposed nuclear bunkers in Northern Ireland; what those services will be; what are the numbers designated to work in each bunker in the event of a nuclear attack; and when the list of those designated to staff these bunkers in the event of a nuclear attack was last updated.

Mr. Ian Stewart

[holding answer 28 July 1988]: All three emergency centres will function on an integrated basis to provide all essential services to the community of Northern Ireland as a whole. If necessary, each individual centre can provide a comprehensive Provincewide service. Provision has been made for approximately 235 personnel to be designated to the centre currently under construction. It is intended to allocate approximately 260 staff to cover the remaining two centres. The list of those designated to staff the centres is subject to continuous review.