Written Answers of 7 September 1990

DEFENCE

  Gulf Forces
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution the United Kingdom has made to the Western European Union forces in the Gulf; what is the extent of the contributions made or promised by the other eight member nations; and what additional steps he expects the Western European Union to take in support of the United Nations operations there.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  All Western European Union member countries have undertaken to contribute to the multinational effort in the Gulf region, either directly or indirectly, and to co-ordinate fully their activities with other forces taking part in the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions 661 and 665. On current plans they will deploy more than 30 naval vessels to the Gulf area by the end of September. The United Kingdom has deployed four destroyers/frigates, three 604
  mine counter-measures vessels and their command ship,
  and four Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels in support of the
  multinational naval effort.

ENERGY

  Reprocessing Plants
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when the most recent meeting of the large-scale commercial reprocessing plant safeguards group took place; what issues were discussed; and whether the large-scale commercial reprocessing plant group intends to present a report on the future of safeguarding of large reprocessing plants to the forthcoming quinquennial review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Baldry
  The most recent meeting of the large-scale commerical reprocessing plants group, the third plenary, was held in Avignon between 18 and 22 June this year. A paper on the large-scale commercial reprocessing group was also presented at the Institute of Nuclear Materials management conference held in Los Angeles between 16 and 19 July. A copy of the paper, which describes the current activities and interests of the large-scale commercial reprocessing group, has been placed in the Library of the House. As the work of the large-scale commercial reprocessing plant group is not yet complete, no report was presented to the non-proliferation treaty review conference.