§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many scientific papers have been published between April 1991 and the present day under the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment technical papers series; and how many of these papers were produced as unclassified papers; [7302]
(2) when the Porton technical papers series was first produced by the chemical defence establishment at Porton Down. [7303]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThese matters are for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter front John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 20 December 1995:
Your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence asking when the Porton Technical Paper series was first produced by the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton Down and how many papers have been produced between April 1991 and the present day under the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment (CBDE) Technical paper series and how many of these were produced as unclassified papers have been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) which includes CBDE as one of its divisions. I am replying to both questions in this letter.The first Porton Technical Paper has a publication date of 1947.Since the change of name to the CBDE Technical Paper series in 1991 a total of 179 papers have been published. 90 of which were produced as unclassified documents.I hope this information is helpful.
§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which countries outside Britain the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down has carried out tests and studies involving service personnel. [7296]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThis is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive, DERA, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone. dated 20 December 1995:
Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking in which countries outside Britain the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment (CBDE) at Porton Down has carried out tests and studies involving service personnel has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) which includes CBDE as one of its divisions.Trials of equipment developed at Porton Down involving service personnel have taken place in many countries and on many occasions over the 80 year history of CBDE. These include an assessment of the difficulties of using respirators in the Khyber Pass in the 1920s. assessment of protective equipment in India in 1930s and assessment of protective clothing in Australia during the Second World War. It would involve disproportionate costs to try to identify all the studies which have been undertaken in various pans of the world as part of the development of equipment by CBDE to ensure the safe and effective protection of the United Kingdom's Armed Forces.I hope this information is helpful.