§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when RAF Llandwrog was last tested for traces of chemical weapons; [17294]
(2) when Fort Belan was last tested for traces of chemical weapons. [17295]
§ Mr. SoamesThe standard certificate confirming that all areas of the RAF Llandwrog site, including Fort Belan, were free from explosives and chemical contamination was issued in 1956. My Department is not aware of any further monitoring of the site having taken place since the land was handed back to its original owners at the conclusion of Operation Sandcastle.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what measures his Department has taken to assess the long-term success of Operation Sandcastle; [17296]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the state of the scuttled sea vessels (a) SS Empire Claire, (b) SS Vogtland and (c) SS Kotka. [17293]
§ Mr. SoamesThe vessels scuttled in Operation Sandcastle sank in water up to 2,000 deep some 80 miles north-west of Northern Ireland. No monitoring of these dump sites has been undertaken because of the depth of water and also because the cargo, comprising the nerve agent Tabun, is destroyed by hydrolysis and rendered harmless in sea water. The potential hazards of chemical weapon dump sites and possible remedial action have been reviewed in a number of international maritime fora, and the consensus of international expert opinion is to leave such sites undisturbed.