HC Deb 14 July 1998 vol 316 cc171-2W
Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Chemical Defence Establishment field trial reports series of documents(a) started and (b) finished; how many documents were produced in this series; and how many of these documents are currently unclassified. [49490]

Mr. Spellar

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 14 July 1998: I have been asked to reply to your question about the Chemical Defence Establishment field trial reports series of documents. The Chemical Defence Establishment which is now part of DERA's Chemical and Biological Defence sector at Porton Down published a series of field trial reports between 1969 and 1995. The series contained 114 documents of which 6 are currently unclassified. The titles of the unclassified documents are as follows: 23 Trials of the non destructive test of air filtration units in HMS Berwick at Portsmouth, October 1971 27 CR decontamination trial 87 Noise propagation from commercial explosives 89 A report of multiple smoke plume trials designed to establish some atmospheric statistics 97 Field testing of the Canadian profire kit on CDE range 127 Trial Madona—a field experiment to measure high resolution wind fields and concentration fluctuations over complex terrain I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made by his Department in investigating the alleged chemical agent detections during the Gulf war on 19 to 21 January 1991 in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia; who is carrying out this investigation; when this investigation began; and when he expects this investigation to be completed. [49491]

Dr. Reid

As part of the New Beginning statement on 14 July 1997,Official Report, columns 1–5, I announced that my Department would be carrying out three reviews of specific events during the Gulf conflict. Work on the second of these reviews, which concerns the alleged chemical agent detections in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia between 19–21 January 1991, began in March this year, after the results of the first review into the tank of liquid found at a school in Kuwait had been published. The work is being conducted by the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit in my Department, which is seeking to identify and analyse all available documentation relevant to this matter and to interview those personnel directly involved. The results will be made public as soon as the review is complete, which is expected towards the end of this year.

Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a list of the titles of the unclassified papers produced in the Chemical Defence Establishment technical paper series since January 1996. [49493]

Mr. Spellar

The Chemical and Biological Defence Sector of DERA at Porton Down has produced 18 unclassified papers in the Technical Paper series since January 1996. A list of these papers has been placed in the Library.