HC Deb 21 November 2000 vol 357 cc103-4W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits have been made by nuclear-powered submarines to each Z berth in each of the last five years. [139053]

Mr. Spellar

Since 1995 UK submarines have made 29 visits to alongside Z berths outside of UK Naval Bases. In addition to the alongside Z berths, there are a number of mooring buoys that have Z berth status in Plymouth Sound, at Spithead, off the Isle of Skye, Loch Ewe, off Rothesay, and in Loth Goil and at Mare Harbour in the Falkland Islands. Submarines use these mooring buoys, sometimes for as little as an hour or two, to carry out crew transfers or to take on high priority spare parts, and detailed records are not kept of all such visits. To provide details of all movement between Z berths within UK Naval Bases could be provided only at disproportional cost.

Details of visits to alongside Z berths are:

Location 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Southampton 0 0 1 0 0
Cardiff1 0 1 0 0 0
Liverpool 0 2 0 1 0
Gibraltar 4 4 3 2 6
Bermuda 1 1 0 1 0
Hong Kong2 1 0 1 0 0
1Cardiff no longer has Z berth status
2 Hong Kong no longer has Z berth status

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each of the ports authorised to accept the berthing of nuclear powered submarines in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) British overseas territories and protectorates; if he will indicate for which ports public safety plans, and emergency evaluation plans in respect of incidents involving nuclear submarines, exist; and if he will set out the scope of public accessibility of such plans. [139518]

Mr. Spellar

Ports authorised to accept the berthing of nuclear powered submarines, referred to as X and Z berths, in the United Kingdom, and British overseas territories and protectorates are detailed in the answer I gave on 14 November 2000,Official Report, columns 575–76W. All ports which are authorised to accept the berthing of nuclear powered submarines have public safety and emergency evacuation plans. The plans are accessible to the public with copies held by the local authority libraries.