§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral statement by the Minister for the Armed Forces on 9 January 2001,Official Report, 222W column 878, concerning oversight of the firing programme of DU shells at the Dundrennan range, if he will specify the nature and extent of the oversight. [151868]
§ Mr. SpellarOfficials from the Health and Safety Executive and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and its predecessor organisations were consulted before test firing began at Dundrennan. Inspectors from both organisations have visited the site on several occasions and are kept fully informed of all activities on the site.
§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many depleted uranium shells were fired in Wales in each of the last 10 years. [152628]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 6 March 2001]: No depleted uranium rounds have been fired in Wales in the last 10 years.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received on the long-term effects of depleted uranium ammunition on the troops responsible for using the ammunition and recovering vehicles damaged by depleted uranium ammunition. [152155]
§ Mr. SpellarI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 February 2001,Official Report, column 558W; to the independent analysis by Steve Fetter and Frank von Hippel in Science and Global Security, 1999, Volume 8.2, pages 125 to 161; and to the Ministry of Defence paper "Depleted uranium—Documents explaining the Ministry of Defence position on the risks and health hazards", a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House on 25 January 2001. The Ministry of Defence is also in the process of compiling a list of risk assessments we have undertaken to assess any possible dangers to the environment and human health arising from the use of depleted uranium-based ammunition. That list will be placed in the Library of the House.