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Proliferation in ParliamentBack to Proliferation in Parliament, Summer 2008 Westminster ParliamentKey to Column Numbering
Trident & Nuclear Submarines
Vanguard Class Submarines, Written Answers, 22 July 2008 : Column 1065WMr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) unit cost and (b) date of commissioning of each Vanguard Class submarine was. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The commissioning dates for the four Vanguard class submarines are listed in the following table.
The total procurement cost for the four submarines was £3,587 million,
which equates to approximately £897 million per submarine. Trident: Scotland, Written Answers, 21 July 2008 : Column 848WMs Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of civilian jobs in Scotland dependent on the Trident programme; what the locations are of those jobs; and how many there are at each site. Des Browne: The latest available figure for civilian jobs that directly rely upon the Trident programme in Scotland is 859, as at December 2006. It was estimated at that point that there were a further 250 indirect civilian jobs based on employment relating to support activities to the Trident programme. The 859 direct jobs are broken down by location as follows:
Trident Missiles, Written Answers, 14 July 2008 : Column 178WNorman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any Trident warheads have experienced specified abnormal or severely abnormal environments, as defined by JSP 538 in the last 30 years. Des Browne: No Trident warhead has experienced either a specified
or severe abnormal environment. The Trident nuclear warhead system was
designed against robust environmental standards that are now captured
in JSP 538. In achieving approval for in-service use for Trident, trials
and assessments of components and special build warheads against those
standards were undertaken and passed. Nuclear Submarines: Accidents, Written Answers, 7 July 2008 : Column 1178WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether nuclear submarine accident procedures required by his Department are standardised for all ports at which such submarines which have been involved in an accident may berth. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Onboard procedures are standardised by submarine class and are generic to any location. Emergency plans for submarine berths are not standardised but are developed,
owned and maintained by the locally responsible authority. Where UK legislation
is not directly applicable the MOD policy is, as far as possible, to apply
UK standards. Nuclear Weapons, Written Answers, 7 July 2008 : Column 1178WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that UK nuclear weapons susceptible to popcorning, with particular regard to (a) their resistance to multiple simultaneous impacts and (b) replacing the explosive currently used to surround the plutonium cores; and if he will make a statement. Des Browne: The safety of any nuclear warhead is of paramount importance in authorising its inclusion in the UK stockpile. I am satisfied with the safety of the current UK stockpile, which is reviewed continually to ensure acceptable levels of safety are maintained. For the purpose of safeguarding national security, I am not prepared
to comment further on particular aspects of nuclear warhead design. Nuclear Submarines, Written Answers, 1 July 2008 : Column 753WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2008, Official Report, column 849W, on berths, if he will list those berths with safety plans in place as specified in 1 July 2008 : Column 754W the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 which are available to nuclear powered submarines in (a) the UK and (b) overseas. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The berths, including anchorages and bouys, with safety plans attached to them under the Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Public Information Regulations (2001) are as follows:
Nuclear Submarines, Written Answers, 30 Jun 2008 : Column 615WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 5 June 2006, Official Report, column 44W, on nuclear submarines, 30 Jun 2008 : Column 616W what role his Department has played in the formulation of safety plans for berths as specified under the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence has put in place arrangements
to comply in full with the legislation as interpreted and enforced by
the Health and Safety Executive (Nuclear Installations Inspectorate) as
the statutory regulator to accommodate nuclear powered submarines. This
includes all required consultation with, and in support of, other agencies
or authorities. Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning, Written Answers, 30 Jun 2008 : Column 615WMr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account he has taken of the environmental effect of the decommissioning of nuclear submarines and storage of nuclear material on the west of Scotland in formulating policy, with particular regard to (a) Faslane and (b) Coulport. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The nuclear submarines that are undergoing decommissioning are currently in afloat storage at HM Naval Base Devonport, in South West England, and Rosyth Dockyard, in the East of Scotland. An assessment of the environmental effect of this afloat storage on the West of Scotland is therefore not considered necessary. The future dismantling of these submarines, including the disposal of Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste, falls within the scope of the Interim Storage of Laid-Up Submarines (ISOLUS) project. The ISOLUS project expects to undertake environmental assessments in accordance with the relevant statutes. At this point in the project, environmental effects are being considered generically and not in reference to specific sites. The MOD's management arrangements for Nuclear Materials operations, including
storage, are underpinned by the statutory requirements of the Ionising
Radiations Regulations 1999 and Radioactive Substances Act 1993. These
arrangements are subject to scrutiny by the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE), Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) and Scottish Environmental
Protection Agency (SEPA) and continue to be assessed as satisfactory.
These arrangements apply across all relevant MOD sites including Faslane
and Coulport. Trident: Finance, Written Answers, 24 Jun 2008 : Column 177WMr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which budget lines in the tables published in section IV of his Department's Defence Plan 2008-2012, Cm 7385, include expenditure dedicated to the Trident nuclear weapons programme; and what the relevant disaggregated allocations to the Trident programme are in each case. Des Browne: Budgetary allocations dedicated to the strategic deterrent
are present in a number of budget lines in the tables in Section IV of
the Defence Plan, reflecting the diverse nature of the expenditure, covering
research, capital investment, manpower, estate and other running costs.
Expenditure in such areas cuts across a range of Activities and Budget
Holders, and as such it is not possible to provide disaggregated allocations
by Budget line as set out in the tables in Section IV of the Defence Plan
2008-2012. Trident, Written Answers, 23 June 2008: Column 50WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast expenditure on Trident 2 is in real terms, expressed in 2008 prices, for each future year for which forecasts have been made. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The estimated costs of the programme to maintain the United Kingdom's deterrent capability beyond the life of the current system, as set out in the December 2006 White Paper, ‘The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent' (Cm 6994), and endorsed by Parliament on 14 March 2007, over the next three years are:
The main part of the programme has yet to reach the initial gate business
case approval stage. Detailed spending plans for future years, therefore,
have yet to be set. Jordan: Nuclear Submarines, Written Answers, 19 Jun 2008 : Column 1096WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with authorities in (a) Aqaba and (b) Crete on incidents involving accidents to British nuclear submarines and their subsequent actions in response to those accidents; what plans were put into effect following these incidents by those authorities; and what equipment the Government made available to those authorities to deal with the incidents. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Following the recent grounding of HMS Superb,
UK Ministry of Defence and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials had
discussions with the appropriate Jordanian and Greek authorities prior
to HMS Superb’s visits to Aqaba and Crete. Support was received in both
ports to conduct damage assessments. Berths, Written Answers, 17 Jun 2008 : Column 849WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2008, Official Report, columns 66-7W, on nuclear submarines, what X and Z berths are available to the Royal Navy; when the X and Z berths outside HMNB Devonport and HMNB Clyde referred to in the answer of 14 November 2000 to the hon. Member for Leyton and Wanstead, Official Report, column 575W, on berths, lost their designated status; for what reasons; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The designation of nuclear powered warship
berths was amended in 2006 to ensure clarity in responsibility and consistency
of definition across all nuclear powered warship berths. Berths outside
of HMNB Devonport and HMNB Clyde base ports are now termed operational
berths. Nuclear Submarines, Written Answers, 16 Jun 2008 : Column 729WAngus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Rolls-Royce in determining the requirements for a new nuclear steam raising plant; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Rolls-Royce is the technical authority and sole industrial supplier for the Ministry of Defence's nuclear propulsion plant. The Ministry of Defence has had extensive discussions over many months 16 Jun 2008 : Column 730W with Rolls-Royce in determining the requirement
for the Next Generation Nuclear Propulsion Plant, which is intended to
be used on the successor to the Vanguard class submarines. Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning, Written Answers, 13 Jun 2008 : Column 559WNick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average time taken for the decommissioning of nuclear submarines is. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The submarine decommissioning process is defined as starting when a vessel leaves service with the Royal Navy and concludes when the disposal process is complete, including both the transfer of radioactive waste into long-term storage at a National Waste Management Facility and the disposal of the hull. No UK nuclear submarine has completed this process as all 14 ex-Royal Navy nuclear submarines are currently in afloat storage at either HM Naval Base Devonport or Rosyth Dockyard. It is not therefore possible to provide an average figure for the time taken for submarine decommissioning. Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safety checks are in place to monitor current submarines in decommission. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Submarines that are being decommissioned are subject to regular safety checks as laid down in their respective safety cases; these are controlled in accordance with the safety management arrangements of the sites at which they are stored. These arrangements are approved by the relevant nuclear 13 Jun 2008 : Column 560W regulators. Checks include a weekly watertight integrity check and radiological surveys conducted at a periodicity ranging from a month to a year. Safety checks form part of a broader maintenance regime which includes
yearly scheduled maintenance and docking every 10 to 15 years to allow
a complete survey and re-preservation package to ensure further safe afloat
storage until final disposal. Chevaline, Written Statement, 13 Jun 2008 : Column 35WSThe Prime Minister (Mr. Gordon Brown): I have appointed Professor
Matthew Jones of the university of Nottingham to write the official history
of Chevaline. Submarines, Written Answers, 11 Jun 2008 : Column 260WAngus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the detailed concept design stage of the Vanguard successor submarines; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Following the parliamentary vote in support
of the Government's decisions on the future of the United Kingdom's nuclear
deterrent on 14 March 2007, a collaborative MOD/industry team was formed
to take work forward. The team is halfway through the concept phase of
the programme, and is working to develop the information and realistic
options needed to deliver a robust Initial Gate Business Case in late
2009. Nuclear Weapons, Written Answers, 10 Jun 2008 : Column 120WMr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the UK Trident warhead complies with the guideline that insensitive high explosive should be used for the supercharge in a nuclear weapon, as specified in JSP 538 regulation of the nuclear weapon programme, Annex G, on safety principles and guidelines for nuclear weapons systems. Des Browne: I am withholding the information requested, as its
release would, or would be likely to, prejudice national security. Nuclear Submarines, Written Answers, 9 Jun 2008 : Column 66WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) X berths and (b) Z berths are available for use by the Royal Navy's nuclear submarines between the Red Sea and the UK. 9 Jun 2008 : Column 67W Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There are no X or Z berths between the Red
Sea and the UK as these types of berth are only located within the two
submarine base ports of HMNB Devonport and HMNB Clyde. Nuclear Weapons: Finance, Written Answers, 3 Jun 2008 : Column 811WNick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on the UK nuclear deterrent programme, including the Atomic Weapons Establishment, in each year from 1998 to 2008, expressed in cash terms. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The annual expenditure for capital and running costs of the UK nuclear deterrent programme, including the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, in each year from 1998 to 2008 is shown in the following table.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/ Nuclear Reactors, Written Answers, 2 Jun 2008 : Column 693WAngus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies his Department has (a) carried out and (b) commissioned into potential sites for a prototype for the new generation nuclear propulsion plant. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Department has neither commissioned nor
carried out any studies into potential sites for a prototype for the next
generation nuclear propulsion plant. Nuclear Weapons, Written Answers, 2 Jun 2008 : Column 693WMr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the publications (a) JSP 518, on regulation of the naval nuclear provision programme and (b) JSP 471, on defence nuclear accident response. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: A copy of Joint Service Publication (JSP) 518, Regulation of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme, will be placed in the Library of the House. JSP 471, Defence Nuclear Accident Response, is available from the MOD website at: This is an unclassified version of the document, where codeword information
has been removed for the purpose of safeguarding national security. Trident Missiles, Written Answers, 13 Mar 2008 : Column 667WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of progress in refurbishing the W76 warheads for Trident missiles, with particular reference to manufacturing processes for Fogbank; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The UK does not assemble or refurbish W76
nuclear warheads. It is MOD policy not to comment on nuclear warhead design,
as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice national security. Clyde Submarine Base, Written Answers, 6 Mar 2008 : Column 2709WMr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which ships or submarines are base-ported at Faslane. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There are 15 Royal Navy vessels currently
base ported at HM Naval Base Clyde (Faslane), as shown in the following
table:
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