QINETIQ'S ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITIES

EDM number 1664 in 2001-02, proposed by Llew Smith on 18/07/2002.

That this House believes any agency privatised by the Ministry of Defence should be required to take responsibility for the full environmental liabilities owned by the agency; notes the Ministry of Defence's proposal to provide for a 20 year indemnity for any environmental losses incurred by Qinetiq, formerly the Department's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, in its departmental minute dated 8th July; believes it is wrong to encumber tax payers with an unquantified liability that ought properly be owned by Qinetiq; calls on the Secretary of State for Defence to withdraw the minute; and believes that he should make available to Parliament a detailed appraisal of the extent of the environmental liabilities involved before any further approval is given.

This motion has been signed by a total of 23 MPs.