that strikes me as a gaff rather than anything else,
Gaff? It's in most versions of the script, and there's interviews with lance about it. It was done purposely the conversation is about Bishop lying (or not, whatever you believe), blah blah So it definitely wasn't a mistake.
or did you mean it was silly? I thought it was actually a neat trip, sending generic henchman for that bit wouldn't have been as good.
Changing that bloody stupid chest bursting scene from ripley alone was enough to knock number 3 up a notch
*blam*
although isn't it like 50-100 years later again, or am I jumping to A4?)
Nope, its immediately after aliens. You can see the date on the computer a few times iirc.
Whilst on the subject, A4 and AvP forgot the important rule of the franchise... nothing is clean. It's the same thing that's wrong with the new star wars, everything looks brand new and that's just plain silly. (I mean outside the actual medical rooms in A4 of course)