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Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer my hon. Friends to the answer that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre Forest (Mr. Coombs).
Monopoly Suppliers
53. Mr. Neil Thorne : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he seeks to obtain value for money in those sectors where there is a monopoly United Kingdom supplier.
Mr. Sainsbury : Our policy is to seek the best long term value for money in our purchases and to use competition wherever possible to achieve this. Where there is a monopoly United Kingdom supplier it may be possible to seek competition from overseas. In those cases where overseas competition is not possible we aim to negotiate taut contract conditions with the prime contractor and ensure that there is the maximum competition at the sub-contract level.
Chemical Weapons
54. Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the accuracy of Mr. Gorbachev's estimate of the Soviet chemical weapons stockpile as 50,000 tonnes.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Dover (Mr. Shaw).
Falkland Islands
56. Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy for wives and families wishing to accompany service men posted to the Falkland Islands.
Mr. Neubert : Most service men in the Falkland Islands are on four or six-month tours and are required to serve unaccompanied. The small number of personnel on 12-month tours are encouraged to take their families with them and are provided with married quarters.
Afghanistan
58. Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for the level of Soviet troops in Europe of the recent withdrawal of such troops from Afghanistan.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Soviet forces withdrawn from Afghanistan comprise a complete army of four fully manned and equipped divisions, one of which is an airborne division, and a large number of other units. The
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whole force amounts to some 110,000 personnel. It is not clear whether any of the troops withdrawn from Afghanistan have been or will be transferred to the European theatre. The Soviets have given us no indication of their intentions.Stocks
59. Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total value of (a) spares, (b) food, (c) ammunition and (d) all other stocks held by his Department at the latest convenient date.
Mr. Neubert : The information cannot be provided in the exact form requested without disproportionate cost. For management purposes, stocks are categorised by equipment range or commodity. The value of stocks of spares held within each category is, however, not separately maintained.
The assessed total value of stocks held by MOD in major depots as at 31 March 1988 amounted to a total of £10,249 million, the breakdown of which, by supply management category, is as follows :
|£ million
---------------------------------------------------
Ammunition and armament stores |3,109
Food |13
Fuel (including lubricants) |114
Clothing |127
General stores |273
Technical stores |6,604
Medical stores |9
|---
|10,249
The figures do not include the value of stocks held in units and establishments forward of the main stores depots, details of which are not maintained centrally.
Representations (Trade Unions)
60. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on responding to representations on defence matters from trade unions ; and if he will make a statement.
68. Mr. Burt : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on responding to representations on defence matters from trade unions ; and if he will make a statement.
87. Mrs. Roe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on responding to representations on defence matters from trade unions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : We receive frequent representations from the trade unions on matters affecting their members employed in the Ministry of Defence and these are handled in accordance with the normal Civil Service consultative procedures. Representations on defence matters are handled in the normal way as they arise.
Soviet Union (Nuclear Forces)
63. Mr. Moss : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to whether the Soviets are continuing to modernise their strategic nuclear forces.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Soviet Union continues to modernise its strategic nuclear forces. On land an
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additional 200 SS-25 inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are expected to become operational within two or three years. The ten-warhead SS-24 ICBM has been deployed, both in silos and on rail-mobile launchers, and a modified version of the SS-18 heavy ICBM is entering service. At sea, five Typhoon and four Delta IV nuclear- powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), carrying the multiple-warhead SS-N-20 and SS-N-23 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), are now operational, and a fifth Delta IV began sea trials during 1988. The SS-N-21 sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM) is now operational.In the air, a new strategic bomber, the Blackjack, has entered service ; it can carry the AS-15 air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) as well as bombs and air-to-surface missiles. The AS-15 entered service in 1984 and is already deployed on the Bear H bomber, of which 70 are operational.
Soviet Air Capability
64. Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the threat posed by Soviet air capability to the United Kingdom home base.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : For details of the continuing development of the Soviet Union's air capability, I refer my hon. Friend to the "Statement on Defence Estimates 1988" (Cm. 344-I), in particular chapter 6 and the essay entitled "The Conventional Balance". The Soviet air capability which could pose a threat to the United Kingdom is kept constantly under review. Details of such assessments are classified.
West Germany
66. Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to meet the Defence Minister of the Federal German Republic ; and what matters he plans to discuss.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My right hon. Friend expects to meet the Defence Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany at a meeting of WEU Ministers next month. In the normal way a range of matters of mutual interest will be discussed.
75. Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the Defence Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany ; and what matters were discussed.
79. Mr. Soames : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his West Germany counterpart ; and what was discussed.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My right hon. Friend last met the Defence Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany at the Anglo-German summit on 20-21 February 1989. A range of matters of mutual interest was discussed.
Nuclear Submarines
70. Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further plans he has for the disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines.
98. Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further plans he has for the disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines.
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113. Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further plans he has for the disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines.
Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Members to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace) on 9 May at column 2.
France
71. Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to meet the French Defence Minister ; and what he will discuss.
Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend met M. Chevenement last week and, although he has no immediate plans for a further meeting, he expects to have a number of opportunities to discuss matters of mutual interest in the course of 1989.
Defence Exports
74. Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what successes have been achieved in defence exports during the past year.
125. Mr. Gregory : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been achieved in defence exports during the past year.
Mr. Sainsbury : The success achieved by our defence manufacturers in the past year, maintains Britain's position as a major world exporter of defence equipment.
104. Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will outline the policy considerations which underline his refusal to publish figures on an individual company's defence exports.
Mr. Sainsbury : It has never been the practice of this or previous Governments to publish figures on individual companies' defence exports for reasons of commercial and customer confidentiality.
RAF Upper Heyford
83. Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when next he expects to visit RAF Upper Heyford.
Mr. Neubert : I expect to visit RAF Upper Heyford when the full study into the costs and implications of realigning the runway at the base has been completed, which I hope will be shortly after Easter.
Nuclear Defence Policy
85. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Government intend to change their policy on nuclear defence.
88. Mr. Leigh : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Her Majesty's Government have any plans to change their nuclear defence policy.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are no such plans.
Estate Management
91. Mr. Kirkhope : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he has taken to improve the management of the defence estate.
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Mr. Yeo : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he has taken to improve the management of the defence estate.
Mr. Neubert : Following the announcement in May 1988 of changes in the relationship between the Property Services Agency and other Government Departments, the Ministry of Defence has resumed overall responsibility for the management of its estate. Bringing together responsibility and accountability within a single Department will enable us to manage our estate more efficiently and cost-effectively. We regularly review the utilisation of our land and property holdings to identify areas which are surplus or may become surplus to requirements and a number of major studies are currently taking place with a view to further rationalisation measures.
Contracts
92. Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for his policies on competition and value for money on defence contracts of a situation where the United States prime contractor and the United Kingdom prime contractor are one and the same company.
Mr. Sainsbury : Our procurement strategy is intended to achieve the best possible value for money. We place our prime contracts as a result of competition wherever we can, but when this is not possible we aim to negotiate taut contract conditions with the prime contractor and ensure that there is the maximum competition at the sub-contract level.
TGWU (Policy)
93. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations on defence policy he has received from the Transport and General Workers Union ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Knight) on 3 March 1989 at column 356.
Warsaw Pact
95. Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Warsaw pact has changed its military doctrine over the past year.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Recent public statements by Warsaw pact leaders have stressed the defensive nature of the pact's military doctrine but its armed forces continue to maintain a capability far greater than that required for solely defensive purposes. We look forward to the implementation of measures, such as reductions in the strength of the pact's armed forces and in the defence spending of its members, that would indicate a genuine shift to a defensive doctrine.
Senior Staff
97. Mr. Holt : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's senior staff of grade 5 or over are employed (a) outside and (b) in the south-east of England.
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Mr. Sainsbury : The numbers of the Department's senior staff, at grades 5 and above, employed (a) outside the south-east of England is 102, and (b) in posts in the south-east of England is 285.
Type 23 Frigates
Mr. Allen McKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the number of, and the duration for which, type 23 frigates are expected to be at sea without an integrated computer command and control system being in operation.
103. Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the number of and the duration for which, type 23 frigates are expected to be at sea without an integrated computer command and control system being in operation.
129. Mr. Galloway : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the numbers of, and the duration for which, type 23 frigates are expected to be at sea without an integrated computer command and control system being in operation.
131. Mr. McWilliam : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the number of, and the duration for which, type 23 frigates are expected to be at sea without an integrated computer command and control system being in operation.
Mr. Sainsbury : I have nothing to add to the statement which I gave to the House on 28 February 1989.
Naval Procurement
109. Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement upon his policy on the United Kingdom contribution to naval procurement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The Government will continue to pursue a substantial procurement programme to meet the requirements of the Royal Navy in the most cost-effective way.
Private Security Firms
110. Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is towards his Department's involvement with private security firms.
Mr. Sainsbury : The use of private security firms in guarding establishments is an option open to MOD in those cases where their use can satisfy certain security criteria, and where it achieves better value for money.
Falklands
120. Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to bring into the public domain all records within his Department relating to the Falklands war.
Territorial Army
130. Dr. Goodson-Wickes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last had discussions regarding the Territorial Army with the Chief of General Staff.
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Mr. Neubert : The process of consultation on service matters is a continuous one, both through the formal Defence Committee structure and official channels. In addition my right hon. Friend and hon. colleagues take up a number of invitations to visit Territorial Army conferences and units. In this way the Territorial Army has been the subject of much discussion, reflecting the importance that we attach to the vital role it plays in the defence of the nation.
RAF Pilots
135. Mr. Cyril D. Townsend : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force pilots have left within 10 years of qualifying as pilots in each of the last three years.
Mr. Neubert : The number of RAF pilots who left within 10 years of qualifying as pilots in each of the last three years are :
|Number
---------------------
1986 |20
1987 |49
1988 |91
Soviet Military Strength
137. Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest estimate of Soviet nuclear military strength in short-range missiles and artillery west of the Urals ; and what evidence he has of any reductions during the last 12 months.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer my hon. Friend to figure 19 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988" (Cm. 344-I), which shows a total of 1,400 missile launchers and 6,800 nuclear-capable artillery pieces. Athough the Soviet Foreign Minister announced in January that there were to be some reductions in the numbers of short-range nuclear forces in Eastern Europe, these reductions have not yet taken place, and they will involve only 24 missile systems and about 220 artillery pieces. The Warsaw pact retains an enormous advantage in such short-range systems.
Nuclear Deterrent
Mr. Andrew F. Bennet : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on Britain's independent nuclear deterrent.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Britain's Polaris force remains fully operational and effective with at least one submarine on patrol at all times. Trident remains on programme to enter service in the mid-1990s.
Merchant Vessels (Emergencies)
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the figures for the availability in March 1989 of British merchant vessels suitable for naval deployment in time of emergency.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The figures for March 1989 are not yet available. The number of vessels available on the United Kingdom and dependent territory registers at 31 December 1988 in the categories required for defence purposes was as follows :
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|Number
------------------------------------------------------
Fishing vessels (including large stern
trawlers and offshore support vessels) |348
Product tankers |120
Break bulk cargo vessels |162
Cruise ships |5
Roll on-roll off ferries |69
Tugs |91
Counter-mine Operations
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to convert offshore support vessels for the purpose of counter-mine operations in time of emergency ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : No, but we keep such matters under review.
Nuclear Strategy
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Knowsley, South of Thursday 2 March on nuclear strategy, Official Report , column 254 , if he will identify the paragraphs which contain the requested information.
Mr. Neubert : The essays referred to in my reply of 2 March should be read in toto.
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