| Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 232
Godfrey Durham (3)--Support to Regional Administration project Triad Special Systems Ltd (3)--Support to Regional Administration projectAsterisk Computer Systems (3)--Support to Regional Administration project
Quanta Learning Systems Ltd --Support to Regional Administration project
Pergammon Infotec --Support to Regional Administration project Mouncey and Partners Ltd --Support to Regional Administration project
Pergammon Infotec --Support to Regional Administration project Prime Computer (UK) Ltd --Support to Regional Administration project
Aims Systems Ltd --Mastitis monitoring project
Aims Systems Ltd --R&D registrations project
Aims Systems Ltd --Sheepmaster project
Peat Marwick McLintock --Milk and Dairies Regulation project Touche Ross Management Consultants --Telecommunications strategy Kermon Associates -- Telecommunications strategy
PA Consulting Services Ltd. --IT Sub-Strategy for Economics and Statistics
PA Consulting Services Ltd. --IT Sub-Strategy for Food Safety Group and Food Science Group
Timberlake Clarke --Statistical support to Farm Survey System study
Eosys --Evaluation of local area network standards
Hayes-Davies Ltd. --Quality management initiative
Amdahl (UK) Ltd. --Technical support on mainframe
Applied learning --Strategy for end-user IT training
Corporate Computer plc --Design of data system for salmonella in poultry
PA Consulting Services --Support to IT studies in Animal Health and Horticulture Group
Data Dictionary Systems Ltd. --Data management study
MMT Computing (Reading) Ltd. --Analysis/design of National Food Survey System
Mouncey and Partners Ltd. --Strategic IT project co-ordination Mouncey and Partners Ltd. --Use of IT in accommodation planning Admiral Management Services --IT standards in ADAS
Learmouth and Burchett Ltd. --Design of agrochemicals database (Part 2)
Refers to number of contracts on one project.
Column 233
Fishing Vessels
Mr. Harris : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to put into effect the changes to the fishing vessels grant scheme which he announced in his statement of 20 December.
Mr. Gummer : Following my announcement last December that the present vessel grant scheme served to distort rather than encourage sensible investment by vessel owners I am proceeding to restrict the availability of these grants. A draft order under the Fisheries Act 1981 will be laid before Parliament shortly with a view to it coming into force at the beginning of April. The order will amend the present scheme (the Fishing Vessels (Acquisition and Improvement) (Grants) Scheme 1987) by providing aid only to essential safety improvements and to those cases where it is needed to provide back-up for EC grant aid.
The rates of grant for essential improvements will continue to be 30 per cent. (10 per cent. for vessels greater than 33m in length). The rate of back-up grant will be 10 per cent. regardless of vessel size.
These measures form part of our process of rationalisation of fleet capacity.
DEFENCE
Reply-paid Cards
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reconsider the design of the reply-paid cards used for armed forces reservists to offer more security for the names, addresses and service status of the personnel concerned.
Computer Hacking
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any British database based in Europe was infiltrated by computer hacking by the West Germans convicted on 15 February of selling the information obtained to a foreign power.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I am not aware of any evidence to suggest that the three West Germans convicted on 15 February breached the security of any United Kingdom military database, either in this country or overseas.
RAF Finningley
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what services will be open for private contractoring tenders at RAF Finningley ; and what will be the future role of service personnel currently carrying out these duties.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : At present, accommodation cleaning and local ancillary tasks at RAF Finningley, such as pest control and chimney sweeping, are carried out by private contractors. Tenders have been invited for the engineering and supply tasks at RAF Finningley and, subject to the acceptability of a contractor's bid in operational, technical and financial terms, it is hoped to let a contract for these services in April 1991. Service personnel currently carrying out these duties will be redeployed to other tasks within the RAF.
Column 234
Security
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what update of security safeguards has been implemented for (a) employees and (b) companies employed on private tendered services at military establishments.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The security provisions concerning companies and their employees employed at military establishments are kept under constant review. It is not our practice to discuss the details of such arrangements.
Defence Spending
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the amount spent on national defence per head of the adult population.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In 1989-90 some £470, on latest estimates.
Nuclear Missiles
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which cities in Europe are within the range of the United Kingdom nuclear missiles.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In theory, all European cities could fall within the range of Polaris. However, it is not our practice to comment on targeting policy.
Mallet Blow Exercise
Mr. Jack Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether aircraft involved in exercise Mallet Blow will be involved in low flying over areas of population in Northumberland.
Mr. Neubert : All military aircraft taking part in exercise Mallet Blow will be governed by the normal United Kingdom low flying regulations, which require aircrew to avoid flying low over the centres of major conurbations and towns and to avoid all other populated areas wherever possible.
Military Training
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the figures for the number of deaths and serious injuries that were sustained as a result of participation in Royal Marine training courses or exercises in 1988, 1987, 1986 and 1985.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Figures for deaths and serious injuries attributable to Royal Marine training courses and exercises in the years 1985 to 1988 are as follows :
Year |Deaths |Serious
|injuries
------------------------------------
1985 |2 |-
1986 |1 |2
1987 |- |2
1988 |1 |-
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of fatalities from all causes that have occurred in military exercises and training in each year since 1978.
Column 235
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The tri-service deaths attributable to training and exercise injuries from 1978 to the last year for which firm figures are available (1988) are as follows :
Year |Royal |Army |Royal |Total
|Navy and |Air Force
|Royal
|Marines
------------------------------------------------------------
1978 |1 |26 |10 |37
1979 |4 |14 |3 |21
1980 |9 |16 |4 |29
1981 |5 |13 |6 |24
1982 |5 |17 |10 |32
1983 |3 |10 |13 |26
1984 |2 |16 |2 |20
1985 |2 |10 |7 |19
1986 |1 |16 |2 |19
1987 |- |10 |4 |14
1988 |1 |10 |4 |15
|------
Overall Total 256
The figures for 1989 will be promulgated in the "Service Annual Health Tables" to be published this summer.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South, Official Report, 13 March, column 202, if he will outline the nature of the PULHHEEMS system of fitness assessment ; and if he will specify how frequently it is applied to an individual member of the forces.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The PULHHEEMS system of medical classification involved assessment of :
P = physical capacity
U = upper limbs
L = locomotion
HH = hearing (hearing acuity)
EE = eyesight (visual acuity)
M = mental capacity
S = stability
The system is designed to :
a. provide a functional assessment of the individual's capacity for work ;
b. assist in expressing the physical and mental attributes appropriate to individual employments within the services ; c. assist in posting people to the employment for which they are most suited in the light of their physical, intellectual and emotional make-up ;
d. provide a system which is administratively simple to apply. All new applicants to the services are required to have a PULHHEEMS medical examination at the pre-service stage and thereafter initial and service assessments following completion of their basic training. Further PULHHEEMS examinations are undertaken, with variations according to the branch of service, depending on the age of the individual and his employment. More regular assessments are given following injury and/or hospitalisation. The allocation of a PULHHEEMS assessment is a medical responsibility, but officers in command are responsible for ensuring that all ranks are referred to a medical officer.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South, Official Report, 13 March, columns 198-99, if he will ensure that all training instructors are required to read, understand and observe the newly issued defence council instructions on heat illness.
Column 236
Mr. Archie Hamilton : They are already required to do so.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South, Official Report, 13 March, columns 201-02, how many men took part in the Royal Marine training courses and exercises in 1989 during which three died and one suffered serious injury.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The number of personnel involved in Royal Marine training courses and exercises in 1989 in which three died and one suffered serious injury was in the region of 3,500.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South, Official Report, 13 March, column 199, what category of medical fitness was used for the Royal Navy survival course before the injury to Lieutenant Simon Rowland ; and what is the new category.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The category of medical fitness used for the Royal Navy aircrew survival course is unchanged at P2--Physically Fit.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South, Official Report, 13 March, column 198, if he can obtain without disproportionate cost and effort the number of disciplinary inquiries that have followed the 12 cases of heat-induced fatalities which have occurred since 1978.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the right hon. Member.
Consultancies
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total amount spent by his Department in 1989 on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases ; if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by his Department in 1989, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment ; and what is the total amount that his Department has budgeted to spend in the current year.
Mr. Alan Clark : The Ministry of Defence expects to spend £18 million in the financial year 1989-90 on management and computer consultancy contracts. Details of the management consultancy contracts are listed. Contractual responsibility for computer consultancy contracts rests with the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency. CCTA does not currently maintain separate details of consultancy contracts, which, in many cases, form part of wider computer procurement and support contracts. Details of individual contracts could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Management consultancy contracts let in financial year 1989-90 Firm and subject of assignment
Arthur Anderson and Co.--Support to the RAF TOPMIS Team. Sir J. H. Biles (Naval Services) Ltd.--Load Testing of Upper Deck Equipments in RN and RFA vessels.
Chinal Management Services Ltd.--Review of Productivity
Column 237
Scheme.Deloitte Haskins and Sells--Initial Provisioning of RN vessels. Deloitte Haskins and Sells--Support to the Army TOPMIS Team. Ernst and Young-- Management Information System for the Rapier Project Office.
Ernst and Young--Review of the Base Repair Organisation. HACAS Ltd.-- Housing Association Study.
Integrated Resource Management--Review of Regular and TA Recruitment.
PA Consulting Services--Review of PE Airfields.
PA Consulting Services--Performance Indicator Study at RAF Support Command.
Peat Marwick McLintock--Review of United Kingdom Service Hospitals. Peat Marwick McLintock--Support to the Navy TOPMIS Team. P. E. Inbucon--Future Strategy for the Overhaul of Diesel Engines. P.E Inbucon--Total Quality Management Project for DG Mil Svy. P. E. Inbucon--Consultancy Assistance to the Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation.
People in Business--Graduate Recruitment for the IT Function. Price Waterhouse--Naval Recruitment Marketing Strategy.
Profile Group Ltd.--Improving Job Opportunities for Dependents. Systems Consultancy Training Development--Support to the RAF Ground Defence Training Review Team.
University of Surrey--Tri-Service Ration Scales Review.
Touche Ross and Company--Sea Systems Controllerate Co-location Study.
Touche Ross and Company--Market Survey for the Sale of Hydrographic Charts.
Harold Whitehead and Partners--Support to Core TOPMIS Team. Harold Whitehead and Partners--Review of Productivity Scheme.
Army Equipment Exhibition
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel will be on duty in support of the British Army equipment exhibition 1990.
Mr. Alan Clark : Some 720 military personnel will be on duty in support of the British Army equipment exhibition 1990.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any firepower or mobility demonstrations are planned in conjunction with the British Army equipment exhibition 1990.
Mr. Alan Clark : In conjunction with the 1990 British Army equipment exhibition there will be mobility demonstrations but no firepower demonstrations.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the list of names of countries to which invitations to the British Army equipment exhibition 1990 have been extended.
Mr. Alan Clark : No. It has been the consistent policy of successive Administrations not to release details of
Column 238
invitation lists to British forces equipment exhibitions. Invitations are issued on a confidential basis and it would be a breach of trust to release names.Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who will be opening the British Army equipment exhibition to be held at Aldershot from 3 to 8 June.
Mr. Alan Clark : Detailed arrangements have yet to be finalised, but it is expected that the exhibition will be opened at ministerial level.
Fire Safety Standards
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria govern the application of the Government fire standards code to major refurbishments of his Department's storage facilities.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The code is applied to major refurbishments of MOD storage facilities where feasible or cost-effective.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual amount of expenditure on improving fire safety standards in his Department's storage depots for each year since 1979.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Figures for years prior to 1984 are not readily available. Fire safety-related expenditure by calendar year since 1984, which includes spending on specific fire safety enhancements and on new buildings which meet the Government fire standards code, has been broadly as follows :
| Next Section
| Home Page |