House of Commons Hansard Debates for 15 Feb 1994

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Office Space

Sir Keith Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the amount of office space owned, leased or rented by his Department and its agencies in London on 1 January in each year since 1989.

Mr. Hanley : The amount of office space on the civil estate-common user estate occupied in London by my Department and its agencies on 1 January in each year since 1989 was :


1 January     |Square metres              

------------------------------------------

1989          |306,694.80                 

1990          |304,716.80                 

1991          |308,880.10                 

1992          |304,197.80                 

1993          |334,461.30                 

1994          |323,712.70

This figure is due to reduce by more than half by 1 January 1997. In addition, the London weather centre occupied 652 sq m of office space in Clerkenwell road from September 1992, following relocation from its previous site in High Holborn.

Details of office space in the defence estate in London are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Front Line First

Mrs. Angela Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what areas of his Department's business the front line first study is examining ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Aitken : The defence costs study is examining all aspects of support to the front line. Individual studies have been established to look in detail at the following areas :

MOD head office--organisation and function

HQs/service command and top-level budget structure

MOD police

Research and development

Procurement Executive--projects and practices

Procurement Executive--organisation and function

Market-testing programme and contracting out

Financial management

Estate and property

Repairs/spares/storage/distribution and infrastructure

Naval infrastructure

Training

Recruiting/manning

Medical

Non-operational information systems and information technology Security

Defence intelligence

RAF management structure and manning

Army management structure and manning

Navy management structure and manning

Music

Animals and vets

Catering/messes

Chaplaincy services

MOD fire services

Terminal air traffic control services

Legal services

Travel and subsistence

Costs of regulations

Meteorological Office

Radiological protection policy, advice and audit

Forms and publications

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Uniforms

The studies are making good progress. Decisions taken as a result of them will be announced in due course.

Arms Sales

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will update to 1993 the figures given in his answer to the hon. Member for Eccles (Miss Lestor) of 19 June 1989, Official Report, column 61, regarding arms sales to Malaysia.

Mr. Aitken [holding answer 11 February 1994] : Detailed information on defence sales covered by the memorandum of understanding signed with Malaysia is confidential to the two Governments, but in the circumstances I can tell the hon. Member that contracts worth in excess of £1 billion were negotiated between 1989 and 1993.

The Enemy Within

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his definition of the enemy within ; what departmental activities are related to this ; at what cost ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanley [holding answer 14 February 1994] : As far as I am aware, this is not a term that has been, or is being used in connection with any specific departmental activity.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Public Bodies

Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who are the members currently appointed to the Priorities Board for Research and Development in Agriculture and Food.

Mr. Jack : There are no members currently appointed to the Priorities Board for Research and Development in Agriculture and Food. Following completion of its report the board was dissolved on 31 December 1993 pending a review now being undertaken by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department and the Agricultural and Food Research Council.

Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who are the members currently appointed to the Meat and Livestock Commission.

Mr. Jack : D. T. Y. Curry, J. Baker, M. Rees, P. S. Redshaw, J. F. Royan, C. Jay, A. R. Manson, Mrs. E. Hodder, Miss B. Bloom, R. Green, C. Smith are currently appointed as members of the Meat and Livestock Commission. The post of chairman is vacant and Mr. Curry is the acting chairman.

Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who are the members currently appointed to the Agricultural Training Board.

Mr. Jack : Membership of the Agricultural Training Board currently numbers 11 persons, as follows :

Chairman :

Mr. A. S. Stewart

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Deputy Chairman :

Mr. M. J. Curtis

Members :

Mrs. R. Berry

Mrs. J. Buchanan-Smith

Dr. J. Harries

Mr. V. H. Hughes

Mr. T. Jones

Mr. N. J. Mallet

Mr. I. Monkton

Mr. M. D. Pollard

Professor P. Thomas

Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who are the members currently appointed to the Sugar Beet Research and Education Committee.

Mr. Jack : The members currently appointed to the Sugar Beet and Education Committee are :

Mr. J. H. Proctor (chairman)

Dr. M. J. Armstrong

Mr. M. F. Askew

Dr. D. J. Carmichael

Mr. C. R. A. Carter

Mr. H. R. Dyas

Mr. J. H. Hoyles

Professor R. T. Plumb

Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who are the members currently appointed to the Food from Britain committee.

Mr. Jack : The members of the Council of Food from Britain are : Mr. Geoffrey John (chairman)

Mrs. Mary Berry

Mr. Trefor Campbell

Mr. Tito Chiandetti

Mr. Alun Evans

Mr. Richard George

Mr. John Irish

Mr. Howard Mann

Mr. David Naish

Mr. Brian Nelson

Professor Susan Shaw

Mrs. Caroline Spelman

Mr. Robert Steven

Mr. John Whitehead

Dr. Wright : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list those responsible for making appointments of (a) chairs and (b) members of the boards to each of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department.

Mr. Jack : Details of those responsible for making appointments of chairmen and members of executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by this Ministry, as listed in "Public Bodies 1993", are as follows :

Agricultural Training Board

Horticultural Development Council

Meat and Livestock Commission

All appointments are made by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, jointly with the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales.

Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales

Chairman and independent members appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, jointly with the

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Secretary of State for Wales. Representative members appointed by the National Farmers Union and by the Agricultural and Allied Workers National Trade Group of the Transport and General Workers Union. Agricultural Wages Committees (England)

Chairmen and independent members appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Representative members appointed by the National Farmers Union and by the Agricultural and Allied Workers National Trade Group of the Transport and General Workers Union. Apple and Pear Research Council

Wine Standards Board of the Vintners Company

All appointments made by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Food From Britain

Home-Grown Cereals Authority

Sea Fish Industry Authority

All appointments made by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, jointly with the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Horticulture Research International

Chairman and six members appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Three members appointed by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Regional Flood Defence Committees

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food appoints the Chairman and a number of members to each of the nine executive regional flood defence committees of the National Rivers Authority (NRA) in England. In addition, the NRA is responsible for appointing two members to each committee and the local authorities are responsible for appointing the remaining members (one more than the total number of ministerial and NRA appointees on each committee). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Chairman and 10 members appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. One member appointed by Her Majesty The Queen.

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