House of Commons Hansard Debates for 29 Apr 1994

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 March, Official Report, column 337 , which of the defence costs study team are producing reports which will be relevant to decisions relating to spares ; and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Hanley : One of the defence costs study teams was specifically concerned with the examination of repair, spares, storage and distribution within the MOD services. A number of other defence costs study teams scrutinised areas of support activity in which the storage, handling and use of spares play a part.

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all of the non-MOD organisations and individuals that have been consulted in the course of the defence costs study ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanley : Defence costs study teams were encouraged to consult widely, but a record of all the organisations and individuals consulted is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the non-civil service participants in the defence costs study ; and under what scale of remuneration the non-civil service participants in the defence costs study are being paid.

Mr. Hanley : Non-civil service participants in the defence costs study have included Ministers, service personnel and a number of consultants and advisers from outside MOD. External participation has taken a variety of forms. The following individuals have participated as external members of study teams :

Sir R. Barratt

Mr. R. Benton

Sir J. Blelloch

Lieutenant General (Rtd.) Sir D. Boorman

Mr. C. Brendish

Mr. M. Dow

Mr. D. Dugdale

Professor M. Earl

Mr. F. Everard

Mr. B. Greedy

Mr. N. Hale

Mr. D. Hart

Mr. B. King

Mr. C. Littmoden

Mr. A. Mallin

Mr. I. McNeil

Mr. J. Montgomery

Mr. I. Robertson

Professor I. Shanks

Mr. K. Simpson

Major General (Rtd.) G. Sinclair A team from Price Waterhouse, which was already providing consultancy advice in a related area, also participated in one of the studies.

Not all those listed are receiving payment for their services. Remuneration arrangements for individuals acting as external advisers or consultants are matters of confidence between the Department and the persons concerned.

Armed Forces Pay Review Body

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the pay rises for senior defence officers arising from the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's recommendations.

Mr. Hanley : The Armed Forces Pay Review Body recommended in February an increase of 4.4 per cent. for brigadiers and equivalents--the most senior rank on whose pay it makes

recommendations. The Government accepted this recommendation in full but, in line with all other

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service ranks whose pay is recommended by the AFPRB, the award for brigadiers and equivalents was staged. The first 2.7 per cent. of the award will be paid from 1 April 1994 with the balance being paid from 1 January 1995.

Officers on whose pay the Government receive recommendations from the Senior Salaries Review Body will receive an increase of 2.75 per cent. from 1 April 1994, together with the third stage of their 1992 award. Additionally, the Government are considering a recommendation by the SSRB that a differential of 10 per cent. should be established between the pay of brigadiers and equivalents and major generals and equivalents.

Underground Property

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the bunkers and other underground property owned, operated or leased by his Department.

Mr. Hanley : The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Bosnia

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent Greek military leaders are party to any NATO decisions on action on Bosnia ; and what assessment he has made as to the security considerations of this involvement.

Mr. Hanley : Greece is a full party to all NATO decisions on Bosnia.

Nuclear Testing

Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his policy on nuclear testing.

Mr. Hanley : I have nothing to add to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on 22 March, Official Report, column 139.

War Disablement Pensions

Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to deal with the backlog of claims for war disablement pensions following the closure of the Ministry of Defence records centre at Hayes.

Mr. Hanley : I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Davidson) on 21 April, Official Report, column 624.

Greek War Medals

Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list of those ex-soldiers who are entitled to accept the Greek War Medal and the War Star from the Greek Government for their part in the 1940-41 campaign.

Mr. Hanley : The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Front Line Capabilities

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the extent to which decisions emerging from the defence costs study will have an effect upon front-line capabilities.

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Mr. Hanley : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has not yet taken any decisions on the defence costs study. Furthermore, no decisions will be taken on the recommendations arising from this work which will reduce our operational capability.

Estimates Statement

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the mistakes and misprints that have been made in the 1994 "Statement on the Defence Estimates" ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanley : As far as I am aware, the only misprint of any material nature is in annex E. The upper part of the bar for the USA should be shaded blue to denote nuclear-powered submarines rather than yellow.

Soldier" Magazine

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information the new parliamentary column in "Soldier" magazine will include ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanley : The parliamentary column, which was introduced in the 7 March 1994 issue of "Soldier" magazine, contains a brief digest of Defence matters, published in Hansard, which "Soldier's" editor considers will be of interest to his readership. The column will reflect information which affects Army personnel, their dependants, and the ex-service community.

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Capital Works

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 April, Official Report, column 86, if he will give details of the design developments for the Minley/Chatham, Dishforth and Tidworth capital works projects.

Mr. Hanley : An element of refinement will nearly always occur between the inception of a project and its final completion, largely as a result of detailed work by professional design staff. There were, however, no significant changes to the original scope of work envisaged to meet the requirements of the three projects in question. The main reason for the reductions in costs was due to the competitive market conditions prevailing at the time.

Homosexuality Regulations

Mr. Martlew : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 April, Official Report, column 711, what effect the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill, if enacted, would have on the new homosexuality regulations.

Mr. Hanley : The provisions of the new tri-service guidelines on homosexuality are consistent with the current provisions of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill.

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