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Mar Lodge
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consideration the national heritage memorial fund gave to consulting the Scottish people before buying Mar Lodge. [26847]
Mr. Dorrell: This is a matter for the national heritage memorial fund,which is an independent body. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Members and to place copies of his letters in the Libraries of the House.
Arts and Heritage Funding
Mr. Callaghan To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on the effect of inflation on arts bodies over the past two years. [30977]
Mr. Dorrell: The Arts Council received an increase of over £5 million this year. Taken with increased attendances and low inflation, this has helped arts organisations to sustain a lively arts scene throughout the country.
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Mr. Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what will be the rate of increase of Government support for the arts and heritage over the next two years. [30976]
Mr. Dorrell: The Department of National Heritage annual report 1995 shows my Department's forward expenditure plans for 1996 97. A copy of the report is in the Library. My Department has not yet announced detailed allocation of its provision for 1997 98.
Royal Opera House
Sir Thomas Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his latest estimate of the cost of the Royal Opera House development plan. [28758]
Mr. Dorrell: The Royal Opera House development project is currently estimated to cost £193.8 million. A further £20 million is likely to be needed to cover transitional costs during the period of closure.
Cricket
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what support his Department is giving to English cricket at national, local and school levels; and if he will make a statement. [29063]
Mr. Dorrell: The Government are keen to encourage young people to participate in sport, including cricket. In 1994 95, the Sports Council, which is funded by the Department of National Heritage, gave grants of £187,500 to the Cricket Council, £37,500 to the Women's Cricket Association and £13,334 to the English Schools Cricket Association. Cricket projects are also eligible for funding from the sportsmatch scheme and for national lottery funding from the Sports Council.
DEFENCE
Royal Military Police
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions and on what dates in each of the last 12 months the Royal Military police have stopped (a) military and (b) civilian vehicles on the A345 road between Salisbury and Amesbury; at what time of day; on what grounds; and what was the outcome on each occasion. [30099]
Mr. Soames: My Department has no record of the Royal Military police stopping any vehicles on the A345 during the last 12 months, but if the hon. Member wishes to write to my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence with full details of any alleged incidents, we will ensure that the matter is thoroughly investigated.
Contaminated Land
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list every contaminated site owned by his Department, together with the total area covered; [29844]
(2) what is his estimate of the cost of cleaning up contaminated land owned by his Department. [29841]
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Mr. Soames: Information on the total number of Ministry of Defence sites with contamination problems and on possible decontamination costs is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 April, Official Report , column 126 , by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark).
Land Sales
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much land owned by his Department has been sold off in each of the last five years. [29909]
Mr. Soames: The information is not held in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The total net figure of land and foreshore holdings in the UK, in thousand hectares, in each of the last five years is as follows:
1991: 242.8
1992: 243.4
1993: 242.5
1994: 241.9
1995: 240.3
RAF Woodvale (Noise Pollution)
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he is taking to reduce the noise pollution created by training aircraft from RAF Woodvale, over West Lancashire. [29846]
Mr. Soames: A broad range of measures has been introduced to minimise any noise disturbance caused by military training aircraft operating from RAF Woodvale over west Lancashire. For example, flight paths are dispersed over as wide an area as possible avoiding populated areas, and aircrews are regularly briefed on the need to conduct their operations with consideration for those on the ground. The volume of military flying training from RAF Woodvale, which generally ceases by 5 pm, is kept to the minimum commensurate with service needs.
Astra
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date a schedule of documents removed from the Astra group of companies was prepared by his Department's police. [29719]
Mr. Soames: The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 requires a police officer receiving property into Ministry of Defence Police possession to record it as soon as practicable. There is no one schedule of documents removed from the Astra group of companies by the MDP. The individual schemes were prepared between March 1990 and July 1992.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department's police began their investigations into the Astra group of companies; and on what date those investigations were wound up. [29724]
Mr. Soames: Investigations by the Ministry of Defence police into the Astra group of companies began in February 1990. The inquiries closed in January 1993.
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General Sir Donald Isles
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the periods of service and the nature of duties with his Department of General Sir Donald Isles; and whether, as part of his duties, General Sir Donald Isles had any functional supervision of, or responsibility for, Mr. Gordon Foxley. [30061]
Mr. Freeman: Major General Donald Isles served in the general staff in the Ministry of Defence from 1968 to 1971; in the Royal Armaments Research and Development Establishment from 1971 to 1972; as director of munitions with the British defence staff in Washington from 1972 to 1975; as director of munitions with the British defence staff in Washington from 1972 to 1975; and as Director General Weapons (Army) in the Ministry of Defence from 1975 to 1978, responsible for managing the procurement of a wide range of weapons systems for the Army. In the last of these appointments, he was a senior line manager to Mr. Gordon Foxley, who was at that time an assistant director in his organisation.
International Military Services Ltd.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if IMS Ltd, and its subsidiaries have gone into liquidation. [30092]
Mr. Freeman: International Military Services Ltd. ceased trading in July 1991 but will not be wound up until all its outstanding obligations have been discharged.
Debt Collection
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 December, Official Report, column 1167, if he will update the number of collection visits; what was the value of the items; what was the nature of the items which were the cause of the debt collection visits; and whether that expenditure was incurred in this country or the countries specified. [29555]
Mr. Freeman: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Accounts Agency. I have therefore asked him to reply. Letter from M. A. Rowe to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 26 June 1995: On 15 June 1995 you asked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 15 December 1994, Official Report, Column 1167, if he will update the number of collection visits; what was the value of the items; what was the nature of the items which were the cause of the debt collection visits; and whether that expenditure was incurred in this country or the countries specified. This matter falls to me, in the absence of the Chief Executive of the Defence Accounts Agency, for reply.
The only visit to add to the list provided in December is one to Belgium on 30 March 1995. As in the previous cases, this visit was to deal with the debt owed by the customer, both in Belgium and in the UK.
I regret that I am unable to provide details of the amounts owed and the services provided as this is a matter of confidentiality between Her Majesty's Government and their customers.
Naval Refits
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) in what circumstances shipyards other than Rosyth will be entitled to bid to undertake refits of Hunt and Sandown class minehunters in the period up to the year 2005; [30938]
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(2) what further review he has undertaken of the allocation of future refits of Hunt and Sandown class minehunters as part of his consideration of the possible deferment of the transfer of nuclear refit work from Rosyth to Devonport; and if he will make a statement; [30942](3) what circumstances prevailing at the time of individual refits he intends to take into account when determining which shipyards should undertake the refit of Hunt and Sandown class
minehunters; [30940]
(4) how he intends to fulfil the commitment referred to in his oral statement of 24 June 1993, Official Report, columns 447-50, to ensure that the cost of refits to Hunt and Sandown class minehunters in the period up to 2005 are fair and reasonable; [30939]
(5) what further review he has undertaken of the allocation of future refits of Hunt and Sandown class minehunters as part of his consideration of the possible privatisation of Rosyth; and if he will make a statement. [30941]
Mr. Freeman: The Government's policy on the refitting of Hunt class vessels remains as set out in my right hon. and learned Friend's statement to the House on 24 June 1993, Official Report, columns 447-50. Refits of Sandown class vessels are included in the allocated programme of refits to be undertaken at the royal dockyards. No review of this policy has been undertaken in the context of the planned privatisation of Rosyth or the on- going assessment of docking facilities for nuclear submarines. The precise details of the allocated programme are subject to the circumstances prevailing at the time of individual refits, including operational factors and the needs of other vessels. My Department has considerable information on market rates for refits and maintenance work on a wide variety of vessels. Under our "No Acceptable Price, No Contract" pricing initiative our policy is not normally to place a contract until we are satisfied that the price is fair and reasonable.
Mr. Devlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funds for submarine refitting have been diverted from Faslane to Devonport; and what factors underlay this policy. [30038]
Mr. Freeman: None. Submarine refits are not undertaken at Faslane.
Privatisation
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those parts of his Department or departmental agencies which were privatised without an in-house bid; if he will indicate the expertise which was absent in his Department or departmental agencies which prevented an in -house bid taking place; which future parts of his Department or departmental agencies he intends to privatise; and which of them do not have the necessary in-house expertise to mount an in-house bid. [29419]
Mr. Freeman: Ministry of Defence activities, including those of Defence agencies, which have been privatised or contracted out without an in-house bid during the last three years under my Department's "Competing for Quality" programme are listed. Information concerning the lack of expertise in individual business areas which might have prevented in-house bids
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is not held centrally, and could be provided only atdisproportionate cost.
The decision on whether to mount a market test with an in-house bid depends on the circumstances of the business in question. For example, the Department may consider that the private sector is better equipped to delivery a specific service, has better understanding of market needs or specialist expertise, or has a capacity to invest in new technology. Similarly, a strategic decision to contract out without an in-house bid could be taken where an activity is relatively small and peripheral to the Department's functions, leading to the conclusion that in-house provision of the service would detract from our ability to concentrate on our core functions. There is also a general presumption in favour of strategic contracting out of new services where there is no existing in-house operation, subject to management and value for money considerations. It is not yet known what defence support business activities will in future be contracted out to the private sector. This will depend on the outcome of feasibility studies which determine how activities can best be exposed to competition from the private sector, and the results of the subsequent competitions.
Activities exposed to the "Competing for Quality" process between 1 April 1992 and 31 March 1995 which were contracted out with no in-house bid being made.
Gardening, Royal Marine School of Music, Deal
Harrier Aircraft Service Support, HMS Heron
Helicopter Maintenance and Engineering Support, HMS Osprey, HMS Heron and HMS Seahawk
Simulator Helicopter Control Operations, HMS Osprey
Wireless Stations (Operation and Maintenance), Inskip and Crimond
Works Services, HMS Seahawk
Work Services, HMS Dolphin
Bielefield bakery
Catering strategy study, UK Land Forces
Central Engineer Resources, Plant Hire, Long Marston
Food distribution in BAOR
Food distribution in rear combat zone (BAOR)
Freight Service, Germany
Line of Communications--Freight Service, (Low Countries) Mobile Civilian Artisan Groups, Germany
NAAFI food study
Verbatim Court Records, Salisbury
Air Weapons Range, Rosehearty
Electronic Warfare training tasks, 360 Sqn, RAF Wyton
Engineering and Supply (multi-activity contract), RAF Scampton Government Pipeline and Storage System, (Operation and Maintenance)
Parachute Transport Flight, RAF Hullavington
RAF/RN Elementary Flying Training, RAF Topcliffe
Repair of Defence Accommodation Stores, RAF Quedgeley
Station Engineering Management Aid, (Maintenance Analysis and Computing Division), RAF Swanton Morley
Support for Parachute Training
The Queen's Flight, (engineering support) RAF Northolt
Curtain manufacture, British Forces Hong Kong
Domestic Services, MOD Police, Wethersfield
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Food supply, British Forces, Hong KongFurniture repair, British Forces, Hong Kong
School bus service, British Forces Hong Kong
Support Services, Akrotiri, Cyprus
Support Services, British Forces Hong Kong
Work services Maintenance, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Belize
Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston
Combat Systems Information Management Team
Data entry, Met Office, Bracknell
Guarding, Abbey Wood
Relocation Reconnaissance Visits, Bristol
Bett Review
Sir Michael Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work is in hand in analysing the independent review by Mr. Michael Bett of "Service Career and Manpower Structures and Terms of Service"; and when he expects to respond to the recommendations of that review. [30667]
Mr. Soames: We have conducted an initial examination of Sir Michael Bett's proposals. The aim, as foreshadowed in my statement of 5 April, Official Report , column 1143 , has been to identify the interrelationships between the different elements of the recommendations, and to form a view on the work required before decisions can be taken. This initial examination has confirmed that Sir Michael's proposals merit detailed study and development. The next phase of work has now been set in hand. As well as considering a range of wider management issues, we are conducting major and detailed studies into pay and structures and job evaluation; career structures, incentives and pensions; allowances and charges; rank structures; mobility, stability, sociological assumptions, accompanied service and housing; personnel strategy; and administration and pay schemes.
This work will require a substantial amount of effort and time, and the studies will need to be developed into an overall strategy. I intend to have completed this process and to make a definitive statement on the way ahead in the spring of 1996. I shall keep the House informed of progress.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his answer of 21 March, Official Report , columns 117-18 , which visit it was that was not notified to hon. Members. [30747]
Mr. Soames: The visit in question was to a number of naval and Royal Marine establishments in the Plymouth area.
EDUCATION
Classroom Behaviour Difficulties
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations she has received from the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers regarding classroom behaviour difficulties; what assessment has been made of the role of attention deficit disorder in contributing to such problems; and if she will ensure a study of this field by her Department. [29913]
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Mr. Forth: My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations from the National Association of Head Teachers about behaviour and discipline in schools. She has now invited the association to meet her to discuss what additional action might be taken to support schools in this area.
I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health is providing the hon. Member with such information as is available about the assessment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in contributing to pupils' behavioural problems. This Department has no plans to commission any further studies.
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