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Training
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total sum spent on training for each new recruit in (a) the Army, (b) the RAF and (c) the Navy in each of the past five years. [7619]
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Mr. Soames: The type and amount of training given to new recruits varies between services and, indeed, between trades and specialisations within each service. The information requested in respect of the last five years is not, therefore, held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The costs of basic training for officers and other ranks for FY 1994-95 in each of the three services are, however, set out in the following details.
Royal Navy:
Basic Training (Officer): £24,924 per recruit (20 weeks)
Basic Training (Ratings): £6,534 per recruit (8 weeks).
Army:
Basic Training (Officer): £17,300 per recruit (42 weeks)
Basic Training (Soldier): £3,338 per recruit (10 weeks).
Royal Air Force:
Basic Training (Officer): £15,840 per recruit (24 weeks)
Basic Training (Airman): £3,056 per recruit (7 weeks).
Low Flying
Mr. Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low level flights took place in the midlands (a) in 1991 and (b) in the last year for which figures are available. [8209]
Mr. Soames: Although records are maintained of the total number of sorties flown in the UK low flying system, statistics are not available on, nor is it possible to estimate, the number of sorties flown over the midlands.
Mutual Defence Agreement
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a list of all papers released since 1988 by the Public Records Office that refer specifically to the 1958 US-UK mutual defence agreement. [8270]
Mr. Soames: This is a matter for the Public Records Office.
Driffield Airfield
Mr. Cran: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what area of land at Driffield airfield, other than that announced as being for sale, his Department is considering selling. [8073]
Mr. Soames: The RAF technical/domestic site adjacent to Driffield airfield is due to be vacated by the RAF by June 1996 and will be declared surplus if no alternative Defence use is found. It is my Department's normal policy that surplus land should be sold on the open market to maximise the return to the taxpayer. Agents have been appointed to carry out a study into potential alternative uses for the technical/domestic site and to recommend a strategy for its disposal.
Stolen and Lost Property
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what calculation he has made of the value of property which has been stolen or lost in each of the past five
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years in the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy. [7819]
Mr. Soames: Stores losses written off for all reasons in Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy budget areas were as follows:
| Year | Army | RAF | RN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 5,652 | 2,368 | 5,790 |
| 1991--92 | 7,711 | 4,493 | 6,448 |
| 1992-93 | 4,158 | (30)11,612 | 5,147 |
| 1993-94 | 4,514 | 2,844 | 4,706 |
| 1994-95 | (31)3,642 | 2,520 | 4,613 |
(30) This figure includes £9.25 million of stores and equipment destroyed by a fire at an RAF establishment for which two people were successfully prosecuted.
(31) This figure does not include Germany, for which returns are not yet available.
Figures could not be broken down into those solely applicable to theft or loss without disproportionate effort. Where, however, recovery is made in the same year as the loss is recorded, the figures are net of recovery.
White Vehicle Contracts
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement for the white vehicles contract for use in Germany; which companies have been invited to tender; what is the estimated value of the order; and what efforts are being made to maximise the British-built content in the order. [3444]
Mr. Arbuthnot: I expect to announce my decision on the outcome of the competition for the provision, management and maintenance of non-operational vehicles for the British forces in Germany early in the new year. After an expressions of interest campaign, six companies were sent an invitation to tender. These were:
ALD AutoLeasing D GmbH
Leaseplan Deutschland GmbH
Lombard Leasing GmbH
Mercedes Benz AG
PHH Europe plc
Ryder plc.
The procedures used in the market test followed the guidelines laid out in the "Guide to Competing for Quality in Defence Services". This meant that both the statement of requirement and the invitation to tender which were drawn up specified the level of service required but not how it was to be delivered. No pre-set level of British content was sought; indeed the vehicle industry tends to be multinational in nature and seemingly "British" vehicles may, in fact, contain a high level of components purchased from other countries.
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The final decision on the market test has not yet been made and, given the need for commercial and contract confidentiality, it would be inappropriate to state what the estimated value of the contract will be. Finally, the criteria for the selection of the winning bid is based on best value for money, which includes technical and commercial competence, and tenders will be assessed accordingly.
Mr. Austin Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Defence what web site his Department maintains on the Internet; what information is provided there; how often it is updated; what is the address; and if he or his Department answers questions and supplies additional information through the Internet. [7564]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The Ministry of Defence maintains an Internet world wide web site whose home page can be found at the Internet address www.mod.uk. Liaison with CCTA has ensured that the MOD home page is accessible via the Government information service WWW server at www.open.gov.uk.
Information made available includes MOD press releases, information about historic military buildings on the Defence estate, the UK MOD newsletter covering continuous acquisition and life-cycle support, summary biographies and pictures of MOD Ministers, recruitment information for the individual services, information on the Defence Intelligence Staff and Directorate General of Information and Communication Services, the Royal Corps of Signals and the Royal Navy in Plymouth. In addition, the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency has a number of web pages accessible from the MOD home page, which publicise topical items from the Defence research programme.
It is planned in the next six months to increase the number of MOD WWW pages to make further information available to the public, one example being the coverage of major defence policy speeches. The information presented is updated frequently as modifications are required.
The present address for e-mail inquiries is press office@dgics.mod.uk. This address is publicised on the MOD home page.
Future policy on the Internet is currently under review.
Mr. Robert McCartney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been raised by his Department over the last three years by fixed-penalty parking notices; and what has been the income derived from pay car parks over the same period. [7360]
Sir John Wheeler:
The information sought on fixed penalty parking notices is not available in the format requested as financial records of moneys received by way of payments for fixed-penalty tickets do not differentiate on the basis of offence type. During the 1992-93, 1993-94 and 1994-95 financial years, £1.86 million, £1.78 million and £1.97 million respectively was collected in respect of all types of fixed-penalty tickets issued.
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Income derived from pay car parks, including on-street car parking, was:
Ms Mowlam:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the Department of Education Northern Ireland properties that are currently out of use, indicating the cost of their maintenance. [6050]
Mr. Moss:
At present, there are no DENI properties currently out of use.
1992-93: £2.437 million
1993-94: £2.947 million
1994-95: £2.964 million.
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