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Married Housing Stock

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money has been authorised for improvements to his Department's married housing stock since 28 November 1995. [9959]

Mr. Soames: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The department continues to maintain, and improve as necessary, all the housing stock for which it has a longer-term requirement.

18 Jan 1996 : Column: 736

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy in respect of the married quarters discounted sales scheme. [10033]

Mr. Soames: The Government are committed to ensuring that service personnel get a fair deal in housing terms and the MOD has a number of initiatives to encourage home ownership. Surplus married quarters are sold to service personnel at a 30 per cent. discount on the market value of the property. At the inception of the scheme, it was based on local authority right to buy schemes. Successful applicants are selected by length of service. The scheme is very popular with as many as 60 to 100 applications being received for many of the properties offered for sale. The future of the scheme is being evaluated in the context of the proposals to transfer the married quarters estate to the private sector.

Munitions Dumping

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make payments of compensation to those individuals and companies which have suffered injury and damage as a result of munitions dumped in the Irish channel found outside the sanctioned munition dumping grounds. [9927]

Mr. Soames: Any claim for compensation to my Department would be carefully considered on the basis of the facts pertaining to each case. If compensation were to be due, it would be paid in accordance with our liabilities.

Territorial Army

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for further reductions in the strength of the Territorial Army. [10104]

Mr. Soames: There are no plans to restructure the Territorial Army beyond those announced to the House on 14 July 1994, Official Report, columns 759-60, and 6 December 1994, Official Report, columns 204-06.

Advisers

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all of his independent advisers who have made visits to British defence companies in the last 12 months. [9969]

Mr. Portillo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to him on 14 December 1995, Official Report, column 774. I am not aware of any visit to British defence companies by the other three independent advisers to my predecessor.

Gulf War (Chemical Weapons)

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what reports he has received that British units serving the Gulf war were subject to chemical weapons attack; and if he will make a statement; [9965]

(2) if he will now carry out an investigation as to whether any British unit serving in the Gulf war was subject to chemical weapon attack. [9966]

18 Jan 1996 : Column: 737

Mr. Soames: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 16 January 1996, Official Report, column 535.

Aircraft Crashes

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates and types of aircraft his Department has lost through crashes in each of the last five years; what were the causes of these accidents; and what was the cost of replacement of these aircraft. [9953]

Mr. Soames: The information requested is given in the table. No replacement costs arise since there is an attrition reserve from which aircraft are taken to replace those lost.

Date	Aircraft type	Cause
1991
8 January	Phantom FGR2	Aircrew error
10 January	Gazelle AH1	Aircrew error
13 January	Tornado GR1	Aircrew error
16 January	Gazelle HT2	Human factors (non-aircrew)
20 January	Tornado GR1	Not positively determined
19 February	Scout AH1	Aircrew error
18 March	Canberra T4	Aircrew error
10 May	Sea Harrier FRS1	Not positively determined
10 May	Tornado GR1	Aircrew error
29 May	Harrier GR7	Technical fault
1 June	Sea King HAS5	Aircrew error
3 June	Gazelle AH1	Aircrew error
8 August	Puma HC1	Not positively determined
29 August	Jaguar T2A	Operating hazard
10 September	Sea King HAS6	Human factors (non-aircrew)
12 September	Tornado GR1	Not positively determined
25 September	Harrier T4A	Natural hazard
30 October	Phantom FGR2	Not positively determined
9 November	Vigilant	Technical fault
14 November	Lynx AH7	Aircrew error
1992
14 February	Hunter T8C	Technical fault
12 May	Tucano T1	Aircrew error
12 May	Lynx AH7	Aircrew error
14 May	Harrier GR3	Operating hazard
28 May	Sea Harrier FRS1	Not positively determined
30 May	Viking	Natural hazard
9 July	Buccaneer S2B	Technical fault
9 July	Viking	Aircrew error
7 August	Harrier GR5	Technical fault
30 September	Hawk T1A	Aircrew error
16 October	Bulldog T1	Not positively determined
21 October	Sea King HC4	Aircrew error
26 November	Puma HC1 and Gazelle AH1	Operating hazard
1993
18 March	Gazelle	Human factors (non-aircrew)
19 May	Chipmunk T10	Aircrew error
27 May	Hercules C3	Not positively determined
28 June	Harrier GR7	Natural hazard
1 July	Hawk T1	Aircrew error
20 July	Gazelle AH1	Aircrew error
12 August	Wessex HC2	Technical fault
26 August	Chipmunk T10	Aircrew error
9 September	Gazelle HT3	Aircrew error
17 September	Wessex HC2	Natural hazard
21 October	Tornado F3	Aircrew error
6 November	Sea King HAS6	Technical fault
23 November	Harrier GR7	Technical fault
1994
6 January	Sea Harrier FA2	Human factors (non-aircrew)
14 January	Harrier GR7	Aircrew error
25 March	Lynx HAS3	Aircrew error
10 April	Lynx AH7	Aircrew error
2 June	Chinook HC2	Aircrew error
7 June	Tornado F3	Technical fault
8 July	Tornado F3	Aircrew error
19 July	Tornado GR1	Technical fault
1 August	Tornado GR1	Under investigation
1 September	Tornado GR1A	Not positively determined
19 September	Tornado GR1A	Technical fault
22 September	Lynx AH7	Technical fault
11 November	Gazelle AH1	Aircrew error
15 December	Sea Harrier FRS1	Technical fault
1995
10 March	Tornado F3	Under investigation
16 May	Nimrod R1	Under investigation
1 June	Harrier GR7	Under investigation
21 June	Jaguar GR1A	Under investigation
5 August	Viking	Under investigation
10 August	Hawk T1W	Under investigation
20 August	Lynx AH7	Under investigation
27 August	Viking	Aircrew error
2 September	Nimrod MR2	Under investigation
5 October	Gazelle HT2	Under investigation
30 October	2 x Tornado F3	Under investigation
1996
10 January	2 x Tornado F3	Under investigation
11 January	Tornado GR1	Under investigation

18 Jan 1996 : Column: 738

Vehicle Procurement

Sir Anthony Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are his plans for the procurement of new utility vehicles and ambulances for the British Army; and if he will make a statement. [10825]

Mr. Arbuthnot: There is a pressing need to replace about half the current fleet of Land Rover utility vehicles, many of which have reached the end of their operational lives. Subject to the satisfactory completion of contractual negotiations, we propose to place an order with Land Rover for about 8,000 new vehicles, known commercially as "Defender XD", to meet the Army's light and medium utility truck requirement. We also intend to place an order for 65 additional Pinzgauer vehicles, supplied by Steyr Daimler Puch, to enhance the fleet of these vehicles which is already successfully in service to meet the Army's heavy duty medium truck requirement.

The Army and Royal Marines also need to replace their aging battlefield ambulances with vehicles providing better conditions for casualties, improved medical facilities and greater reliability. The competition for this programme has been particularly close, with vehicles offered by Land Rover and Steyr Daimler Puch both meeting the operational requirement. Both vehicles demonstrated excellent technical qualities. The Land Rover however, provides, in particular, excellent working conditions for the medical crew and commonality both with the new utility vehicles and the in-service Land Rover fleet. Also its acquisition cost is lower than the Steyr. We have, therefore, decided to award the contract for the supply of about 800 ambulances to Land Rover, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of contract negotiations.

These decisions are good news for the armed forces. Both of the new Land Rover vehicles will enter service

18 Jan 1996 : Column: 739

this summer and will be available for operational deployment in support of IFOR.

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of state for Defence if he will make a statement about the procurement of military ambulances. [10484]

Mr. Arbuthnot: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave this afternoon to my hon. Friend the Member for South-West Cambridgeshire (Sir A. Grant).

Mr. Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when a decision will be taken on the winner of the contract for the provision of non-operational B vehicles to the British forces in Germany. [10735]

18 Jan 1996 : Column: 740

Mr. Arbuthnot: We have decided to award the contract for the provision of non-operational B-vehicles to the British Forces in Germany to Ryder plc with its sub-contractor PHH plc, subject to a successful conclusion of contractual negotiations.

The award of this contract follows a rigorous competition involving a number of German companies as well as Ryder plc. The competition was run under European Union restricted procedures for public contracts. We decided that the Ryder plc bid offered a high standard of technical and commercial confidence and the best value for money to the British forces in Germany and to the taxpayer.

18 Jan 1996 : Column: 741

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