| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Defence Contracts
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the contracts that his Department has with (a) Junghans, (b) Borletti and (c) Raufoss over the last five years; and if these companies are permitted to bid for current procurement contracts. [3865]
Mr. Arbuthnot [holding answer 5 December 1995]: As my predecessor stated on 23 November 1993, Official Report, column 309, and as has been confirmed on several occasions since, my Department will not be placing any new contracts with the firms concerned until all the facts relating to the Foxley case have been fully investigated. Details of contracts placed with Raufoss and Junghans in the last five years are given below. All these contracts have been completed. No contracts have been placed with Borletti in the last five years, but one contract has been placed with the division of Fiat which acquired Borletti's interests. This contract is due to complete in 1996.
| Company | Store | Date | Value (£000s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raufoss | 27mm Ammo | 7 January 1991 | 233 |
| 25mm Ammo | 25 February 1991 | 24 | |
| 12.7mm Ammo | 29 October 1991 | 5 | |
| 20mm Ammo | 16 July 1992 | 11 | |
| Rocket Warheads | 2 September 1993 | 1,200 | |
| Ammo Testing | 5 October 1992 | 8 | |
| Rocket Warheads | 11 September 1992 | 342 | |
| Study into Non-ricochet Ammo | 27 October 1993 | 155 | |
| Junghans | Fuze L127A3 | 2 October 1992 | 589 |
| Fiat (Borletti Division) | Fuze L85A2 | 20 March 1991 | 2,088 |
Defence Medical Services
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of all the submissions received from the Department of Health, NHS executive, health authorities and NHS trusts in response to the "Front Line First" proposed changes to defence medical services. [4462]
Mr. Soames: Three formal submissions were received from the NHS in response to the defence costs study 15 consultative document. Copies of these submissions will be placed in the Library of the House.
7 Dec 1995 : Column: 346
Ms Rachel Squire:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on negotiations on the sale of Rosyth naval base to Rosyth 2000; and if he will ensure that commercial operations will be in place from 1 January 1996. [3647]
Mr. Arbuthnot
[holding answer 6 December 1995]: Negotiations with the preferred bidder, Rosyth 2000 Ltd., a consortium of leading Scottish businesses, are under way. Commercial operations on a small scale are likely to be developed from 1 January 1996, with an anticipated date of transfer from military to civilian use on 31 March 1996.
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions since 1980 Ministers or officials of his Department have met Mr. Fouad Uzzourni since 1980; and what was the purpose of the meetings. [4191]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
I am not aware of Ministers or officials in my Department having met a Mr. Fouad Uzzourni.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many mobile telephones there are available in his Department for the use of Ministers. [4274]
Mr. Soames:
There are nine digital global systems for mobile communications mobile telephones in the Ministry of Defence which may be used by Ministers.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of (a) the Gurkhas and (b) the Royal Irish Regiment are included in the figure given for the strength of the Army on paragraph 507 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1995". [4574]
Mr. Soames:
The figure included some 4,000 Gurkhas and 850 general service personnel of the Royal Irish Regiment. It excluded full and part-time soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service).
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the planned establishment in April 1996 of (a) the Gurkhas and (b) the Royal Irish Regiment. [4575]
Mr. Soames:
The planned establishment for the Gurkhas at April 1996 is around 4,000; for the Royal Irish Regiment (General Service) 850, and for the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service) 3,300 full-time soldiers and 2,400 part-time soldiers.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what inoculations against chemical and biological weapons British troops being deployed as part of the implementation force have received; [4578]
(2) what assessment has been made of the implications for the implementation force of the potential use of chemical and biological weapons in Bosnia; [4576]
7 Dec 1995 : Column: 347
(3) what instructions have been issued to the implementation force regarding the potential use of chemical and biological weapons in Bosnia. [4577]
Mr. Soames:
My Department has examined all aspects of the potential threat to the implementation force from chemical and biological weapons. All necessary measures are being taken, though it would not be appropriate to go into detail.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the outcome of the replacement order for his Department's ambulances. [4568]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The assessment of the competition to purchase ambulances for the Army is not yet complete. It would, therefore, be inappropriate to make a statement at this stage.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the development of the Starstreak missile for the attack helicopter. [4572]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The United Kingdom is currently participating in the first phase of a United States programme to examine the feasibility of using a variant of the Starstreak high velocity missile, which recently entered service with the British Army in the ground-to-air role as an air-to-air missile fro Apache. This phase will culminate in the middle of next year in trials in the US to demonstrate safe release of Starstreak from a US Army AH-64A aircraft. Subject to the satisfactory outcome of these trials, further phases on a co-operative basis are planned.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the companies supplying his Department with 81mm illuminating mortar shells. [4573]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
There is no current contract for 81mm illuminating mortar rounds. The most recent contract, for which deliveries ended in December 1993, was with the Italian company, Simmel Difesa.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the decision to place the contract for the helmet and associated avionics for the Army attack helicopter out to tender was taken; what companies are bidding for this contract; what is the total value of this contract; and what plans his Department had made for the manufacture of the helmet prior to that decision. [4580]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The possibility of an improved helmet and sighting system to replace the current, first generation US Army integrated helmet and display sighting system was identified by Westland Helicopters in its attack helicopter bid. As part of the selection process, it was decided to proceed with this option. As prime contractor, Westland has been tasked to hold a sub-contract
7 Dec 1995 : Column: 348
competition for this equipment and will issue an invitation to tender early in the new year. The value of the contract will be dependent on the chosen system.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce his Department's decision on the collocation of the Army Technical Support Agency on to one main site; when he originally anticipated making this announcement; and what factors underlay the delay. [4563]
Mr. Soames:
I intend to announce our proposals shortly. This will be followed by a period of consultation.
We originally intended to announce our proposals earlier this year but had to examine in detail more potential sites than had first been anticipated.
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for further orders for military communications satellites. [5076]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
Subject to the successful completion of contractual negotiations, we intend to place an order worth more than £100 million Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd., for a third Skynet 4 stage 2 communications satellite. The stage 2 satellites will start coming into service from 1998. The Skynet 4 stage 2 programme will enable us to maintain dedicated satellite communications into the next century for British forces deployed throughout the world, in theatres as diverse as Bosnia, the middle east and the Falkland Islands. Such a capability is of great importance to mobile operations, including those of the joint rapid deployment force, where military units may be in range of reliable terrestrial communications. The planned order will also provide substantial further work for the British space industry.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |