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Departmental Payments

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of bills to his Department were paid in accordance with agreed contractual conditions or, where no such contractual conditions existed, within 30 days of receiving goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice in the last year for which figures are available. [5708]

Mr. Arbuthnot: Most of my Department's bills are paid by the Defence Accounts Agency. The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency pays its own. I have asked the chief executives to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Clive Betts, dated 14 December 1995:

You asked the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of bills to his Department are paid in accordance with agreed contractual conditions or within 30 days of receiving goods or services or presentation of a valid invoice. I am replying on behalf of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).
DERA contracts do not generally specify payment dates. It is, however, DERA policy to pay within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice. In fact, assuming that the 30 day period is measured from the point at which a validated invoice is received by our bill paying section, then virtually all bills are settled within 9 days.
I hope this information is helpful to you.

14 Dec 1995 : Column: 765

Letter from P. J. Trevelyan to Mr. Clive Betts, dated 14 December 1995:

I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the percentage of bills to his Department which were paid in accordance with agreed contractual conditions or, where no such contractual conditions existed, within 30 days of receiving goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice in the last year for which figures are available. This matter falls within my area of responsibility.

Ministry of Defence contracts do not generally stipulate a payment date. Payment performance is calculated from the date of receipt of a valid bill in our Liverpool payment office, which pays the vast majority of MOD's contract bills.
The last year for which figures are available ran from October 1994 to October 1995. During this time 99.99% of bills were paid within 30 days of receipt of a valid bill. The Liverpool payment office also measures its performance against the higher departmental standard of payment within 11 days; 97% of bills were paid within this period.

Departmental Fraud

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number and monetary amount of all cases of (a) employee and (b) non-employee fraud and corruption within the Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies; for each year from 1990-91 to 1994-95 and for 1995-96 to date; what was the total sum subsequently recovered for each year; and if he will make a statement on the breakdown of fraud and corruption between (i) employees and (i) contractors and other staff. [6014]

Mr. Arbuthnot: The levels and value of reported non-procurement fraud and theft involving employees within the Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies since 1992-93 are as follows:

Year	Number of cases	Value £ thousand	Value recovered £ thousand
1992-93	53	200.0	37.8
1993-94	107	521.0	74.7
1994-95	199	1,057.7	128.7
1995-96(13)	74	330.6	26.5

(13) To date.

The levels and value of reported non-procurement fraud and theft since 1992-93 involving non-employees are as follows:

Year	Number of cases	Value £ thousand	Value recovered £ thousand
1992-93	1	4.9	0.0
1993-94	1	49.9	0.0
1994-95	8	37.9	0.0
1995-96(14)	5	8.7	1.7

(14) To date.

This breakdown is not available before 1992-93. The combined totals were:

	Number of	Value	Value recovered
Year	cases	£000s	£000s
1990-91	53	984.0	101.2
1991-92	45	63.0	22.5

With regard to procurement fraud perpetrated by contractors--including corruption and collusion involving MOD employees--the figures are as follows:

14 Dec 1995 : Column: 766

Year	Number of cases	Value £ thousand	Value recovered £ thousand
1990-91	23	10.0	No cash loss to MOD
1991-92	18	150.0	No cash loss to MOD
1992-93	27	20.0	No cash loss to MOD
1993-94	7	1,511.5	Recovery in hand
1994-95	10		No cases yet concluded
1995- 96(15)	20		No cases yet concluded

(15) To date.

Service Leave

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the normal arrangements for leave and home service between tours; and in how many cases in each year since 1992 those arrangements have been reduced, waived or suspended. [5480]

Mr. Soames: Annual leave entitlement varies between the services from 30 days to 42 days depending on rank, with the flexibility to carry forward up to 14 days from one year to the next. Additionally, there is provision under service regulations for periods of embarkation and disembarkation leave of between seven and 21 days depending upon marital status and overseas location. This is to enable personnel either to settle their affairs in the United Kingdom before proceeding on a tour of duty overseas or to settle themselves and their families after returning to United Kingdom.

Personnel who are permitted or required to serve on a second consecutive and complete tour of duty overseas may be granted leave in the UK on completion of the first tour.

Regular overseas tours outside north-west Europe are still commonplace in the Army. However, when a normal overseas tour has been completed, every effort will be made to post individuals for a further tour of at least 18 months in UK or north-west Europe before the next overseas posting on a normal tour.

Posting and leave policy were subjects covered in the independent review carried out by Sir Michael Bett. My Department is evaluating his proposals.

The information on the number of cases in each year since 1992 where these arrangements have been reduced, waived or suspended is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Accommodation (Scotland)

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations of all (a) Army barracks, (b) Royal Marine accommodation and (c) Royal Air Force accommodation in Scotland (i) currently operational, (ii) in the process of being refurbished and (iii) scheduled for closure within the next two years. [4982]

Mr. Soames [holding answer 8 December 1995]: Army barracks in Scotland are located as follows:

Redford Infantry Barracks, Edinburgh
Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh

14 Dec 1995 : Column: 767

Fort George, Inverness
Barry Buddon Training Camp, Dundee

Refurbishment of single living accommodation is not currently being undertaken at any of these sites, nor are any of them currently scheduled for closure in the next two years.

Royal Marines single living accommodation in Scotland is located at:

RM Condor, Arbroath
Clyde Submarine Base, Faslane
RN Armaments Depot, Coulport

Refurbishment of single living accommodation is currently being undertaken at Condor. None of these sites is currently scheduled for closure in the next two years.

RAF single living accommodation in Scotland is located at:

RAF Buchan, Grampian
RAF Kinloss, Grampian
RAF Leuchars, Fife
RAF Lossiemouth, Grampian
RAF Macrihanish, Strathclyde
RAF Saxa Vord, Shetland
RAF Stornaway, Western Isles
RAF Turnhouse, Lothian
RAF Edzell, Grampian

Refurbishment of single living accommodation is being undertaken at RAF Leuchars, RAF Turnhouse is scheduled for closure in 1997. The United States navy is to withdraw from Edzell by 30 September 1997, but alternative defence uses have not yet been ruled out.

RAF Finningley

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) buildings, (b) fuel tanks and (c) major fixed plants and equipment (i) have been demolished or removed at RAF Finningley 1) in the last three months and (2) in 1995 and (ii) are planned to be removed or demolished in 1996. [5221]

Mr. Soames: The following buildings at RAF Finningley:

(a) have been demolished or removed in the last three months:


Hut


4 x Portakabin


Hawk de-tuner


(b) have been demolished or removed in 1995:


as above plus:


5 x Portakabin


4 x Store


Miscellaneous shed


Office Block


Latrine Blocks


Rest Room


(c) will be demolished or removed in 1996:


2 x Dispersal hut


5 x Portakabin

14 Dec 1995 : Column: 768

The following fuel tanks:

(a) have been demolished in the last three months:


1 x Oil storage tank


4 x Bulk Fuel Installation


(b) have been demolished in 1995:


As above.


(c) will be demolished in 1996:


1 x Bulk Fuel Installation

The following major items of fixed plant and equipment:

(a) have been removed in the last three months:


Catering Equipment--Junior Ranks Mess and Sergeants Mess


(b) have been removed in 1995:


As above.


(c) will be removed in 1995:


2 x Flight simulators


3 x Synthetic trainers


Catering Equipment--Officers Mess


Vehicle wash


Fixed Machine Tools






Certain landing and navigational aids will be redeployed from RAF Finningley in 1996, to support RAF operations elsewhere. Further airfield equipment may be removed once future use of the site has been determined.

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