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Royal Yacht
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost to his Department of the presence of the royal yacht Britannia at this year's Cowes regatta. [5310]
Mr. Soames: The total operating costs of HMY Britannia for the financial years 1992-93 to 1995-96 were provided in my reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 5 April 1995, Official Report, column 1151. Information on the marginal costs of individual deployments could not be provided without disproportionate cost.
Tornado F3 Aircraft
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the terms of the lease agreement with the Italian authorities concerning Tornado F3 aircraft; and what non-financial facilities have been made available to the Italian authorities as part of this agreement. [13209]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The lease provides for 24 RAF Tornado F3 aircraft to be loaned to Italy for a period of 10 years for a fee of £100 million. The Italian Government are responsible for all support costs. The
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lease agreement includes an offset scheme under which Italian industry will be furnished opportunities to compete for defence work to the same value as the lease fee.
Mr. Hardy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what alternative to HMS Fearless will take part in Exercise Purple Star. [13115]
Mr. Soames:
HMS Fearless remains scheduled to return to operational duties in good time to allow her to take part in Exercise Purple Star.
Mr. Hardy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the planned Exercise Purple Star, scheduled for May 1996, can proceed as envisaged; and if the condition of HMS Fearless has had any significant effect on the preparation of this exercise. [13116]
Mr. Soames:
Exercise Purple Star will go ahead as planned, although our contribution has been adjusted slightly to take account of our involvement with the NATO implementation force in the former Yugoslavia. The condition of HMS Fearless, and her current maintenance programme, has had no significant effect upon the preparation of this exercise.
Mr. Peter Bottomley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) of 31 January, Official Report, columns 755-56, when a diagram as described by the chief executive of the Meterological Office may be reproduced in or with the Official Report. [14042]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The publication of answers is a matter for the Editor of the Official Report.
Mr. Harry Greenway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pairs of boots were issued to Her Majesty's forces during the past year; at what cost; and if he will make a statement. [12276]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
This is a matter for the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from M. J. Roycroft to Mr. Harry Greenway, dated 6 February 1996:
6 Feb 1996 : Column: 169
Mr. Gale:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the joint service command and staff college will open. [14220]
Mr. Soames:
The creation of a joint service command and staff college is a key element in our policy to encourage a more joint service approach to defence issues. It will open, as planned, in September 1997. Major General T. J. Granville-Chapman will be its first commandant, and he will assume responsibility for the project in June 1996.
We shall close the joint service defence college and royal naval staff college at Greenwich, the Army staff college at Camberley and the RAF staff college at Bracknell, in 1997. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence said in his answer to the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Clifton-Brown) on 19 December 1995, Official Report, column 1107, he has appointed an advisory group to give him advice on the future of the royal naval college at Greenwich. A final decision is not expected until the summer.
The works programme for the new college cannot be completed by September 1997. We are therefore making arrangements for the JSCSC to operate initially at a temporary location, probably at RAF Bracknell. A final decision on the interim site is subject to formal appraisal and consultation. We intend to dispose of the Bracknell site by the end of 1999.
The work so far has shown that Camberley is the most cost-effective and appropriate Ministry of Defence site for the college. We shall be seeking proposals for private sector involvement in the provision of high-quality accommodation--including infrastructure and residential accommodation--associated facilities management for a range of services, and possibly civilian academic support. In exploring the opportunities for private finance, imaginative proposals involving an alternative site that meet our requirements are not ruled out.
Formal consultations with the trade unions and other interested parties will take place before any final decision on the JSCSC is made.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the helplines, or schemes which include a helpline service, for which his Department provides any funding, stating which are (a) independent organisations, (b) run by his Department or agencies of his Department or (c) of another classification; how many calls each received in each of the last five years; and how much money each received from his Department in each of the last five years. [9803]
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Mr. Burt:
Full information is not available and can be supplied only at disproportionate cost. However, information is available as follows:
(a) The Department does not provide funding for any outside organisations.
(b) Helplines run by the Department or its agencies are as follows:
I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the issues of boots to Her Majesty's forces, in my capacity as the Chief Executive, Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency (DCTA).
During the past twelve months a total of 291,493 pairs of boots have been issued to units at a cost of £11,124,643 VAT inclusive. These issues cover some 40 or more different types of boot ranging from combat boots to protective footwear. Within these totals 43,620 combat boots (£3,046,826) have been issued for specific operations, including Bosnia. A further 50,963 pairs of boots (£1,962,916) were issued as part of the recently completed deployment plan to equip HM Forces with the new Combat Assault Boot.
If I can be of any further assistance please let me know.
| Number of calls received | |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 29,446 |
| 1991 | 39,879 |
| 1992 | 64,120 |
| 1993 | 75,907 |
| 1994 | 86,355 |
| 1995 | 67,645 |
Any telephone costs to the Department which may be incurred by the PEO on follow-up calls and so forth cannot be distinguished from overall telephone costs for the building from which they operate.
Until October 1993 the Department of Social Security public enquiry office also answered inquiries on behalf of the Department of Health.
Information supplied by the Department's agencies is as follows:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Freeline (free phone) | |
| Number of calls handled in the last 12 months up to 24 November 1995 | 2.7 million |
| Annual cost of call charges | £1.1 million |
| Annual running costs (staff) | £4.9 million |
| Benefit Enquiry Line (free phone) | |
| Number of calls handled in the last 12 months up to 24 November 1995 | 0.9 million |
| Annual cost of call charges | £0.75 million |
| Annual running costs (staff) | £2.72 million |
| Family Credit Advice Line (full rate) | |
| Number of calls handled in the last 12 months up to 24 November 1995 | 2.2 million |
| Annual cost of call charges | NIL |
| Annual running costs (staff) | £1.6 million |
| Disability Living Allowance Line (subsidised) | |
| Number of calls handled in the last 12 months up to 24 November 1995 | 2 million |
| Annual cost of call charges | £0.072 million |
| Annual running costs (staff) | £1.62 million |
| Disability Working Allowance Line | |
| Number of calls received January 1995-December 1995 | 50,374 |
| Costs | £54,568 |
| Pensions Telephone Liaison Service (TLS) | |
| Number of calls received: | |
| 1994 | 70,864 |
| 1995 | 65,162 |
| Annual running cost (staff) | £90,458.00 |
| Annual running cost (accommodation) | £6,042.00 |
| Total | £96,500.00 |
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| Social Security Advice Line for Employers (SSALE) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Number of calls received: | |
| April 1991-March 1992 | 162,153 |
| April 1992-March 1993 | 189,221 |
| April 1993-March 1994 | 242,223 |
| April 1994-March 1995 | 225,124 |
| April 1995-December 1995 | 237,976 |
| Cost of running SSALE: | |
| 1994-95 | |
| Staff costs | £639,852 |
| Non staff costs | £393,585 |
| Total | £1,033,437 |
| 1995-96 | |
| Staff costs | £550,154 |
| Non staff costs | £199,000 |
| Total | £749,154 |
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| War Pensions Helpline | |
| Number of calls: | |
| 1992 | 56,065 |
| 1993 | 105,787 |
| 1994 | 315,021 |
| 1995 | 821,696 |
| Running costs (staff): | |
| 1992 | £84,144 |
| 1993 | £119,625 |
| 1994 | £267,098 |
| 1995 | £285,205 |
Costs of establishing the technical system in 1992 were £114,941 and the annual maintenance cost is £9,700.
6 Feb 1996 : Column: 172
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