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Search and Rescue Helicopters
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many search and rescue helicopters are currently based in the United Kingdom. [30204]
Mr. Soames: There are currently 19 RAF Sea King and seven RAF Wessex search and rescue helicopters in the UK. There are also four RN Sea Kings available for search and rescue duties, although search and rescue is not their primary role.
Retention Bonus
Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to extend the loyalty bonus scheme to the Royal Logistics Corps; and if he will make a statement. [30486]
Mr. Soames: The bonus referred to is, in fact, known as the retention bonus. The scheme is open to soldiers in the Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Artillery and Infantry, where the most serious manpower shortages currently exist. There are no plans at present to extend the retention
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bonus scheme to any other corps, although the possibility of doing so in future is being examined. The retention bonus is one of a number of measures which have been taken to improve recruitment and retention.
Mr. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the amounts paid out in loyalty bonuses to soldiers since the introduction of the new bonus scheme on 1 October 1995. [30487]
Mr. Soames: The total amount of retention bonuses paid to soldiers between 1 October 1995, when the scheme was introduced, and 31 March 1996 was £2,248,000.
Former Yugoslavia
Mr. Legg: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to call out any more Army reserve and Territorial Army personnel in support of the operations in the former Yugoslavia. [30819]
Mr. Soames: Approval has been given to call out up to 240 members of the Army reserve and Territorial Army to provide support to operations in the former Yugoslavia. They will report from 12 June 1996 to mobilisation centres for selection and a short period of training before deployment. All are volunteers.
Fixed Telecommunications System
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the factors underlying the delay in the announcement on the Defence fixed telecommunications system. [30318]
Mr. Soames: An invitation to tender for the defence fixed telecommunications system was issued on 27 March 1995 and bids were received from four companies on 29 June 1995. Following evaluation of the companies' proposals, on 21 December 1995 two companies were invited to submit best-and-final offers--BAFOs. The BAFOs were received on 21 February 1996, and initial analysis showed that neither bid provided a basis for the MOD to proceed to contract. Discussions with both the companies have since taken place and they are due to submit updated proposal on 30 May 1996. The evaluation of the bids is a complex process, but it is hoped that the preferred contractor can be announced in the autumn. Subject to a satisfactory outcome of the final negotiations, a contract will be awarded early in the new year.
Nimrod Maritime Aircraft
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Nimrod maritime aircraft are currently out of operational use at RAF Kinloss; what are the causes of the technical difficulties affecting the aircraft; what will be the total cost to public funds to repair these aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [30317]
Mr. Soames: As at 20 May 1996 there were no Nimrod maritime aircraft out of operational use at RAF Kinloss, nor were there any technical difficulties to give cause for serious concern. The estimated cost of the current support contract for maintaining the Nimrod maritime force is some £15 million for a five-year period.
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Small Firms
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many firms with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50, (c) 20 and (d) 10 employees were used by his Department in each of the last five years. [29431]
Mr. Arbuthnot [holding answer 20 May 1996]: The Ministry of Defence does not classify the thousands of contractors with which contracts are placed each year by the size of the contractor. Researching the answer to this question could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.
Goods and Services
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to the private sector for goods and services in 1995-96. [29461]
Mr. Arbuthnot [holding answer 20 May 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to her of 19 December 1995, Official Report, columns 1108-109. The 1996 edition of "UK Defence Statistics" will be published on 18 July and will provide details for 1994-95. Figures for 1995-96 will appear in the 1997 edition.
Larkhill Garrison (Electricity Supply)
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost per unit of electricity purchased from Southern Electric plc to supply Larkhill garrisson in Wiltshire; what costs are attributed to the budget of consuming units who are nominated account holders; and what is the charge per unit levied on domestic occupants at Larkhill married quarters. [29868]
Mr. Soames [holding answer 21 May 1996]: Electricity is supplied to Larkhill garrison by PowerGen under the terms of a contract awarded after a competitive tender process, the details of which are commercial in confidence. Costs are attributed to consuming units at the rate provided for in the contract. Current policy is, however, to charge other customers of publicly negotiated contracts of this kind a rate consistent with the published tariff of the local utility company. Domestic occupants of Larkhill married quarters are therefore charged the Southern Electric rate of 7.1p per unit.
Military Equipment Expenditure
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the outturn expenditure on military equipment during 1995-96. [30200]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The 1995-96 provisional outturn figures will be available in the public expenditure outturn White Paper to be published in July.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Ministers (Overseas Visits)
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all the overseas visits made by Ministers in his Department since 1992 indicating the places visited, the reasons for the visit, the cost to public funds and whether the Ministers concerned were accompanied by members of their family. [29958]
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Mr. Howard: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Warrington, South (Mr. Hall) on 1 April at column 62. Since then, there has been one ministerial overseas visit. This was made by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville), to The Hague on 1 and 2 April to discuss British and Dutch co-operation on drugs matters. He was not accompanied by any member of his family. The cost of the visit, including that of accompanying officials, was £1,093.
Mixed Prisons
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mixed prisons there are currently in England and Wales. [29718]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 22 May 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of mixed prisons there are currently in England and Wales.
There are currently five prisons that hold both male and female prisoners on the same site. These are Brockhill prison, Durham prison, Low Newton remand centre, Risley prison and Winchester prison.
London Prisons
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which London prisons overspent their allocated budget in 1995. [29719]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 22 May 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about which London prisons overspent their allocated budget in 1995.
Budgets are allocated for a financial year and adjusted periodically during the year. Provisional outturn figures for 1995/96 show that Belmarsh, Brixton, Holloway, Wandsworth and Wormwood Scrubs prisons exceeded their revised budget allocations for that year.
Young Offenders (Secure Units)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many secure units for young offenders there were within the Greater London area on 30 March. [29725]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
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