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Future Aircraft Carrier
Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many companies registered their interest in industrial involvement in future aircraft carrier studies as set out in future purchase number NSM13C/61713 of his Department's contracts bulletin Vol. 10 No. 16. [34852]
9 Jul 1996 : Column: 132
Mr. Arbuthnot: Twenty-eight companies registered interest following the possible future purchase announcement NSM13C/61713 for future aircraft carrier studies which appeared in the MOD contracts bulletin Vol. 10 No. 16.
Equipment Expenditure
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on (a) imported and (b) home-produced defence equipment during each of the past three years in real terms; and if he will make a statement. [35159]
Mr. Arbuthnot: Precise information in the form requested is not available. Each year, my Department makes an estimate of the proportion of its equipment expenditure which is spent in the UK, overseas, and on collaborative projects. In the last three financial years for which estimates have been made, this breakdown was as follows:
| Year | United Kingdom | Collaborative (£ million; 1994-95 prices) | Overseas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 7,836 | 914 | 748 |
| 1993-94 | 7,212 | 870 | 736 |
| 1994-95 | 6,846 | 723 | 737 |
It is this series of estimates which underlies figures 8 in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1996", Cm 3223, showing that over the past five years equipment expenditure (i) in the UK, (ii) on collaborative projects and (iii) overseas has been in the ratio 81:10:9.
Land Mines
Mr. Bill Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's estimate of the number of anti-personnel land mines currently deployed throughout the world. [35238]
Mr. Arbuthnot: I understand that the UN estimates there to be between 60 million and 110 million land mines emplaced worldwide.
Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Thomason: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of British forces' contribution to peacekeeping operations worldwide. [34909]
Mr. Soames: Our continuing contributions to peacekeeping operations around the world represent a substantial commitment, fully consistent with our position as a permanent Security Council member. They include, among others, some 10,500 ground troops with the NATO implementation force in Bosnia, supported by over 900 air and maritime personnel offshore and in Italy.
UN Special Negotiator, Baghdad
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom defence policy of the work of Rolf Ekeus, UN special negotiator in Baghdad. [35743]
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Mr. Soames: My Department strongly supports the work of Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, executive chairman of the UN Special Commission, in his task of destroying Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and establishing a long-term monitoring regime to ensure that Iraq does not reacquire such weapons. His work is wholly consistent with our security policy objectives in the middle east.
The United Kingdom makes a major contribution to the Special Commission's activities in Iraq and will continue to do so.
Defence Housing Executive
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by grade and by job description the total number of people employed in the Defence Housing Executive and the number in each grade with a housing management qualification, naming the qualifications concerned; and if he will make a statement. [36196]
Mr. Soames: I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what incentives exist for employees of the Defence Housing Executive to attend accredited courses on housing management; and if he will make a statement. [36198]
Mr. Soames: Civil servants employed in the Defence Housing Executive are eligible to apply for assistance, in accordance with established Ministry of Defence regulations, to enable them to undertake externally-provided courses in housing management. This takes the form of an agreed number of days paid study leave plus financial assistance towards fees, registration and the purchase of text books and other materials. In addition, the DHE supports its own national vocational qualifications centre providing resource and financial support to those undertaking this qualification. The possession of such qualifications does not entitle staff to any additional pay allowance.
In addition, the DHE actively encourages its housing management staff to join the Institute of Housing.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees of the Defence Housing Executive will be attending academic courses on housing management in the next academic year; and at which establishments. [36197]
Mr. Soames:
Two members of the Defence Housing Executive will be undertaking academic courses in housing management during the next academic year. One is studying for BA (Hons.) at Northumbria university and the other BA (Hons.) at Southampton university. The courses are being undertaken on a part-time basis in parallel with the students continuing to perform their full-time jobs.
Mr. Jamieson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 1 April, Official Report, columns 38-41, how many dwellings were (a) owned by his Department and (b) unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in each county of Great Britain during 1995. [36404]
9 Jul 1996 : Column: 134
Mr. Soames:
The information is not held in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Evennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the key targets for the chief executive of the Logistic Information Systems Agency for 1996-97. [36647]
Mr. Soames:
The chief executive of the Logistic Information Systems Agency has been set the following key targets for 1996-97:
Key Target 1. To agree customer information systems programmes for the financial year 1996-97 and deliver them to the following criteria:
95 per cent. on time
95 per cent. within costs
80 per cent. not adjusted for time or cost
Key Target 2. To deliver the benefits of the LISA/EDS partnership as contractually agreed and develop plans to enhance revenue receipts for inclusion in the LTC planning process.
Key Target 3. To develop a total quality action plan and make significant progress in its implementation by 1 April 1997.
Key Target 4. To develop and implement a plan to achieve investors in people accreditation by April 1998.
Key Target 5. To establish unit costs for LISA output, creating a baseline in FY 96-97, against which subsequent year on year reductions can be achieved.
Key Target 6. To establish baselines and institute mechanisms which incorporate appropriate benchmarks and performance indicators and enable better management of overall agency performance against targets.
NORTHERN IRELAND
"Making Belfast Work"
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how much money has been spent in each of the district electoral areas in Belfast by "Making Belfast Work" since its establishment; [34979]
- (2) if he will list the expenditure under the "Making Belfast Work" scheme in each of the four Belfast constituencies since its establishment. [34978]
Mr. Moss: Information on "Making Belfast Work" projects before 1994-95 is not on a central database. However, details of projects funded under the "Making Belfast Work" initiative since its inception to the end of the 1991-92 financial year were published in the MBW strategy proposals launched in April 1994. Information for the 1992-93 and 1993-94 years is also available.
Project details for the 1994-94 and 1995-96 years are on a central database, although it is not possible to aggregate the financial information on either a district electoral or constituency basis because projects often cover more than one electoral area or constituency.
Documents containing the available information have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Beggs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when an announcement will be made on NFFO contracts for Northern Ireland. [35780]
9 Jul 1996 : Column: 135
Mr. Ancram:
Consideration of the composition of a second non-fossil fuel obligation order is nearing completion. An announcement is likely to following within the next few weeks.
Mr. Beggs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to (a) award NFFO contracts to a wide range of technologies and (b) support United Kingdom-based industry. [35753]
Mr. Ancram:
The purpose of the non-fossil fuel obligation system is the promotion of renewable energy sources at low cost to electricity consumers. So Government made it clear in announcing the second NFFO competition in Northern Ireland on 1 November 1994, that (i) the size of the subsequent order would depend entirely on the quality and prices of the bids received; (ii) the competition would be open to all renewable technologies; and (iii) to maintain a balanced portfolio of renewables, the amount of wind power included in the order would be limited.
Since most of the 79 NFFO bids were from UK-based developers, the final composition of the order is likely to reflect broad support for UK-based industry.
Mr. Beggs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the reason for delay in publishing details of successful NFFO bids. [35781]
Mr. Ancram:
The second non-fossil fuel obligation competition in Northern Ireland was heavily subscribed with 79 applications. Though a most encouraging level of response, each project required both technical and financial appraisal, and this process took longer than anticipated.
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