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Ministerial Responsibilities
28. Mr. Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Minister is responsible for recruitment to the armed forces. [8998]
Mr. Soames: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has overall responsibility for all defence matters.
Executive Agencies
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to encourage senior service personnel to co-operate fully with Government executive agencies. [8979]
Mr. Soames: Senior officers in Her Majesty's forces are expected at all times to co-operate fully with Government executive agencies.
Gulf War Syndrome
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent to invite Gulf war veterans who believe themselves to be suffering from illness originating from their service in the Gulf to present themselves for examination. [9673]
14 Jan 1997 : Column: 226
Mr. Soames: Gulf veterans who inquire about attending the medical assessment programme are sent a factsheet giving information about the programme, how to register, and travel and accommodation arrangements. In addition, since the wider use of organophosphate pesticides came to light, we have written to a number of veterans who have previously attended the programme, and who exhibit a range of symptoms which may relate to OP pesticide exposure, inviting them to return for further assessment. Copies of this letter and the factsheet have been placed in the Library of the House.
Relocation Assistance
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list, by name, the companies that provide domestic furniture and personal effects removal services for armed forces personnel and the areas to which their contracts apply, including overseas moves, family moves under the service contract system and moves of single personnel.[9783]
Mr. Soames: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Transport and Movements Executive. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from M. G. R. Hodson to Mr. Robert Key, dated 14 January 1997:
14 Jan 1997 : Column: 227
14 Jan 1997 : Column: 228
14 Jan 1997 : Column: 229
Mr. Soames:
This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Transport and Movements Executive . I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from M. G. R. Hodson to Mr. Robert Key, dated 14 January 1997:
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he makes to assist Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel with removal costs when they are posted from one location to another. [9782]
Mr. Soames:
When married RN and RAF personnel--and in the UK only, single personnel who meet certain conditions--are posted in the UK or to/from specified countries in north-west Europe, arrangements can be made to remove their furniture and effects at public expense where the circumstances of the move qualify. The removals are effected by a service which is based on the efficient use of removals companies contractually engaged by MOD via competitive tender. Service personnel should not need to meet any of the costs.
Dr. John Cunnignham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been (a) the income and (b) the operating costs of the Eskmeals range in each of the last five financial years. [10155]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence, which asks for the names of the companies which provide removal services for Armed Forces Personnel, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Transport and Movements Executive Agency.
The annexe gives details of those companies concerned. Please see my remarks in the answer to your other Question on removal contracts, regarding single personnel.
The following companies provide overseas removal services on a tri-Service basis, for families and single personnel to and from the areas specified:
Area 1. (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, East Sussex, Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, London, Surrey, West Sussex)
Pickfords
Bournes
F and N
Whites and Co.
R and Y Tyres
Baxters
Area 2. (Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset/Avon, Devon, Gloucester, Wiltshire)
Pickfords
F and N
Whites and Co.
Cantay
Area 3. (Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, North Hampshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk)
F and N
Pickfords
Pearsons Ltd.
Whites and Co.
Kidds
R and Y Tyres
Area 4. (Cheshire, Dyfed, South Glamorgan, Gwent, Hereford, Powys, Staffordshire, Worcester, Clwyd, Mid Glamorgan, West Glamorgan, Gwynedd, West Midlands, Shropshire, Warwickshire)
F and N
Fleet
Whites and Co.
Pearsons Ltd.
Area 5. (Cleveland, Durham, Lancashire, Merseyside, Tyne and Wear, South Yorkshire, Cumbria, Humberside, Greater Manchester, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire)
Selles
Pickfords
Pearsons Ltd.
F and N
Kidds
Whites and Co.
Area 6. (Scotland)
Pickfords
Pearsons Ltd.
Whites and Co.
Area 7. (Northern Ireland)
Whittles Movers
Area 8. (Belgium, Germany, Netherlands)
Whites and Co.
Stubbs
Pearsons Ltd.
F and N
Castles
RRT
Hendricks
Rest of World
Norway--White and Co.
Italy--Pickfords
Portugal/Spain--Gauntlett Removals
Canada--AMJ Campbell
USA--Ambassador Relocations
Cyprus--Orbit Removals
France--Baxters Removals
Denmark--Bournes Removals
Hong Kong--Allied Pickfords
Hong Kong--TCI
Hong Kong--Baltrans
Hong Kong--Fourwinds
Eastern Europe--Allied Pickfords
The following companies provide internal UK removal services for the army, and for families only, to and from the headquarter areas specified:
HQ London
Alton International
HR Shipping Services
Britannia Movers International
HQ Scotland
County Removals
Britannia Movers International
HQ 2 division
Britannia Movers International
The Pantechnicon Group
Pearsons Ltd.
Whittle Movers
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the total value of current contracts, by area, in respect of assistance to Army personnel who are posted from one location to another, broken down into overseas moves, family moves and single personnel moves. [9781]
County Removals
W. Southerington and Son
HR Shipping Services
HQ 3 division
Britannia Movers International
HR Shipping Services
The Pantechnicon Group
Whites and Co.
Whittlers Movers
M. J. Christopher and Son
F. R. Hackworthy and Sons
HQ 4 division
Alton International
Baxters International
Britannia Movers International
HR Shipping Services
The Pantechnicon Group
Pickfords
Whites and Co.
Whittlers Movers
Hoults
Doree Bonner International
HQ 5 division
Britannia Movers International
The Pantechnicon Group
Premier Removals
White and Co.
HQ Northern Ireland
Whittle Movers
The following companies provide internal removal services for RAF and RN families to and from the areas specified:
Area 1 (South East)
Alton International
Baxters International
HR Shipping Services
Pickfords
Whittles Movers
Area 2 (Wales and South West)
M. J. Christophers and Son
F. R. Hackworthy and Sons
HR Shipping Services
The Pantechnicon Group
Area 3 (North)
County Removals
W. Southerington and Sons
Whites and Co.
Area 4 (Scotland)
County Removals
Ian Reid Removals Ltd.
White and Co.
I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence, which asks for the value in respect of assistance to army personnel who are posted, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Transport and Movements Executive Agency.
The management information that is produced does not enable me to provide you with the details in exactly the categories you require. I have, therefore, broken down what information we do have, as far as is possible, but we are limited in what detail we can provide.
For overseas moves of army personnel, both families and single, between the UK and some 80 countries worldwide, the total value of the current contracts is approximately £17 million per annum.
For families moves for army personnel within the UK, the total value of the contracts is some £7 million per annum.
For internal UK, the movement of the personal effects of single personnel takes place outside the main Unaccompanied Baggage arrangements. Their effects are moved by both in-house Service transport and commercial transportation as if they were normal Army freight. The management information is not available to distinguish such moves or their cost from the movement of other types of freight.
| £000 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 1996-97 forecast | |
| Income | 5,365 | 4,355 |
| Operating costs | (8,450) | (5,504) |
| Over/(under) recovery | (3,085) | (1,149) |
1. Operating costs for 1995-96 include exceptional costs of £987,000.
2. Eskmeals budgeted for a loss of £1.329 million in 1995-96.
I hope this is helpful.
Dr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many days in each of the last five years the ranges at (a) Eskmeals and (b) Shoeburyness have been used for testing purposes. [10154]
Mr. Arbuthnot: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
| Days | |
|---|---|
| Eskmeals | |
| 1992 | 237 |
| 1993 | 241 |
| 1994 | 206 |
| 1995 | 215 |
| 1996 | 228 |
| Shoeburyness | |
| 1992 | 240 |
| 1993 | 243 |
| 1994 | 245 |
| 1995 | 246 |
| 1996 | 225 |
I hope this is helpful.
Dr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the projected income of the Eskmeals range in the current year and for the next three years;[10156]
- (2) what is the projected income of the Shoeburyness range in (a) the current year and (b) the next three years.[10157]
Mr. Arbuthnot: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
14 Jan 1997 : Column: 231
Letter from John Chisholm to Dr. John Cunningham, dated 14 January 1997:
I have been asked to reply to your questions about the projected income of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) ranges at Eskmeals and Shoeburyness, since as Chief Executive of DERA this is a matter for which I am responsible. I will reply to both questions in this letter.
Dr. Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was (a) the income and (b) the operating costs of the Shoeburyness range in each of the last five financial years. [10144]
The projected income of the Eskmeals range for the current financial year is £4.4 million and that of the Shoeburyness range is £18.4 million. The budget for 1997/98 has still to be finalised and projections by range for future years are not available. The latest planning figure for total income across all of the DTEO Land Ranges (including Eskmeals, Kirkcudbright, Pendine and Shoeburyness) for each of the next three years is as follows:
1997/98: £29 million
1998/99: £27 million
1999/00: £22 million.
The equivalent figure for the current year is £32 million (against a budget of £44 million).
I hope this is helpful.
Mr. Arbuthnot: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
| £000s | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 1996-97 forecast | |
| Income | 25,603 | 18,447 |
| Operating costs | (26,108) | (22,582) |
| Over/under recovery | (505) | (4,135) |
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