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Royal Yacht
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nights the royal family spent on the royal yacht in 1995-96 and when; and where the yacht was at the time. [13402]
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 433
Mr. Soames: The information requested is as follows:
| Date | Location | Number of nights |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | ||
| 19-21 March | Simons Town and Capetown | 2 |
| 24-25 March | Durban | 1 |
| 31 May to 2 June | Falmouth, Pembroke Dock and Avonmouth | 2 |
| 12-13 June | Portsmouth | 1 |
| 28 July to 2 August | Cowes | 5 |
| 4-13 August | Western Isles | 10 |
| 18-19 August | London | 2 |
| Total | 23 | |
| 1996 | ||
| 15 March | Palm Beach | 1 |
| 24-27 June | Douglas, Belfast Portrush and Londonderry | 3 |
| 5-8 July | Marchwood Falmouth and Portsmouth | 3 |
| 11-12 July | Amsterdam | 1 |
| 2-17 August | Cowes Western Isles | 15 |
| Total | 23 |
Mr. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many days the royal yacht has been used for inward investment seminars since 1989. [13400]
Mr. Soames: HMY Britannia has been used around the world to promote British exports and attract inward investment to the United Kingdom on 63 days since 1989. The figure does not include the transit times to and from the UK. On some days, however, more than one event was held.
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what defects have been found in the (a) hull, (b) main and auxiliary machinery, (c) superstructure and (d) major items of marine equipment of the royal yacht Britannia requiring replacement or major repairs in order to maintain its sea going condition; [13586]
- (2) what personnel and maintenance costs are required by the royal yacht Britannia which would not be incurred by its planned replacement. [13587]
Mr. Soames: Britannia is now a very elderly ship, built with 1940s technology, including steam-powered engines. She takes a great deal of manpower to maintain, with a ship's complement larger than that of the latest generation of Royal Navy frigates, and would have needed a refit this year costing £17 million in order to remain seaworthy for a further five years. Necessary work, much of it age related, would have included reappraisal and repair of around 80 frame connections between the frame, deck and shell; survey and replacement where required of lined surfaces; replacement of a significant portion of the main electrical cabling; and replacement of radar and communications equipment. Her running costs would not reduce from their average of about £10 million per annum.
The new yacht will incorporate the latest technology and her design will reflect the fact that she will not be required to sail long distances with the Queen abroad. The precise size of her crew has yet to be determined, but it will be substantially smaller than that required by Britannia. We expect average annual running costs to be not much more than half of those of Britannia.
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 434
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days in each year since 1967 Her Majesty the Queen has been on board Her Majesty's yacht Britannia. [13699]
Mr. Soames:
Since 1967, Her Majesty the Queen has spent the following number of days on board HMY Britannia:
| Year | Days |
|---|---|
| 1967 | 12 |
| 1968 | 21 |
| 1969 | 27 |
| 1970 | 62 |
| 1971 | 26 |
| 1972 | 53 |
| 1973 | 8 |
| 1974 | 41 |
| 1975 | 13 |
| 1976 | 44 |
| 1977 | 84 |
| 1978 | 16 |
| 1979 | 36 |
| 1980 | 14 |
| 1981 | 26 |
| 1982 | 23 |
| 1983 | 35 |
| 1984 | 21 |
| 1985 | 38 |
| 1986 | 36 |
| 1987 | (35)0 |
| 1988 | 30 |
| 1989 | 28 |
| 1990 | 15 |
| 1991 | 16 |
| 1992 | 22 |
| 1993 | 20 |
| 1994 | 21 |
| 1995 | 20 |
| 1996 | 11 |
(35) Major refit year.
These figures do not reflect the often considerable transit times to and from the UK. Britannia is, of course, also used by other members of the royal family, and used to promote British exports and attract inward investment to the United Kingdom.
Mr. Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on (a) refitting, (b) refurbishing and (c) maintaining the royal yacht since 1967. [13694]
Mr. Soames:
The information is not available in the breakdown requested. However, total expenditure on repair and refit is:
| Year | £ thousand(36) |
|---|---|
| 1967-68 | 258 |
| 1968-69 | 63 |
| 1969-70 | 481 |
| 1970-71 | 152 |
| 1971-72 | 172 |
| 1972-73 | 1,213 |
| 1973-74 | 758 |
| 1974-75 | 430 |
| 1975-76 | 1,286 |
| 1976-77 | 390 |
| 1977-78 | 1,299 |
| 1978-79 | 164 |
| 1979-80 | 4,568 |
| 1980-81 | 988 |
| 1981-82 | 1,315 |
| 1982-83 | 199 |
| 1983-84 | 5,506 |
| 1984-85 | 1,161 |
| 1985-86 | 1,660 |
| 1986-87 | 2,402 |
| 1987-88 | 17,052 |
| 1988-89 | 3,811 |
| 1989-90 | 1,204 |
| 1990-91 | 2,593 |
| 1991-92 | 7,053 |
| 1992-93 | 2,292 |
| 1993-94 | 1,593 |
| 1994-95 | 4,189 |
| 1995-96 | 1,277 |
| 1996-97(37) | 2,227 |
(36) Figures are outturn unless otherwise stated.
(37) Estimate.
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 435
Mr. Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he proposes to make in respect of provision of transport by sea for Her Majesty the Queen after Her Majesty's yacht Britannia is decommissioned and before the proposed replacement yacht is brought into service. [13700]
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 436
Mr. Soames: The royal yacht is a national asset, which projects the image of Britain, provides a platform for state and official occasions, assists in promoting British economic interests and provides a suitable royal residence overseas. It is not a primary means of royal transport. Should Her Majesty have a requirement for sea travel before the new yacht enters service, this will be addressed at the appropriate time.
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days HMY Britannia was at sea in 1996; what functions were carried out; what was the total cost to his Department of the royal yacht in 1995-96; and what estimate he has made of the costs up to the date of decommissioning. [12391]
Mr. Soames [pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1997, Official Report, column 688-89]:I regret that the figure given for the running costs of HMY Britannia in the year 1995-96 was incorrect. The correct figure is £8,423,000.
Royal Flight
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates in 1996 when aircraft of the Queen's flight were used by members of the royal family for private journeys indicating in each case the member of the royal family concerned, the starting point and destination and the amount re-imbursed to public funds in 1996. [13891]
Mr. Soames: The information is as follows:
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 435
| Date of journey | Passenger | Route | Cost reimbursed £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 1996 | Prince of Wales | Mildenhall to Zurich | 1,232 |
| 16 March 1996 | Duke of Edinburgh | Nassau to Rock Sound (Caribbean) | 890 |
| 3 May 1996 | Duke of Edinburgh | Hereford to Stanmer Park | 1,793.33 |
| 1 September 1996 | HM the Queen | Aberdeen to Teesside | 1,186.67 |
| 3 September 1996 | HM the Queen | Teesside to Aberdeen | 1,483.33 |
| 8 December 1996 | HM the Queen | Blackpool to Northolt | 1,216.67 |
| 13 December 1996 | Duke of Edinburgh | Aberdeen to Lydd(38) | 1,064.38 |
| 31 December 1996 | Prince of Wales | Stansted to Zurich | Bill not yet submitted |
(38) Only the London to Lydd distance represented private use.
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 435
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which persons other than members of the royal family are entitled to make official use of the royal flight. [13671]
Mr. Soames: No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron is established to fulfil communications, VIP and royal flying tasks. In addition to the royal family, squadron aircraft are used by Government Ministers, senior officers and officials of the MOD in fulfilment of their official duties, as well as meeting operational, exercise and flying training requirements. Visiting foreign dignitaries may also be flown, when appropriate. Such additional use contributes to overall cost-effectiveness.
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights have been made in each of the last five years by members of the royal family for (a) official use and (b) personal use. [13673]
Mr. Soames: The information is available in the format requested only for financial years 1995-96 and 1996-97 and is set out in the table. Prior to April 1995 only total figures are available.
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 436
| Year | Official | Private | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | -- | -- | 1,088 |
| 1992-93 | -- | -- | 1,066 |
| 1993-94 | -- | -- | 966 |
| 1994-95 | -- | -- | 870 |
| 1995-96 | 871 | 9 | 880 |
| 1996-97(39) | 589 | 7 | 596 |
(39) To 31 December 1996.
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the rules on the use of the royal flight aircraft for the personal use of members of the royal family. [13674]
Mr. Soames: No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron may be used for private purposes only by HM the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and HRH the Prince of Wales: such use is at the personal discretion of HM the Queen. In accordance with the wishes of Her Majesty the Queen, since 1 April 1995 the costs of private flights in aircraft of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron by members of the royal family have been reimbursed to the MOD.
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 437
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those members of the royal family entitled to use the royal flight. [13675]
Mr. Soames: No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron may be used by any member of the royal family on official business, subject to HM the Queen's permission. In addition to HM the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and HRH the Prince of Wales may use the Squadron for private travel at their own expense, subject to HM the Queen's permission.
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service and civilian staff are employed (a) full time and (b) part time by the royal flight by numbers and rank; and at what annual cost to public funds. [13676]
Mr. Soames: No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron consists of the personnel set out in the table. Costs of these personnel amount to some £3.7 million per year. The squadron is supported by service, civilian and contractor personnel at RAF Northolt.
Wing commander: 1
Squadron leader: 4
Lieutenant commander (Royal Navy): 3
Flight lieutenant: 38
Master aircrew: 1
Flight sergeant: 1
Chief technician: 2
Sergeant: 12
Corporal: 17
Senior aircraftsman: 18
Typist: 1
Retired officer 3: 1.
Mr. Soames: It would not be possible to determine a relevant estimate of this nature without disproportionate effort. The majority of royal tasks undertaken by No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron could not readily be provided by commercial services and would have required special charter arrangements.
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the aggregated cost per passenger mile of a royal flight aircraft. [13678]
Mr. Soames: An average cost per passenger mile flown could not be provided without disproportionate effort.
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft make up the royal flight, listed by aircraft type, seating capacity and date of introduction to the flight. [13680]
Mr. Soames: The information is as follows:
| Aircraft number and type | Seating | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 3 x BAe 146 | 18 | bought between 1986 and 1991 |
| 8 x BAe 125(40) | 7 | bought between 1983 and 1984 |
| 2 x Wessex | 5-7 | 1969 |
| 2 x leased Twin Squirrels | 5 | 1996 |
(40) Seven plus one in-use reserve.
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 438
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual cost of the royal flight broken down by (a) aircraft depreciation, (b) running and maintenance costs, (c) airport charges and (d) personnel costs. [13681]
Mr. Soames: The information is not immediately available in the form requested. I will write to the hon. Member.
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