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Development Sites
Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the value of the development sites proposed for disposal by the Ministry of Defence, including the housing units; and when he expects the sales to be made. [13911]
Mr. Spellar: Based on the number of sites which are in disposal or are currently planned to become surplus, we estimate that disposal receipts for land and buildings will total some £140 million in 1997-98, £125 million in 1998-99 and £70 million in 1999-2000.
Housing units for disposals within the Annington Homes portfolio are released to that company within the provisions of the contract of sale.
CS Gas
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the report produced by the chemical and biological defence establishment, Porton Down, on the study of the medical effects of the CS gas solvent methyl isobutyl ketone conducted in 1996 at the request of the Police Scientific Development Branch. [14305]
Mr. Spellar:
In 1996 the Chemical and Biological Defence (CBD) Sector of DERA at Porton Down was contracted by the Police Scientific Development Branch of the Home Office to conduct a study of the medical effects of the CS gas solvent methyl isobutyl ketone. This report is the property of the Home Office as the contracting authority.
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 317
However CBD in consultation with the Police Scientific Development Branch will make arrangements to place a copy of this 1996 report in the Library of each House.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department and DESO are providing for UK companies to attend COPEX Jordan 1998, COPEX USA May 1998 and COPEX USA (San Diego) October 1998. [14365]
Mr. Spellar:
The Ministry of Defence does not subsidise or play any part in the organisation of these exhibitions. The MOD Defence Export Services Organisation, DESO, does, on occasion, inform UK companies about such exhibitions and may advise UK exhibitors.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what MOD land will be made available for the 1998 Contingency Operational and Procurement Exhibition.[14367]
Mr. Spellar:
The Ministry of Defence has not been approached by the organisers of the 1998 Contingency and Operational Procurement Exhibition.
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all (a) secondary, (b) other delegated legislation and (c) all deregulation orders his Department made during the summer adjournment.[14378]
Dr. Reid:
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster yesterday, 5 November 1997, Official Report, column 216.
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the nature of the work which is being carried out jointly between the chemical and biological defence establishment, Porton Down, and Cortecs International; what is the purpose of this work; when did this work begin; when is this work expected to end; and what assessment he has made of the value of the work. [14307]
Mr. Spellar:
The aim of the work being carried out jointly between the Chemical and Biological Defence (CBD) sector of DERA at Porton Down and Cortecs International is to investigate new technologies which will facilitate the future development of oral vaccines. The collaboration began in June 1996 with the preliminary phase completed in October 1997.
The benefit is mutual. It allows CBD to exploit Cortecs expertise in creating oral drugs, and has given Cortecs access to CBD research on vaccines. The joint project will contribute to the development of vaccines to meet both Ministry of Defence and public health requirements.
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 318
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the expenditure by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on (i) tax consultants and (ii) other external tax advice in (1) 1995-96, (2) 1996-97 and (3) 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [13265]
Dr. Reid
[holding answer 5 November 1997]: Spending on tax consultants and other external tax advice was as follows:
| Ministry of Defence (excluding agencies) | Defence agencies | NDPBs | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | -- | 27,450 | 1,175 | ||||||||
| 1996-97 | 5,500 | 35,790 | 1,175 | ||||||||
| 1997-98 (to date) | -- | 8,130 | 90 | ||||||||
| The following expenditure is anticipated
| 1997-98 | 4,500 | -- | 1,085
| | ||||||
These figures exclude tax advice obtained by defence contractors and as part of wider consultancies, which could not be extracted without disproportionate cost.
"Defence Agencies" includes all spending by the Ships Support Agency which became an Agency on 11 December 1996.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Mine Information and Training Centre will be set up; how many staff it will have; and what its budget will be. [14479]
Dr. Reid:
The Mine Information and Training Centre will become fully operational on 1 January 1998. Its establishment will become fully operational on 1 January 1998. Its establishment will be one captain, one warrant officer and one senior non-commissioned officer and it will have an annual budget of £125,000.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence it he will make a statement on the accident occurring on 31 October involving a Harrier jet at RAF Wittering, indicating the level of hazard caused by the plane's cargo. [14601]
Mr. Spellar:
The only stores being carried by the aircraft at the time of the accident was a training missile, the seeker head of which had a coating containing a tiny amount of mercury thallium. As the component was destroyed on impact, the mercury thallium would have completely dissipated within about 10 seconds and, as a result, would have posed no hazard. This has subsequently been confirmed during the environmental health monitoring tests routinely carried out at aircraft crash sites.
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 319
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment for 1997-98. [15141]
Dr. Reid:
The Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment Agency's Key Targets for the financial year 1997-98 are:
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Codification Agency for 1997-98. [15142]
Dr. Reid:
The Defence Codification Agency's (DCA) Key Targets for the financial year 1997-98 are:
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 320
Operational strategy
KT 1: Reduce the core as far as possible and continue to refine it against the charging military need.
KT 2: Maintain 100 per cent. of core skills to support likely operations.
Performance strategy
KT 3: Deliver 100 per cent. of operational tasks to time.
KT 4: Develop Customer Supplier Agreements with principal customers and Lodger Units by 31 March 1998.
KT 5: Deliver 85 per cent. of non-operational tasks to time.
KT 6: Reduce the number of quality failures in delivered systems by 5 per cent. on the previous year.
KT 7: Maintain ISO 9000 quality standards.
KT 8: Reduce the Cost per Task Manhour, at Full Cost, by 5 per cent. on the previous year.
Personnel strategy
KT 9: Achieve Investors in People Accreditation by
1 December 1998.
Financial strategy
KT 10: Integrate the Agency's Accounts into Headquarters Logistics Command's Resource Accounting and Budget (RAB) financial system by 1 April 1998.
Information Technology strategy
KT 11: Complete commissioning of the Future Business System (FBS) initiative by 1 April 1998.
KT 1: Complete an annual policy review by 30 September of each year.
KT 2: Examine 50,000 items per year to identify duplicate NATO stock numbers and report the duplicates to the relevant Design Authority.
KT 3: Extend DCA's file purification service to the Army by
30 April 1998.
KT 4: Extend DCA's file purification service to the RAF by 30 April 1998.
KT 5: Reduce the unit cost of codification to less than £56 by 31 March 1998 (£51 by 31 March 1999, £48 by 31 March 2000, £46 by 31 March 2001 and £44 by 31 March 2002).
KT 6: Reduce the Agency's Running Costs by 5.8 per cent. by 31 March 1998 (10 per cent. by 31 March 1999, 2 per cent. by 31 March 2000, 2 per cent. by 31 March 2001 and a further 2 per cent. by March 2002).
KT 7: Reduce the number of post codification queries to 13,000 in 1997-98, 12,000 in 1998-99, 11,000 in 1999-2000, 10,000 in 2000-01 and 9,000 in 2001-02.
KT 8: To develop and encourage DCA personnel to realise their full potential through the 100 per cent. application of Investors in People (IIP) standards and practices.
KT 9: TO provide effective leadership and to promote morale.
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