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Chile
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of his Department's Defence Sales Organisation visited Chile in each year since 1990. [64022]
Mr. George Robertson: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officers of the British armed forces of one star status or above visited Chile in each year since 1990. [64013]
Mr. George Robertson:
The information requested is not held centrally and complete records are not available.
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The information that we have, however, shows the following visits by officers of One Star status or above to Chile:
| Year | Number of visits |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1 |
| 1991 | 1 |
| 1992 | 5 |
| 1993 | 4 |
| 1994 | 3 |
| 1995 | 6 |
| 1996 | 2 |
| 1997 | 3 |
| 1998 | 4 |
In addition we are aware that students of the Royal College of Defence Studies, which is attended by some officers of one star status and above, visited Chile in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 and in 1998. We do not, however, have details of the number of officers concerned.
Mr. Wilkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which chiefs of staff of the British armed forces visited Chile from 1990 to date indicating the dates of the visit in each case. [64014]
Mr. George Robertson:
The information requested is not held centrally and complete records are not available. The information that we hold, however, shows the following visits to Chile:
| Date | Visit |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Chief of the Naval Staff |
| March 1994 | Chief of the Air Staff |
| March 1995 | Chief of the Naval Staff |
| March 1996 | Vice Chief of the Defence Staff |
| June 1998 | Chief of the Naval Staff |
| October 1998 | Chief of the Air Staff |
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many vessels of the Royal Navy, including ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, visited Chilean ports and naval bases during each calendar year since 1990. [64015]
Mr. George Robertson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 December 1998, Official Report, column 331, to the hon. Member for Worthing, East and Shoreham (Mr. Loughton). The following visits were also made by the Royal Navy from 1990 to 1993:
Note:
Records of RFA deployments for the period prior to December 1993 are not sufficiently detailed to show individual visits
15 Dec 1998 : Column: 450
Territorial Army
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimates he has made of (a) the total cost of transfer of equipment and (b) the cost of transferring IT equipment, in the move of 101 Battalion REME from Chorley Barracks to Queensferry. [63652]
Mr. Doug Henderson [holding answer 14 December 1998]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 7 December 1998, Official Report, column 54.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he used to select Chorley TA for closure in the review of the Territorial Army. [63617]
Mr. Doug Henderson [holding answer 14 December 1998]: The planning assumptions underlying the restructuring of the Territorial Army were well publicised during the consultative process. A copy of the assumptions has been placed in the Library of the House. The particular factors bearing on the decision to close Chorley TA Centre were explained by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the hon. Members in the House on 2 December 1998, Official Report, columns 859-64.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on travelling costs of the transfer of 101 Battalion REME from Chorley Barracks to Queensferry. [63623]
Mr. Doug Henderson [holding answer 14 December 1998]: The effect on travelling costs will depend on whether individuals are transferred from the headquarters at Chorley to that at Queensferry, when the Battalion transfers, which has yet to be determined.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many TA centres will remain open (a) in South Lancashire and (b) in the parliamentary constituencies of (i) Chorley, (ii) South Ribble, (iii) West Lancashire, (iv) Rossendale and Darwen and (v) Ribble Valley. [63618]
Mr. Doug Henderson [holding answer 14 December 1998]: There are two TA centres in South Lancashire; both are located in Blackburn and will remain open.
Chorley is the only constituency among those listed which has a TA centre; this is scheduled for closure.
Ammunition
Mr. Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the Army's requirement for ammunition. [64277]
Mr. Spellar:
I am pleased to announce the outcome of two recent ammunition competitions. First, we intend to contract with Royal Ordnance to meet most of the British Army's requirement for large calibre ammunition for the next five years. The contract will cover ammunition for
15 Dec 1998 : Column: 451
use with the AS90 155mm self-propelled gun, Challenger 2 tank, and a range of reconnaissance and infantry fighting vehicles.
Secondly, we intend to contract with Marconi Marine Land and Naval Systems, formerly Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd., to develop and produce enhancements to extend the range and increase the effectiveness of the AS90 self-propelled gun. Within this contract, Royal Ordnance will be sub-contracted to manufacture new barrels, and a South African company, Somchem, will manufacture a new Modular Charge System.
These contracts, which are subject to the completion of final negotiations, are together worth around £200 million and will bring valuable work to both Marconi and Royal Ordnance, securing over 500 jobs for British industry.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what steps have been taken to recycle paper from hon. Members' offices. [63996]
Mrs. Roe:
All waste paper from honourable Members' offices is sorted and recycled by an approved contractor.
Millennium Experience
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions he has had with (a) the New Millennium Experience Company, (b) London Underground and (c) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport about travel and entry ticket packages for visitors to the Dome; [62775]
- (2) what representations he has received from the tourist industry about the timing of the announcement of travel and entry ticket packages for visitors to the Dome. [62776]
Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 7 December 1998]: Responsibility for negotiating travel and ticket arrangements with transport providers and tour operators rests with the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC). I have had no discussions with representatives from individual transport providers or the tourist industry. The NMEC are in discussion with both about combined travel and Millennium Experience entry packages. The aim is to ensure that attractive and competitive packages are available within the United Kingdom and abroad. Announcements about these packages will be made at the appropriate time. Officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport provide me with advice in my capacity as shareholder of the NMEC and they keep me advised of NMEC's progress in these matters.
Management Practices
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the Institute
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of Personnel Development: Study No. 22, Impact of People Management Practices on Business Performance; and if he will make a statement. [64107]
Mr. Mandelson:
The need to improve the skills of the British work force is well-recognised and this forms a key theme of the Competitiveness White Paper which I am to publish shortly. This report is the first substantive piece of British research on how people management practices impact upon business performance in manufacturing industries. I welcome the report's findings that recent business performance was better where firms encouraged acquisition and development of employee skills, and where workers had more job autonomy--either individually or in teams.
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