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UN Weapons Inspectors
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) members of the staff of his Department and (b) persons otherwise attached to his Department have served with the UN weapons inspectors in Iraq since 1991. [67019]
Mr. George Robertson: The answers are as follows:
- (a) Approximately 220 MOD personnel have served with UNSCOM since 1991. More precise figures are not available without incurring disproportionate cost.
- (b) None.
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Royal Navy (Aircraft Carriers)
Mr. Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his plans to develop new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy. [67669]
Mr. George Robertson: The Strategic Defence Review set out our plans to replace our existing aircraft carriers from 2012 with two larger new-generation carriers, each capable of operating up to 50 aircraft, fixed wing and helicopters. The Invitation To Tender for the initial assessment phase of the CVF project has been released to industry today.
The new carriers will be acquired through SMART procurement methods, beginning with an assessment phase. This will have two main stages: first, the examination of a wide variety of carrier design options, which will also inform our choice of Future Carrier Borne Aircraft; and, secondly, detailed work to determine the carriers' design parameters and to reduce technological risk. The assessment phase is expected to be completed in 2003, paving the way for the full development and construction of the two new aircraft carriers.
An Integrated Project Team, IPT, of MOD and industry personnel will manage the procurement. As part of this new approach, the IPT's leader's post will be filled by open competition.
Mr. Gale:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations his Department conducted with the Civil Aviation Authority prior to stating in its sales literature for RAF Manston the end of March as a completion date. [67366]
Mr. Spellar:
In accordance with CAA licensing procedures, no formal consultation could take place prior to the appointment of a licensee for the Airfield. This could only follow the exchange of a conditional contract. However, some informal discussions did take place on matters of detail.
Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if United Kingdom production levels of highly enriched uranium are adequate to meet current demand. [65526]
Mr. George Robertson:
The United Kingdom has not produced highly enriched uranium, HEU, for defence purposes since 1962. As stated in Supporting Essay 5 to the Strategic Defence Review, the HEU held by the Ministry of Defence is required to meet current defence requirements. Production for civil purposes is a matter for the Department of Trade and Industry.
Mr. Quinn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the formation of the Joint Helicopter Command proposed in the Strategic Defence Review. [67855]
Mr. George Robertson:
In July 1998, following the Strategic Defence Review, I announced our intention to create a Joint Helicopter Command to pool the expertise of the three Services in the operation of Battlefield helicopter fleets and so enhance their fighting effectiveness.
25 Jan 1999 : Column: 13
I have now accepted the recommendation of the Joint Helicopter Command Study Team that the Command be based at the Army's Land Command headquarters at Wilton, Wiltshire. The headquarters will form on 1 October this year and will be fully operational by 1 April 2000.
The work of the Study Team has also confirmed that the Joint Helicopter Command should bring together, under a single joint organisation, the Royal Navy's Commando helicopters, all operational Army Air Corps helicopters, including the whole of 16 Air Assault Brigade which in future will include the Attack Helicopter, and the RAF's Support Helicopters. Its role will be to direct the training, planning and resourcing of these forces across the range of defence missions and tasks, thereby making most effective use of the available assets. The Command will draw on the best practices from each of the Services, while retaining and building upon individual Service identity and ethos. Single Service units will continue to be commanded and manned by personnel from that Service, and a mix of Navy, Army, Air Force and Civil Service personnel will man the Headquarters.
Mr. Soames:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contact relating to the most recent visit to Britain of Senator Pinochet his Department had with (a) the Chilean Military Attache and (b) others in the Chilean Embassy; and what was the nature and outcome of such discussions. [67281]
Mr. George Robertson:
I am not aware of any formal contact between the Ministry of Defence and the Chilean Embassy about the arrangements for Senator Pinochet's visit to the UK in October last year. Discussions about the UK's defence relations with Chile have continued with the Chilean Military Attache and others in the Chilean Embassy since Senator Pinochet's arrest. Inevitably, issues arising from Senator Pinochet's arrest have been mentioned from time to time in the margins of these discussions.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the President of the Council if she will introduce salaries for Select Committee Chairmen. [66813]
Mrs. Beckett:
I have no plans to do so.
Mr. Winnick:
To ask the President of the Council if she will recommend changes to the Register of Members' Interest to require all pecuniary outside interests to be listed and outside earnings to be shown in appropriate bands. [67371]
Mrs. Beckett:
The Neill Committee on Standards in Public Life announced on 17 December 1998 that it would review the recommendations of its first report (Cm. 2850) which dealt with, among other things, the outside interests of MPs and the register of interests. I have no plans to propose changes to the rules on registration of interests
25 Jan 1999 : Column: 14
before the Neill Committee reports, but Members and others can make suggestions direct to the Neill Committee.
Mr. Curry:
To ask the President of the Council what proposals she has for parliamentary scrutiny of the Regional Development Agencies. [66188]
Mrs. Beckett:
Regional Development Agencies are non-departmental public bodies and Ministers will be accountable to Parliament for their activities in the usual way.
The Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 requires the accounts of each RDA to be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Copies of the accounts and the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on them will be sent to the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions who will lay them before each House of Parliament. The Comptroller and Auditor General also has powers to carry out value for money studies on the RDAs.
RDAs are also required to submit their annual reports to the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions who will lay copies before each House of Parliament.
Each RDA will have an Accounting Officer, usually the Chief Executive, who will be accountable to Parliament through the Public Accounts Committee for the expenditure of public money.
RDAs are also open to scrutiny by the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee. They have just begun their second inquiry into RDAs.
I also recently announced that I will be submitting a memorandum to the Modernisation Committee inviting them to examine the possibility of reviving and adapting the Standing Committee on regional affairs. Matters relating to RDAs would certainly be within the remit of such a Committee.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the President of the Council what is her current estimate of the total cost to public sector bodies of preparing to avoid millennium bug problems. [67387]
Mrs. Beckett:
I do not believe that it is possible or worthwhile to attempt to establish the true cost of the Year 2000 preparations for the public sector as a whole given that each organisation assesses its costs in different ways. Typically departments' plans include the additional costs posed by the bug such as contractors, and new systems. They do not tend to include in house resources or routine system up-grades. I do publish the cost estimates for central Government and key elements of the public sector as part of the quarterly reports to Parliament. The total cost for central Government is estimated at £400 million, and will be found from within existing budgets. This figure has remained fairly stable over the last year.
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Mr. Jack:
To ask the President of the Council if she will require public bodies to publish details of the contingency plans which they are developing to deal with the consequences of the millennium bug. [67386]
Mrs. Beckett:
I have asked all Departments and agencies to have initial contingency plans in place by the end of this month. I will be consulting colleagues about how much of the detail of the plans could sensibly be put into the public domain.
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