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HMS Vernon

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 November 1998, Official Report, column 358, on the sale of HMS 'Vernon' in Portsmouth, on the basis of what advice he decided to withhold the information on the sale; and on how many occasions since 1 November 1997 his Department has withheld information under that exemption. [72203]

Mr. Spellar: It is currently the MOD policy to withhold such commercial information relating to property sales. Since 1 November 1997, such information has been withheld on two occasions under Exemption 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Departmental Land Disposals

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sites have been disposed of by his Department in each of the last three years; and in relation to which of the sites he has withheld information concerning the value of the receipts in an answer to a parliamentary question. [71977]

Mr. Spellar: Details of the sites disposed of in 1996-97 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The number for the Financial Year 1997-98 was approximately 200 and to date in the current Financial Year, 120 properties have been sold. The hon. Member would wish to note that individual married quarters are not counted separately but rather, a Married Quarters estate is counted as one property.

There have been five occasions since 1997 when information has been withheld concerning the value of receipts.

Atomic Weapons Establishment (Reports)

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 11 January 1999, Official Report, column 18, if he will place in the Library a list of the 130 reports in the two series of papers produced by the Mathematical Physics Division of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, indicating the title of each paper and the date on which each paper was produced. [71960]

Mr. Spellar: Yes. I have asked for a list to be compiled. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will explain the abbreviations and acronyms (a) QA 175, (b) PZT software, (c) MOD QAR, (d) 1700 Series, (e) DSD, (f) DTech, (g) QA 303s, (h) COSHH, (i) SED, (j) DPR, (k) DSAC, (l) NAMAS, (m) NAFEMS, (n) NSC and (o) MMS, referred to in unclassified AWE Company Security, Quality, Environment, Safety and Health Systems Analysis reports, indicating in each case the function of the item to which they relate. [72599]

Mr. Spellar: The information requested is as follows.

	Abbreviation	Explanation	Function of item
a	QA 175	MOD Quality Deficiency Report	Form 175 is used by the MOD QAR to record quality deficiency
b	PZT software	PZT is Lead Zirconium Titanite	The software is used in the manufacture of PZT
c	MOD QAR	Ministry of Defence Quality Assurance Representative	The MOD quality assurance representative at AWE
d	1700 series	A section of the AWE Quality Manual	Covers handling, storage, packaging, preservation, labelling and delivery
e	DSD	Director Sites Development	Post/Directorate title
f	Dtech	Director Technology	Post/Directorate title
g	QA 303	A form used by AWE Quality Assurance	Form 303 is used in the audit and review process to record non-conformances and other observations
h	COSHH	SI 1994/1248--Control of Substances Hazardous to Health	SI 1994/1248--this is a Statutory Instrument under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
i	SED	Systems Engineering Director	Post/Directorate title
j	DPR	Director Physics Research	Post/Directorate title
k	DSAC	Directorate Safety Assurance Committee	An AWE committee
l	NAMAS	National Accreditation of Measurement and Sampling--now superseded by the UK Assessment Service	Responsible for setting standards for the calibration of equipment within the UK
m	NAFEMS	National Agency for Finite Element Methods and Standards	The agency promotes the use of finite elements as an engineering analysis technique, providing benchmarks and techniques for use in such work
n	NSC	Nuclear Safety Committee	An AWE committee
o	MMS	Manager Media Services	Post/Directorate title

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Defence Agencies

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which targets the Defence Estate Organisation did not meet in 1997-98; and what monitoring he has undertaken for those targets in 1998-99. [72794]

Mr. Spellar: The following Key Targets set for 1997-98 were either part achieved, or were not achieved in full:

a. Key Target 1.

b. Key Target 2.

c. Key Target 5.

d. Key Target 7.

e. Key Target 8.

Subsequently, a set of interim targets for 1998-99 was published. These targets began the process of setting output driven targets which are measurable, within the Chief Executive's control, and incentivise performance to meet the needs of the department. This set of interim targets has allowed the Chief Executive to establish a baseline against which to measure progress in 1999-2000.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which targets the Defence Postal and Courier Service Agency did not meet in 1997-98; and what monitoring he has undertaken for those targets in 1998-99. [72792]

Mr. Doug Henderson: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Brigadier B. J. Cash to Mr. Michael Hancock, dated 24 February 1999:

I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about which targets the Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency did not meet in 1997-98; and what monitoring has been undertaken for those targets in 1998-99, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility at Chief Executive of the Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency.

24 Feb 1999 : Column: 298

The Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency did not meet the following Key Targets in 1997-98:

a. To complete the implementation of the Triennial Review by 31 March 1998.

b. To rationalise the technical funding and responsibility across MOD Top Level Budgets following the Triennial Review.

Progress against these targets is reviewed monthly by myself as Chief Executive at Board level.

The two Key Targets failed were set on the assumption that the Prior Options Review of DPCSA would be completed during the course of the year 1997/98. As a result of the General Election and the subsequent Strategic Defence Review, the Prior Options process was delayed and continued agency status was not confirmed until 19 January 1999.

Following agreement of the new framework document and proposed re-launch of the Agency on 1 July 1999 and after reorganisation under the Chief of Defence Logistics; technical funding and responsibility across MOD Top Level Budgets for Postal and Courier Services will be rationalised.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the Army Personnel Centre; and what was the figure at its inception. [71899]

Mr. Doug Henderson: The number of personnel, civilian and military, employed by the Army Personnel Centre (APC) at 31 December 1998, the most recent date for which full staffing figures are available, was 1,277. The number of personnel involved in Army personnel functions at the time of the launch of the APC as a Defence Agency on 2 December 1996 was some 1,655 civilian and military personnel.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Army Base Repair Organisation published its report for 1998-99; and what was the cost of production of the report. [71902]

Mr. Doug Henderson: The Army Base Repair Organisation report for 1998-99 will be published following the end of the financial year, probably in July 1999. The report for 1997-98 was published in September

24 Feb 1999 : Column: 299

1998. It was produced under contract by The Stationery Office; the cost of the contract is commercially confidential information, but was less than £2.50 per copy.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the Army Base Repair Organisation; and what the figure was at its inception. [72807]

Mr. Doug Henderson: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Army Base Repair Organisation. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from J. F. Drew to Mr. Michael Hancock, dated 24 February 1999:

I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about how many people are currently employed by the Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO); and what the figure was at its inception, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of ABRO.

As at 1 January 1999, 2,625 people were employed by the Army Base Repair Organisation. 3,800 were employed by the Agency at its launch on 1 April 1993.

I hope that this is helpful.

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