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Specialist Procurement Services

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) those targets of the Specialist Procurement Services for 1998-99 which (i) were and (ii) were not achieved, giving the factors affecting the outcome in each case and (b) action taken by the agency to improve target achievement performance in 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [111736]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 6 March 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the right hon. and learned Member.

Letter from J. W. Howe to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 7 March 2000:

I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the targets of the Specialist Procurement Services (SPS) for 1998-99. You asked (a) which targets (i) were and (ii) were not achieved, giving the factors affecting the outcome in each case and (b) action taken by the agency to improve target achievement performance in 1999-2000. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.

(a) (i) The SPS targets for 1998-99, that were met or exceeded are as follows:

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%

Description	1998-99 target	1998-99 performance
Percentage improvement in SPS services identified by customers (baseline 1997)	20	20
Percentage of SPS reports delivered within agreed date	90	92.1
Percentage of Asset Accounting Centre (AAC) core accounts audited	96	97.6
Percentage of AAC major accounts audited	66	73.8
Percentage of Category A and B equipment projects for which cost forecasting advice will be available	93	96

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(a) (ii) There were no SPS Targets that were not met in the year 1998-99.

As to part (b) of the question, SPS ceased to be an agency in its own right on the 31 March 1999 and was absorbed into the new Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) that was formed on 1 April 1999. It has nevertheless been working to targets which require continuous improvement and which it is on course to meet.

Naval Bases and Supply Agency

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) those targets of the Naval Bases and Supply Agency for 1998-99 which (i) were and (ii) were not achieved, giving the factors affecting the outcome in each case and (b) action taken by the agency to improve target achievement performance in 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [111751]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 6 March 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Naval Bases and Supply Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the right hon. and learned Member.

Letter from M. A. Westgate to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 7 March 2000:

Thank you for your Parliamentary Question Reference 1157K addressed to the Secretary of State for Defence, seeking information on the Naval Bases and Supply Agency's (NBSA) Key Targets (KTs). As this falls within my responsibility as Deputy Chief Executive of the NBSA I have been asked to reply.

The NBSA had eight KTs for 1998/99, five of which were achieved or were on track, and three which were not. Details are below, including the factors affecting performance, and the actions taken to achieve improvement in the future:

Achieved Targets

KT1:

Complete 95% of the Fleet Time Maintenance Loading Programme (FTMLP) to time, budget and standard--achieved 98%

KT2:

Complete 95% of the Maintenance Requirement agreed at Assisted Maintenance Period (AMP) start date to time, budget and standard--achieved 96%

KT3:

Utilise the Fleet Time Maintenance Loading Programme to establish the baseline for the NBSA Shipwork element of the overall cost per Materially Available Vessel Day (a Ships Support Agency target), and then set targets for reduction--achieved/on track

KT4:

Supply 95% of available material to rectify high priority (A1-B1) Operational Defects within Required Delivery Dates--achieved 97.5%

KT5:

Establish the Agency Account via the CAPITAL Project, including the provision of an Executive Information System to meet business requirements, by March 2000--on track

Targets not achieved

KT6:

To move towards Year 2000 IS compliance by completing 100% of Y2K compliance plans by 30 June 1998--not achieved

The ambitious start date of 30 June 1998 was not met. By end September 1999, NBSA had achieved 100% of systems prepared and ready. The Agency survived Y2K without problems.

KT7:

Achieve year on year Efficiency improvement of 2.2%--not achieved

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This target equated to an expected cash saving of £11M at 1998/99 prices. The actual saving achieved was £10M (2%). The main factors for the shortfall were delays in staff savings due to building and IT projects not completing on time, and delays in signing NBSA supplier sub-contracts with industry, which will provide income in future.

KT8:

Achieve full accreditation of Investor in People by December 1999--not achieved

At the end of 1998/99 the Agency was on target to achieve IiP by December 1999. This KT was carried forward to 1999/00. At December 1999 76% of NBSA personnel were working in IiP accredited units, but five units had still not achieved IiP accreditation. The new Departmental target for deferred units is 31 March 2000.

The NBSA produced an Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for 1998/99 and copies were lodged with the House of Commons Library.

I trust this fully explains the situation to you.

Kosovo

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Temporary Field Accommodation has been fully deployed in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [113190]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 6 March 2000]: Temporary Field Accommodation has not yet been fully deployed in Kosovo. The main causes of the delay were set out in my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces' answer of 18 January 2000, Official Report, column 397W. Camps are, however, now starting to be occupied. In the meantime, improved tented camps have been made available which provide a good interim enhancement to accommodation standards.

Alma Dettigen Barracks Site

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contract or memorandum of agreement his Department has signed with Barratts or another developer in relation to Alma Dettigen Barracks site, Deepcut, Surrey; when this was signed; for what reason no information about this was given to locally elected representatives or the hon. Member; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [113515]

Dr. Moonie: The contracts for the sale of the former Alma Dettigen Barracks, Deepcut near Camberley, Surrey to Barratt Homes were exchanged on 3 March 2000. Completion is expected on 17 March 2000. The purchaser requested, on commercial grounds, that details of the negotiations and the contractual agreements remain confidential. Accordingly, I am withholding this information under Exemption 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Radiation Monitoring

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel were involved in staff safety monitoring at (a) Rosyth and (b) Faslane in each of the last five years. [112845]

Dr. Moonie: At HM Naval Base Clyde (Faslane), the Health Physics Group is complemented with 16 staff who have direct responsibility for undertaking safety

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monitoring. Health Physics Group resources are supplemented by trained monitoring staff on-board submarines. Numbers have remained fairly constant over the last five years.

All nuclear safety matters relating to Rosyth Royal Dockyard are a matter for Babcock Rosyth Defence Ltd., the owners of the Dockyard. It is a condition of their contract with the MOD that they must comply with all nuclear safety regulations.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what radioactive monitoring processes exist at (a) Rosyth and (b) Faslane for staff at work and for checking staff on completion of their duties; what equipment is used to carry out these checks; if he will list the safety equipment which is more than (i) one year old, (ii) three years old, (iii) five years old and (iv) 10 years old; which organisation is responsible for safety checks for staff and for monitoring equipment used; and what role he has in reviewing and overseeing staff safety at the sites. [112848]

Dr. Moonie: All nuclear safety matters relating to Rosyth Royal Dockyard are a matter for Babcock Rosyth Defence Limited, the owners of the Dockyard. It is a condition of their contract with the MOD that they must comply with all nuclear safety regulations.

All personnel working in designated areas onboard submarines, in the Active Processing Facility and the Nuclear Repair Workshop at HM Naval Base Clyde (Faslane) are monitored for radioactive contamination on completion of their work with Electra ratemeters and BP7 probes. Additionally, those working in the Active Processing Facility and the Nuclear Repair Workshop are monitored using the IPM-7 type radiation detector.

The Electra ratemeters and BP7 probes are more than one-year-old. The IPM-7 type radiation detectors are more than five-years-old. No radiation monitoring equipment is more than 10-years-old.

The monitoring of personnel and the calibration of instruments are carried out by Health Physics staff from Faslane's Department of Engineering. The Director of Safety and Quality audits these safety procedures. The Chairman of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme also audits nuclear safety under his programme of site authorisation, which mirrors nuclear licensing carried out by the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII). The NII also reviews nuclear-related health and safety under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the safety of Mk 10 radiation monitors with BP 3 Geiger Muller glass probes; if he will list the areas where their use is authorised; and if he will state his policy on the replacement of Mk 10 with BP 3 probes, by a more modern replacement system. [112846]

Dr. Moonie: The Mk 10 Radiation Monitor and BP10 probe are approved instruments for use by the Royal Navy. The BP10 probe is a military version of the commercially available BP3 probe. I am not aware of any written safety assessment for the Mk 10 Radiation

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Monitor used with the BP10 probe but their use is subject to full calibration procedures in accordance with statutory requirements.

While the Mk 10 Radiation Monitor and BP10 probe are still approved instruments for use on-board HM submarines, they are not routinely used for contamination monitoring of personnel in HM Naval Bases. The preferred instrument for personal contamination monitoring in Naval Bases Clyde and Devonport is the Electra ratemeter and BP7 probe.

A specialist section within MOD is actively seeking a suitable replacement for the Mk 10 Radiation Monitor and BP10 probe for use on-board HM submarines.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many IPM-7 radiation detectors are in use in (a) Rosyth and (b) Faslane; what is his policy on the use of IPM-7 radiation detectors for safety checks on staff at Rosyth and Faslane; and if he will make a statement on differences in the safety procedures for monitoring staff between Rosyth and Faslane. [112847]

Dr. Moonie: At Faslane the 2 IPM-7 type radiation detectors are used for secondary monitoring for personnel working in the Active Processing Facility and the Nuclear Repair Workshop. For work in reactor compartments on submarines the routine is for personnel to be monitored with the Electra ratemeter and BP7 probe. Should any contamination be found by the Electra ratemeter, personnel are then re-checked with the IPM-7 radiation detectors.

All nuclear safety matters relating to Rosyth Royal Dockyard are a matter for Babcock Rosyth Defence Limited, the owners of the Dockyard. It is a condition of their contract with the MOD that they must comply with all nuclear safety regulations.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to introduce secondary monitoring of staff at Faslane; what secondary monitoring procedures are in place at (a) Rosyth and (b) Devonport; and if he will make a statement. [112843]

Mr. Spellar: At HM Naval Base Clyde (Faslane) staff working in the Active Processing Facility and the Nuclear Repair Workshop are already protected through routine secondary monitoring.

All nuclear safety matters relating to the Royal Dockyards at Rosyth and Devonport are a responsibility of the owners of the Dockyards: Babcock Rosyth Defence Limited and Devonport Management Limited respectively. It is a condition of their contracts with the MOD that they must comply with all nuclear safety regulations.

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