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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 23 March 2000
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Internet
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what incentives his Department plans to introduce to encourage less expensive methods of access to the Internet for (a) small businesses and (b) home users; and if he will make a statement. [116049]
Ms Hewitt: The Government believe that the best way to encourage the provision of low-cost Internet access is by encouraging competition. The success of this policy was shown recently with the announcement by several companies of free or nearly free Internet access packages (including no per minute call charges).
Longbridge
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made following his meeting with Alchemy of the number of jobs expected to be lost at Longbridge. [115836]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 22 March 2000]: Alchemy were unable to give an indication of employment levels.
CABINET OFFICE
National Training Organisation
Mr. Neil Turner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made towards establishing the central Government national training organisation; and if she will make a statement. [116120]
Mr. Stringer: The Central Government National Training Organisation was launched today. The Government made a commitment to establish a National Training Organisation for the civil service in the Modernising Government White Paper.
The CGNTO aims to:
Ms Rosie Winterton:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research the Cabinet Office has undertaken into equality proofing of performance management in the civil service. [116121]
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Mr. Stringer:
I have today published a research report by the Institute for Employment Studies on Equality Proofing of Performance Review in the civil service.
The research was commissioned across 13 representative civil service Departments and Agencies last autumn following concerns about imbalances in performance markings between different groups of staff. This study, and the action to be taken as a result, further underlines the commitment of the civil service to make real progress on diversity.
I have placed copies of the IES report in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the BAe Systems contract for an urgent operational requirement in-theatre communications system is intended to replace the current system; what impact it will have on the security of communications of UK forces' security in Kosovo; what is the estimated cost of the system; and if he will make a statement. [113909]
Mr. Spellar:
The contract with BAe Systems will provide for wide area communications in support of the UK's contribution to the NATO Multi Divisions in Bosnia and Kosovo. The contract is specific to the Balkans and does not affect the Army's other general and much larger and technically more complex communications requirements, such as Project BOWMAN. It will replace the current wide area systems in the Balkans, including Project PTARMIGAN, and allow them to be redistributed for use in other theatres of operations. In addition, the Army's commitment to operations in the Balkans will be reduced by some 260 Royal Signals soldiers by the end of this year. Of these, around 150 will return and others who were preparing for deployment will not go. Both the soldiers and current wide area systems, which will become available for future tasking, are in high demand by Army commanders.
The contract will provide the backbone of a communications network, including voice, data and facsimile links within the Balkans and back to the UK. The system will maintain the level of security of the communications of UK forces by segregating secure UK traffic from secure NATO traffic and unclassified UK traffic. The contract with BAe Systems is worth up to £23 million and the estimated cost of the entire system is some £25 million (exclusive of VAT).
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the status of HMS Kent; when she will be ready for service; what are the causes and cost of the delays; and if he will make a statement. [114764]
Dr. Moonie:
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from Sir Robert Walmsley to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 23 March 2000:
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of producing the RV 'Trinton'; when she will begin sea trials; when she will be put into service; what her mission will be; and if he will make a statement. [115745]
Dr. Moonie:
RV 'Triton' is currently being built by Vosper Thorneycroft at Southampton. The cost of the ship is approximately £13.5 million, which is being funded by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).
RV 'Triton' will start contractor sea trials in July of this year and will be delivered later in the autumn to begin two years of sea trials to evaluate the hullform as a contender for future warship designs. On completion of the first two years' trials, the ship's role will be as a trials facility to test and evaluate at sea many different equipments and systems, either commercial or military. As a trials platform, RV 'Triton' will be owned by DERA and will not 'enter service' with the Royal Navy in the military use of the phase.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department plans to do with its stock of Sea Eagle missiles after they have been removed from service; and if he will make a statement. [115752]
Dr. Moonie:
Sea Eagle missiles were removed from Royal Navy and Royal Air Force service in April 1999. The missile systems are currently being collected in central locations prior to disposal action being initiated. No final decisions have yet been made about the disposal of the weapons.
Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if permission has been given to dive to the shipwreck of the experimental submarine M-1. [115704]
Dr. Moonie:
No permission is required to undertake diving on the wreck of the experimental submarine M-1.
Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) steps he has taken and (b) plans he has to tighten control of (i) unlicensed diving on war graves and (ii) pillaging of naval wrecks. [115705]
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Dr. Moonie:
My Department, together with others and Diving Associations, has been assisting with the development of a Code of Practice for diving on wrecks. It is hoped that this code will be introduced shortly. Following its introduction, the impact of this code will be assessed. I am able to report that the Ministry of Defence Police have recently charged a man with theft from a war grave and this case is proceeding through the courts. We will take action through the courts wherever appropriate.
Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) name and (b) location of the shipwreck war graves on which permission has been given to dive in the past 12 months. [115703]
Dr. Moonie:
It is not necessary for divers to obtain permission from my Department in order to dive on wrecks.
Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) applications have been made to and (b) permissions have been given in the last 12 months by his Department to dive on undersea war graves (i) in the Dardanelles, (ii) off Singapore and (iii) elsewhere. [115702]
Dr. Moonie:
It is not necessary for divers to obtain permission from my Department to dive on undersea war graves.
Make a reality of the civil services's commitment to lifelong learning and employability;
identifying training, development and learning needs for the majority of civil servants;
develop a strategy to address those needs, ensuring that this reflects the Modernising Government Agenda;
raise standards of training, development and learning across Central Government;
provide a means of learning from and with other sectors, through NTO network.
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the status of HMS KENT; when she will be ready for service; what are the causes and costs of the delays; and if he will make a statement. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.
HMS KENT is currently undergoing post-build weapons trials and safety training. The ship will become operational on 13 December 2000. There has been no delay to this date which has been the basis for planning since construction began.
During the build of such a complex ship it is not unusual for minor changes to requirements and timings to be made. HMS KENT was built with a new bridge layout, but during Contractor's Sea Trials, options to improve the functionality of the bridge were identified and subsequently contracted for at a cost of £715K. Despite this extra work, HMS KENT was delivered to the Royal Navy by the contractor (now BAE SYSTEMS) on 9 February 2000, ahead of the scheduled Contract Acceptance Date of 8 March 2000.
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