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DEFENCE
SIFF Programme
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence against what criteria proposals for his Department's forthcoming Successor Identification Friend or Foe programme will be assessed; and when he expects to make a decision on this project. [128256]
Mr. Spellar: Successor Identification Friend or Foe (SIFF) is a complex programme, involving some 40 sea, land and air platform types with total equipment requirements likely to number in the order of 1,000 transponders and 600 interrogators; each set of equipment has to be functionally and physically integrated with the host platform.
Owing to the number and diversity of the platform types, it is not practical to adopt a single prime contractor strategy for management of the whole SIFF programme. As part of the deliverables from the Assessment Phase, "Demonstration and Manufacture" tenders have been submitted by two competing potential suppliers, BAE SYSTEMS and Raytheon Systems Ltd. for supply of equipment and integration with many of the platform types, and by individual platform design authorities for integration with the remainder of the platforms. Evaluation of these tenders is an extensive task, aimed at ensuring that the decision on the choice of equipment supplier and the phasing of the work to be undertaken by the platform design authorities is made on the best overall balance of operational and value-for-money grounds. All relevant assessment criteria, including commercial, technical, logistics, cost and programme management aspects, will be taken into account in this process and I hope that we will be in a position to announce a decision on the programme during the summer.
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HMS Tireless
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason and for what period the crew of HMS Tireless was accommodated in hotels overseas; what has been the cost per night per person; and if he will make a statement. [128267]
Mr. Spellar: HMS Tireless arrived in Gibraltar on 19 May with a propulsion defect. 58 members of the 130-man crew were returned to the UK; the remaining crew are the minimum required for safe upkeep of the vessel. As facilities on board are extremely limited and not conducive to prolonged use alongside, it is normal practice to accommodate submarine personnel ashore if a submarine is alongside for more than three days. Hotel accommodation is being used on a short-term basis as there is currently no suitable service accommodation available. The cost per night including allowances is as follows: Officers £117.60, Senior Rates £92.60 and Junior Rates £75.10/80.10. RFA Fort Rosalie will arrive in Gibraltar by 6 July and she will provide accommodation for all personnel from Tireless for the duration of the repair work.
War Widows
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the review of pensions for war widows. [128472]
Mr. Spellar: My Department is carrying out a major review of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. This review is looking at all aspects of pensions for members of the armed forces and their dependants, including widows' pensions, and the question of paying widows' pension for life. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State continues to hope to make an announcement about the review during the summer. War widows' pensions are the responsibility of the DSS War Pensions Agency.
MOD Assets
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last agreed guidelines with HM Treasury for greater commercial utilisation of MOD property and assets; and what proportion of its commercial returns may be retained by the MOD under such guidelines. [128270]
Mr. Spellar: The commercial exploitation of Ministry of Defence assets is conducted in accordance with Treasury guidelines, which are circulated to Departments from time to time, most recently in a Policy and Guidance Note, "Selling Government Services Into Wider Markets", issued in July 1998. As a general rule, the guidelines give each Department generating receipts the right to retain these commercial returns in their entirety.
Anti-submarine Exercises
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what anti-submarine warfare exercises involving more than two vessels have been carried out by the Royal Navy in the past year; which ships and submarines took part; and where the exercises were held. [128766]
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Mr. Spellar: Ships regularly conduct anti-submarine warfare training on an opportunity basis and it is not possible to detail every exercise or training opportunity.
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The following pre-planned exercises were undertaken where one of the principal objectives was Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operational capability.
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| Event | Time | Units involved | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submarine Command Course | June 1999 | HMS Sovereign | Scottish Exercise Areas |
| HMS Sheffield | |||
| Area Capability Training | June 1999 | HMS Monmouth | West of UK and Minches |
| HMS Sovereign | |||
| Joint Maritime Course (JMC 992) | June 1999 | HMS Illustrious | |
| HMS Monmouth | West of UK and Minches | ||
| HMS Sheffield | |||
| NATO Exercise 'Northern Light' | September 1999 | HMS Trenchant | |
| HMS Turbulent | |||
| HMS Coventry | |||
| HMS Campbeltown | |||
| HMS Cumberland | Bay of Biscay | ||
| HMS Gloucester | |||
| HMS Illustrious | |||
| HMS Manchester | |||
| HMS Montrose | |||
| HMS Sheffield | |||
| Area Capability Training | October-November 1999 | HMS Iron Duke | |
| HMS Montrose | West of UK and Minches | ||
| HMS Norfolk | |||
| HMS Superb | |||
| Joint Maritime Course (JMC 001) | February-March 2000 | HMS Splendid | |
| HMS Grafton | West of UK and Minches | ||
| HMS Westminster | |||
| American Undersea Testing and Evaluation | April 2000 | HMS Superb | Tongue of the Ocean, Bahamas |
| Centre | HMS Norfolk | ||
| NATO Exercise 'Linked Seas' | May 2000 | HMS Campbeltown | |
| HMS Glasgow | |||
| HMS Gloucester | |||
| HMS Liverpool | Bay of Biscay | ||
| HMS Northumberland | |||
| HMS Westminster | |||
| HMS Sovereign | |||
| Submarine Command Course | May-June 2000 | HMS Sovereign | |
| HMS Norfolk | Scottish Exercise Areas and | ||
| HMS Northumberland | Northern Fleet Exercise Areas | ||
| HMS Cumberland | |||
| Area Capability Training | June 2000 | HMS Sovereign | |
| HMS Norfolk | West of UK and Minches | ||
| HMS Northumberland | |||
| Joint Maritime Course (JMC 002) | June 2000 | HMS Cumberland | |
| HMS Iron Duke | |||
| HMS Invincible | West of UK and Minches | ||
| HMS Norfolk | |||
| HMS Northumberland | |||
| HMS Somerset | |||
| Flag Officer Sea Training | Weekly | All ships undergoing Basic or pre-Deployment Operational Sea Training conduct, on average, 12 hours of ASW training per week | South Coast Exercise Areas |
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Sea Eagle Missile
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the Sea Eagle has been withdrawn from service. [128767]
Mr. Spellar: Work undertaken in the Strategic Defence Review showed that we needed less capability in the field of open ocean anti-surface ship warfare. To this end, it was decided to withdraw the Sea Eagle missile from both the Tornado GRIB and the Sea Harrier, as part of a coherent programme of reduced investment in this area of our maritime capability. Instead, our future investment will be in heavier weapons with larger ranges, such as Harpoon.
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Royal Artillery Day, Larkhill
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations were made to his Department and to the Royal Artillery by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds about Royal Artillery Day at Larkhill; and if he will make a statement. [128474]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 3 July 2000]: No representations have been received from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. There have, however, been detailed negotiations with English Nature over the firing arrangements for the Royal Artillery Day at Larkhill in order to minimise disturbance to nesting sites for stone curlews. English Nature consider that the arrangements
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in place do not present a significant risk of disturbance, especially as the nesting plots in question have been vacated with no sign of return. English Nature have expressed their thanks for the Ministry of Defence's efforts on this issue.
Parliamentary Questions
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the hon. Member for Beckenham will receive an answer to her question tabled for answer on 17 May on the Love Bug computer virus. [128545]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 3 July 2000]: I have replied today.
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