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18 Jul 2000 : Column: 101W

Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 18 July 2000

DEFENCE

PFI Contracts

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what mechanisms are in place to monitor the (a) service provided by defence projects delivered under the private finance initiative and (b) performance of PFI contracts for projects already operating; [128590]

(2) what monitoring is undertaken by his Department of Private Finance Initiative contracts; and if he will make a statement; [129202]

(3) what the average period of time is between the completion of a full business case and signing of the final contract for PFI contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement. [129204]

Mr. Spellar: MOD signs PFI deals when appropriate contractual arrangements have been negotiated in order to secure best value for money. The time taken to complete such deals varies from contract to contract. Detailed records covering this particular aspect are not held centrally. Each PFI contract contains performance measures against which service provision is reviewed. MOD also seeks to apply lessons learned from its own PFI deals and from elsewhere in Government, drawing on guidance from the National Audit Office and other relevant bodies.

HMS Orwell

Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the operational status is of HMS Orwell. [129857]

Mr. Spellar: HMS Orwell was decommissioned on Monday 10 July 2000.

Sierra Leone

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that the 5 million rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and the 4,081 mm mortar bombs provided to Sierra Leone by the UK Government are used only by the legitimate Government of Sierra Leone; and if he will make a statement. [130481]

Mr. Hoon: The issue of light weapons and ammunition provided by the UK Government to the Government of Sierra Leone, including the 5 million rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and 4,000 81 mm mortar bombs, is controlled by a senior British military officer in Freetown. The Government of Sierra Leone has provided assurances that all weapons and ammunition will be used only by regular Sierra Leone Army soldiers and in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights standards.

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Nuclear Weapons (Iraq and Israel)

Mr. Savidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the nuclear weapons capability of (a) Iraq and (b) Israel. [130679]

Mr. Hoon: We remain concerned about the potential for Iraq to resume its covert programme to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Hence the importance we attach to re-establishing weapons inspections in Iraq under the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Israel is a non-party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). We consistently call on Israel to join the NPT as a non-nuclear weapons state, to place all its nuclear facilities under international Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, to ratify the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty and to engage in negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty.

Electronic Test Facility

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Irish Government with regard to his Department's Electronic Test Facility, formerly sited at the British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. site at Capenhurst, Cheshire since 19 October 1999; when these were received; and from which Departments of the Irish Government. [130531]

Mr. Spellar: The Ministry of Defence has not received any representations from the Irish Government regarding the Electronic Test Facility since 19 October 1999.

HMS Sheffield

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to fit HMS Sheffield with the Harpoon missile system. [130443]

Mr. Spellar [holding answer 13 July 2000]: None. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 June 2000, Official Report, column 451W.

RAF Gliding School

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with moving the RAF Gliding School from RAF Bicester to RAF Rissington. [130941]

Mr. Spellar [holding answer 17 July 2000]: Options for the future basing of the Joint Services Adventurous Training (Gliding) Centre and the Royal Air Force Gliding and Soaring Association Bicester Flying Club are currently being investigated. One option being considered is a move from RAF Bicester to RAF Little Rissington.

Until this work is completed later this year, it will not be possible to decide where these units will be located in future or to progress a move.

Executive Agencies

Mr. Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency for the financial year 2000-01. [131149]

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Dr. Moonie: Key Targets set for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency for the financial year 2000-01 are set out as follows:

Key Target 1

Consistent with Treasury requirements, to achieve at least a 6 per cent. Return on Capital Employed.

Key Target 2

To increase New Business income (from customers other than the UK MOD) from £137 million forecast to be achieved in 1999-2000 to £165 million.

Key Target 3

To increase the number of staff elected as Fellows of professional bodies by 5 per cent. from a baseline at 31 March 2000.

Key Target 4

To achieve on time 90 per cent. of the agreed milestones on work for MOD customers.

Key Target 5

To maintain the level of MOD customer satisfaction as measured by core questions.

Key Target 6

Over a period of three years (1998-99 to 2000-01), to achieve a 20 per cent. increase in peer reviewed publications per professional. For 2000-01, this translates into achieving a figure of 7.1 publications per 100 professionals from a baseline at 1 April 2000 of 6.3.

Key Target 7

Over a three year period from (1998-99 to 2000-01), to increase by 50 per cent. the number of scientific teams assessed as 'world-class' in the technical assessment exercise. For 2000-01 this translates into achieving 24 from a current baseline at 1 April 2000 of 19.

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Medical Training Organisation for the Financial Year 2000-01. [131512]

Dr. Moonie: Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the DMTO for financial year 2000-01. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in April 1997 and are as follows:

Key Target 1--Academic Success (Quality and Quantity)

To achieve the following academic success rates:

Common Core Course (CCC)--96 per cent.

Specialist Registrars (SpR)--96 per cent.

Pre-Registration Nurses (Pre-Reg Nurses)--96 per cent.

Key Target 2--Academic Success (Timeliness)

The following percentage of trainees achieving academic success to be delivered on time, as agreed with the customer:

CCC--96 per cent. (at first attempt, remainder at second attempt (which is normally within three months).

SpR--96 per cent.

Pre-Reg Nurses--98 per cent.

Key Target 3--External Individual Medical Services Training

Confirm with customers the baseline requirement for external medical services training by 31 March 2001.

Key Target 4--Corporate Efficiency Index

To achieve a 1.5 per cent. efficiency improvement demonstrated by the DMTO corporate efficiency index for 2000-01.

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Dental Agency for the financial year 2000-01. [131513]

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Dr. Moonie: Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the DDA for financial year 2000-01. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in March 1996 and are as follows:

Key Target 1--The Operational Requirement

From within available personnel resources allocated to the DDA by single Services to achieve 100 per cent. of personnel called forward, trained to required professional and military standards, at the specified readiness for deployment with the Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF) and all operations.

Key Target 2--Overall Dental Fitness

For each Service, maintain the dental fitness level targets as follows:

(a) RN at least 75 per cent.

(b) Army at least 70 per cent.

(c) RAF at least 75 per cent.

Key Target 3--Treatment Needs

To show a zero increase in the Treatment Needs (TN) Index as follows:

(a) RN above 500.

(b) Army above 755.

(c) RAF above 340.

Key Target 4--Dental Fitness Category D

To limit the number of personnel in dental fitness Category D4 (those personnel who have not received a dental inspection and charting for 12 months or more) to the following percentage of the total Service population:

(a) RN 14 per cent.

(b) Army 17 per cent.

(c) RAF 14 per cent.

Key Target 5--Training

To achieve the following success rates within the normal duration of each course:

Vocational Dental Practitioner--90 per cent.

Dental Hygienist--90 per cent.

Basic Dental Support Specialist (DSS)--95 per cent.

Key Target 6--Military Training

To ensure that 80 per cent. of all DDA personnel, whose medical category permits, are released to undertake annual military training as specified by respective single Services.

Key Target 7--Personnel For Exercises

To ensure that 100 per cent. of all DDA personnel nominated to established post in the operational core requirement of their parent Service are released to attend appropriate exercises.

Mrs. Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Secondary Care Agency for the Financial Year 2000-01. [131515]

Dr. Moonie: Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the DSCA for financial year 2000-01. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in April 1996 and are as follows:

Key Target 1--The Operational Requirement

From within the personnel resources provided to the DSCA by the single Services, to meet 100 per cent. of the requirement of the Commanders in Chief (CinCs) for secondary care personnel for operational deployments.

Key Target 2--Outpatient Waiting Times

To ensure that 45 per cent. of Service patients referred to the Agency are offered at first outpatient appointment within four weeks of receipt of a referral and 85 per cent. within 13 weeks.

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Key Target 3--Inpatient Waiting Times

To ensure that 75 per cent. of Service patients are offered a treatment date which is within 13 weeks of the decision to give inpatient treatment.

Key Target 4--Efficiency

To obtain savings of 10 per cent. in non-project works and maintenance expenditure.

Key Target 5--Quality

To carry out NHS requirements for progress in clinical governance and deliver a baseline assessment of capacity and capability across all DSCA Units by 31 August 2000 and a second assessment demonstrating measurable improvement by 31 March 2001.

Key Target 6--Military Training

To ensure that 80 per cent. of all DSCA personnel, whose medical category permits, are released to receive their respective Service's annual mandatory military training.

Key Target 7--Personnel For Exercises

To ensure that 80 per cent. of DSCA based personnel nominated to established posts in their Service's operational core requirement are released to attend appropriate exercises.

Mrs. Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Medical Supplies Agency for the Financial Year 2000-01. [131516]

Dr. Moonie: Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Medical Supplies Agency for financial year 2000-01. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in March 1996 and are as follows:

Key Target 1--Composite Medical Materiel

To build, completely, to time and within budget, by 31 March 2001, 100 per cent. of all modules on the agreed Operational Build Programme, as authorised by the Director Medical Operational Capability (D Med Op Cap).

Key Target 2--The Operational Requirement

To meet 100 per cent. of the Services requirements for blood products and scaled medical materiel, or materiel approved by D Med Op Cap to mount and sustain operations.

Key Target 3--The Exercise and Training Requirement

To meet 100 per cent. of the Services requirements for modularised medical materiel, blood and blood products in support of exercises, training and major events.

Key Target 4--Response to Demands

To meet 90 per cent. of all demands for Category B items (common used items with a unit cost of less than £100 and approved by D Med Op Cap) within the agreed timescale, expressed in working days.

Key Target 5--Stock Issued to Stock Held Ration

To improve the ratio of stock issued to stock held from 1.75 to 2.

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