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Defence Spending
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the level of defence spending is forecast to be as a proportion of gross domestic product in 2003–04. [3938]
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Mr. Ingram: The settlement for defence announced in the Spending Review last year planned for the first sustained growth in defence expenditure for more than a decade. In 2003–04 defence expenditure is expected to represent 2.3 per cent. of GDP.
Pardons
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement regarding the granting of pardons to those who were executed for cowardice during the First World War. [3937]
Dr. Moonie: The question of granting pardons to those executed during the First World War, mostly for desertion, was the subject of a detailed review by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, then Minister of State for the Armed Forces. The legal difficulties in considering pardons, particularly the lack of evidence available today, were explained in his statement to this House on 24 July 1998 , Official Report, columns 1372–86.
Those executed have been publicly recognised as victims of a terrible war and their commemoration by the new memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum is particularly fitting.
Air Group Personnel
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated air group personnel is of each CVF. [3513]
Mr. Hoon: At this stage in the procurement of CVF, the Future Joint Combat Aircraft and Future Organic Airborne Early Warning capability, the estimated size of the air group personnel to be embarked on the CVF has yet to be determined. The actual composition of the air group will depend on the number and the type of aircraft embarked and is the subject of on-going work.
Spearfish
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Spearfish torpedo will be in service with fleet submarines. [3515]
Dr. Moonie: The Spearfish torpedo entered Royal Navy service during 1994.
Apache Helicopters
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Apache helicopters will be in service by the end of (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003. [3516]
Dr. Moonie: The Apache attack helicopter entered service with the Army on 16 January 2001. The number of helicopters delivered by the end of this and the following two years will be:
- 2001: 18
- 2002: 41
- 2003: 64.
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Mr. Ingram: The Army currently has 17 pilots trained to fly various versions of the Apache helicopter. Of these 17 pilots, two are currently on exchange tours with the US Army, two are on test flying duties and 13 are undergoing further training on the UK Apache at the School of Army Aviation at Middle Wallop.
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Army's Apache helicopters will become operationally available. [3523]
Dr. Moonie: The Army expects to have an initial operating capability, consisting of the first operational Apache squadron, in August 2004. A full task force capability based on an attack helicopter regiment is planned for early 2005.
Meteor
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Meteor programme and its development contract. [3517]
Dr. Moonie: The UK, France and Sweden signed the Meteor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Paris Air Show. We very much hope that the remaining three partner nations will sign the MOU by the end of September 2001. On that basis, we plan to place a demonstration and manufacture contract for Meteor by the end of 2001, subject to agreeing satisfactory terms with Matra BAe Dynamics, the Prime Contractor.
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects all partner nations to sign the memoranda of understanding on the A400M and the Meteor programme. [3524]
Dr. Moonie: We very much hope that all partner nations will have signed the memorandum of understanding by the end of September 2001.
C130
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to begin retiring the RAF's C130Ks from service. [3518]
Mr. Ingram: Under existing plans, the RAF Hercules C130K long-term fleet will be retired from service towards the end of this decade.
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the RAF's inventory is of C130 aircraft; and how many of them are operationally available. [3519]
Mr. Ingram: The RAF has a fleet of 57 Hercules C130 aircraft. Of these, 49 are allocated to the operating fleet and are available to operational commanders within specified time scales.
HMS Ocean
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of HMS Ocean. [3527]
Mr. Ingram: The cost of the contract to design and build HMS Ocean was £150.6 million.
Tomahawk
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which fleet submarines have been given
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Tomahawk capability; which submarines are scheduled to receive this capability; and when the conversion work will take place. [3529]
Mr. Ingram: It is planned the two Swiftsure class, seven Trafalgar class and all of the Astute class submarines will receive the Tomahawk capability.
HMS Splendid and HMS Triumph are now Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) capable, and HMS Trafalgar will be declared TLAM capable following trials later this summer. Work to equip HMS Spartan, HMS Trenchant and HMS Turbulent with TLAM capability is currently under way as part of their major upkeep periods. It is currently planned that the remaining three submarines—HMS Talent, HMS Tireless and HMS Torbay—will become TLAM capable by about 2006.
The Astute class submarines will be built Tomahawk capable. HMS Astute, the first submarine of this new class, is due to enter service from 2005.
ASRAAM
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects ASRAAM to enter into service with the RAF; and if he will make a statement. [3520]
Dr. Moonie: Matra BAe Dynamics Ltd., the prime contractor for ASRAAM, encountered a number of technical problems which meant that the in service date of April 2001 was not met. We are working with the company to agree a programme which will bring the missile up to an acceptable standard. When we agree a revised programme we will set a new date for ASRAAM's entry into service. Until that time, Tornado F3, Harrier GR7 and Sea Harrier FA2 aircraft will continue to have an effective short-range air to air capability using Sidewinder missiles.
Harrier GR7
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF pilots have been trained to fly Harrier GR7 for carrier operations. [3530]
Mr. Ingram: As of today, there are 28 front-line RAF Harrier GR7 pilots trained and qualified for carrier operations. Available records suggest that since the Harrier GR7 began carrier operations in 1997, approximately 76 GR7 pilots have been trained in the role.
MR(TRIGAT)
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings will accrue to the defence budget following the cancellation of the MR(TRIGAT) programme. [3522]
Dr. Moonie: There are no savings accrued from our decision not to proceed with the industrialisation and production phase of the MR(TRIGAT) programme. The funding allocated to MR(TRIGAT) has been transferred to the Infantry Anti-Tank Guided Weapons programme, which will ensure that future capabilities in this area are fully met.
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Astute Class Submarines
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the entry into service date is of each of the Astute class submarines. [3526]
Dr. Moonie: The first Astute class submarine is due to enter into service in June 2005. The remaining two submarines of the class currently on order will follow at approximately two-year intervals.
IT Contracts
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the information technology contracts in excess of £500,000 let by his Department or its predecessor since April 1991, giving in each case the original estimated cost and original estimated completion date, the actual cost and actual completion date and the names of the contractors involved and consultants retained by his Department. [3496]
Dr. Moonie: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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