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Nimrod

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings in terms of equipment acquisition will be made from the decision to purchase 18 Nimrod MRA4s. [49764]

Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 February 2002, Official Report, columns 1452–53W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer), on the basis of current assumptions, savings in support costs are likely to be some £360 million over the in-service life of the aircraft. The savings in procurement costs arising from the current contract have yet to be finally negotiated with BAE Systems and its principal suppliers, and is a commercial in confidence matter between the relevant parties.

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However, as my announcement made clear, we are working closely with BAE Systems to maximise the benefits brought about by this decision.

Unexploded Ordnance (Kenya)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates talks (a) have been and (b) will be held between his Department and the lawyers representing Kenyan tribespeople who have been injured as a result of unexploded British Army ordnance. [48934]

Mr. Ingram: Meetings between the Ministry of Defence and the lawyers representing Kenyan tribespeople were held on 28 November 2001, 11 January and 8 April 2002. One further meeting has been planned for end of June before mediation talks are held over the period 17 to 19 July 2002.

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the policy of the Government are on liability for death and injury caused by unexploded ordnance left behind after British military exercises in Kenya; and if he will make a statement. [49795]

Mr. Ingram: When compensation claims are submitted, they are considered on the basis of whether or not the Ministry of Defence has a legal liability to pay compensation. Where there is a legal liability to pay compensation we do so.

Performance Targets

Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Vetting Agency for the financial year 2002–03. [49905]

Mr. Ingram: The Defence Vetting Agency is the largest government organisation carrying out national security checks on people to allow them to be employed in jobs involving access to sensitive information or assets. These jobs range throughout the Ministry of Defence and armed services, a number of other Government Departments, and defence contractor companies. This year will see the Agency emerge from a challenging modernisation and rationalisation programme that started soon after it was created in 1997. The completion of the programme will create a much more responsive, integrated organisation, able to exploit the capabilities of modern information technology to the benefit of its customers. The chief executive has been set the following key targets.

Quality

Key Target 1:

To achieve, through external validation, at least a 95 per cent. success rating with specially selected cases, and zero serious errors that could have been identified at the time of vetting. Key Target 2:


To address the diversity imbalance in the agency and achieve by 2002:


Women (at Band D): 12 per cent.


Women (Field Force): 10 per cent.


Ethnic Minorities (Field Force): 1.8 per cent.


Disabled (at Band D and Field Force): 1.5 per cent.

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Timeliness

Key Target 3:

To achieve agreed completion times for priority requests for security clearances:


40 per cent. of counter terrorist and security checks completed within 10 days, and 90 per cent. of developed vetting completed within 30 days. Key Target 4:


To achieve agreed completion times for routine requests for security clearances:


60 per cent. of counter terrorist and security checks completed within 30 days,


40 per cent. of developed vetting completed within 100 days and 90 per cent. within 182 days. Key Target 5:


To achieve average completion times of 30 days for counter terrorist checks and for security checks, and 100 days for developed vetting. Efficiency

Key Target 6:

To reduce the 2001–02 unit cost of output by 2 per cent.

I will arrange for advance copies of the Corporate Plan to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Naval Manning Agency for the financial year 2002–03. [49906]

Mr. Ingram: The key targets that have been set for the chief executive of the Naval Manning Agency for the financial year 2002–03 are as listed. The targets build upon progress made by the agency since it formed on 1 July 1996.

Key Target 1. Deployment:

The percentage of filled officer billets to be: 94 per cent. or greater.

The percentage of filled rating billets to be: 90 per cent. or greater.

The percentage of filled other rank billets to be: 90 per cent or greater.

Key Target 2. Manpower Planning:

The variation of strength to requirement to be: Better than -4 per cent.

Key Target 3. Career Management:

The percentage of officers receiving the required notice of change to be: 60 per cent. or greater.

The percentage of ratings receiving the required notice of change to be: 98 per cent. or greater.

The number of occurrences where minimum time ashore criteria are met to be: 99 per cent. or greater.

Key Target 4. NMA Corporate Efficiency:

To achieve strict control of NMA manpower overheads to within plus or minus 2 per cent. of the baseline established for manpower overheads as at 1 April 2002.

To carry out two benchmarking exercises.

To achieve a customer confidence score of 63.

Key Target 5. Financial:

To operate the NMA within 0 to -1 per cent. of its 2001–02 net cash allocation for operating activities.

Production of annual accrual accounts to be completed by July 2003.

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Harrier GR7

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Royal Air Force's total inventory of Harrier GR7s is; and how many are operationally available. [43632]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 15 March 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 March 2002, Official Report, column 552W.

Departmental Contracts

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2002, Official Report, column 450W to the hon. Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen), when he will place a letter in the Library detailing his Department's contracts for which Israeli companies are bidding as (a) prime contractors and (b) teaming partners; and in the case of the latter, with which companies they are teamed. [49793]

Dr. Moonie: I replied to the hon. Member today.

Navy Vessels

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects HMS Albion to be fully operational; what refit would be necessary to keep HMS Fearless in operation for one more year; how much it would cost; whether he has considered recommissioning HMS Intrepid; whether he foresees any need for CPD capability in the next 12 months; and what contingency plans he has in place. [46971]

Mr. Ingram: On current plans, HMS Albion will be available for operational tasking early in 2003, and she is expected to be fully operational by mid 2003. HMS Fearless would have needed to undergo and assisted maintenance period at an estimated cost of about £1.5 million to allow her to continue in service for a year beyond her decommissioning date. The assisted maintenance period represented the minimum package of

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work required to keep HMS Fearless in service. Given the age of the vessel, the possibility of additional unplanned repair during this period could not be ruled out. The cost of re-commissioning HMS Intrepid, the sister ship of HMS Fearless, which last put to sea in 1994, would greatly exceed the cost of HMS Fearless's foregone assisted maintenance period. It would not therefore make financial sense to re-commission HMS Intrepid.

The requirement for a docking and heavy lift capability needs to be considered in the prevailing operational context at any particular time. Our assessment is that until HMS Albion enters service, the circumstances in which it is most likely that the UK wold be involved in an operation requiring a dedicated amphibious assault capability would be where we were acting as part of a coalition force. In such a scenario, depending on the requirements of the operation, a docking and heavy lift capability could be provided from within the forces of our coalition partners to enhance the UK's specialist amphibious capabilities of HMS Ocean and the five landing ships logistic. HMS Ocean is available for amphibious force tasking until October this year when she is due, on current plans, to commence a docking period before she again becomes available for tasking early in 2003. However until HMS Albion enters service, the amphibious assault capability will, if operational imperatives dictate, be filled in part by other platforms.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 326W, on strategic lift transport ships, what the date is for the keel lay of HMS 'Beach Head'; and when she is to be delivered. [47391]

Dr. Moonie: I assume that the question refers to the answer that appeared on 6 March 2002, Official Report, columns 325–26W. I refer the hon. Member to my pursuant answer of 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 32W. The delivery date is 30 April 2003. Beachy Head will be a commercial ship with the designation motor vessel (mv) not HMS.

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