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Annual Leave

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average annual leave entitlement is for staff in his Department in 2002. [64641]

Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 March 2002, Official Report, column 314W. There have been no subsequent changes to Ministry of Defence leave entitlements.

Bell 412 Helicopter

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 May 2002, Official Report, column 957W, on 84 Squadron, if the Bell 412 Enhanced Performance helicopter will be manned by RAF crews. [64824]

Mr. Ingram: Under current plans the Bell 412 helicopters will be part of an RAF unit and manned primarily by RAF crews.

1 Jul 2002 : Column 31W

Invincible Class Ships

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Invincible class ships are able to embark Harrier GR7 when the vessel is undertaking its LPH role. [64820]

Mr. Ingram: Invincible class ships can embark GR7 in the LPH role but would not usually be tasked to do so. In the LPH role the Carrier Air Group will consist of the helicopters required to lift a full Commando Group and would therefore be severely constrained for space in which to embark fixed wing aircraft at the same time.

Defence Logistics Organisation

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by how much the Defence Logistics Organisation overspent its original budget estimate in the last financial year; and how this deficit was funded. [64816]

Mr. Ingram: The estimates provision at the start of the 2001–02 financial year for the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) was made up of £3,412 million for current and £612 million for capital expenditure. As I explained in my replies of 26 October 2001, Official Report, columns 405–06W and 31 October 2001, Official Report, columns 659–60W, in the normal course of business there are adjustments to these limits as the year unfolds which were reflected in the spring supplementary estimates. The revised estimates for the DLO were £4,442 million for current and £1,105 million for capital expenditure. The DLO resource accounts are still being finalised but currently show the DLO has contained its expenditure within these revised limits.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the duration is of the contract of the head of the Defence Export Services Organisation; and what his annual salary is in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [65267]

Dr. Moonie: The post of the Head of Defence Export Services (HDES) has been recently advertised as a 3-year contract, with the possibility of extension. The post is also offered as a secondment for the same duration.

A summary of the employment terms and conditions of the former HDES was submitted as written evidence to the March 1999 House of Commons Defence Committee Report on "The Appointment of the New Head of Defence Export Services". This indicates that the HDES salary for 2001–02 would fall within the Permanent Secretary pay band (£104,292-£179,022). The defence industries council then pays an additional element that would bring the salary to the level, which the individual would otherwise receive, in industry.

The HDES salary for 2002–03 will not be known until the current recruitment process has been completed (although the advertisement refers to an "attractive £ six figure package").

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the overseas offices of the Defence Export Services Organisation are situated; when each office was

1 Jul 2002 : Column 32W

established; how many staff are employed; and what the cost for 2001–02 and 2002–03 is for each. [65265]

Dr. Moonie: Details of overseas offices of the Defence Export Services Organisation are as follows:

Country	Date established	Number of staff	Budget 2001–02 (£000)
Australia	1989	2	144.3
Brunei	1995	2	93.4
Germany	1991	4	153.7
Greece	2000	1	50.1
India(24)	1984	2	145.4
Kuwait(25)	1989	9	213.8
Malaysia	1986	4.5	169.8
Qatar	1998	2	85.1
Saudi Arabia(26)	1985	59	0
Singapore	2001	2	131.7
South Africa	2000	2	79.8
South Korea	1988	2	63.1
Turkey	1988	1	91.3
UAE	1999	1	88.1

⁽²⁴⁾ Staff currently withdrawn

⁽²⁵⁾ Four staff are employed by the Kuwait Programme Office and are funded by the customer government.

⁽²⁶⁾ 59 staff are employed on the Al-Yamamah programme and are funded by the customer government.

Note:

Figures for financial year 2002–03 have not been set.

In addition there are staff in the British embassies in Berlin, Paris and Washington DC who are responsible for a range of defence equipment issues, including defence exports.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed within the Defence Export Services Organisation broken down by job title; and how many of the staff are employed in London. [65264]

Dr. Moonie: There are currently 610 staff employed within the Ministry of Defence, Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO), with 402 personnel employed in London.

A breakdown of the figures is as follows:

DESO business area	Number of staff
Marketing support	136
Military support, exhibitions, protocol and training	114
Export control, policy and finance/personnel	47
Project management	(27)226
Disposal services	87
Total	(28)610

⁽²⁷⁾ Project office staff are paid for by the customer

⁽²⁸⁾ Full-time equivalent staff

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the budget for the (a) Defence Export Services Organisation and (b) the Infantry Export Support Team in (i) the past two years, (ii) the current year and (iii) future years for which estimates are available. [65268]

Dr. Moonie: The budgets for DESO (Defence Export Services Organisation) and the export Support Teams is presented in the table.

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£ million

	DESO	Export Support Teams
2000–01	12.412	(29)1.920
2001–02	12.348	0.288
2002–03	14.251	0.366

⁽²⁹⁾ Figures for Infantry Support Team for 2000–01 cannot be separated from the overall figure for the Export Support Teams.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of staff of the Defence Export Services Organisation are seconded from industry; and what functions they perform. [65266]

Dr. Moonie: There are currently no industry secondees working within the Defence Export Services Organisation.

Aircraft Carriers

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days of operational capability per annum were achieved by aircraft carriers in each of the last five years; and how many days operational capability was specified for the two new carriers. [64800]

Mr. Ingram: The number of days of operational capability per annum achieved by the Royal Navy's Invincible-class aircraft carriers during the past five years was as follows:

	Days
1997	577
1998	494
1999	426
2000	527
2001	502

Operational requirements for the future carriers are still being developed. However, it is intended that at least one of the planned fleet of two ships will be operationally available at all times and ship availability will be comparable to that achieved for the existing three Invincible class carriers.

HMS Talent

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings will accrue from the withdrawal from operational service of HMS Talent ahead of her refit; and for what reasons HMS Talent has been laid up until her refit commences. [64818]

Mr. Ingram: HMS Talent reached her maximum permissible commission length in mid-June and has been laid-up prior to entering a long overhaul period in Devonport dockyard in spring 2003. The delay in starting the overhaul results from a need to profile the work load of Devonport dockyard efficiently, to deconflict with the refit of HMS Vanguard, and to balance available funds with more high priority competing demands. Few, if any, savings will accrue. The Royal Navy manpower released will be deployed elsewhere. Minor savings that might be realised from reduced operating costs will be offset by charges for essential services during the lay-up period.

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