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Tanks
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effects the implementation of whole fleet management will have on (a) the number of tanks in the British Army and (b) their state of readiness. [64815]
Mr. Ingram: The implementation of whole fleet management will have no effect on the number of tanks in the British Army. Operational analysis suggests that it should lead to an improvement in operational readiness.
Defence Attachés
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at how many British embassies defence attachés were stationed in each financial year since 1999–2000. [65269]
Dr. Moonie: The number of British embassies at which attachés were stationed in each financial year since 1999–2000 is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | (30)71 |
| 2000–01 | 74 |
| 2001–02 | (31)76 |
| 2002–03 | 81 |
(30) Increasing to 75 by October 2000 as a result of the attaché review
(31) Increasing to 80 by October 2001 as a result of the attaché review
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the functions of defence attachés, stating the percentage of time devoted to each function. [65272]
Dr. Moonie: As a result of the Strategic Defence Review, defence attachés and advisers have six core functions. The percentage of time devoted to each function is estimated as:
- Support to defence diplomacy: 33 per cent.
Provision of operational military advice: 26 per cent.
Provision of politico-military advice: 7 per cent.
Support to Defence Intelligence: 5 per cent.
Support to Defence Exports: 11 per cent.
Representation and administrative support: 18 per cent.
Dr. Moonie: The number of defence attachés that were employed by the Ministry of Defence in each financial year since 1999–2000 is as follows.
| Financial year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 118 |
| 2000–01 | 124 |
| 2001–02 | 126 |
| 2002–03 | 127 |
Ministerial Visits
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) overseas visits by Ministers in his Department and (b) visits to ministers in the United Kingdom by overseas Government Ministers and officials have taken place in each of the last three years in which United Kingdom arms sales were discussed. [65274]
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Dr. Moonie: Defence Ministers regularly meet with their overseas counterparts and with other senior officials to discuss a range of defence matters, including defence export opportunities. Details of such discussions are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Defence Exhibitions
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what costs were incurred by his Department in providing military land and personnel support to defence exhibitions in each financial year since 1999–2000. [65273]
Dr. Moonie: Assistance to exhibitions is provided from a wide range of departmental sources which contribute to a greater and lesser degree according to their responsibilities. The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Project Aquatrine
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of Project Aquatrine. [66236]
Dr. Moonie: Project Aquatrine will transfer the responsibility for the maintenance and operation of all the Ministry of Defence's water and wastewater assets and infrastructure in Great Britain to private sector providers.
There are three contracts for water and wastewater service provision. An initiation to negotiate for the first contract covering South West England and Wales was issued on 16 July 2001 and it is anticipated that a preferred bidder will be selected by the end of 2002.
Invitations to negotiate for the remaining two contracts covering Scotland and the North and East of England, to be issued to six bidders, on 3 July for the North and East of England contract and 10 July 2002 for the Scottish contract.
The consortia invited to negotiate for the Scotland contract are:
- Brey Utilities;
Nevis Water—comprising Thames Water plc and Scottish Water; and
United Utilities/Morgan Est/Babtie Consortium.
- Brey Utilities—comprising Yorkshire Water Services Limited, Earth Tech Engineering Limited, Halliburton Brown and Root Limited;
Diamond Alliance Ltd;
Thames Water plc; and
United Utilities/Morgan Est/Babtie Consortium.
Colchester Garrison
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about (a) the original projected cost and (b) the current estimated cost of the building of the new Colchester Garrison. [65759]
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Mr. Ingram: The information requested is commercial in confidence, and, at this stage, is being withheld under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
RAF Training
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the savings to the RAF would be if all subcontracted hours for initial training of pilots were transferred from the University Air Squadrons to private sector trainers. [65390]
Mr. Ingram: The University Air Squadrons already have significant private sector involvement with a contractor providing flying hours and support services. Significant savings arose from this contract and they will be quantified by the post project evaluation, which is due to be undertaken later this year. University Air Squadron instructors are RAF officers. We view it as an important element of training that trainee pilots have the benefit of a military environment and contact with military personnel.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pilots trained by (a) the Joint Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Church Fenton and (b) University Air Squadrons have subsequently (i) joined the RAF and (ii) chosen not to do so in each of the past five years. [65392]
Mr. Ingram: All of the pilots trained by the Joint Elementary Flying Training School at Church Fenton are already members of the RAF.
In the case of the University Air Squadrons, the numbers are not immediately available and I will write to the hon. Member when the information has been gathered and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flying hours the 15 University Air Squadrons were contracted to provide to the RAF during each of the years of their existing contract; and how many hours were delivered in each of these years. [65294]
Mr. Ingram: Flying hours, using the Tutor aircraft, are provided to the University Air Squadrons as part of the light aircraft flying task contract. Although this contract was let in April 1999, it was phased in with the last aircraft delivered in September 2001. Consequently, there is not yet a history of delivery of flying hours against the contract. The contract also provides flying hours to the Air Cadet Air Experience Flights and the Central Flying School at RAF Cranwell, to train instructions and also to conduct elementary navigator training. The contract provides 30,500 hours with an option to fly up to 50,000 hours. The additional hours are paid for only if used. In the year ending March 2002 just under 40,000 hours were flown.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to renew the contract of the Joint Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Church Fenton. [65389]
Mr. Ingram: The contract with Babcock HCS to provide Firefly aircraft and instructors for the Joint Elementary Flying Training School, which operates at RAF Barkston Heath, RAF Cranwell, RAF Church Fenton and the School of Army Aviation at Middle Wallop, ends
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on 7 July 2003. The cost effective means of meeting the Joint Elementary Flying Training School's requirement after this will be to absorb the RAF element of the task, which is undertaken at Church Fenton, into the University Air Squadrons, where the majority of RAF pilots are already trained. The balance of the task has been the subject of a competition and a contract will be let shortly.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Joint Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Church Fenton provided the contracted hours per year to the RAF during the existing contract. [65394]
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the criteria used by his Department to evaluate the success of the Joint Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Church Fenton to train RAF pilots in the elementary stage of their flying career; and if he will make a statement. [65297]
Mr. Ingram: Success is judged by the output of students on time, to the required standard, and with a failure rate of less than 15 per cent. The School at Church Fenton has met these criteria.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the proposed saving to the RAF is if the Joint Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Church Fenton's contract for flying hours is returned to the university air squadrons. [65296]
Mr. Ingram: Significant annual savings are anticipated.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used by the Department to evaluate the success of the 15 university air squadrons in training RAF pilots in the elementary stage of their flying careers; and whether comparative evaluation has been made with the Joint Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Church Fenton. [65388]
Mr. Ingram: Elementary flying training for members of University Air Squadrons is undertaken to a defined syllabus and output standard. A direct comparison of University Air Squadron trained and Joint Elementary Flying Training School trained RAF pilots is seen at the point of streaming to aircraft type (fast jet, rotary wing, or multi-engine), which follows immediately after elementary flying training. At this point, there is no discernible difference between them. Historically, a comparison of success rates through to the more difficult fast-jet front line has shown a small advantage for University Air Squadron trained students.
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