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Type 45 Destroyer
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the type 45 destroyer could offer a ballistic missile defence capability. [68774]
Dr. Moonie: The type 45 destroyer has been designed with substantial weight and space margins to enable its capability to be upgraded through life. At present, no Ministry of Defence studies have been done to assess its specific suitability for a Ballistic Missile Defence role.
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) planned capabilities and (b) strategic purposes and systems for type 45 destroyer. [68773]
Dr. Moonie: The type 45 will be a versatile destroyer capable of contributing to world-wide maritime and joint operations in multi-threat environments and providing a specialist air warfare capability. With regard to the planned capabilities and systems for the warship, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 April 2001, Official Report, column 232, to the hon. Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies). As the design of the type 45 progresses, opportunities to upgrade the ship's capability are being identified and acted upon. During the
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past year it has been confirmed that all type 45s will be fitted with sonar during build and all will be fully interoperable with Merlin helicopters.
Defence Housing Executive
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms exist for ensuring that Defence Housing Executive achieve value for money; what criteria are used to assess their performance; and if he will make a statement. [69070]
Dr. Moonie: The Defence Housing Executive has been set challenging targets each year since its establishment as an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Defence in 1999. In 2001–02 these targets were as follows:
Key Target 1
To house at least 72 per cent. of families in accommodation that matches their entitlement by posting date or on return to Great Britain from overseas; and at least 93 per cent. within 28 days of their required date.
Key Target 2
Less than 5 per cent. of occupants should experience significant defects within 14 days of moving in.
Key Target 3
To complete the planned upgrade of 2,400 properties by 31 March 2002 as part of the programme to upgrade core stock by November 2005.
Key Target 4
To complete at least 95 per cent. of emergency repairs within 24 hours of notification; at least 90 per cent. of urgent repairs within five working days of notification; at least 95 per cent. of routine repairs within two months of notification.
Key Target 5
To reduce the management margin progressively towards 10 per cent. by November 2005, better to balance supply and demand, while delivering other key targets.
All the above targets have been met except that key target 4 on repairs indicates a slight shortfall in performance on urgent and emergency orders, although urgent repairs were considerably improved over the previous year. Targets for routine repairs were met.
Armed Services Accommodation
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the standard practice for Defence Housing Executive branches on records of repairs done on housing. [69462]
Dr. Moonie: Requests for repairs are logged locally on the Defence Housing Executive IT database. The database is nationally networked and each administrative stage of the repairs process is electronically managed to the stage of financial completion. Records are stored electronically and supported by hard copies of works orders and invoices.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married quarters there are in Warminster, broken down by standard of condition. [69695]
Dr. Moonie: There are 601 service family quarters in Warminster, of which 85 are at Standard 1 for condition, 443 at Standard 2 and 73 at Standard 3. Just under 90 per cent. are thus at Standard 2 or above.
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Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to improve the standard of service families' accommodation in Wiltshire. [69696]
Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 July 2002, Official Report, column 846W.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) single living accommodation and (b) single family accommodation was empty in each month since January; and if he will make a statement. [69461]
Dr. Moonie: The figures for empty single living accommodation are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The approximate figures for vacant service family accommodation (SFA) in mainland United Kingdom at the end of each month from January to June 2002 is as follows:
| Figures | |
|---|---|
| January | 10,500 |
| February | 10,300 |
| March | 8,800 |
| April | 8,500 |
| May | 8,600 |
| June | 8,800 |
Many disposals took effect in March 2002. Since January 2000, over 10,000 surplus SFA have been released for disposal. Of the properties currently vacant, some 2,400 properties are in the course of disposal; some 2,300 are held for future unit deployments; 1,100 are awaiting modernisation and the remainder are available to incoming occupants or already under offer to them.
Gulf War Veterans
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the findings of work sponsored by the US Administration that Gulf War veterans have a reduced ability to metabolise organophosphates due to reduced levels of the PON1 enzyme (paraoxonase) in their blood; [68766]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the findings of work commissioned by the US Administration that N-acetylaspartate levels are reduced in the right and left basal ganglia of Gulf War veterans compared with those in a control group, resulting in reduced dopamine production; [68767]
(3) what assessment he has made of the findings of the research commissioned by the US Administration from Robert W. Haley of the University of Texas relating to variants of Gulf War Syndrome. [68768]
Dr. Moonie: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Procurement Executive
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of Procurement Executive operating costs (a) in each year since 1997–98 and (b) at the latest date for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [69084]
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Dr. Moonie [holding answer 11 July 2002]: The Procurement Executive (PE) was vested as the Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) in 1999. The cash figures in the table show the PE/DPA operating costs for each of the years in question. There have been various structural changes over these years; accounting conventions have also changed with the move from cash to resource budgets. It has not been possible to adjust the figures fully to reflect these changes. Cash figures for 2001–02 have yet to be finalised.
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 282 |
| 1998–99 | 247 |
| 1999–2000 | 249 |
| 2000–01 | 237 |
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Procurement Executive was ready for agency status; and if he will make a statement. [69104]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 11 July 2002]: The Procurement Executive became the Defence Procurement Agency when the agency was vested on 1 April 1999.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of average in-year slippage for the Procurement Executive of the in-service dates of new major projects in each year since 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [69085]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 11 July 2002]: The average amount of in-year slippage to the in-service dates for the Ministry of Defence's major projects in 1997–98 was four months; in 1998–99 seven months; in 1999–2000 three months; and in 2000–01 one month. The MOD is currently gathering data for 2001–02.
Strategic Lift
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action has been taken to enhance strategic lift by (a) securing additional roll on/roll off container ships and (b) purchasing additional large transport aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [69097]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 11 July 2002]: As I announced on 27 June 2002, Official Report, column 1038W, an enhanced sealift capability of up to six roll on/roll off ships will be available from 2003 under PFI arrangements agreed with AWSR Shipping Ltd. Our strategic airlift capability has been enhanced by the acquisition of Hercules C130J aircraft and leased C-17s. We also plan to introduce around the end of the decade the A400M transport aircraft, the contract for which we are working to make effective at the earliest opportunity.
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