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7 Nov 2002 : Column 467W—continued
Army Regiments
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Army regiments are running at more than five per cent. below their recommended complement of enlisted men; and if he will make a statement; [78275]
- (2) how many Army regiments are running at more than 10 per cent. below their recommended complement of enlisted men; and if he will make a statement. [78283]
7 Nov 2002 : Column 468W
Mr. Ingram: The information requested is not held by Regiment, but by Arms/Corps. Those Arms/Corps running at more than five per cent below their recommended compliment of enlisted men are shown in the table below:
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps | -37.79 |
| Army Air Corps | -15.81 |
| Royal Army Veterinary Corps | -13.99 |
| Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers | -11.99 |
| Army Physical Training Corps | -10.72 |
| Royal Logistic Corps | -10.06 |
| Royal Army Medical Corps | -8.50 |
| Corps of Army Music | -7.87 |
| Royal Engineers | -7.62 |
| Adjutant General's Corps (Staff and Personnel Support) | -6.47 |
| Royal Signals | -6.12 |
Those Arms/Corps running at more than ten per cent. below their recommended compliment of enlisted men are shown in the table below:
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps | -37.79 |
| Army Air Corps | -15.81 |
| Royal Army Veterinary Corps | -13.99 |
| Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers | -11.99 |
| Army Physical Training Corps | -10.72 |
| Royal Logistic Corps | -10.06 |
Enlisted men are taken to be all other ranks. All figures are as at 1 September 2002 and for trained personnel only.
Medical Reservists
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many medical specialists, and in which specialisations, there are in the Reserves. [78319]
Dr. Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to include medical staff in a call up of reservists in respect of planned military action against terrorism. [78577]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 31 October 2002]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 4 November 2002, Official Report, column 5W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr. Cohen). A decision to call-out medical reservists for any future military operations would be made at that time.
UK-owned Equipment
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with the governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman concerning the operation of UK-owned and operated equipment of Israeli origin from their territories. [78465]
Dr. Moonie: No such discussions have taken place.
7 Nov 2002 : Column 469W
Armed Forces' Equipment
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by country the manufacturing supply source of (a) boots and (b) berets used by United Kingdom armed forces; and if he will make a statement. [78574]
Dr. Moonie: There are currently 12 companies manufacturing boots (ranging from safety boots to combat boots and uniform dress boots) of which ten are United Kingdom based, one Spanish and the other Italian. Our existing stocks of berets were procured from two United Kingdom based companies. We are currently evaluating tenders from a number of UK and overseas-based companies for a new contract to supply berets for UK Armed Forces.
Warships
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when each of the Type 42 destroyers will decommission. [78657]
Dr. Moonie: On current plans the operational decommissioning dates of each Type 42 Destroyer in the Royal Navy are as follows:
| Type 42 Destroyer | HMS | Planned Operational Decommissioning date |
|---|---|---|
| Batch 1 | Cardiff | 2008 |
| Newcastle | 2007 | |
| Glasgow | 2010 | |
| Batch 2 | Exeter | 2011 |
| Southampton | 2012 | |
| Nottingham | 2012 | |
| Liverpool | 2010 | |
| Batch 3 | Manchester | 2013 |
| Gloucester | 2013 | |
| Edinburgh | 2014 | |
| York | 2014 |
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of HMS Portland, HMS Kent and HMS St. Albans was. [78662]
Dr. Moonie: The costs of HMS Portland, HMS Kent and HMS St. Albans, including construction and installation of on-board systems, such as weapons and communications are shown in the table below:
| Ships | # million |
|---|---|
| HMS Kent | 128.062 |
| HMS Portland | 124.918 |
| HMS St. Albans | 125.659 |
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision on the Warship Modernisation Project; how the announcement will be made; and if he will make a statement. [44735]
Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
7 Nov 2002 : Column 470W
Joint Strike Fighter
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the new STOVL Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. [78973]
Dr. Moonie: We announced on 30 September 2002 that the Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has been selected to meet our Future Joint Combat Aircraft (FJCA) requirement. This decision represents a major step forward for the United Kingdom's future expeditionary air power capability, and builds on our unique and valuable knowledge of STOVL aircraft acquired during nearly four decades of operations with Harrier on land and at sea.
The announcement has also been welcomed by British industry, which is playing a key role in the JSF programme and will help ensure that the UK retains its leading position in a major area of aerospace technology. Indeed, industry estimates that its involvement could be worth up to #27 billion over the whole life of the programme, creating or securing some 8,500 jobs.
Future Integrated Soldier Technology
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on the Future Integrated Soldier Technology programme. [78979]
Dr. Moonie: The final stage of a competition to choose a Prime Contractor for the Assessment Phase of the Future Integrated Soldier Technology programme is currently underway, involving BAE SYSTEMS Ltd and Thales Optronics Ltd. Selection of a single Prime Contractor is planned for early 2003.
Rotorcraft
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Royal Navy's Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft requirement. [78978]
Dr. Moonie: The Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR) requirement is to deliver a surveillance and attack capability in open ocean and littoral areas in support of maritime, joint or combined operations using a maritime helicopter operating from assigned frigates and destroyers. The requirement will include targeting, Anti-Surface and Anti-Submarine weapon delivery, and battle damage assessment. In addition, it will provide Search and Rescue (SAR), humanitarian support and constabulary capabilities.
SCMR will succeed and enhance the capability currently provided by the Maritime Lynx Mk3 and Mk8 helicopters. These have, for decades, provided excellent service on our frigates and destroyers, but are nearing the end of their useful life. SCMR will be capable of operating from Type 23 frigates, the Future Surface Combatant, and Type 45 destroyers. SCMR is currently in its Assessment Phase and is planned to be phased into service during the second half of the decade.
7 Nov 2002 : Column 471W
Harassment
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Army indicated when last questioned that they believe that (a) harassment, (b) discrimination and (c) bullying are problems in (i) their immediate area of work and (ii) the Army as a whole; what percentage of those responding this represents; what percentage of actual strength this represents; and if he will make a statement. [78634]
Mr. Ingram: In response to the latest Army Continuous Attitude Survey, 197 members of those surveyed indicated they believed that harassment, discrimination or bullying are problems within their immediate work area; this represents 11 per cent. of those who responded and 5 per cent. of those surveyed. In addition, 878 members of the Army indicated, in the same survey, that they believed harassment, discrimination and bullying are problems within the British Army; this represents 43 per cent. of those who responded and some 22 per cent. of those surveyed.
The latest survey was undertaken in March–April 2002 and sent to a 4 per cent. random sample of the trained Army (excluding Gurkhas and Full Time Reserve Service); 3,978 questionnaires were sent out and 2,037 were returned.
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