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24 Feb 2003 : Column 304W—continued
Naval Rules of Engagement
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change the rules of engagement as they apply to Royal Navy warships facing suicide attack by small craft. [98234]
Mr. Ingram: Rules of engagement are classified as their disclosure could give an enemy information about the permissions and restrictions imposed on our forces. I am therefore withholding details in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Naval Vessels (Handover)
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the (a) revenue received from Romania for and (b) cost of modernising and preparing for handover (i) HMS Coventry and (ii) HMS London. [95887]
Mr. Ingram: The value to the United Kingdom of the first phase of the agreement is £116 million and includes the cost of modernisation and preparation of the ships for handover. I am withholding the details of the
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information requested in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information as it is commercial in confidence.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the main items to be (a) removed, (b) replaced and (c) upgraded in preparing (i) HMS Coventry and (ii) HMS London for handover to Romania. [95888]
Mr. Ingram: The Seawolf missile system, the towed array sonar and a number of smaller sensitive equipments will be removed from ex-HM Ships Coventry and London prior to handover to Romania. A medium range gun will be fitted together with an associated fire control system. Refurbished gas turbine units will be refitted into the ships and, in addition, the Command and Control System will be modified to take account of the weapons fit. No other major systems will be upgraded during the preparation phase.
Old Military Equipment
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on recycling old military equipment. [98299]
Mr. Ingram: Surplus and obsolete items are sold via the MOD's Disposal Services Agency (DSA) on a Governments-Government basis, through either competitive tender or a marketing partnership with Industry to achieve the maximum return for the taxpayer. The DSA has sole delegated authority to sell military equipment declared as surplus by the Armed Forces. Surplus equipment is sold either for re-utilisation for its original (military) purpose, for a secondary (commercial) purpose or for scrap.
Procurement
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when the orders for the second batch of Astute class submarines will be placed; and for how many boats; [98245]
- (2) whether the schedule for ordering later batches of Astute class submarines has been affected by the delayed building of the first batch. [98244]
Mr. Ingram: An agreed programme for the first buy of Astute is a pre-requisite of any future orders. On current plans, a decision on the timing and detail of future submarine orders is expected later this year.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Defence Procurement Agency expects to award a contract for the 5.56 mm light machine guns; how much these guns will weigh; how many units will be produced; when the guns will come into full service; what the length is of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [98350]
Mr. Ingram: The Light Machine Gun requirement is for a weapon system with ancillaries that weighs less than 20 kg when loaded with a belt of 200 rounds. A contract for around 2,500 weapons is expected to be placed before the summer to achieve an approved in service date of 2004. The contract will take up to three years to complete.
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Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to award a contract for the Light Forces Anti-Tank Guided Weapon System; how many units will be produced; what part of the Army will use it; when it will come into service; what the length is of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [98351]
Mr. Ingram: The Light Forces Anti-Tank Guided Weapon System contract, for in excess of 350 systems, was placed on 7 February 2003 and is expected to be completed in 2010.
The system is expected to enter service with the Joint Rapid Reaction Forces and the Mechanised Infantry in 2006.
Research and Development
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of his Department's total expenditure on military research and development in each year from 1990–91 to 2003–04 (planned); and if he will make a statement. [96644]
Mr. Ingram: Research and Development figures for the years up to and including 2000–01 are published by the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) in "UK Defence Statistics" and before 1992 were reported in "Volume 2 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates" (both of these are available in the Library of the House). All figures are net of receipts and include recoverable VAT, the Technology Demonstrator Programme (TDP) and certain other minor research items.
On this basis the figures covering expenditure by the Ministry of Defence on Research and Development for 1990–91 to 2000–01, as published in UK Defence Statistics, are given as follows:
| Year | Research expenditure | Development expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 1990–91 | 412 | 1,926 |
| 1991–92 | 466 | 2,091 |
| 1992–93 | 513 | 1,568 |
| 1993–94 | 654 | 1,625 |
| 1994–95 | 665 | 1,366 |
| 1995–96 | 676 | 1,394 |
| 1996–97 | 705 | 1,440 |
| 1997–98 | 656 | 1,655 |
| 1998–99 | 620 | 1,476 |
| 1999–2000 | 584 | 1,761 |
| 2000–01 | 558 | 1,821 |
The Ministry of Defence does not have a specific research and development budget. There is a research budget covering non-nuclear research known as the Research Building Block. Separately, the MOD has a much larger budget for the acquisition of equipment within which some expenditure may be regarded as equipment development and some as equipment production. The development element of the acquisition expenditure is not used as a control total. The amount that is statistically counted as development (rather than production) in any one year is largely a consequence of the stage of the procurement cycle at which major equipment projects happen to be in the year in question. Expenditure on 'development' for 2001–02 to 2003–04 is therefore not yet separately identifiable.
Research figures for the years 2001–02 to 2003–04 have been compiled according to the principles of Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB). The figures as follows are for the Research Building Block expenditure and forecasts. All the above figures for these three years exclude recoverable VAT, the Technology Demonstrator Programme (TDP) and other minor research items.
MOD Research Expenditure covering years 2001–02 to 2003–04 (inclusive):
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| Year | Research expenditure |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 414 (actual) |
| 2002–03 | 418 (forecast) |
| 2003–04 | 421 (provisional) |
Royal Naval Vessels
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Royal naval vessels (a) scrapped, (b) sold, together with revenue received and (c) downgraded to reserve status in each of the past five years. [92961]
Mr. Ingram: The major former Royal Naval vessels (named capital ships) sold by the Ministry of Defence's Disposal Services Agency (DSA) in the last five years are listed as follows:
| Year | Vessels sold as scrap |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | HMS Birmingham, HMS Beaver, RFA Olwen, RFA Olna |
| 2001–02 | HMS Herald |
| Vessels sold (or otherwise transferred) on a Government-to-Government basis or commercially | |
| 1998–99 | HMS Soberton, HMS Egeria, HMY Britannia |
| 1999–2000 | HMS Kellington |
| 2000–01 | HMS Wilton, HMS Bicester, HMS Orkney |
| 2001–02 | HMS Bulldog, HMS Berkeley, HMS Orwell |
| 2002–03 | HMS Beagle, HMS London, HMS Coventry, HMSShetland, HMS Alderney, HMS Anglesey, HMSLindisfarne, HMS Guernsey |
The net revenue to the MOD received from these sales is approximately £26.5 million.
As well as these larger ships, numerous minor vessels have been sold commercially by the DSA or via the DSA's marketing agreements, such as tugs and marine support craft.
Additionally, Canada has acquired the four ex-RN Upholder class submarines. The acquisition takes the form of an eight-year lease with an option for outright purchase. The first of the submarines was handed over to Canada on 6 October 2000 with the second submarine being handed over on 4 October 2001. The third submarine is to be handed over to Canada on 21 February 2003, with the fourth boat following later in 2003. Canada has exercised its option to purchase outright the first of the submarines, ex-HMS Unseen. The value of the lease to buy arrangement with Canada (undertaken by the MOD's Upholder Programme), which includes the submarines, training and initial spares, is some 610 million Canadian dollars.
No Royal Naval vessels were put in reserve in any of the last five years.
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