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ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Postal Voting

27. Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if he will make a statement on the Commission's research on postal vote arrangements. [122059]

Mr. Viggers: The Electoral Commission published a report on the law and practice in relation to postal and proxy voting in March. The Commission's evaluation of the pilot schemes run at the local government elections in England in May, including those schemes that involved all-postal voting, will be submitted to Government on 31 July 2003.

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DEFENCE

A and P Shipbuilders

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) refit and (b) other work which his Department has placed with A and P Shipbuilders in each of the past four years. [122734]

Mr. Ingram: The following contracts, all relating to Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels, were awarded to the A and P Group during the period 1 June 1999 to 31 May 2003:

	Refit	Planned Upkeep/MaintenanceWork	Other work
1999	Sir Tristram	Sir Bedivere
	Brambleleaf	Sir Galahad
	Diligence
2000	Oak Leaf	Gold Rover
2001	Sir Galahad	Fort Austin	Sea
	Sir Geraint	Orangeleaf	Crusader
		Grey Rover	(return charter)
		Sir Bedivere
		Sea Centurion
		Sir Tristram
		Sir Percivale
		Sir Galahad
2002	Sir Rosalie	Brambleleaf	Fort Victoria
		Gold Rover	(propeller repair)
		Fort Victoria
2003	Nil	Oakleaf

In addition, the company was awarded a contract for small vessel repair/refurbishment work in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Army Housing

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of Army house removals in each year since 1999; and what the average volumes were for those moves. [122470]

Mr. Caplin: The information requested is taking time to collate. As soon as this is complete, I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Bereaved Service Families

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he is taking in support of widows and partners of service personnel who died in the Gulf conflict. [122708]

Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 1 May 2003, Official Report, columns 452–53W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Redcar (Ms Baird).

Cluster Munitions

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected service life was of the BL755 when it entered service; and whether projects are under way to extend its service life. [121602]

Mr. Ingram: BL755 entered service in 1971 with a planned service life of 15 to 20 years. It is currently planned that it will go out of service around the end

30 Jun 2003 : Column 36W

of the decade. Surveillance trials are conducted periodically to confirm that it continues to provide a usable capability.

Compendium of Ministry of DefenceAcquisition Requirements

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the latest version of the Compendium of Ministry of Defence Acquisition Requirements; and when he intends to publish another version. [120872]

Mr. Ingram: The Compendium has previously been published as a companion annual supplement to the fortnightly Ministry of Defence Contracts Bulletin. The compendium was produced to provide the defence industry with a consolidated list of the MOD's approved requirements for future equipment and services for the armed forces. However, defence industry interest in the document has declined significantly and, in view of the resource taken to compile it, we have decided that the Compendium will no longer be published. MOD's requirements continue to be advertised in the MOD's Contracts Bulletin which provides up to date information for our suppliers and potential suppliers.

The final edition of the Compendium of MOD Acquisition Requirements (for 2001) was published as a Special Issue of the Contracts Bulletin in January 2002. I am placing a copy of this in the Library of the House.

Defence Medical Services (Iraq)

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 18 June 2003, Official Report, column 252W, on Operation Telic, how many personnel currently serving in Operation Telic have been medically downgraded; and what percentage of the total personnel deployed this represents. [122177]

Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 June 2003, Official Report, column 252W.

Defence Projects (Israel)

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Government of Israel concerning a new generation jet fighter project in collaboration with the Netherlands. [121676]

Mr. Ingram: None.

Defence Systems Exhibition

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's role in the Defence Systems and Equipment International Exhibition being held in Docklands in September. [120998]

Mr. Ingram: The exhibition is an international trade event organised by a commercial company. The role of the Ministry of Defence is in inviting a number of Official Defence Delegations and as sponsor of a stand and demonstrations by British Army teams. Subject to operational constraints, two RN ships are planned to be

30 Jun 2003 : Column 37W

present. A letter of welcome to the Exhibition by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence will appear in the printed catalogue.

Departmental Targets

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what targets his Department had in place with (a) non-departmental public bodies, (b) non-governmental organisations, (c) consular offices, (d) research bodies and (e) agencies in (i) 2000–01, (ii) 2001–02 and (iii) 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [122041]

Mr. Caplin: Key targets for Ministry of Defence agencies are announced annually through a written statement in the House; these include two Trading Fund agencies who are the Department's primary research bodies. The Department does not have comparable systems of targets in place in relation to non-departmental public bodies, non-governmental organisations, or consular offices.

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what targets his Department had in place with (a) the Performance Assessment Network, (b) the Performance Reporting Information System for Management and (c) the Multilateral Organisations' Performance Assessment Initiative in (i) 2000–01, (ii) 2001–02 and (iii) 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [122042]

Mr. Caplin: None.

Euro

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he received the Treasury documents relating to the five economic tests and the 18 background studies; what discussions he has held with ministerial colleagues on the tests since receipt of the documents; when he expects to complete his analysis of the documents; and what representations (a) he and (b) departmental officials will make to other Departments before a decision is reached on the economic tests. [115392]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) the Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 23 June 2003, Official Report, column 640W.

Executive Agencies

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people work for the Defence Analytical Services Agency; how many are employed in Scotland; what the personnel costs of the agency are; and how these figures compare to 2002. [119285]

Mr. Caplin: The Defence Analytical Services Agency currently employs around 150 civilian staff at seven locations. As last year, no staff are employed in Scotland. The total personnel costs for financial year 2002–03 were just over £4.4 million compared to around £4.0 million for financial year 2001–02.

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Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people work for the Defence Procurement Agency; how many are employed in Scotland; what the personnel costs of the agency are; and how these figures compare to 2002. [119295]

Mr. Caplin: The Defence Procurement Agency employs approximately 4,500 civilian and military staff, of which 119 are in Scotland compared to 122 in 2002. The total Defence Procurement Agency personnel costs for financial year 2002–03 were just under £138 million, compared with an estimated £147 million for financial year 2003–04.

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