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Defence Procurement

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 20 June 2003, Official Report, column 510W, on defence procurement, what assessment he has made of the ability of his Department to forecast the in service dates (ISD) and costs of major procurement projects; what plans he has for ensuring that projects are delivered (a) on their forecast ISD and (b) on their original budget; and if he will make a statement. [122315]

Mr. Ingram: An important element of the defence "Smart Acquisition" process is the reduction of risk during the early phases of a programme so that at the main approval point ("Main Gate") there is a high level of confidence that project targets, including ISD and budgets, will be achieved. In support of this risk reduction process the use of a Three Point Estimating methodology for both time and cost has been approved.

To ensure the quality of our estimating the Department provides guidance, training and computer tools to support the process. In addition specialist support for both the production of estimates and the risk management process is available.

The Defence Procurement Agency this year created two teams to support project offices across the Defence Acquisition community in using a systematic methodology for risk management and estimating. A key element of this initiative is the use of a Risk Maturity Model to assess major projects against a number of perspectives, including whether risks have been fully identified and analysed, whether risk mitigation controls are being managed as planned, and whether the projects are positioned to provide robust and reliable estimates of both time and cost to completion.

The Model assessment gives an indication of how well risk and estimating are being managed within a project through the provision of a Level score from 1, naive through to 4, natural. From March 2004, all of our high value projects seeking Main Gate approval will be expected to have achieved a score of Level 3 or better, which will mean that projects have built the management of risk into their routine business processes and are implementing risk management throughout the project.

The Department continues to monitor closely its performance in forecasting and continually seeks examples of good practice which may be adopted to enhance and improve our existing processes and performance.

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Eurofighter/Typhoon Programme

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimated additional cost to the Euro fighter/Typhoon programme is attributable to the delays to that programme. [123062]

Mr. Ingram: The estimated additional cost to the Euro fighter Typhoon programme attributable to the two delays since the production contracts were placed in 1998 is approximately £610 million. Some 25 per cent. of this represents additional cash expenditure incurred by the Department because of inflation. The remaining 75 per cent. represents 'non-cash' cost of capital charges incurred by the Defence Procurement Agency as a result of the delayed transfer of asset balances to the RAF. This element does not represent a net increase in costs to the Department or the exchequer.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Typhoon aircraft will be procured; when they will all have come into service; what their combat role will be; and how this has changed since they were first designed. [124050]

Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom has given an undertaking, as a signatory to a 4-nation memorandum of understanding, to acquire 232 Typhoon aircraft out of a total production of 620. Our commitment to the programme remains unchanged, although—in common with all other elements of the defence programme—Typhoon is kept under constant review. The delivery of aircraft to the Royal Air Force has now begun and will continue through to the middle of the next decade. The aircraft was designed, to be multi-role; this has not changed. When it becomes available for operational deployment in the second half of this decade, it will be configured primarily to conduct air defence missions but will also have a limited ground attack capability. Typhoon's ground attack capability will be augmented through an incremental enhancement programme.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Typhoon fighter aircraft will be adaptable for use in the Future Aircraft Carriers. [124468]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 May 2003, Official Report, column 678W.

Food Supplies

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where apples consumed by the armed forces are produced. [124467]

Mr. Ingram: The source of fresh produce supplied to the armed forces is dictated by growing seasons and varies during the year. At the present time apples are sourced from the United Kingdom, United States and Chile.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether under the proposed Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft PFI (a) the contractor and (b) his Department will be responsible for war damage. [123551]

Mr. Ingram: Under the terms of a PFI contract, liability for damage, including war damage, to the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft assets would be

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covered either through commercial insurance arranged by the contractor or by means of an indemnity provided to the contractor by the Ministry of Defence, depending on the circumstances involved. The detailed arrangements will be subject to final negotiation with industry.

FV430 Armoured Vehicles

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many FV430 series armoured vehicles are operational with the Army; and what the (a) oldest and (b) youngest FV430 vehicle in service is. [123654]

Mr. Ingram: The FV430 fleet consists of 1,720 vehicles, some 1,400 of which are currently active within Army Units. Other vehicles are held either in Depot, undergoing Base Overhaul, or are employed with trials Units or Contractors. The fleet is planned to reduce to a total of 1,490 by mid-2004.

Of the vehicles remaining in service, the oldest entered service on 1 May 1965 and the youngest on 1 February 1975.

Gulf War

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the accuracy was of bombs dropped in the Gulf War. [115595]

Mr. Ingram: I am withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 1a of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to defence, security and international relations.

Iraq

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution the UK is making towards the re-establishment of the Iraqi armed forces; and if he will make a statement. [124358]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 July 2003, Official Report, columns 448–49W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Baillieston (Mr. Wray).

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether additional troops will be sent to Iraq for peacekeeping operations. [124463]

Mr. Ingram: We are currently engaged in a process of roulement of forces which is due to be complete by 1 August. In addition, we anticipate the arrival of around 5,500 military personnel from a number of other nations.

The United Kingdom military will continue to maintain an appropriate presence in the Gulf region for as long as necessary, and will remain a key player in multinational stabilisation operations in Iraq. Our aim remains to leave an Iraq that is confident, secure and fully integrated with the international community.

Less-than-lethal Weapons

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) political control provisions and (b) ethical

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guidelines are in place for public sector bodies and their subcontractors who are testing and evaluating less-than-lethal weapons. [123026]

Mr. Ingram: All weapons procured by the Ministry of Defence are subject to legal review in accordance with Article 36 of the 1977 First Additional Protocol to the 1949 Geneva Conventions and all new weapons and means and methods of warfare are reviewed to confirm their acceptability relative to the United Kingdom's obligations under the law of armed conflict. There are no exemptions for legal review for non-lethal or less-lethal weapons.

The main ethical consideration in evaluating such weapons derives from the potential effects on personnel taking part in testing. All evaluations involving human volunteers are subject to ethical constraints, specified in the Guidelines of the Royal College of Physicians. All MOD trials need to be approved by a MOD ethics committee following these guidelines. Trials involving sub-contractors are approved by a committee formed by that sub-contractor.

Medical Personnel

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the number of bombs dropped on Iraq by British forces during the recent conflict which hit their intended target; and if he will make a statement. [113261]

Mr. Ingram: I am withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 1a of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to defence, security and international relations.

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