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10 Jul 2003 : Column 936W—continued
Multi-role Armoured Vehicle
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Government's policy is on the MRAV programme; and what variants of the type he intends to procure. [123547]
Mr. Ingram: We are reviewing the mix of armoured vehicles in the light of emerging expeditionary doctrine and the need for lighter, more deployable forces; the MRAV programme is being considered as part of this study. The review is nearing completion and we hope to make an announcement shortly.
Nimrod
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the proposed job losses due to the halting of the production phase of the Nimrod and the impact on the retention of skills, experience and product knowledge; and if he will make a statement; [118075]
- (2) if he will convene a meeting with BAe Systems, the trade unions, and the MoD procurement arm on the proposed job losses that are to occur in June due to the decision to halt the production phase of the Nimrod; if he will urge BAe Systems to defer the redundancies while talks take place; and if he will make a statement. [118109]
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Mr. Ingram: I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 13 June 2003, Official Report, column 1113W,
Nuclear Deterrence
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of nuclear deterrence policy, with special reference to Rolls Royce Marine Power Operations Ltd.'s decommissioning from 2013. [123488]
Mr. Caplin: Our policy on nuclear deterrence was set out in the Strategic Defence Review. Its implementation takes account of relevant industrial issues.
Parliamentary Questions
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the question 119684 ;and if he will state the reasons for the delay. [124911]
Mr. Caplin: I hope to be in a position to write to my hon. Friend before the summer recess. The delay in responding has been caused by the need to conduct a trawl of the Department's archives in order to locate papers.
Procurement
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2003, Official Report, column 878W, on procurement, which ships are to be fitted with the ordered ship systems; what plans he has for those which are not; and if he will make a statement. [123095]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 25 June 2003, Official Report, column 878W, concerning planned numbers of Hunt and Sandown class vessels and the procurement of 19 ship systems to improve minehunting and minesweeping capability.
The current plans are that the purchased systems will be fitted to all Hunt and Sandown class Mine Counter Measure Vessels (MCMVs). There is no requirement to fit the ship systems to the three former Hunt class vessels now configured for use solely as patrol craft, forming the Northern Ireland Squadron (HMS Brecon, HMS Cottismore and HMS Dulverton). There are currently no plans for changes to this Squadron.
Radioactive Materials
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what quantities of radioactive material he has held in each year from 1997, broken down by (a) high level, (b) intermediate level and (c) low level material. [123817]
Mr. Caplin [holding answer 4 July 2003]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 46W.
RAF Fairford
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the lease arrangements between the British and US Governments over the use of RAF Fairford. [124832]
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Mr. Ingram: There are no such lease arrangements. The presence of the United States Visiting Forces at RAF Fairford is, as with all bases made available to them in the United Kingdom, governed by the NATO Status of Forces Agreement of 1951, and other additional confidential arrangements.
RAF Halton
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to apply to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for a licence to develop the Princess Mary hospital building, RAF Halton. [124244]
Mr. Caplin: A bat survey report, by WSP Environmental (licensed bat ecologists), will provide a comprehensive mitigation strategy to ensure the protection of bats at the Princess Mary hospital site. This information is expected to be made available to Aylesbury Vale district council and English Nature in August 2003. A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs licence, will be applied for where appropriate.
RAF Lyneham
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the maintenance budget for RAF Lyneham was in each year since 1993; and by how much that differed from the spending bid received for the base; [124831]
- (2) when the C130J fleet will be moved from RAF Lyneham to Brize Norton; at what date each of the C130K fleet will be decommissioned; how many C130K Hercules will be in service in 2011; and at what stage during the run-down of the C130K fleet RAF Lyneham will cease to be a viable unit. [124830]
Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Resettlement Training Centre (Aldershot)
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of running the Resettlement Training Centre at Aldershot in 2002–03; what the value was of the contract awarded to (a) Couts and (b) Career Transition Partnership (CTP) in that year; and what percentage of training courses are provided by (a) CTP and (b) preferred suppliers. [123862]
Mr. Caplin: The cost of running the Resettlement Training Centre (RTC) at Aldershot in 2002–03 was in the order of £233,000, which includes utility, accommodation, property management and Government Owned, Contractors Operated costs. Payments made to Right Management Consultants to run contracted courses at the RTC are not included.
The Contract for the Tri-Service provision of an Armed Forces Resettlement Service though originally placed with the Courts Consulting Group plc in July 1998 was novated to Right Management Consultants Ltd. in September 2002.
I am withholding the value of the contract in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The Career
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Transition Partnership (CTP) is a partnership between the Ministry of Defence and Right Management Consultants. No other contract for resettlement services has been placed.
Information on the percentage of training courses provided internally by the CTP at the RTC and by Preferred Suppliers is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. During 2002–03 however, the RTC ran 203 courses and 2,156 places were taken up by Services leavers. 4,691 Service leavers are known to have attended courses run by preferred suppliers. These figures exclude courses attended by Service leavers run by non-preferred suppliers, for which no records are held centrally.
Royal Anglian Regiment
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 23 June 2003, Official Report, column 535W, on regiment vacancies, if he will reinstate the Third Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment. [124221]
Mr. Caplin: The Strategic Defence Review, and the New Chapter that we published last year, remain the foundation for the shape, size and capabilities of our Armed Forces. There are, therefore, no plans to reinstate the Third Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment. The Government intend to publish a Defence White Paper in the autumn which will provide an updated statement of defence policy and explain our plans for the delivery of enhanced defence capability.
Royal Navy
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Naval vessels have been brought into service since 2000; how many of them have engaged in active deployments; and what capability they brought to the operation. [124060]
Mr. Ingram: The following vessels have been brought into service with the Royal Navy since 2000:
'Active deployment' has been taken to mean deployment away from the UK on standing military tasks or operations.
Units of the Royal Navy have been on patrol in the Gulf since October 1980, after the Iran/Iraq conflict of that year. The Royal Navy permanent contribution consists of an escort supported by a tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, within the operational area (which includes the Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Northern Arabian Sea) at all times. HMS Portland and HMS Kent have both undertaken that deployment.
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HMS Shoreham, HMS Ramsey and HMS Blyth carried out mine clearance activities as part of Operation Telic.
For completeness, Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleet tankers, RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler have also entered service since 2000. To date neither have undertaken an operational deployment.
RN assets bring a range of capabilities which, while allowing them to fulfil specific tasks are inherently flexible. While on deployment on specific tasks RN assets also undertake a range of additional activities, including Defence diplomacy tasks.
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on (a) the role of the Royal Navy since 2000 and how it has changed since 1997 and (b) the progress made in achieving the aims of the Strategic Defence Review. [124063]
Mr. Ingram: Since 2000 the Royal Navy has continued to perform the role recognised in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review by contributing to the security of the United Kingdom, her overseas territories and citizens world-wide; by helping to maintain international peace and security and supporting the Government's foreign policy aims and UK overseas trade; and by assisting the UK in discharging her international responsibilities as a leading member of the UN, the Commonwealth, NATO, and EU.
This requires a powerful and well-balanced maritime force, capable of rapid deployment and sustained joint and/or combined operations of an expeditionary nature wherever the UK's national and international interests demand. Since the SDR, the emphasis is moving from large-scale open-ocean warfare to expeditionary power projection operations in conjunction with the other two services, with a premium placed on versatility and deployability.
Significant progress is being made in the Royal Navy to achieve the aims of the SDR. This includes the ongoing programme to replace the Invincible class aircraft carriers with two larger, more capable vessels. In addition, support to amphibious forces has been strengthened by the delivery of six RoRo vessels, and by the introduction into service over the next three years of the two landing platforms dock (replacement) ships, and four landing ships dock (auxiliary)—the latter offering greatly improved capability and lift capacity. The type 45 destroyers will begin to replace the capability currently provided by the type 42 class from late 2007 onwards and, with the principal anti-air missile system (PAAMS), will provide an enhanced specialist anti-air warfare capability. The first three new astute class nuclear powered submarines are on order and will succeed the Swiftsure and Trafalgar classes to provide a greatly enhanced capability to the Royal Navy.
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