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1 Sept 2003 : Column 911W—continued
IT Contracts
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many outsourced IT contracts have been signed by his Department in each year since 1997; how much each of these contracts is worth; with whom they are signed; how many have been renegotiated; how many are still in place; and if he will make a statement. [126191]
Mr. Ingram: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Furthermore, the value of an individual contract with a supplier is agreed in confidence and could be disclosed only with the prior agreement of all contractors involved. Figures are, however, available for the total number of contracts placed by the Defence Communications Services Agency since 2001 and the cumulative values of those contracts as well as the number of contract amendments (including extensions, additions to services provided etc.) to existing contracts made in the same period. The values are shown in the table:
| 2001–02 | 2002–03 | |
|---|---|---|
| New contracts placed (number) | 2,079 | 1,075 |
| Value (£ million) | 27.82 | 50.61 |
| Contract amendments (number) | 291 | 83 |
| Value (£ million) | 47.3 | 119.37 |
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with (a) the Prime Minister and (b) military legal authorities on the Government's plans to change the legal responsibilities of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as a court of appeal for the Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri on Cyprus. [126774]
Mr. Ingram: No discussions have taken place. A consultation paper entitled "Constitutional Reform: A supreme Court for the United Kingdom" (Paper No 11/03) makes clear that the Government's current intention is that the Privy Council will be retained in its current form as regards its functions as a final court of appeal from certain colonies and overseas territories.
Media Training
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was to his Department of media and voice training for ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123120]
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Mr. Caplin: A search of the available records indicates that no Ministers within the Ministry of Defence have undertaken either media or voice training during the years referred to in the question.
Records are not kept centrally of the costs of training in media and voice training for MOD officials and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Medical Care (Waiting Lists)
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the waiting list targets for the (a) Defence Secondary Care Agency and (b) Ministry of Defence Hospital Units; and what progress in meeting these targets has been achieved. [121368]
Mr. Caplin [holding answer 30 June 2003]: The waiting time targets set by the Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA) for 2002–03 for first out-patient appointment and for in-patient and day-case treatment, and the achievement against them, first, by the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM), the MOD Hospital Units (MDHUs) and the Royal Surrey County Hospital only and, second, by all DSCA units, are set out in the following table. The Royal Surrey County Hospital has been included because it provides oromaxillofacial treatment under similar arrangements to those at the MDHUs.
| Waiting time target | 45 per cent. of patients to be offered first out-patient appointment within four weeks of referral | 90 per cent. of patients to be offered first out-patient appointment within 13 weeks of referral |
|---|---|---|
| Average waiting timeachieved by all DSCA units | 53 | 90 |
Inpatient and Day case waiting time target and achievement.
| Waiting time target | 80 per cent. of patients to be offered a treatment date within 13 weeks of the decision to admit the patient |
|---|---|
| Average waiting time achieved by RCDM, MDHUs and Royal Surrey County Hospital (for oromaxillofacial treatment only) | 77 |
| Average waiting time achieved by all DSCA units | 83 |
Overall, the figures reflect small annual improvements in meeting waiting time targets.
The DSCA was disbanded on 31 March 2003, when responsibility for secondary health care commissioning and performance management passed to the Defence Medical Services Department. The same in-patient and out-patient waiting time targets apply for 2003–04, but information on the first quarter's achievement is not yet available.
Military Displays
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what major military displays and tattoos will be taking place this year involving HM forces in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [126138]
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Mr. Caplin: The major military displays and tattoos in the United Kingdom which involve the armed forces for the year 2003 are in the following table. In addition
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to these there are numerous other Open Days, Family Days, and similar events across all three Services.
| Event | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| RNR Centenary Parade | 8 March | Glasgow |
| Battle of the Atlantic 60th Anniversary commemoration | 30 April to 6 May | Liverpool |
| RNR Centenary Parade | 17 May | London |
| International Festival of the Sea (IFOS) | 23–26 May | Leith, Edinburgh |
| Beating Retreat (Household Division) | 27–28 May | London |
| Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) | 14 June | London |
| Royal International Air Tattoo(68) | 18–20 July | RAF Fairford, Glocs |
| Presentation of new Queen's Colour to the Fleet | 23 July | Plymouth |
| RAF Waddington At Home Day | 28–29 July | RAF Waddington, Lincs |
| Edinburgh Military Tattoo | 1–23 August | Edinburgh |
| RAF Leuchars Battle of Britain At Home Day | 13 September | RAF Leuchars, Fife |
| Iraq memorial service | 10 October | London |
| Lord Mayor's Show | 8 November | London |
| Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance | 8 November | London |
| Remembrance Sunday ceremonies | 9 November | London and across the country |
(68) On 25 October 1999, the Secretary of State for Defence announced in Parliament events that were to replace the Royal Tournament—the Defence 2000 series—25 October 1999, Official Report, columns 696–97. The Defence 2003 exhibition, under the leadership of the Royal Air Force, which was scheduled to take place at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford from 18 to 20 July, has been postponed by 12 months because of recent operational pressures. The RIAT itself will, however, go ahead as planned, with significant participation by RAF aircraft.
Missile Defence Memorandum of Understanding
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment has been made of the potential value of contracts resulting from the missile defence memorandum of understanding signed on 12 June; which bodies have carried out analyses for the Department; and what values were estimated; [127047]
- (2) what contracts have been signed by UK-based companies or institutions under the missile defence memorandum of understanding signed on 12 June. [127049]
Mr. Hoon: The Framework Ballistic Missile Defence Memorandum of Understanding (BMD MoU) signed on 12 June 2003 sets out the overarching structure for government-to-government collaboration between the United Kingdom and the United States on missile defence. It establishes and defines a framework within which specific activities, to be set out in Annexes to this MoU, can beundertaken. This includes activities already under way under the pre-existingStrategic Defence Initiative MoU. The BMD MoU itself provides no authorityfor placing contracts and no assessments were undertaken of the potential value of contracts resulting from collaborative projects that are in progress now, or may be undertaken in the future.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the companies involved in negotiations over the missile defence memorandum of understanding signed on 12 June; and at which point in the negotiation process each company was involved. [127048]
Mr. Hoon: No companies were involved in negotiations over the Ballistic Missile Defence Memorandum of Understanding signed on 12 June.
Operation Telic
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when investigations into friendly fire incidents during Operation Telic will be completed; and if he will make a statement. [122154]
Mr. Ingram: Thorough investigations are continuing into all such incidents. In conducting our own investigations into incidents of fratricide during the conflict we will of course carefully consider all relevant information as part of our effort to lessen the chance of such incidents occurring in the future. It would be inappropriate to comment on the conduct of our inquiries until such time as the outcomes are known and the content has been properly assessed.
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the dates for ends of tours of duty in Operation Telic for (a) regular forces and (b) Reservists and Territorial Army serving in the same unit. [125967]
Mr. Caplin [holding answer 15 July 2003]: On the completion of the combat phase of the campaign in Iraq, units which had a role in the stabilisation and rebuilding phase remained in theatre. Reservists serving with those units remained with them. Units which did not have a role in the stabilisation and reconstruction phase returned to the United Kingdom and, in the main, the reservists attached to them returned with their units; however, some reservists from these units with scarce and badly-needed skills were re-deployed to other units in theatre which had shortfalls.
Regular members of two units, 33 and 34 field hospitals, returned to the UK shortly after the cessation of hostilities in order to take on another operational role and for a period of leave before re-deploying back to theatre. Reservists who were attached to 34 field hospital, and had skills required for the continuing operations, remained in theatre to complete up to six months' deployment.
Reservists called out for the current operations in Iraq have been advised that their deployments will be for up to six months; the end of tour date for their units has not yet been decided but is unlikely to be more than six months after deployment. The expectation is that all reservists will return with their regular units.
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Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy vessels were deployed in escorting duties during Operation Telic; and at which choke points and known threat areas they were stationed. [126098]
Mr. Ingram: Outside the Joint Operational Area HMS Westminster and HMS Cornwall provided escort duties in the Straits of Gibraltar on rotation with the vessels of other nations. The NATO Standing Naval Force Atlantic and Standing Naval Force Mediterranean undertook escorting duties in the Eastern Mediterranean. Within the Joint Operational Area, force protection was provided by the host nation in the Suez canal and non United Kingdom coalition assets in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandeb.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what political advisers were deployed on Operation Telic; to which commanders they were assigned; and when they were (a) sent to and (b) withdrawn from theatre. [126101]
Mr. Ingram: Political advisers are deployed with United Kingdom forces to support the Commanders' decision making process with policy and political advice. They are Ministry of Defence officials and are able to draw on the expertise both from within the Ministry of Defence and across Government when providing advice. Political advisers were provided to the majority of component commanders during Operation Telic.
I am withholding details of the individuals under Exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent reports he has received from US authorities in respect of friendly fire incidents involving UK forces during Operation Telic; whether US investigations involving British forces are complete; and what assessment he has made of these reports. [126134]
Mr. Ingram: No such reports have yet been received. In conducting our own investigations into incidents of fratricide during the conflict we will of course carefully consider all relevant information as part of our effort to lessen the chance of such incidents occurring in the future. It would be inappropriate to comment on the conduct of our enquiries until such time as the outcomes are known and the content has been properly assessed.
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