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10 Feb 2004 : Column 1322W—continued
Defence Finance
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the planned funding in cash terms is for each of his Department's management groups for financial years 2003–04 to 2006–07; [153024]
- (2) what the planned funding is in cash terms for his Department's executive agencies for financial years 2003–04 to 2006–07. [153022]
Mr. Ingram: Since the introduction of Resource Accounting and Budgeting, the Department has required its Management Groupings (including on-vote agencies) to construct their plans on a resource basis, rather than in cash terms. Spending Review 2002 set out the Departmental Expenditure Limit in resource terms for the years 2002–03 to 2005–06. Figures for 2006–7 will be agreed during Spending Review 2005.
Cash requirements are planned and accounted for at Departmental rather than Management Grouping level and details of the Net Cash Requirement for FY2003/4 can be found in the Central Government Supply Estimates 2003–04 (HC648 Main Supply Estimates and HC15 Winter Supplementary Estimate).
Departmental Reports and Accounts
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the dates of publication of (a) the annual report and accounts and (b) the corporate plan for his Department's executive agencies were in each year since financial year 1997–98. [153028]
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Mr. Caplin: All Defence Agencies are required to lay their Annual Reports and Accounts before Parliament. The table as follows gives the publication dates for all Defence Agencies for financial year 2002–03. Since 1997–98 a number of Defence Agencies have changed or merged. Detailed publication dates for these previous years are not held centrally in the precise format required and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Further information on all parliamentary business is however published in the House of Commons Votes and Proceedings, available on the United Kingdom
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Parliament Website at http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm/cmvote/cmvp0307.htm.
All Defence Agencies are required to produce key targets annually. These are published in Parliament and then incorporated by agencies into their plans, which are published in a variety of formats and are usually available on agency websites or through the agencies themselves. Dates of publication for individual agency plans in the precise format requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Dates of key targets published for financial year 2003–04 are given as follows.
| Date laid before Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| Agency | (a) Accounts FY 2002–03 | (b) Key Targets FY 2003–04 |
| ABRO | 15 July 2003 | 8 July 2003 |
| Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency | 15 July 2003 | 9 April 2003 |
| Army Personnel Centre | 10 July 2003 | 17 July 2003 |
| Army Training and Recruiting Agency | 16 December 2003 | 17 July 2003 |
| British Forces Post Office | 11 December 2003 | 12 June 2003 |
| Defence Aviation Repair Agency | 17 November 2003 | 8 July 2003 |
| Defence Analytical Services Agency | 16 July 2003 | 4 April 2003 |
| Defence Bills Agency | 11 July 2003 | 29 April 2003 |
| Defence Communications Services Agency | 29 January 2004 | 7 November 2003 |
| Defence Dental Agency | 15 July 2003 | 31 March 2003 |
| Defence Estates | 16 July 2003 | 2 July 2003 |
| Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency | 16 December 2003 | 6 November 2003 |
| Defence Housing Executive | 16 July 2003 | 2 July 2003 |
| Defence Intelligence and Security Centre | 31 October 2003 | 6 November 2003 |
| Defence Medical Training Organisation(2) | 15 July 2003 | (3) 31 March 2003 |
| Defence Procurement Agency | 4 December 2003 | 9 July 2003 |
| Defence Science and Technology Laboratory | 14 July 2003 | 16 October 2003 |
| Defence Secondary Care Agency | 15 July 2003 | n/a |
| Defence Storage and Distribution Agency | 15 July 2003 | 12 June 2003 |
| Defence Transport and Movements Agency | 16 July 2003 | 12 June 2003 |
| Defence Vetting Agency | 16 July 2003 | 28 April 2003 |
| Disposal Services Agency | 16 July 2003 | 3 July 2003 |
| Duke of York's Royal Military School | 29 October 2003 | 16 July 2003 |
| Medical Supplies Agency | 16 July 2003 | 19 November 2003 |
| Met Office | 23 June 2003 | 11 June 2003 |
| Ministry of Defence Police | 16 July 2003 | 26 June 2003 |
| Naval Manning Agency | 16 July 2003 | 22 May 2003 |
| Naval Recruiting and Training Agency | 16 July 2003 | 4 June 2003 |
| Pay and Personnel Agency | 16 July 2003 | 29 April 2003 |
| Queen Victoria School | 29 January 2004 | 16 July 2003 |
| RAF Personnel Manning Agency | 16 July 2003 | 9 July 2003 |
| RAF Training Group Defence Agency | 13 November 2003 | 17 July 2003 |
| Service Children's Education | 22 January 2004 | 17 July 2003 |
| UK Hydrographic Office | 10 July 2003 | 25 June 2003 |
| Veterans Agency | 16 July 2003 | 28 October 2003 |
| Warship Support Agency | 10 December 2003 | 15 October 2003 |
(2) The Defence Medical Training Organisation and the Defence Secondary Care Agency merged at 1 April 2003 and formed the Defence Medical Education and Training Agency.
(3) Refers to key targets for the newly formed Defence Medical Education and Training Agency.
Dr. David Kelly
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions on which Dr. David Kelly spoke to the media (a) on an authorised basis and (b) on an unauthorised basis while employed by his Department. [152293]
Mr. Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the documents labelled MOD/5/0054 to MOD/5/0060, which are available on the Hutton Inquiry website and which list Dr. Kelly's contacts with journalists over the past two years. This was copied from information supplied by Dr. Kelly to MOD on 17 July 2003. The Ministry of Defence does not have access to any other records that might have provided further information.
Evidence relating to unauthorised disclosures to Andrew Gilligan, Susan Watts, Peter Beaumont, Julie Flint, and Gavin Hewitt was heard in the course of Lord Hutton's inquiry.
Engagements
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates since 1 January 2002 Sir Kevin Tebbit held meetings with Mr. Earl Anthony Wayne,
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Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs of the United States State Department; and where each meeting took place. [152963]
Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 16 December 2003, Official Report, column 843W.
Iraq
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision has been made for personnel to send gifts back to the United Kingdom; what weight limits and costs are involved; and if he will make a statement. [144471]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 17 December 2003]: British Armed Forces personnel deployed overseas, with the exception of those in the Gulf, may send parcels home up to a maximum weight of 30 kilograms at a concessionary rate equivalent to United Kingdom second class post. Personnel in the Gulf can currently send parcels of up to two kilograms per item to the UK also at concessionary rates.
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy was in March 2003 on whether use by Iraq of battlefield chemical and biological weapons would generate the very serious consequences to which he referred in debate on 26 March 2003, Official Report, column 302. [154325]
Mr. Hoon: The Government's policy is to reserve the right to respond appropriately to any use of such weapons. This was also the policy in March 2003.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been to public funds of the British contingent in the Iraq Survey Group; what the projected future costs are; and if he will make a statement. [154282]
Mr. Hoon: The Ministry of Defence identifies the costs of Operations in terms of the net additional costs it has incurred. The costs that the Department would have incurred regardless of the operation taking place, such as wages and salaries, are not included. Savings on activities that have not occurred because of the operation—training exercises for example—are taken into account in arriving at the net figures.
The net additional costs incurred by United Kingdom personnel attached to the Iraq Survey Group cannot be differentiated from the total net additional cost of UK personnel deployed to the Gulf region. For example, stock accounting records will identify the recipient of stock as entitled UK military personnel, not whether they are engaged in peacekeeping work or in the search for WMD. Therefore, it is not possible to identify costs related solely to the UK's Iraq Survey Group personnel.
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