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12 Feb 2004 : Column 1637W—continued

Israeli Defence Minister (UK Visit)

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what plans he has to discuss the supply of military and security equipment between Israel and the

12 Feb 2004 : Column 1638W

UK with the Israeli Defence Minister during his forthcoming visit to the UK; and if he will make a statement; [153692]

Mr. Hoon: I expect to cover a range of issues of interest with Mr. Mofaz including bilateral relations, Middle East Peace Process and other regional issues of common concern.

Joint Strike Fighter

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many joint strike fighters will be ordered; and what the percentage work share of BAE Systems is. [154683]

Mr. Ingram: While no final decisions have been taken, our current planning assumption is that we will buy up to 150 Short Take Off and Vertical Landing variants of the Joint Strike Fighter to meet our Future Joint Combat Aircraft requirements.

There is no formal workshare arrangement in the Joint Strike Fighter programme. All work being undertaken by United Kingdom companies, including BAE Systems, has been won in open competition.

Offshore Patrol Ships

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of whether there is a need to increase the number of offshore patrol ships. [154281]

Mr. Ingram: The number of Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels is driven by the operational requirement. As with all aspects of our defence capability they are regularly examined to ensure that they meet the requirement in the most effective way. On current plans the present force level will be maintained.

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Private Finance Initiative projects let by his Department since 1997; how long each process took; and who the contractors were. [154754]

Mr. Ingram: The Private Finance Initiative projects that have been let since 1997 are listed as follows. The table indicates the successful consortium/contractor and identifies the length of the process from project initiation to contract award.

The project initiation date is not known for the RAF Fylingdales Power Station project.

ProjectContractorDuration—years
Hazardous Stores Information SystemICL1.09
Defence Fixed Telecommunications SystemINCA15.51
Electronic Messaging ServiceBull Information Services1.25
Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training FacilityCAE2.42
Hawk Synthetic Training FacilityReflectone (UK) Ltd.1.95
Armed Forces Personnel Administration AgencyEDS1.76
Joint Services Command and Staff CollegeLaing-Serco3.92
RAF Family Quarters LossiemouthCovesea1.50
Attack Helicopter Training ServiceAviation Training International Ltd.2.33
Family Quarters YeoviltonWestern Challenge Housing Association1.50
RAF Lyneham Sewage TreatmentWessex Water0.44
Tidworth Water and SewerageThames Water plc2.67
RAF MailRacal Telecom (now Global Crossing)1.42
RAF Fylingdales Power StationTurner FMn/k
RAF Cosford/RAF Shawbury Family QuartersRiverside Housing Association0.71
Fire Fighting Training UnitsFlagship3.79
Light Aircraft Flying TrainingBombadier Services (UK) Ltd.1.93
Defence Intelligence Information SystemICL4.58
Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training ServiceThomson1.68
Army Foundation CollegeDefence Services Training Ltd.2.66
Main Building RefurbishmentAmey/Kvaerner2.57
Tri-service Materials Handling EquipmentBarloworld1.22
Naval Communications ServiceAlert Communications Ltd.1.67
E3D Sentry SimulatorQuadrant1.68
Lynx 7/9 Training SimulatorThomson1.70
Defence Animal CentreRealm4.22
Central Scotland Family QuartersMowlem1.38
Tri-Service White fleetLex Defence Management (LDM)2.03
Commercial Satellite Communications ServiceNera Satellite Services Ltd.1.72
Wattisham Service Family AccommodationRoselead1.31
Armed Forces Personnel Administration AgencyEDS5.18
ASTUTE Class Training ServiceFAST Training Services2.25
DHE IT SystemBull Information Services2.84
Bristol, Bath, Portsmouth SFATRICOMM4.42
Heavy Equipment TransportersFASTTRAX4.83
Marine support to range and aircrew trainingSMIT International (Scotland) Ltd.)2.17
Materials Handling Equipment Follow-OnBarloworld1.55
Roll on-Roll off Strategic SealiftAWSR Shipping Ltd.5.67
Field Electrical Power SupplyVickers Specialist Engines5.69
MOD-wide Water and Wastewater—Package ABrey Utilities3.25
Defence Sixth Form CollegeMinerva1.81
Records Storage and ManagementProLogis/TNT5.25
Skynet 5Paradigm5.59
Defence High Frequency Communications ServiceVT Merlin Communications Ltd.3.04
Colchester GarrisonRMPA6.08


12 Feb 2004 : Column 1639W

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Private Finance Initiative projects that are in the competition stage; and when each competition was opened. [154755]

Mr. Ingram: The Private Finance Initiative projects that are in the competitive stage and the dates that competition was opened are listed as follows. The Invitation To Negotiate issue date has been used as the date when competition started, as this is the date that competition effectively commenced.

ProjectCompetition start date
Armoured Vehicle Training Service28 February 2001
Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft21 December 2000
Northwood HQ PPP Project18 February 2003
Devonport Support Services22 June 2001
Portsmouth 2—Housing29 April 2003
Project ALLENBY/CONNAUGHT31 July 2002
Royal School of Military Engineers07 July 2000
MOD-wide Water and Wastewater (Project Aquatrine)—Package C31 July 2002
MOD-wide Water and Wastewater (Project Aquatrine)—Package B10 July 2002
C Vehicles23 March 2001
Tri-service Airfield Support Services20 September 2001

Recruitment

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) a recruitment freeze is in operation in the Scottish regiments and (b) there was a recruitment freeze in operation in the Scottish regiments in 2003. [154483]

12 Feb 2004 : Column 1640W

Mr. Caplin: The information is as follows:



John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Scottish army regiments on recruitment. [154484]

Mr. Caplin: None.

Reserve Forces

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2004, Official Report, column 505W, on reservists, how many reservists were called out immediately following demobilisation in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004; and if he will make a statement. [153281]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 11 February 2004]: Of the 9,550 reservists mobilised in 2003, some 90 were called-out again shortly after being demobilised. To date, none have been in 2004.

Royal College of Defence Medicine

Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what accommodation for personnel exists at the Royal College of Defence Medicine; and what plans he has for future accommodation. [153885]

12 Feb 2004 : Column 1641W

Mr. Caplin: Staff and students at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine are mainly housed in leased accommodation. The Ministry of Defence is considering a number of options for the future provision of Service accommodation in the Birmingham area.

Shipbuilding Industry

Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the RAND Report on capacity in the UK shipbuilding industry. [153792]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has commissioned the RAND organisation to carry out a range of studies of the UK shipbuilding industry, including one examining the capacity, in terms of workforce and facilities, required to deliver the demanding future warship programme. RAND are due to report later this year.

Suez Medal

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many medals have been awarded for service in the Suez Canal Zone 1951–54; how many are still to be awarded to (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force personnel; and what the timescale is for completing the presentation of outstanding awards. [153786]

Mr. Caplin: By the week ending 6 February 2004 a total of 3,901 Canal Zone clasps, either together with the Naval General Service Medal 1915–62 and General Service Medal 1918–62, as appropriate, or alone where the recipient had already received the medal for other campaign service, had been issued by the Ministry of Defence's four single Service medal offices.

It is not possible to say how many medals will be awarded for service in the Canal Zone between 1951–54 as it will depend entirely upon the number of valid claims that are received from veterans and their families in the coming months. However, such has been the success of our efforts to advertise the availability of the new clasp that nearly 33,000 applications have now been received.

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the timetable for the awards to be made to those qualifying for a Suez Medal. [154751]

Mr. Caplin: There is no timetable for the award of the medal for service in the Suez Canal Zone.


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