| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
2 Mar 2004 : Column 806W—continued
UK Presidencies (G8/EU)
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in the last 12 months on the priorities the Government intend to pursue when the UK assumes the presidencies of the (a) G8 and (b) EU. [156187]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington to the response given by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) on 26 February 2004, Official Report, column 483W, regarding the same matter.
2 Mar 2004 : Column 807W
DEFENCE
Aircraft Carriers
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has held with representatives of the French government about future carrier requirements and co-operation thereon. [154661]
Mr. Ingram: Defence Ministers routinely meet with their French opposite numbers and the UK's Future Aircraft Carrier programme has frequently been discussed in that context. There is a high level steering group which helps to facilitate UK French co-operation and, in addition, there have been regular meetings on the subject both between project officials from the UK's Defence Procurement Agency and their equivalents in the DGA and on a navy-to-navy basis. These meetings have identified several areas for potential co-operation.
Armed Forces Compensation
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims under the Armed Forces compensation scheme were successful in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the number of likely successful cases per year under the proposed new scheme; and if he will make a statement. [153877]
Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence provides benefits for death, injury or illness due to service through the War Pensions Scheme and the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. The number of awards for new claims under the War Pensions Scheme in the last five years is set out as follows (the figures are taken from Table 2.5 of the recently published March edition of the War Pensions Quarterly Statistics). This includes awards where a pension was paid and those where only a gratuity was paid:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 6,810 |
| 1999–2000 | 7,445 |
| 2000–01 | 6,385 |
| 2001–02 | 6,955 |
| 2002–03 | 5,440 |
Current Information Technology systems do not enable us to identify the numbers who have also received attributable pensions from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. However, the overall figure will be lower as the benefits can only be paid to those who are medically invalided.
The new Armed Forces Compensation Scheme will provide benefits for currently serving personnel for injury, ill-health or death which is caused after 5 April 2005. The number of claims is expected to build up gradually over an extended period but to remain lower than the current level of claims against the War Pensions Scheme. This is because the latter covers periods of conscription, of worldwide conflict and of much larger than at present armed forces.
AWE Aldermaston
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the planned laser simulation facility at AWE Aldermaston. [156642]
2 Mar 2004 : Column 808W
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence are considering a new laser facility (Project ORION) at AWE Aldermaston to replace the existing laser facility which is more than twenty years old. The project is currently in the Assessment Phase.
Beef
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage by weight of current beef supply contracts for his Department and its agencies are sourced from (a) British and (b) Scottish herds. [157870]
Mr. Ingram: 46 per cent. of the beef and beef products purchased for consumption by the armed forces in the United Kingdom is British. Of that total, in the past 12 months, 70 per cent. came from Scottish herds.
Belgian Ammunition
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the rate of failure of large general purpose machine gun ammunition supplied by Belgium. [155135]
Mr. Ingram: There was a problem reported on the Browning 0.5 Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) when firing standard Ball (M33) and Tracer (M17) rounds on training overseas prior to Operation Telic. The ammunition was manufactured to NATO standards by the Belgian contractor FN Herstal. A thorough and immediate investigation by the contractor could not replicate the reported problem. However, it was identified that a minor increase in the loaded propellant charge, still within NATO specifications, would increase the performance of the ammunition in the weapon. This change was immediately implemented by FN Herstal, at no cost to the MOD, and the new ammunition was available within four weeks.
Defence Export Services Organisation
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of the Defence Export Services Organisation was in 2002–03; what his estimate is of the projected cost in each year to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [156710]
Mr. Ingram: Operating costs for Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) for the last and current financial years are as follows:
| Financial year | Net operating costs (£ million) |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 11.944 |
| 2003–04(4) | 15.583 |
(4) Figures for 2003–04 are forecasts for the year.
The DESO budgets for financial years 2004–05 and 2005–06 have not yet been finalised, and I am withholding projections of the costs in these years under exemption 2c of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
The costs of DESO are more than offset by benefits to the Defence budget arising from defence exports. Savings to the defence budget come from spreading the fixed overhead costs of equipment over the longer production runs generated by exports, from the sale of
2 Mar 2004 : Column 809W
surplus military equipment to overseas governments, and from Commercial Exploitation Levy on exports of equipment developed using public money.
Eurofighter Typhoon
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Eurofighter Typhoons have been delivered to No. 17 Squadron, Royal Air Force; [156951]
- (2) how many Eurofighter Typhoons he plans to be delivered to No. 17 Squadron, Royal Air Force; when the squadron will receive the final aircraft of its intended complement; and if he will make a statement. [156952]
Mr. Ingram : It is planned that four aircraft will be delivered to No. 17 Squadron, Royal Air Force. The final aircraft of its intended complement is expected to be received by April this year. To date, two have been delivered.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to re-form No. 29 Squadron, Royal Air Force to conduct the first Eurofighter Typhoon pilot training course at RAF Coningsby; when the first Typhoon pilot training course will start; and if he will make a statement. [156953]
Mr. Ingram: The Eurofighter Typhoon Operational Conversion Unit is currently being re-formed as 29 Squadron at the BAE System facility at Warton, Preston, Lancashire. Re-formation of 29 Squadron will be complete when it moves to RAF Coningsby next year. Present plans are for initial instructor pilots to commence training this summer.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Eurofighter Typhoons delivered to No. 17 Squadron, Royal Air Force have refuelling probes fitted and ready for use; and if he will make a statement. [156954]
Mr. Ingram: The Typhoons delivered to date do not have refuelling probes fitted. Early aircraft delivered without probes will be retro-fitted.
Iraq
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the requirement for Personal Role Radios in Iraq. [154015]
Mr. Ingram: Personal Role Radio (PRR) is a short-range communications system designed to provide connectivity at the tactical level within small military teams, such as infantry sections. It is therefore ideal for use in Iraq and has been used extensively by UK forces since the commencement of operations. Approximately 3,500 Personal Role Radios are currently in use with British forces in Iraq.
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds were contained in the standard issue of ammunition to (a) infantry and (b) Royal Military Police in Iraq during (i) major hostilities and (ii) since the end of major war-fighting operations; whether this requirement has been met in every circumstance; and if he will make a statement. [154676]
2 Mar 2004 : Column 810W
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 12 February 2004]: The standard issue of 5.56mm ammunition provided to Army combat soldiers and other Army arms/services in Iraq has not changed from 150 rounds and 120 rounds respectively. Royal Military Police Personnel are normally issued with 120 rounds of ammunition in line with other Army arms/services. Commanders in theatre make an assessment based on local conditions as to whether adjustments to the planning allocations should be made. Over 23 million rounds of 5.56mm ammunition were delivered to Operation Telic, which was well in excess of the projected requirement of all units deployed.
Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average daily cost has been of the occupation of Iraq. [154940]
Mr. Ingram: 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.
Costs are not incurred on a regular daily basis and force levels have fluctuated considerably during 2003–04. As a result, to attempt to provide daily average costs would be misleading.
However, you may wish to know that outturn information for 2002–03 on the cost of operations in Iraq has been published as part of the MOD's Annual Report and Accounts. Operating Costs for 2002–03 for operations in Iraq total £629.531 million. Expenditure on Capital equipment amounts to £217.680 million. The grand total is, therefore, £847.211 million.
For 2003–04, funding voted at Winter Supplementary Estimates amounted to £1.2 billion and covered the cost of peacekeeping and associated Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs). The MOD has sought a further £300 million at Spring Supplementary Estimates to cover primarily the cost of the recuperation of the Department's operational capability. Thus, the total sought in 2003–04 will be £1.5 billion.
It is too early to say what costs might be incurred after 2003–04.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |