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25 Mar 2004 : Column 948W—continued

Manning Control

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff were employed in the last year in administering manning control reviews in the Army; how much money was spent; and if he will make a statement. [162729]

Mr. Caplin: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many AFB6848 forms have been signed in each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement. [162730]

Mr. Caplin: Statistics on how many AFB6848 are signed are not held centrally for longer than one year. During the period 1 March 2003 to 29 February 2004, some 28,000 AFB6848 were signed.

Marine Maddison

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2003, Official Report, column 244W, on Iraq, with reference to the conclusion of the Navy Board of Inquiry into the Death of Marine Maddison, if he will order an independent inquiry into the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch; and if he will make a statement. [163147]

Mr. Ingram: The facts surrounding the first Special Investigation Branch investigation of the death of Marine Maddison have been established by a Naval Board of Inquiry. All the lessons to be learned from this fatality are being vigorously pursued, and we await the independent verdict of a Coroner's Inquest. A further independent inquiry would serve no purpose.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the decision of his Department to claim, originally, that the death of Marine Maddison was caused through enemy action; at what level the decision was made to support and publicise this claim; and if he will make a statement. [163167]

Mr. Ingram: The Department's initial position reflected the conclusion of the early, in-theatre investigation of Marine Maddison's death. When its conclusion that he was killed by enemy forces was found to be in error, this new information was conveyed at once to his next of kin with our deepest regrets. The error has also been fully acknowledged in public since the relevant Board of Inquiry was completed in December 2003.

25 Mar 2004 : Column 949W

Project Funding

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many (a) solely state-financed and (b) public-private partnership and private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible have been launched in each region in each of the last 10 years; [160949]

(2) how much was spent by (a) the Government on solely state-financed projects and (b) the (i) Government and (ii) private sector on public-private and private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible, in each of the last 10 years, broken down by region. [160950]

Mr. Ingram: Information relating to solely state-financed projects is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information regarding public-private partnership and private finance initiative projects is published in the Signed Projects List which can be found on the Treasury website at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public private partnerships//ppp pfi stats.cfm.

Additional and supplementary information can be found on the MOD website at: http://www.mod.uk/business/ppp/database.htm.

RAF Brampton and Wyton

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the assessment of whether there are alternative defence uses for (a) RAF Brampton and (b) RAF Wyton to be concluded. [157311]

Mr. Ingram: No decisions have yet been made to relocate any existing function from either of the two sites. In any case, RAF Brampton and RAF Wyton are seen as having potential to accommodate a variety of other defence activities. It is, therefore, too early to say when final decisions on continued or alternative uses will be made. Any specific proposals will be subject to full consultation in due course.

Richard King

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recommendations were made by the Board of Inquiry into the death of Grenadier Guardsman Richard King; how many of these recommendations have been implemented; what further actions were taken against the 10 non-commissioned officers identified by the Special Investigation Branch and reported for neglect of duty; and how many of these officers have been promoted since the incident. [162258]

Mr. Ingram: The Board of Inquiry into the death of Guardsman King concluded that appropriate remedial measures had been put in place since the incident and therefore made no recommendations.

Investigations were conducted by both the South Wales Police and the Royal Military Police and the case was examined separately by both the Crown Prosecution Service and the Army Prosecuting Authority, neither of whom decided to prosecute any individual.

25 Mar 2004 : Column 950W

Nine out of the 10 non-commissioned officers who were reported for neglect of duty have since been promoted.

Royal Navy

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of Re-launching the image of the Royal Navy—A three-year communication strategy, published in November 2001. [152241]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Single Entry System

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what conclusions were reached by Brigadier Mountford in his 1993 review of the single entry system; what recommendations he made; how many of these were acted upon; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library. [162266]

Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Type 23 Frigates

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the programme for fitting Sonar 2087 to Type 23 frigates has changed since 16 September 2003. [162670]

Mr. Ingram: There has been no change since the answer I gave on 16 September 2003, Official Report, column 709W, to the hon. Member.

Unexploded Ordnance

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what help will be given to QinetiQ to dispose of ordnance in the UK. [161872]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence funds the 25 year Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) with QinetiQ under which the company provides a capability for ordnance disposal. The LTPA includes financial provision for infrastructure improvement which could be drawn upon by QinetiQ to provide more cost effective disposal or in order to meet environmental legislation.

Warships

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the basis was of the decision to decommission HMS Ark Royal in 2013. [162805]

Mr. Ingram: The replacement of the Invincible class aircraft carriers (CVS) by the future aircraft carriers (CVF) will be achieved through a phased programme. This will see CVF introduced prior to the full withdrawal of the CVS. It is intended that HMS Ark Royal will be the last CVS to be withdrawn from service in 2013.

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what engine problems have been experienced by HMS Albion; and if he will make a statement. [162951]

25 Mar 2004 : Column 951W

Mr. Ingram: The engines on HMS Albion have proved to be extremely reliable in service. There have only been a small number of defects, none of them significant. While there have been defects affecting the supporting cooling systems and electrical control systems, these have been rectified by the shipbuilder and the systems have generally performed to a level consistent with any First of Class vessel entering service.

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) for what reasons HMS Triumph is being laid up prior to her refit; and for how long the vessel will have been laid up before refit work commences; [162953]

(2) what the basis was of the decision to decommission HMS Triumph 12 months before its refit was due to commence; and what functions the ship will undertake prior to decommissioning. [162806]

Mr. Ingram: HMS Triumph will begin her refit in summer 2005, as originally planned. She arrived in Devonport at the end of January 2004 and her further operation will not be possible until essential refuelling and safety justification work has been undertaken. Once HMS Talent, currently in refit, vacates her dock, the dock-dependent refit work on HMS Triumph will begin. In the meantime, to make optimum use of the facilities and resources at the dockyard, the Department is seeking to reduce the overall length of the refit by identifying that work which is not dependent on a dry dock and may be undertaken ahead of the main refit and refuelling work. In addition, a reduced ship's company, in conjunction with dockyard employees, will conduct trials to inform the content of the refit package.

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the operational status is of HMS Ark Royal; and whether she is being put out into extended readiness; [162974]

(2) how many Royal Navy aircraft carriers are operational. [162978]

Mr. Ingram: There are currently two operational Royal Navy aircraft carriers, HMS Invincible and HMS Ark Royal. HMS Ark Royal is currently operational, but will be moved to a state of extended readiness from April 2004. HMS Illustrious will return to operational service in 2005 following a period in refit.

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