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Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what scope there is to amend the Public Procurement Regulations insofar as they relate to Ministry of Defence contracts to regulate the use by UK companies of sub-contractors outside the EU. [183782]
Mr. Ingram: The Public Procurement Regulations implement in the United Kingdom law the European Union Directives on the award of public sector contracts. They apply to Ministry of Defence procurement on non-warlike goods and services. Neither the Regulations or the Directives regulate the engagement of sub-contractors. As a matter of procurement policy, MOD places responsibility on its prime contractors for securing and demonstrating value for money in meeting defence requirements. To this end, MOD encourages the greatest application of open and fair competition by its prime contractors in the selection of sub-contractors.
Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the short list of sites under consideration for storing radioactive waste as part of project ISOLUS; and if he will make a statement. [185083]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 19 July 2004]: I expect to make an announcement shortly.
Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings Ministers in his Department have had with their US counterparts on the Support Vehicle contract; and if he will make a statement. [171577]
Mr. Ingram: No meetings have been held between Ministers and their US counterparts regarding the Support Vehicle contract.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current forecast is for (a) the in-service date and (b) the final cost of the contract to provide new tanker aircraft; what the original projections were; and if he will make a statement. [183313]
Mr. Ingram:
The Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) project is currently in its Assessment Phase and does not have a formally approved in-service date (ISD). At the commencement of the Assessment Phase, ISD was broadly forecast to fall in the period 200709. We now believe it will be achieved later than this, but endorsement of a firm planning date for ISD is subject to the outcome of negotiations with industry. The maximum whole life cost of the FSTA programme is currently estimated to be £13.1 billion, at Outturn prices, which compares to an estimate of £13.9 billion at the commencement of the Assessment Phase.
20 Jul 2004 : Column 238W
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on plans to upgrade the Tornado's anti-aircraft missile self-protection system to combat potential missile threats over the coming decade; whether there is a budget for such an upgrade; and what the in-service date is for this upgraded capability. [183406]
Mr. Ingram: We have recently completed the assessment phase for the Modular Defensive Aids Systems (MoDAS) project, which is the programme to upgrade the defensive aids system for the Tornado GR4, and we are evaluating the results. A decision on the next phase of the project will be taken as part of the Department's normal planning process.
Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister (1) whether he personally approved the setting up of Operation Mass Appeal; [185423]
(2) what the purpose was of Operation Mass Appeal. [185424]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to Lord Butler's report, paragraphs 485 to 489 (House of Commons 898).
Mr. Evans: To ask the Prime Minister how many of the reductions in the numbers of civil servants in his Office announced in the spending review will be of special advisers. [185480]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary for the Treasury (Mr. Boateng), gave to him today at column 190W.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on tackling the situation in Sudan. [184467]
The Prime Minister: I regularly discuss all aspects of foreign policy, including Sudan, with the Foreign Secretary. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for International Development, also visited Sudan, including Darfur, between 6 and 8 June to assess the situation.
The UK is fully engaged in Darfur and we have held discussions with our UN, US and EU partners. We have made very clear to the Sudanese Government that they must now take significant steps to improve the security situation and humanitarian access. We have also allocated over £62 million for humanitarian assistance in Darfur.