| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
26 Oct 2004 : Column 1207W—continued
Consultants
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many consultancy firms or companies have been retained by the Department since June 2001; what the projects are for which each has been retained; and what the total is of the fees paid or incurred in each case. [193416]
Mr. Caplin: Summaries of the Ministry of Defence expenditure on External Assistance, of which consultancy is a part, are available in the Library of the Houses for the years 1995–96 to 2003–04.
Specific data on consultancy companies employed, the projects they were working on and the total fees paid or incurred in each case are not held centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
Continuous Attitude Surveys
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the last continuous attitude surveys in each service were (a) conducted and (b) completed; if he will place the questions asked in the Library; when he expects the next continuous attitude surveys in each service to be conducted; what plans he has to publish the armed forces continuous attitude surveys; and if he will make a statement. [192152]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer18 October 2004]: The last Royal Navy and Royal Marine attitude surveys were conducted in September 2004. The closing date for both surveys is 31 October 2004 with initial analysis being available in February/March 2005. The next attitude surveys for the Naval Service will be administered in September 2005.
The last Army attitude survey (SP6) was conducted in December 2003 and completed in August 2004. The seventh serving personnel survey (SP7) was conducted in June 2004 and is currently being analysed, with the eighth serving personnel survey scheduled to be conducted in December 2004.
The RAF Continuous General Attitude Survey is issued quarterly in February, May, August and November each year. The last survey was issued on
26 Oct 2004 : Column 1208W
1 August 2004 and is not yet complete. The last survey for which complete data are available was issued on February 2004 and completed in April 2004. The next RAF Continuous General Attitude Survey is due to be issued to personnel on 1 November 2004. The statistical results from the four quarterly surveys conducted in 2004 will be aggregated into a single report and published, on a date yet to be agreed, in 2005.
I am today placing copies of the questions asked and responses made by service personnel in the continuous attitude surveys conducted in 2003 in the Library of House.
Cut and Sew Tender
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who (a) the printer of the camouflage fabric and (b) the company making up the garments are for the Cut and Sew Tender DC4 BESL/1002. [190857]
Mr. Ingram: The prime contractor wishes to retain a business advantage and not publicly disclose his sub-contractors. The terms of the contract with the Ministry of Defence are commercial in confidence and I am therefore withholding the information requested under Exemption 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Defence Export Services Organisation
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the overseas offices of the Defence Export Services Organisation are situated; when each office was established; how many staff are employed; and what the cost of each was for (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [192685]
Mr. Ingram: Defence Supply Secretaries employed by the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) have offices in the countries listed as follows. In addition, a post has been established in Romania this year. DESO staff are also employed in support of specific defence export projects in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and their numbers are shown in the following table; costs of those offices are met by the customer Government and are withheld under Exemption 1b of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
(26) Post created in 2003–04; part-year costs not available.
(27) Withheld.
26 Oct 2004 : Column 1209W
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which overseas exhibitions the Defence Export Services Organisation is organising a UK presence during 2004; and what the cost is in each case. [192686]
Mr. Ingram: The Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) does not generally provide direct organisational support to UK industry attending overseas exhibitions. During 2004 the Defence Export Services Organisation has represented or will represent the Ministry of Defence in support of the UK Defence Industry at the following exhibitions. The cost is shown in each case:
| Country | Exhibition | Cost (£000) |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Pacific 2004 | 35 |
| India | DEFEXPO | 271 |
| Singapore | Asian Aero | 48 |
| Chile | FIDAE | 65 |
| Malaysia | DSA | 46 |
| Jordan | SOFEX | 183 |
| Sweden | CBW | 42 |
| South Africa | Africa Aero and Def | 107 |
| Greece | Defendory | 45 |
| Japan | Japan Aerospace | 37 |
| USA | AUSA | 128 |
| Chile | EXPONAVAL | 39 |
| EEZ area | Gulf Maritime | 3 |
Defence Support Vehicle
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the letter of 12 October from the Lord Bach to the hon. Member for Aldershot, how many jobs will be created in the United Kingdom by the award of the Defence Support Vehicle Preferred Bidder Status to MAN ERF UK Ltd.; and how many jobs would have been created under each of the other bids. [192370]
Mr. Ingram:
All the bidders in the support vehicle competition responded to the invitation to make proposals for industrial participation which were assessed by both the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Trade and Industry. The proposal tendered by the preferred bidder, MAN ERF UK Ltd., for the support vehicle demonstration and manufacturing phase, will create and sustain hundreds of new and existing jobs across the United Kingdom, many of which will be located in a number of small and medium sized enterprises. Bids from the other participating bidders also involved significant numbers of jobs in the UK, although none offered more than the MAN ERF UK Ltd. bid. However, the detail on numbers and locations of jobs is a matter for the companies.
26 Oct 2004 : Column 1210W
EU Council of Ministers
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a Written Ministerial Statement outlining the key points on the agenda for each of the Council of Ministers' meetings at which his Department is represented in advance of each meeting; [188200]
(2) if he will make a Written Ministerial Statement outlining for each meeting of the Council of Ministers at which his Department is represented as soon as is practicable following that meeting (a) the key items of discussion, (b) the positions of the Government on those items, (c) the key positions taken by other member states that Ministers consider should be noted by hon. Members and (d) any preliminary discussion on the timing and the agenda of the following meeting. [188201]
Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 September 2004, Official Report, column 1451W by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Straw).
Future Rapid Effects System
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual financial commitment is to the Future Rapid Effects System under the 2004 Spending Review. [191859]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence's financial commitment to the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) programme is limited to the initial Assessment Phase. It is estimated that the Assessment Phase will cost £113 million and is scheduled to last for two years.
Studies planned for the Assessment Phase will consider options to meet the requirement and only when these studies have been reported will we be in a position to accurately determine the programme's total procurement cost and future funding profile.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Technology Demonstrator Programmes for the systems and sub-systems of the Future Rapid Effects System to be completed. [193123]
Mr. Ingram: Detailed schedules for the Technology Demonstrator Programmes (TDPs) have yet to be finalised.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to award the Technology Demonstrator Programmes Contracts for the systems and sub-systems of the Future Rapid Effects System; and what he estimates the costs of the programmes to be. [193124]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is considering options for taking forward the Technology Demonstrator Programmes (TDPs). We expect the first contracts to be in place in the first quarter of 2005 and although acquisition costs are yet to be established, the total cost of the TDPs are expected to be in the region of £85 million.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |