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Submarine Acquisition Study

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the members are of the submarine acquisition study; what its terms of reference are; and when it will report. [220570]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 7 March 2005]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 127W, to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames).

Surface Combatants

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the members are of the surface ship support study; what its terms of reference are; and when it will report. [220569]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 7 March 2005]: The surface ship support study (SSSS) is looking at the ways in which the Ministry of Defence might engage with the United Kingdom naval surface ship refit and repair contractors to make best use of the industrial base, taking account of the future size of the Royal Navy surface fleet. The study includes consultations with industry (BAE Systems, Devonport Management Ltd., Babcock International Group, Fleet Support Ltd. and A and P) and aims to deliver recommendations for the way ahead and an outline implementation plan to defence Ministers during spring 2005.

SSSS forms part of a wider strategy intended to optimise UK industry's warship and submarine sector; other elements include the maritime coherence study, the UK naval shipbuilding industrial strategy, the submarine acquisition modernisation project and the future defence supply chain initiative. The aim is to
 
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create an overall 'road map' that will identify how and when the outcomes of these studies might converge to improve overall efficiency.

Surface Ship Refits

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent, in each of HM Dockyards on repairs and refits of warships and auxiliaries in each year since 1997. [219725]

Mr. Ingram: The data required to answer the question are not held centrally nor in a standard format. I will therefore write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Targets

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to achieve the objectives established by Ministers for operations and military tasks in which the United Kingdom's armed forces are involved, including those providing support to our civil communities; [219166]

(2) what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to improve effectiveness of the UK contribution to conflict prevention and management as demonstrated by a reduction in the number of people whose lives are affected by violent conflict and a reduction in potential sources of future conflict; [219167]

(3) what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to deliver improved effectiveness of UK and international support for conflict prevention by 2008, will be met; [219168]

(4) what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to ensure that a minimum of 90 per cent. of high readiness forces are at their required states of readiness with no critical weakness by 2006, will be met; [219169]

(5) whether the Public Service Agreement target for the Royal Navy and the RAF to achieve manning balance by 2004, was met; [219170]

(6) what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target for the Army to achieve manning balance by 2005, will be met; [219171]

(7) what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to strengthen European security through an enlarged and modernised NATO, an effective EU military crisis management capacity and enhanced European defence capabilities; [219172]

(8) what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to develop and deliver to time and cost targets military capability for the future, including battle-winning technology, equipment and systems, matched to the changing strategic environment; [219173]

(9) what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to play a leading role in the development of the European Security Agenda; [219174]
 
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(10) what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to increase value for money by making improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the key processes for delivering military capability; [219175]

(11) whether the Public Service Agreement target to make year-on-year output efficiency gains of 2.5 per cent., was met in 2003–04; [219176]

(12) what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to make year-on-year output efficiency gains of 2.5 per cent., will be met in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06; [219177]

(13) what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to make a 20 per cent. output efficiency gain in the Defence Logistics Organisation. [219178]

Mr. Ingram: Details of the MOD's performance against its Public Service Agreement targets are published every quarter on the Treasury and MOD websites. The MOD's most recent report, covering performance against PSA targets for the third quarter of 2004–05 (October to December 2004), was published on www.mod.uk on 1 March 2005. Further information on the MOD's performance against SR2002 PSA targets can be found in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2003–04," available in the Library of the House and on www.mod.uk.

Tornado Aircraft

Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the depth support maintenance will be undertaken by (a) RAF personnel and (b) BAE Systems personnel at RAF Marham when Tornado GR4s are rolled forward. [220839]

Mr. Ingram: The precise number of RAF and BAE Systems personnel to be employed on Depth Support maintenance for the Tornado GR4 at RAF Marham has yet to be determined.

Trident

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether arrangements are in place for the transfer of command and control functions for the Trident nuclear system to (a) the Australian Government and (b) the US Administration in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK which leads to (i)loss of communication with and (ii) the destruction of the UK Government. [221030]

Mr. Hoon: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear in the answer he gave on 28 January 2003, Official Report, column 774W, to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Mr. Marsden), the use of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons may be ordered only by the Prime Minister. It would not be in the interests of national security to comment further on command and control arrangements for the nuclear deterrent.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has assessed the merits of converting Trident nuclear submarines to carry Tomahawk cruise missiles; and if he will make a statement. [221035]

 
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Mr. Hoon: No.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what alterations would be required to enable the UK to mount current Trident nuclear warheads on cruise missiles. [221037]

Mr. Hoon: The nuclear warhead mounted on the United Kingdom's Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles was designed for use only on such missiles.

Fundamental design changes would be required to enable it to function safely and effectively when mounted on a cruise missile, but no detailed assessment of such changes, or their feasibility, has been made.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether research is being undertaken in the UK on miniaturisation of current Trident nuclear warheads. [221038]

Mr. Hoon: No.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nuclear warheads are deployed on Trident submarines. [221432]

Mr. Hoon: As announced in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (paragraph 67), we have only one Trident submarine on deterrent patrol at a time, carrying 48 warheads.

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