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23 Mar 2005 : Column 833W—continued
DEFENCE
Defence Service Agencies (Scotland)
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people work for the Defence Communications Services Agency; how many are employed in Scotland; what the personnel costs of the agency are; and what the figures were in 2003–04. [215431]
Mr. Ingram: The number of personnel in the Defence Communication Services Agency as of 3 February is 4,820, of whom 140 are based in Scotland. For 2003–04, the overall number of personnel was 4,680, of whom 120 personnel were based in Scotland. The total costs for personnel for 2003–04 was £161.520 million.
Both civilian and Service personnel data by Agency are collated annually at 1 April and presented in Table 2.6 of UK Defence Statistics, a copy of which is held in the Library of the House. Further information on personnel figures is available on the DASA website at www.dasa.mod.uk
The number of Service personnel employed by Agency and location is not collated centrally. However, locally held records were available and have been included.
A table showing numbers of civilian personnel by MOD Agency, for the Agency as a total and those employed in Scotland specifically, for the period 1 April 1997 to 1 January 2005, has also been published on the Defence Analytical Services Agency website, www.dasa.mod.uk, and is also lodged in the Library of the House.
Personnel numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.
Departmental Finances
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's SR 2004 Departmental Submission. [217843]
Mr. Ingram: No, as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
Information relevant to the outcome of Spending Review negotiations can, however, be found in the Ministry of Defence's SR 2004 settlement as set out in Chapter 13 of the 2004 Spending Review document (Cm 6237), with further detail on forward defence plans in Delivering Security in a Changing World—Future Capabilities" (Cm 6269).
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Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value was of receipts from asset sales that were (a) appropriated in aid of his Department and (b) surrendered to the Consolidated Fund in each financial year since 1997–98. [217990]
Mr. Ingram: The amounts included in Appropriations-in-Aid and those surrendered to the Consolidated Fund in respect of fixed asset disposals for the years commencing 1999–2000 are shown in the table. The figures are based on the published Resource Accounts of the Department, the first set of which was published for the year 1999–2000. Information in respect of years 1997–98 and 1998–99 is included in the Appropriation Accounts of the respective years; these are available in the Library of the House.
| £000 | ||
|---|---|---|
Appropriations-in-Aid | Surrendered to Consolidated Fund | |
| 1999–2000 | 234,862 | (14)— |
| 2000–01 | 317,987 | (14)— |
| 2001–02 | 299,589 | 22,557 |
| 2002–03 | 360,555 | 44,300 |
| 2003–04 | 481,298 | 125,927 |
(14) This information was not recorded in the Resource Accounts for these years. Any amounts surrendered to the Consolidated Fund would have been included in the Appropriation Accounts, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.
The amounts shown for Appropriations-in-Aid for the year 2003–04 represent receipts on sale of fixed assets; in prior years asset disposals were required to be stated in the Departmental Resource Accounts at their net book value in accordance with HM Treasury Resource Accounting Manual.
The above figures do not include the disposal in respect of sale of shares in QinetiQ, a public corporation. This resulted in a receipt of £39,427,000 which was surrendered to the Consolidated Fund.
Fighter Aircraft
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the next generation of the strategic fighter aircraft to be operational; and where it will be based. [222386]
Mr. Ingram: The Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) is expected to enter service towards the middle of the next decade. As I announced on 10 March 2005, there are five RAF Stations currently being considered as its potential bases: RAF Cottesmore, RAF Marham, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF St. Mawgan and RAF Leeming.
IT Contracts
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to (a) Computer Sciences Corporation and (b) EDS in each of the last seven years. [220258]
Mr. Ingram:
I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
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Mutual Defence Agreement
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the running costs of the Atomic Co-ordinating Offices in London and Washington established under the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement were in the last year for which figures are available; and how many staff are employed in the offices. [216673]
Mr. Ingram: The annual running costs of the Atomic Control Office, London and the Atomic Co-ordinating Office, Washington are some £72,000 and some £400,000 respectively. The numbers of staff employed in each office are three and five respectively.
Northern Ireland (Royal Navy)
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) shore-based Royal Navy personnel are stationed in Northern Ireland and (b) ship-based personnel are assigned to duty in Northern Ireland, broken down by rank. [223293]
Mr. Ingram: The total strength of shore-based Royal Navy personnel stationed in Northern Ireland as at 21 March 2005 is 31 (5 Officers, 26 Ratings), 10 of whom are full-time RN staff administering HMS Caroline, a Royal Naval Reserve Establishment.
The total number of ship-based Royal Navy personnel currently assigned to duty in Northern Ireland is 107 (19 Officers, 88 Ratings).
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the question tabled by the right hon. Member for Dumbarton on 10 December 2004, reference 204981, on cash machines. [211369]
Mr. Ingram: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 26 January 2005, Official Report, column 332W.
Regiments
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress the future (a) Mercia, (b) Yorkshire, (c) Scottish and (d) Welsh regiments are making on decisions on (i) cap badges, (ii) rank slides, (iii) belt buckles and (iv) mess dress. [221488]
Mr. Ingram: A joint formation committee will be set up for each of the new regiments being created under the future infantry structure. Each committee will be made up of representatives from the respective antecedent regiments. They will consider regimental dress and accoutrement regulations and how each of the antecedent regiments will be represented.
It is anticipated that these committees will report during the second half of 2005. Recommendations on dress will need executive approval from the Army Dress Committee before any announcement is finalised.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place on regimental (a) funds and (b) silverware for each of the three regiments due for merger into the King's, Lancashire and Border Regiment. [219043]
23 Mar 2005 : Column 836W
Mr. Ingram: A committee of representatives from The King's Own Royal Border Regiment, The King's Regiment and The Queen's Lancashire Regiment will be formed to consider how each of the antecedent regiments can be best represented following their amalgamation into the King's, Lancashire and Border Regiment. As part of its remit, this committee will consider future plans for regimental funds and silverware.
It is anticipated that the committee's recommendations will be presented to the colonels of regiments during the second half of 2005 for executive approval. As the majority of regimental assets are held in charitable trusts, the management of which are controlled by trustees in accordance with their charter, any proposals will be subject to Charity Commission approval.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what name for the new regiment in the North West was put to the Army Board by the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. [222276]
Mr. Ingram: Responsibility for putting advice to the Executive Committee of the Army Board rested, as with all Divisions of Infantry, with the Colonel Commandant of the King's Division, rather than with any individual regiment within the Division. A number of options were considered within the Division during the consultation process, and a flavour of the debate was exposed to ECAB. In the event, 'The King's, Lancashire and Border Regiment' was endorsed by ECAB as the name for the new regiment and recommended to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, which he accepted.
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