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4 Apr 2005 : Column 1112W—continued
Naval Sector Strategy Study
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2005, Official Report, column 30W, on Naval Sector Strategy Study, whether any members of the Naval Sector Strategy Study are members of the armed forces. [223588]
Mr. Ingram: The Naval Sector Strategy Study (NSSS) is an industry-led initiative, and the study team does not include currently serving members of the armed forces. However, joint meetings between the NSSS and MOD led maritime study groups have taken place to co-ordinate the assumptions which underpin the studies.
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what remit he has given to the armed forces members of the Naval Sector Strategy Study. [223892]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer Igave on 14 March 2005, Official Report, column 30W.
Naval Shipbuilding Implementation Study
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2005, Official Report, column 1992, on the Naval Shipbuilding Implementation Study, if he will list the members of the Naval Shipbuilding Implementation Study. [223546]
Mr. Ingram: Formal terms of reference for the Naval Shipbuilding Implementation Study, including its membership, are currently under review in consultation with industry.
Northern Ireland (Deaths in Service)
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2005, Official Report, column 968W, on Northern Ireland, what investigations (a) have taken place and (b) are ongoing into these deaths. [223300]
Mr. Caplin: Investigations into the deaths of service personnel are a matter for the civil authorities, in particular the Police Service Northern Ireland and HM Coroner.
Pilot Training
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision he is making to train combat pilots to withstand forces up to 12G. [223515]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is currently reviewing the provision to train combat pilots to withstand forces up to 12G. The outcome of this review is expected in the summer.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual costs were of providing RAF fast jet pilots with G-Force training in each of the last five years. [223516]
Mr. Ingram:
The following table details the annual cost of providing RAF fast jet pilots with G-Force training in each of the last five years.
4 Apr 2005 : Column 1113W
| Financial Year | Expenditure (£) |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 4,053 |
| 2001–02 | 20,268 |
| 2002–03 | 16,215 |
| 2003–04 | 28,376 |
| 2004–05 | 34,780 |
These costs relate to NATO Flying Course, Centrifuge Training, NATO High G Training and Typhoon Training.
Private Finance Initiative
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many private finance initiative and public private partnership contracts with his Department have been won by subsidiaries of Halliburton in each year since 1997; what the terms were of each contract; and if he will make a statement. [205078]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has let two private finance initiative (PFI) contracts and no public private partnership (PPP) contracts with subsidiaries of Halliburton since 1997.
In December 2001 a contract was signed with the FASTRAX consortium which is led by the United Kingdom element of the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR).
The contract is for the provision of Heavy Equipment Transportation (HET) Services (i.e. primarily Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank), using Sponsored Reserves. The other consortium members are Oshkosh Truck Corporation, Deutsche Bank, King Trailers and Tru-hitch.
The project was awarded the Best Operational PFI Project" at the Public Private Partnership Industry awards in May 2004.
In April 2003 a contract was signed with Brey Utilities a Yorkshire-based consortium comprising Yorkshire Water (45 per cent.), Earth Tech Engineering (45 per cent.) and the UK element of the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) (10 per cent.).
The contract is for the provision of water and wastewater services at over 3,000 MOD sites in the UK. Aquatrine Package A covers approximately 1,000 sites in the Midlands, Wales and South West England.
Provisions
Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on sourcing pork, bacon and ham bearing the British Pig Executive's Quality Standard Mark for the armed forces; and if he will make a statement. [223244]
4 Apr 2005 : Column 1114W
Mr. Ingram: Currently all pork consumed by British based armed forces is supplied from farms which comply to the new British Pig Executive's Quality Standard Mark or equivalent schemes, such as Assured British Pigs.
RAF St. Mawgan
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the decision was taken to place RAF St.Mawgan into care and maintenance; and when he expects to inform the House of the implications of this decision. [223412]
Mr. Ingram: No RAF aircraft will, under current plans, be based at RAF St. Mawgan after the Search and Rescue Operational Conversion Unit departs in 2006–07. The decision, subject to appropriate Trades Union consultation, to place the airfield there onto a care and maintenance basis was taken shortly in advance of my announcement on 10 March. The implications of this decision are that the Department will not be expending resources on facilities for which there will be no military requirement.
Regiments
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hon. Members made representations to him indicating their preference for the name Royal Lancashire Regiment as a name for the new regiment in the North West. [222277]
Mr. Ingram: No hon. Members have made representations to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, apart from the hon. Member for Chorley.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many letters were received from civic leaders regarding the new name for the Queen's Lancashire Regiment; [222287]
(2) what discussions took place with civic officials on the new name for the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. [222286]
Mr. Ingram: Over a dozen letters have been received from local government officials on the matter of infantry restructuring affecting the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, including on the particular issue of preserving the link between regiment and county.
Neither the Secretary of State nor I had any discussions with civic officials on the name of the new West of Pennines regiment.
Royal Navy
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2005, Official Report, column 414W, on the Royal Navy, what the acronym STOROB stands for. [223582]
Mr. Ingram:
The removal of a ship's fitted equipment (or parts of it) for installation in another is known as STOROB, which stands for Stores Robbery. This is a formal process, but is used only as a last resort to meet high readiness operational commitments, and only where the demanded items are not available from other sources. Because of the impact on a given facet of the
4 Apr 2005 : Column 1115W
donor ship's capability, this is considered only when the donor ship is either reducing in readiness towards upkeep or disposal, or is already in upkeep.
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2005, Official Report, column 414W, on the Royal Navy, how many Royal Navy ships are (a) in upkeep, (b) reducing in readiness towards upkeep and (c) reducing in readiness towards disposal. [223583]
Mr. Ingram: There are currently 18 Royal Navy ships in upkeep, four ships reducing in readiness towards upkeep and 18 ships reducing in readiness towards disposal. These figures include vessels of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
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