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20 Jul 2005 : Column 1754W—continued
Headquarters Land
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on the co-location of headquarters land. [11563]
Mr. Ingram:
Work to rationalise and collocate HQ land command (currently based in Wilton) and HQ Adjutant General (currently based in Upavon) is ongoing. A review of the higher level organisations is underway and in parallel, a detailed cost/benefit analysis is being carried out on a number of site options. By the end of the year we expect to be reasonably clear about the size and structure of the new organisation(s). Sites currently under consideration are all within the travel to work area for most existing staff. Any significant collocation is unlikely to commence much before 2007, but if a major new build is required, moves may extend well beyond 2008.
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1755W
Health and Safety
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to monitor the prevalence of noise-related hearing loss among servicemen and women serving in Iraq. [13578]
Mr. Touhig: There are currently no specific measures in place to monitor the prevalence of noise related hearing loss among servicemen and women serving in Iraq. However hearing tests of all service personnel are carried out at periodic medical examinations.
Iraq
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Iraqi government on testing for Iraqi citizens who have been exposed to depleted uranium ammunition deployed by the UK in Iraq. [13670]
Mr. Touhig: None. However, Ministry of Defence officials are attending United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) seminars at which depleted uranium (DU) matters, including environmental monitoring and sampling techniques are discussed with Iraqi representatives.
Japanese Internees
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will apologise to Professor Jack Hayward and others for the distress caused by maladministration in the development and announcement of the ex gratia scheme for British groups interned by the Japanese during the Second World War; and what tangible options are under consideration for the expression of that apology. [13498]
Mr. Touhig [holding answer 19 July 2005]: I made a public apology to Professor Hayward and those similarly affected by the way the scheme was introduced in my written statement on 13 July 2005, Official Report, columns 28–29WS. The possibility of giving tangible expression to this apology is currently under consideration; the options under consideration are financial. I expect to be able to make an announcement soon.
Management Consultants
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years. [13058]
Mr. Touhig: MOD expenditure on External Assistance (EA), broken down into separate categories, is available in the Library of the House for financial years 1995–96 to 2003–04. Figures for financial year 2004–05 will be placed in the Libraries shortly.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within his Department. [13627]
Mr. Touhig:
This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1756W
Royal Navy Ships
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy ships have been (a) decommissioned and (b) mothballed in each of the last 10 years. [13047]
Mr. Ingram: Since 1996 the number of Royal Navy ships either withdrawn from service or placed into very low readiness (other than for purposes of major refit) are as follows:
Withdrawn from service | Placed into very low readiness (excluding for refit) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 3 | 0 |
| 1997 | 8 | 0 |
| 1998 | 4 | 0 |
| 1999 | 4 | 2 |
| 2000 | 4 | 0 |
| 2001 | 6 | 0 |
| 2002 | 5 | 1 |
| 2003 | 3 | 2 |
| 2004 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 |
During the remainder of 2005 it is planned that a further four ships will be withdrawn from service and one ship will be placed into very low readiness. Vessels are routinely placed into very low readiness when undergoing major refit work. Therefore, only those ships that have been placed into very low readiness but which did not undergo refit have been included in the table. Vessels held in very low readiness remain available to the Royal Navy until reaching their out of service date and could be regenerated to the Fleet if required.
Sollis Project
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Sollis Project. [12857]
Mr. Ingram: To date, extensive searches of MOD records have found no reference to a Sollis Project.
Sonar 2087
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which vessels are due to be fitted with Sonar 2087; and by what dates. [13051]
Mr. Ingram: On current plans eight of the Royal Navy's Type 23 Frigates will be fitted with the 2087 sonar system. It has already been fitted to HMS Westminster and will be installed on the seven remaining vessels during their next available upkeep periods. The currently planned start dates for these upkeep periods, which are subject to periodic review, are:
| Ship | Upkeep start date |
|---|---|
| HMS Northumberland | Under way |
| HMS Richmond | Under way |
| HMS Somerset | April 2006 |
| HMS St. Albans | May 2007 |
| HMS Sutherland | July 2007 |
| HMS Kent | January 2010 |
| HMS Portland | November 2010 |
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1757W
Submarines
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) Trafalgar and (b) Swiftsure-class submarines are (i) operational and (ii) non-operational; and for what reasons each non-operational submarine is not available to the fleet. [13053]
Mr. Ingram: There are 11 Swiftsure and Trafalgar Class submarines of which nine are currently available for fleet tasking. HMS Sovereign, HMS Spartan, HMS Superb, HMS Trafalgar, HMS Turbulent, HMS Torbay and HMS Trenchant are all fully operational. HMS Tireless and HMS Sceptre, while available to the fleet, are at a lower state of availability. HMS Tireless is currently undergoing a period of planned maintenance that will include a significant capability upgrade to include fitting Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM). HMS Sceptre will shortly start an equivalent maintenance and upgrade period.
Two submarines are currently non-operational. HMS Talent is undergoing a scheduled long overhaul period, which includes a refuel of her nuclear reactor. HMS Triumph is about to start her long overhaul period and refuel.
Surveys
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the top four reasons provided in exit surveys in the (a) Naval Service and (b) Royal Air Force for personnel leaving were; and what proportion of responses these answers represented in each year since 1997. [8620]
Mr. Touhig: Exit surveys are conducted within the Naval Services and RAF but it should be noted that, except for RAF officers, as only a relatively small proportion of those choosing to leave respond to these surveys, their results cannot be seen as necessarily representative of their Services as a whole.
The information requested is given the following tables.
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20 Jul 2005 : Column 1759W
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1760W
| 1999 | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| N = 717 | ||
| 1 | Promotion prospects | 22.5 |
| 2 | Lack of job satisfaction | 16.6 |
| 3 | If I stayed in any longer it would be difficult to start a second career | 14.6 |
| 4 | Family stability | 14.4 |
| 2000 | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| N = 896 | ||
| 1 | Promotion prospects | 23.4 |
| 2 | Lack of job satisfaction | 19.9 |
| 3 | Family stability | 15.7 |
| 4 | If I stayed in any longer it would be difficult to start a second career | 15.3 |
| Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | N = 769 | |
| 1 | Promotion prospects | 17.3 |
| 2 | Lack of job satisfaction | 16.6 |
| 3 | If I stayed in any longer it would be difficult to start a second career | 15.5 |
| 4 | Family stability | 15.3 |
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1761W
| 2002 | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| N = 774 | ||
| 1 | Lack of job satisfaction (1=) | 18.5 |
| 2 | Family stability (1=) | 18.5 |
| 3 | If I stayed in any longer it would be difficult to start a second career | 17.1 |
| 4 | Promotion prospects | 16.9 |
| 2003 | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| N = 697 | ||
| 1 | Family stability | 20.7 |
| 2 | Lack of job satisfaction | 19.9 |
| 3 | Promotion prospects | 15.2 |
| 4 | If I stayed in any longer it would be difficult to start a second career | 15.1 |
| 2004 | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| N = 542 | ||
| 1 | Lack of job satisfaction | 26.2 |
| 2 | Service morale | 21.6 |
| 3 | Family stability | 20.8 |
| 4 | If I stayed in any longer it would be difficult to start a second career | 20.7 |
| 1997–98 (n=249) | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employment opportunities outside the RAF | 74.7 (n=186) |
| 2 | Service morale | 68.3 (n=170) |
| 3 | Career prospects outside the RAF | 67.9 (n=169) |
| 4 | Future of the RAF | 65.5 (n=163) |
| 1999–2000 (n=276) | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employment opportunities outside the RAF | 72.5 (n=200) |
| 2 | Job satisfaction | 66.6 (n=184) |
| 3 | Career prospects outside the RAF | 63.1 (n=174) |
| 4 | Service morale | 62.7 (n=173) |
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1762W
| 2001–02 (n=196) | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Future job satisfaction | 77.0 (n=151) |
| 2 | Employment opportunities outside the RAF | 66.3 (n=130) |
| 3 | Family stability | 62.8 (n=123) |
| 4 | Promotion prospects | 61.7 (n=121) |
| 2002–03 (n=184) | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Future job satisfaction | 78.3 (n=144) |
| 2 | Family stability | 66.3 (n=122) |
| 3 | Separation from family | 64.7 (n=119) |
| 4 | Employment opportunities outside the RAF | 62.0 (n=114) |
(30) Percentages for 2003–04 responses include only those individuals who answered an individual item, not for the whole response rate. Responses for 1996 to 2003, however are for the whole response rate.
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