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21 Jul 2005 : Column 2124W—continued
Royal Ordnance
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department uses the Royal Ordnance store in Chorley for holding ordnance. [13663]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence does not use storage facilities belonging to BAE Systems Land Systems (formerly Royal Ordnance) at Chorley.
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Government will take the date of transfer of the Royal Ordnance Factory Organisation as being the date of sale of that body to British Aerospace in October 1987; [12155]
(2) whether the Government's responsibilities to former Royal Ordnance Factory employees who are now members of the Royal Ordnance Crown Service Pension Scheme include (a) the benefits of a public-to-private transfer and (b) protections afforded by the Social Security Act 1995. [12156]
Mr. Ingram: The Royal Ordnance Factories (ROFs) were part of the Ministry of Defence until 2 January 1985, when the property, rights and liabilities were vested in Royal Ordnance plc. At that time ROF employees were given the option of transferring their pension benefits to the Royal Ordnance (Crown Service) Pension Scheme (a scheme comparable with the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme PCSPS) or to preserve their benefits in the PCSPS. The questions of whether the date of transfer is considered to be 1985 or 1987 or whether those transferred are covered by the 1985 Social Security Act are points of law on which independent legal advice should be sought if required.
Second World War (60th Anniversary)
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial support he has provided to the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League in relation to the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of the second world war. [12933]
Mr. Touhig: The Ministry of Defence has not provided financial support to the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League in relation to events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of the second world war.
The MOD provided financial support to those organisations who applied for administrative costs in support of the Veterans Awareness Week which culminated in the events on 10 July 2005 to mark the 60thanniversary of the end of the second world war. We have no record of such an application from the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League.
Ships (Fitted Equipment)
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the 65 RN and RFA ships which donated ships' fitted equipment between 1 January 2004 and 31 March 2005 remain unavailable for deployment at sea; and for what reason in each case. [14079]
Mr. Ingram:
RN and RFA ships that have donated ship's fitted equipment and remain unavailable for deployment at sea are as follows.
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The primary sources of donors for STOROB, the name given to the process of transferring ship's fitted equipment from one vessel to another, are ships in upkeep and those awaiting disposal. None of the ships listed in the table are unavailable for deployment as a result of the STOROB process, but for the other reasons stated.
Special Advisers
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) the special advisers in his Department, (b) their specific areas of expertise and (c) the total cost of employing them in the latest year for which figures are available. [8827]
Mr. Touhig: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 35W.
Submarines (SSBNs)
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many warheads are carried by each SSBN on patrol; and if he will make a statement. [13372]
Mr. Ingram: As stated in the Strategic Defence Review, Para. 67, we have only one submarine on patrol at a time, carrying a load of 48 nuclear warheads.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which year each (a) SSBN and (b) SSN is due to be decommissioned; and in which year each replacement submarine is due to enter service. [13049]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 20 July 2005]: No decisions have been taken on the out of service dates (OSDs) for the Royal Navy's Vanguard class SSBNs, nor about any potential replacement. The current planned OSDs for the Swiftsure and Trafalgar class SSNs are detailed as follows:
| OSD | SSN |
|---|---|
| 2006 | HMS Sovereign |
| 2008 | HMS Superb |
| 2010 | HMS Sceptre |
| 2006 | HMS Spartan |
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| OSD | SSNs |
|---|---|
| 2008 | HMS Trafalgar |
| 2011 | HMS Turbulent |
| 2013 | HMS Tireless |
| 2015 | HMS Torbay |
| 2017 | HMS Trenchant |
| 2019 | HMS Talent |
| 2022 | HMS Triumph |
The new Astute class SSNs will progressively supersede the current capability. The first of class is planned to enter service in 2009.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means UK submarine-building capacity will be maintained after the completion of the order for three Astute-class boats. [13050]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 20 July 2005]: We have already ordered two packages of long-lead items for the fourth Astute boat, and we expect to place contracts for a third package of long-lead items later this year.
We are working jointly with industry to develop a Maritime Industrial Strategy, as part of a wider Defence Industrial Strategy, which includes work to develop a longer-term solution to maintain the United Kingdom's submarine industrial base.
Surface Fleet
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2005, Official Report, column 1400W, on surface fleet, if he will identify each of the 25 destroyers and frigates mentioned on page 18; and if he will make a statement. [11223]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 1540W, about Royal Navy destroyers and frigates.
Territorial Army
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength is of the Territorial Army in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley; and how many of these volunteers have served overseas. [13008]
Mr. Touhig: The strength of the Territorial Army in Lancashire is some 540 personnel, of which some 75 are based in Chorley. Since January 2003 some 185 personnel from Lancashire, including some 40 from Chorley, have served overseas.
Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army in Scotland are stationed in Iraq. [14791]
Mr. Touhig: There are currently some 210 Territorial Army personnel from Scotland mobilised in support of operations in Iraq.
Warship Sales
Dr. Julian Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels sold to other countries since 1997; and
21 Jul 2005 : Column 2127W
what sums (a) were spent on preparing each of them for transfer and (b) were received from the purchasing countries as a result of each sale. [13052]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 20 July 2005]: The information is not held centrally and is not readily available. Officials are retrieving information from files and once this has been completed I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
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