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21 Mar 2006 : Column 362W—continued
Iraq
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish Sir Ronnie Flanagan's report on the Iraqi Police Service. [59987]
John Reid: Sir Ronnie Flanagan's report on the Iraqi Police Service was commissioned as part of a process of internal review. As such, there are no plans to publish the final report. We will, of course, be reviewing the report's recommendations closely and will take appropriate action where necessary.
Military Support (United States)
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the equipment valued over £20,000 that is being borrowed from US forces by UK armed forces. [54387]
Mr. Ingram: Details of equipment, currently in use by UK armed forces, that has been borrowed from US forces are not held centrally.
A comprehensive listing of all equipment valued over £20,000 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Nuclear Deterrence
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which alternative systems will be considered as options for the next generation of the nuclear deterrent in respect of (a) platforms and (b) missiles; [59381]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of each main option for the next generation of the nuclear deterrent. [59383]
John Reid:
No decisions have yet been taken on any replacement for Trident. Preparatory work is being undertaken by officials on possible options for the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent, including on the costs involved. This work is still at an early stage and
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Ministers have not yet begun to consider the position on this issue in any detail. It is therefore premature to speculate on the range of options that might be available and their potential costs.
QinetiQ
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value is of public procurement contracts awarded to QinetiQ since December 2002. [48761]
John Reid: The total value of contracts awarded to QinetiQ by the Ministry of Defence from December 2002 to February 2006 (inclusive) was some £4,933 million. This includes the Long Term Partnering Agreement placed in February 2003, valued at £3,970 million at that time.
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the advice the Government have received regarding the availability and allocation of shares in the flotation of QinetiQ. [43828]
John Reid: Advice on the approach to the offer structure and allocation of shares has been provided by our joint financial advisers to the Government, Carlyle and QinetiQ, under contractually committed confidentiality agreements.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the professional advisers who assisted in the sale of shares from QinetiQ to Carlyle; and whether any declared a potential conflict of interest. [44181]
John Reid: The Ministry of Defence's principal advisers in the Defence Evaluation Research Agency (DERA) Public Private Partnership, and in the sale of shares to Carlyle, were the accountancy Limited Liability Partnership Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC), our legal advisers Simmons & Simmons, and the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) for investment banking advice on the actual sale. A number of other advisers were also utilised to a limited extent on specific issues, such as the Government Actuaries Department on pensions.
A potential conflict of interest was declared by PWC when a separate part of that organisation was selected by Carlyle to advise them, but the Ministry of Defence approved the arrangement, having received all necessary assurances from PWC that appropriate firewalls were in place. PWC's involvement for the Ministry of Defence was largely confined to the pre-vesting phase of the DERA Public Private Partnership, i.e. up to summer 2001 when options were being evaluated and DERA was being re-structured and split into QinetiQ and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL). From late 2001—for the actual sale of QinetiQ, and well before Carlyle appointed PWC—MOD's financial advisers were the investment banking firm UBS. PWC did provide one person, again under strict firewalls principles, to advise MOD in the final phase to prove additional transaction advice on the accounting detail of the sale to Carlyle.
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RAF Lyneham
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to the re-use of RAF Lyneham as a location for the proposed joint headquarters for the Army Land and Adjutant General. [38909]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 20 December 2005]: Only locations inside the travel to work area for most existing HQ Land and HQ Adjutant General staff are being considered for the proposed integrated headquarters. Sites outside the travel to work area, such as RAF Lyneham, have been discounted on grounds of cost, staff disruption and a greater risk of impairing operational effectiveness.
Additionally, in terms of timing RAF Lyneham would not be available until some three years after the in service date for the new Headquarters.
Replacement Warhead (Aldermaston)
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the reliable replacement warhead at Aldermaston; and if he will make a statement. [59380]
John Reid: There is no programme at Aldermaston to develop a new warhead.
As we said in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (supporting essay 5 paragraph 14"), we maintain a minimum capability at the Atomic Weapons Establishment to design and produce a replacement for the current Trident warhead, should that prove necessary. No decisions on any replacement for Trident have yet been taken.
Territorial Army
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the time for which Infantry Territorial Army personnel are called up for civil contingency reaction forces duties will count towards the compulsory 12-months' service within 36 months. [59989]
Mr. Ingram: Should a reservist be mobilised to undertake civil contingency reaction forces duties, then the time spent mobilised would count towards the limits of mobilised service set by the Reserve Forces Act 1996.
Trident
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has received on US missile systems likely to be available to the United Kingdom when the existing Trident fleet is decommissioned. [59382]
John Reid: I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave previously on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 2120W to the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Mr. Moore).
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his intention that any successor to Trident should be capable of use in a sub-strategic role; and if he will make a statement. [59384]
John Reid:
No decisions have yet been taken on any replacement for the Trident system. Officials have started work to prepare for these decisions, but this
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work is still at an early stage and Ministers have not yet begun to consider the position in any detail. It is therefore rather too early to speculate on the likely conclusions of this work.
Veterans Day
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2006, Official Report, column 1951W on veterans, if he will list the potential stakeholders to whom he refers; on what dates significant consultation occurred; and what the consultation method was employed. [59698]
Mr. Touhig [holding answer 20 March 2006]: Stakeholders were formally briefed on evolving thinking and their views sought at Veterans Executive Steering Group Meetings on 11 October 2005 and 17 January 2006, and at the meeting of the Veterans Forum on 6 December 2005. Those organisations represented at one or more of these meetings included the following ex-service organisations:
Representatives from BLESMA, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and the Royal Naval Association were also invited to the Veterans Forum, were unable to attend, but received the minutes of the meeting.
Representatives from the following Devolved administrations or Government Departments attended the meeting:
Representatives from the Department for Culture Media and Sport, Department for Education and Skills, Department for Work and Pensions, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Local Government Association, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Welsh Office were also invited to attend the Veterans Forum, were unable to attend, but received the minutes of the meeting.
There have also been informal consultations with a number of these stakeholders where the specific issue has required this.