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Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received about the Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centres; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement. [65400]
Mr. Ingram: No representations (as distinct from questions) are known to have been made directly to the Ministry of Defence, but to say this with certainty would require a trawl throughout MOD records which could be undertaken only at disproportionate costs.
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions British Embassy staff in Washington have had with members of the US Congress on defence technology and related matters in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [64607]
John Reid: British embassy staff in Washington DC regularly meet with members of the US Congress and their professional staff in a wide variety of fora, both formal and informal. Their discussions range across the full spectrum of issues of bilateral interest, including discussions about defence technology and related matters.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Typhoon aircraft have been delivered to the RAF; how many are currently unserviceable; and if he will list the length of time for which each unserviceable Typhoon aircraft has been in that condition. [65917]
Mr. Ingram:
26 Typhoon aircraft have been delivered to the RAF to date. In common with all aircraft types, the availability of Typhoon varies from day-to-day to take into account planned maintenance and issues arising during flying sorties. As an example, on 25 April 2006 two of the 26 aircraft were out of service as part of
27 Apr 2006 : Column 1268W
a pre-planned retrofit programme being conducted at BAES Warton (seven and 77 days), and one aircraft was undergoing routine technical maintenance (14 days) for which a near-term solution is in prospect. A further three aircraft were awaiting longer-term logistic support solutions that are being addressed as the fleet grows incrementally (30 days, 57 days and 12 months). Finally, one aircraft is awaiting repair following a controlled emergency landing in January 2006.
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of surviving ex-servicemen who served at any stage during 19391945. [65197]
Mr. Touhig: We do not keep statistics on the total numbers of surviving ex-servicemen who served during 1939 to 1945 and we have not made an estimate. We estimate that there are some 70,000 war pensions in payment to those whose injuries or illnesses relate to their service in world war II though the total number of survivors will be very much larger than this.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy (a) Sea King, (b) Merlin and (c) Lynx helicopters are (i) in service and (ii) fit for purpose. [65449]
Mr. Ingram: The latest information records the number of Royal Navy helicopters in service and fit for purpose as:
In service | Fit for purpose | |
---|---|---|
Sea King (Mk 4, Mk 5, MK 7) | 51 | 27 |
Merlin (Mk 1) | 24 | 11 |
Lynx (Mk 3, Mk 8) | 47 | 23 |
In service aircraft are those located at front line and training units. "Fit for Purpose" describes an aircraft that is available, reliable, airworthy and capable of carrying out its planned mission on a given date. The numbers of fit for purpose aircraft can vary, depending on operational requirements.
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the underlying cause was of the action for which his Department received damages from Textron Lycoming in respect of damage caused to an RAF Chinook HC Mk1 aircraft during development testing of a pre-production Full Authority Digital Electronic Control system; and whether this underlying cause was removed from the system fitted to Chinook HC2 ZD576. [65736]
Mr. Ingram: It is not immediately possible to provide the information requested and archive records will need to be researched. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as further information is available.
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the differences to the FADEC system between the pre-production system and the system installed in Chinook HC2 ZD576. [65737]
Mr. Ingram: It is not immediately possible to list the differences to the FADEC system between the pre-production system and the system installed in Chinook HC2 ZD576. No records exist in the MOD. The original equipment manufacturer, Honeywell, have been asked to supply the information. I will write to the right hon. Member when the information is available.
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence he has received to discount an uncommanded flying control movement of 12 degree nose down pitch by RAF Chinook ZD576 prior to impact into the Mull. [65738]
Mr. Ingram: There is no factual evidence to either support or discount an uncommanded flying control movement of 12 degree nose pitch down by RAF Chinook ZD576 prior to impact into the Mull of Kintyre. There is, however, the physical evidence at the crash site and wreckage characteristics which indicate that the aircraft first impacted the hillside while climbing at relatively high forward ground speed in an erect, steeply nose up attitude. The evidence for this is the alignment of the aircraft controls. The collective control, which controls power was set at or near full travel at impact, with the cyclic control, which controls pitch or elevation, at 25 per cent. aft and 23 per cent. left of neutral, all indicating a demand for high power and nose-up attitude prior to impact.
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the minimum height is at which autorotation is considered safe for a Chinook HC2; and whether this figure differs from the safe autorotation height for a Chinook with a weight limitation of 18,000 kg. [65739]
Mr. Ingram: Autorotation is defined as the unpowered rotation of helicopter rotor blades that may occur during engine failure, thereby allowing the aircraft to effectively 'glide' to a safe landing. The minimum height at which autorotation is considered safe for a Chinook HC2 is 100 ft above ground level. Weight has no significant impact on autorotation flight performance. However, practice autorotations for Chinooks are not allowed to be carried out above the regulatory maximum weight of 20,000 kg.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future use of the helicopter search and rescue service HMS Gannet. [66372]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence provides a 24-hour search and rescue (SAR) service at HMS Gannet. The MOD and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are currently assessing options for the provision of a replacement UK SAR service when the existing helicopters, including those at Gannet, come to the end of their useful lives around the middle of the next decade. An announcement setting out further details on the way ahead will be made in due course.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to replace the human centrifuge operated by QinetiQ at Farnborough when its scheduled out of service date is reached in 2008. [63807]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is committed to ensuring that the United Kingdom has ongoing access to the required capability and will be reviewing its options prior to 2008 when the human centrifuge at Farnborough reaches its out of service date.
However, the centrifuge is currently owned and operated by QinetiQ. All questions regarding the current facility should be referred to:
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