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30 Oct 2006 : Column 101W—continued

Hospital Facilities

18. Ms Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made on establishing a military managed ward at Selly Oak hospital. [97428]

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Siobhain McDonagh).

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the hospital treatment of injured service personnel. [97423]


30 Oct 2006 : Column 102W

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Shona McIsaac).

Aircraft

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what impact the reduced frequency of equalised maintenance packages has had on (a) costs, (b) aircraft availability and (c) safety assessments; and what savings are targeted for 2006-07 and future years. [92624]

Mr. Ingram: Equalised maintenance packages for the RAF's Harrier GR7/9 fleet were introduced in 2005. This has improved aircraft availability by an average of two aircraft per day. The airworthiness of the aircraft is also considered to have benefited from equalised maintenance packages but this aspect has yet to be quantified. The total technical support and man hour requirement of the new scheduled maintenance cycle is similar to the previous arrangements, albeit delivered more effectively; accordingly, there have been no measurable cost savings to date.

Equalised maintenance packages are currently being introduced for the RAF's Nimrod MR2/R1 fleet. At this stage it is too early to measure accurately the full benefits of this change, but it is forecast that the new scheduled maintenance regime will deliver significant improvements in aircraft availability, and financial savings of approximately £2 million per annum from financial year 2008-09. Before implementing this change a full safety assessment was carried out on the Nimrod MR2/R1 fleet and further safety assessments will be undertaken as the transition to equalised maintenance moves forward.

Animal Welfare

Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned hyperbaric chamber tests on live goats in the last five years. [93749]

Mr. Ingram: QinetiQ performs research under contract to the Ministry of Defence to support the Department's duty of care to submariners during both normal operations and in an emergency. Over the last five years, this research has included experiments that involve goats in hyperbaric chambers. The Defence Scientific Advisory Council (DSAC) reviewed this work in 2003 and confirmed the need for continued investigation into sequential improvements in escape and rescue procedures and the necessity of experiments on large animals.

Army Numbers

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the troop numbers required to allow the army to operate effectively; and whether that requirement is being met. [94910]

Mr. Ingram: Under future army structures, the established requirement for the British Army is 101,800 (as at 1 April 2008). Current manning levels are 98 per cent. of this requirement (as at 1 September 2006). Overall, the Army is able to meet current operational commitments.


30 Oct 2006 : Column 103W

Battle Deployment

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether units of the armed services are allocated to more than one order of battle deployment. [96249]

Mr. Ingram: Units of the armed forces are routinely allocated to more than one order of battle deployment. For example, 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) supports operations in the UK, Afghanistan and Iraq simultaneously with Explosive Ordnance Detachments which are grouped according to the specific theatre requirement.

Ceremonial Duties/Parades

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what royal and ceremonial duties and parades have been cancelled in each of the last five years; and for what reasons each was cancelled. [95387]

Derek Twigg: There have been no occasions during the last five years when either public duties or state ceremonial duties have been cancelled.

Cluster Munitions

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment the Government has made of the humanitarian impact of the use of cluster munitions by UK forces in recent conflicts to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. [94448]

Mr. Ingram: In all recent conflicts, the UK has complied with International Humanitarian Law in the use of all munitions, including cluster munitions. The decision to use all munitions, including cluster munitions against a target is based on a comprehensive assessment that takes into account the UK's legal obligations under International Humanitarian Law, the nature of the target, and the weapons available to attack it.

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the failure rate is for RBL 755 cluster bombs used by British forces. [94451]


30 Oct 2006 : Column 104W

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 March 2006, Official Report, column 2515W, to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew).

Colombia

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2006, Official Report, column 593W, on Colombia, what percentage of the cost of the military assistance given to Colombia for the disposal of explosive devices is accounted for by de-mining training. [91791]

Mr. Ingram: De-mining training accounted for 42 per cent. of the expenditure earmarked for military assistance given to Colombia for the disposal of explosive devices in financial year 2005-06. Some 47 per cent. of the allocation for financial year 2006-07 is earmarked for the same purpose.

Departmental Budget

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's budget is for 2005-06; and how much of that budget has been allocated to current overseas deployments. [94917]

Mr. Ingram: The defence budget for 2005-6 was £30,888 million, as set in Spending Review 2004. The net additional costs of operations are funded from the Treasury special reserve and the conflict prevention pool, not the Defence Budget.

Further information on Defence expenditure in 2005-06, including on operations, is contained within the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2005-2006 (HC1394) which is available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Project Approvals

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) category A, (b) category B and (c) category C projects of his Department have received (i) Initial Gate and (ii) Main Gate approval since 1 November 2004; and when approval was received in each case. [93037]

Mr. Ingram: The information requested is as follows:

Category A Initial Gate Projects
Date of approval Name of project Date of approval Name of project

10 December 2004

Munitions Acquisition Supply Solution

24 November 2005

Chinook T55 Capability Sustainment and Future Support Programme

28 April 2005

UK Intelligence Web and SCOPE connection

27 June 2006

Future Transport Aircraft (A400M) Support

18 May 2005

Nimrod Future Support

19 July 2006

Defence Logistics Organisation/Defence Procurement Agency Collocation

27 July 2005

Maritime Air Surveillance and Control

27 July 2006

Programme to Rationalise and Integrate Defence Intelligence Service Estate (PRIDE)

l August 2005

Future Rotorcraft Capability



30 Oct 2006 : Column 105W

30 Oct 2006 : Column 106W
Category A Main Gate Projects
Date of approval Name of project Date of approval Name of project

13 December 2004

Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) DII(F) (Approval for Initial Work)

8 September 2005

Defence Estates Regional Prime Contracting—Central

l February 2005

Defence Estates Regional Prime Contracting—South East

8 November 2005

Defence Housing Executive—Prime Contract

9 February 2005

Sea King Integrated Operational Support

9 November 2005

Defence Estates Regional Prime Contracting—East

24 February 2005

Offshore Patrol Vessel (Helicopter)

21 December 2005

Future Carrier (Demonstration Phase)

25 February 2005

Typhoon (Tranche 2)

7 February 2006

Chinook Future Support

4 March 2005

Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) (Contractor Downselect and Main Investment)

10 February 2006

Future Provision of Marine Services

15 March 2005

Project PICASSO (Increment 1)

24 February 2006

Merlin Future Support Programme (IMOS—Integrated Merlin Operational Support)

19 April 2005

Human Resources Service Delivery Organisation

9 March 2006

Combined Aerial Target Service

20 April 2005

Tornado Future Support Programme (ATTAC)

28 March 2006

Merlin Capability Sustainment Programme

14 July 2005

Future Military Aviation Radar Service

4 April 2006

Defence Medical Information Capability Programme

20 July 2005

Future Defence Supply Chain Initiative

04 April 2006

Project FALCON

21 July 2005

Northwood PFI

31 May 2006

Hercules Future Support Project

22 July 2005

Watchkeeper

08 June 2006

Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopter/Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft

31 July 2006

MOD Estates London

20 July 2006

C-17 Strategic Airlift (Lease Buy Out)

2 August 2006

Advanced Jet Trainer


Category B Initial Gate Projects
Date of approval Name of project Date of approval Name of project

3 November 2004

Defence Travel Modernisation (DTM)

5 October 2005

Tornado GR4/4a Collision Warning System

7 December 2004

Project Eagle

17 November 2005

Gnome Engine Future Support Project

24 January 2005

Project Hyperion—Land and Adjutant General collocation and estate rationalisation

17 November 2005

RTM 322 Engine Future Support Project

5 August 2005

Material Flow—Management of Joint Deployed Inventory (MJDI)

4 May 2006

Tornado Capability Upgrade Strategy

9 August 2005

Rapier Support

28 July 2006

Project DMETA/MMA (Defence Medical Training Agency—Midlands Medical Accommodation)

9 August 2005

High Velocity Missile Support

19 September 2006

Personal Equipment and Common Operational Clothing


Category B Main Gate Projects
Date of approval Name of project Date of approval Name of project

22 November 2004

Improved 105mm Light Gun Ammunition

18 July 2005

Joint UAV Experimental Programme

4 January 2005

Secondary Healthcare Germany

21 December 2005

Tornado Future Support Programme RB199 (ROCET)

5 January 2005

Defence Academy Shrivenham Campus Integrator

17 July 2006

Project PICASSO (Increment 2)

26 January 2005

Defence Resource Management Programme Increment 4

25 January 2006

Anti-Structures Munition

3 May 2005

Defence Academy Shrivenham Academic Provider

25 July 2006

C-17 Strategic Airlift (5th Aircraft)

l June 2005

Oracle Enterprise Agreement

3 August 2006

J1/J4 Interim Op Support—Interim fit (raised to Cat B for Main Gate due to cost)

2 June 2005

AS90 Equipment Support Project


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