Examination of Witnesses (Questions 100-109)
DR FRANCES
SAUNDERS, MR
PETER STARKEY
AND MR
MARK HONE
28 NOVEMBER 2006
Q100 Chairman: I am not sure that
fully answers whether you are getting enough information from
the United States. Do you think that you are?
Mr Starkey: I think we are getting
a great deal of information. There are always areas where there
is further discussion, and indeed, on that programme there are
further areas that are currently subject of discussion that are
quite important for the programme.
Chairman: That sounds like a "no".
You are allowed to say "no".
Q101 Mr Hancock: What about what
we wanted to get out of this aircraft? Will the capability of
that aircraft as was first foreseen be available to us as a nation
or will it be a downgraded specification because of the Americans'
insistence on not allowing us to have the complete package?
Mr Starkey: I am not in the right
position to answer that question.
Chairman: I think that is probably right.
Q102 Mr Jenkin: Can I just ask a
more general question? There is a sense that over the years we
have less and less to put on the table relative to particularly
the United States.
Mr Starkey: There is a danger
of that if one does not invest in the appropriate research programmes
that generate that.
Q103 Mr Hancock: You have to know
which ones to go for.
Mr Starkey: Certainly.
Q104 Mr Jenkins: I am sorry to labour
this point, but this Ploughshare Innovations Limited is a limited
company. Who actually owns it? Do you own it or does the MoD own
it?
Dr Saunders: We are part of the
MoD so it is owned by the Secretary of State for Defence.
Q105 Mr Jenkins: There are very subtle
differences here. If it were at any time in the future to be packaged
up and sold in the market place to raise capital, who would the
money go to? Would you get a share or would it all go to the MoD?
Dr Saunders: That would be something
we would have to discuss with the Finance Director at the time.
Q106 Mr Jenkins: But it is not clear.
Dr Saunders: There are no guarantees.
Q107 Mr Jenkins: I am not clear who
owns this company.
Dr Saunders: The Secretary of
State for Defence owns the company and we manage it on behalf
of the Secretary of State for Defence because we are part of MoD.
Chairman: The Finance Director is listening
very carefully.
Q108 Mr Hancock: One last question
on an issue locally, and it is about Portsdown West, and it is
not about my home. It is about the plans you have and the investment
that you are going to make there. You are going to be bringing
an extra 500 people on to that site. Is the investment absolutely
assured, that that will take place in the time frame that is outlined
in the papers to us?
Dr Saunders: Yes.
Q109 Mr Hancock: That is a guarantee?
Dr Saunders: Yes it is. We have
the ministerial agreement, the £97 million maximum price
that I have talked about. That includes the refurbishment of Portsdown
West and that is due for completion in 2009. We have signed
the contract, so Serco press the "go" button and yes,
that will be happening.
Chairman: There are a number of other
questions that we may wish to ask you about but I think, in view
of the time, and we have a number of other people to see, we need
to ask them in writing rather than anything else. I apologise
to those members of the Committee who have burning issues that
they wish to ask. May I repeat what I said before, that your answers
have been crisp, and answers to the questions we have been asking,
and that has been a most refreshing and enjoyable experience.
Thank you very much indeed.
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