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15 Jan 2008 : Column 1131W—continued
Armed Forces: Pay
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions since 1977 the Government have not implemented in full the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body. [178507]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Since 1977, the Government have always implemented in full the recommendations of the AFPRB. The implementation of the AFPRB's recommendations have, however, been staged on seven occasions, but where this has occurred they have always been effected within the same financial year.
Astute Class Submarines: Repairs and Maintenance
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of repairing the Astute submarine damaged during routine tests. [179039]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 14 January 2008]: Repair work is currently under way and progressing well. Costs will be agreed between the Department and BAE Systems once all repairs have been completed.
AWE Burghfield
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 1035W, on Atomic Weapons Establishment Burghfield, how many safety shortfalls (a) were identified by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate during the risk assessment, (b) were resolved by the delayed 27 September 2007 target date, (c) will shortly be resolved and (d) will remain unresolved under the current single operation licensing regime imposed by the NII for each warhead handling operation; and if he will make a statement. [177368]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth:
As I indicated in my answer to the hon. Member on 7 January 2008, Official Report, column 28W, the safety case issues in question were identified not by the NII, but by AWE plc in its own Periodic Review of Safety. A total of 1,000 safety shortfalls were identified and these ultimately translated into 337 improvement packages requiring further action. Of these improvement packages, 234 were completed by 27 September 2007 with a further 50 due to be completed
by 31 March 2008. The remaining 53 improvement packages are due to be completed by 31 December 2008.
It is important to note that NII has made a full assessment of AWE's Periodic Review of Safety and is satisfied that appropriate progress is being made at AWE Burghfield to address the findings. It is emphasised that, if NII believed a particular operation were unsafe, it would not allow it to take place, and has appropriate regulatory powers at its disposal to cease operations.
Defence: Procurement
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value of private sector funds pledged by contractors for each equipment acquisition programme audited by the National Audit Office and reported on in major projects reports published since 2001 is as a percentage of the contract price. [171827]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held in the format requested.
Departmental Public Buildings
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of listed departmental buildings are in a (a) good, (b) fair, (c) poor and (d) unknown condition. [177533]
Derek Twigg: There are 782 listed buildings on the defence estate. The condition of these buildings at the end of the last financial year and at 9 January 2008 is shown in the following table:
| Category | At 31 March 2007 | At 9 January 2008 | ||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
A programme is in place to establish 100 per cent. known condition by the end of this financial year.
Destroyers
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many months each Royal Navy destroyer in service spent (a) on operations and (b) in maintenance in each year since 1997. [165881]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Following the definitions of operations and maintenance I set out in my letter to the hon. Member on the 5 November, the number of months each Royal Navy Destroyer spent on both in each year since 1997 were as follows:
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | ||||||
| Vessel | Op time | Maintenance | Op time | Maintenance | Op time | Maintenance | ||
| 2000 | 2002 | 2002 | ||||
| Vessel | Op time | Maintenance | Op time | Maintenance | Op time | Maintenance |
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | ||||
| Vessel | Op time | Maintenance | Op time | Maintenance | Op time | Maintenance |
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