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13 Jun 2008 : Column 555W—continued
(2) what requirements have been placed on General Dynamics to use the UK supply-chain of small and medium enterprises in the Future Rapid Effects System programme; [210172]
(3) what assessment has been made of when General Dynamics will have a demonstration vehicle ready for the Future Rapid Effects System programme; [210173]
(4) whether General Dynamics have specified a platform weight for the Future Rapid Effects System. [210174]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Where FRES vehicles will be assembled has been the subject of discussions with all the companies participating in the initial wave of competitions to select the Utility Vehicle (UV) Design, the UV Integrator and the System of Systems Integrator. The specific provision in the FRES Acquisition Strategy covering vehicle manufacture also featured in the documentation issued to the companies involved.
There have been no further discussions with General Dynamics on where vehicles will be assembled since the announcement on 8 May 2008 that Piranha 5 had been selected as the provisionally preferred UV Design.
No specific requirements have been placed on General Dynamics to use the UK supply-chain of small and medium enterprises in the Future Rapid Effect System programme. Promoting the use of UK-based small and medium enterprises where they add value to the programme is, however, clearly desirable.
The assessment of when a demonstration vehicle would be available was an area of focus during the Utility Vehicle trials in 2007, as was specifying a platform weight for the Future Rapid Effect System. Our assessment is continuing and these areas will remain a focus during the forthcoming programme of risk reduction work that will address a number of commercial, programme and technical issues.
Only when the MOD is satisfied on all the issues being addressed during the programme of risk reduction work, including when a demonstration vehicle will be available and a platform weight specified, will General Dynamics achieve preferred bidder status and these decisions will be made.
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is a requirement of the Future Rapid Effects System programme that it should be able to be transported in an aircraft. [210175]
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on the Future Rapid Effects System programme. [210176]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Expenditure to 31 March 2008 on the Future Rapid Effect System since the launch of the assessment phase in 2004 is £130 million.
Bombs
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice he received from the military on methods of disposing of cluster munitions before taking the decision to sign the Dublin Convention. [210665]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Ministers did not receive military advice on methods of disposing of munitions prior to the Dublin Conference.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of disposing of the UK's cluster munitions. [210695]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We are in the process of implementing the provisions of the adopted convention on the UK's cluster munitions and assessing their likely disposal costs. As soon as they become known I will inform the House.
Departmental Consultants
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's expenditure on external consultancy was in 2007-08. [210711]
Derek Twigg: The MOD's external assistance expenditure figures for 2007-08 are currently being compiled.
It is planned that they will be placed in the Library of the House before summer recess.
Departmental Databases
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2008, Official Report, column 795W, on Departmental databases, if he will list (a) the companies and (b) the categories of personal information involved. [199949]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence, including its agencies, has contracted the following US-based companies to provide services involving the use, storage, processing or analysis of databases of personal information held by the Government on UK citizens, in each case the type of personal information is indicated, both in general terms and by Data Protection Act category.
| Company | Type of data | DPA category |
|
Information about Royal Navy members and the wider RN community | ||
|
Details about users (serving personnel and their family and friends) of e-bluey service | ||
My answer of 1 April 2008 referred only to the first of these service providers. Since then an in-depth exercise to carry out a review of the Department’s holdings of personal data has been completed and a further three service providers (SuperLetter.Com, Galileo and Carlson Wagonlit Travel) have been confirmed.
The Department, including its agencies, has contracted with a number of UK based subsidiaries of USA registered service providers over the last five years. All those whose details are known centrally following the recent review exercise are listed as follows.
Warships
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date Sea Dart missiles were removed from (a) HMS Exeter and (b) HMS Southampton. [210668]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: HMS Exeter had her Sea Dart missiles offloaded in July 2007 and HMS Southampton’s were removed January 2008.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what operations (a) HMS Exeter and (b) HMS Southampton have taken part in over the last six months. [210669]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: During the last six months HMS Exeter has been deployed on a NATO led Operation Active Endeavour in the Eastern Mediterranean. HMS Southampton has not taken part in any operations in the last six months.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days (a) HMS Exeter and (b) HMS Southampton were (i) out to sea and (ii) undergoing maintenance in the last six months. [210670]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Between 10 December 2007 and 10 June 2008 HMS Exeter was out at sea for 53 days and undergoing maintenance for 20 days. HMS Southampton was out at sea for 34 days and undergoing maintenance for 46 days. The remainder of their time was spent alongside on port visits, leave, trials and work up periods.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects Sea Dart missiles to be returned to (a) HMS Southampton and (b) HMS Exeter. [210672]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces. HMS Exeter and HMS Southampton continue to be armed with weapon system capabilities required to meet their tasking.
Warships: Guided Weapons
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the operational purposes of the Royal Navy’s Sea Dart missiles are. [210671]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Sea Dart is a medium range air defence missile. The principal operational purpose of missile is to engage and destroy attacking enemy aircraft or missiles. The secondary operational purpose is toengage and destroy enemy ships.
Navy
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the Royal Navy's monthly Sitrep for each month since January 2008. [210662]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The naval monthly sitreps (Situation Reports) are designed for internal circulation to naval requirement managers, giving a range of statistics about strengths, inflows and outflows of Naval staff by various dimensions such as specialisation and rank.
The numbers in the reports are not fully rounded, with numbers under 10 being unrounded. Because this might allow personally identifying information to be revealed, only fully rounded versions can be placed on the Library.
A fully rounded version of the main Sitrep for December 2007 is available in the Library of the House. I shall place a copy of the fully rounded version of the latest edition (May 2008) in the Library of the House, however, previous editions could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Nimrod Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of QinetiQ’s consultations on Nimrod were over the last three years. [209727]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The cost of work relating to Nimrod aircraft carried out by QinetiQ over the last three financial years was £26.1 million.
Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average time taken for the decommissioning of nuclear submarines is. [209578]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The submarine decommissioning process is defined as starting when a vessel leaves service with the Royal Navy and concludes when the disposal process is complete, including both the transfer of radioactive waste into long-term storage at a National Waste Management Facility and the disposal of the hull.
No UK nuclear submarine has completed this process as all 14 ex-Royal Navy nuclear submarines are currently in afloat storage at either HM Naval Base Devonport or Rosyth Dockyard. It is not therefore possible to provide an average figure for the time taken for submarine decommissioning.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safety checks are in place to monitor current submarines in decommission. [209579]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Submarines that are being decommissioned are subject to regular safety checks as laid down in their respective safety cases; these are controlled in accordance with the safety management arrangements of the sites at which they are stored. These arrangements are approved by the relevant nuclear regulators. Checks include a weekly watertight integrity check and radiological surveys conducted at a periodicity ranging from a month to a year.
Safety checks form part of a broader maintenance regime which includes yearly scheduled maintenance and docking every 10 to 15 years to allow a complete survey and re-preservation package to ensure further safe afloat storage until final disposal.
Wines
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated value of his Department’s wine stores is. [209581]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: It is not MOD policy to hold stores of wine. Small amounts that are purchased from public funds, as required, for specific functions as part of official entertainment are not accounted for centrally, and their total value could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
MOD’s own regulations on the provision of official entertainment are contained in JSP 462 (Financial Management Policy Manual), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Duchy of Lancaster
Committee of Departmental Green Ministers
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for what reasons the Committee of departmental Green Ministers no longer holds meetings. [210707]
Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge) on 21 January 2008, Official Report, columns 1544-45W.
Employment
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many (a) men and (b) women were in work in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK in 2007-08; [206761]
(2) how many (a) men, (b) women and (c) single parents were unemployed in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK in 2007-08; [206775]
(3) how many single parents were in work in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in 2007-08. [206774]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell dated 13 June 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary questions asking: how many (a) men and (b) women were in work in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK in 2007-08; how many (a) men, (b) women and (c) single parents were unemployed in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK in 2007-08; and how many single parents were in work in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in 2007-08. (206761, 206775 and 206774).
The Office for National Statistics compiles labour market statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions. Estimates for single parents are compiled from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) household datasets.
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