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19 Jun 2008 : Column 1091W—continued
In addition to the battalions shown in the previous table there are three incremental Guards companies which are primarily for public duties but which can also be used to augment the other Guards battalions as required:
| Unit | Required strength | Actual strength | Fit for purpose strength |
The figures in both tables include personnel filling all roles within each battalion, not just infantrymen. Fit for purpose has been interpreted as fit for primary role.
Defence Equipment
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated (a) cost and (b) in-service date is of the (i) Astute class submarine, (ii) Type-45 Destroyer and (iii) Nimrod MRA4. [210661]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The estimated costs for the current Astute contract are £3,798 million; for the current Type-45 contract £6,464 million; and for Nimrod MRA4 £3,500 million. The first of the Astute class, ASTUTE, has an in-service date of 2009, with AMBUSH following in 2010, and ARTFUL in 2012. The estimated in-service date for Type-45 is November 2010, and for Nimrod MRA4 is 2010.
Defence: Inflation
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the rate of defence inflation was in each of the last five years; and what the forecast figures for the rate of defence inflation are in each of the next five years. [211498]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The MOD does not produce estimates of defence inflation. Work is currently under way to explore whether it might be possible to develop a robust and reliable index of inflationary pressures in defence.
Departmental Recruitment
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's expenditure on recruitment video filming was in each year since 2003; and where each such video was filmed. [210666]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The costs of armed forces recruitment video filming for each year since 2003-04 was:
| £ million | |||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
Location details, where available, broken down by service, are as follows:
| Naval Service | Army | RAF | ||||
| Cost (£ million ) | Location | Cost (£ million ) | Location | Cost (£ million ) | Location | |
Information regarding MOD civilian recruitment video expenditure could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Standards
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who set the targets in the Spring Performance Report; and what steps he plans to take as a result of PSA Target Two not being met. [212389]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The targets in the Spring Performance Report were set by the Government as part of the 2004 Spending Review Public Service Agreement covering the period April 2005 to March 2008.
The MOD will continue to play an active role in the work of the new cross-government funds for conflict prevention work around the world: the Conflict Prevention Pool and the Stabilisation Aid Fund that were established in the recent comprehensive spending review settlement.
EH101 Helicopters
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Merlin Mark 1 helicopters are (a) in and (b) not in service; and what the status is of those not in service. [211502]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: For the purposes of this answer ‘in service’ has been taken to mean those helicopters in the Forward Fleet, available to the Front Line Commands for training and operations. ‘Not in service’ has been taken to mean those helicopters in the Depth Fleet, in depth maintenance/storage, trials and undergoing upgrades.
The number of Merlin Mk1 helicopters ‘in service’ as at 16 June 2008 is 23.
There are 19 Merlin Mk1 helicopters ‘not in service’, of which, 13 are in depth maintenance facility, four are trialling new equipment and two are undergoing upgrades.
Falkland Islands: Defence
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of defence of the Falkland Islands was in each of the last three years. [212425]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: In each of the last three years the costs to the Chief of Joint Operations, who is responsible for maintaining UK forces in the Falkland Islands, are as follows:
| Financial year | Cost (£ million) |
The reason for the much lower figures in the last two financial years is that, as a consequence of a change in MOD accounting policy, the Chief of Joint Operations is no longer responsible for reporting fixed asset depreciation costs and the cost of capital on fixed assets.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of operating the Falklands airbridge was in each of the last three years. [212426]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The contract for the provision of the airbridge to the Falkland Islands is currently under review. I am therefore withholding the information as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.
Fuels
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2008, Official Report, column 1492W, on fuels, (1) what percentage of the £80 million was paid for from the Treasury Reserve; [204557]
(2) how much his Department spent on fuel in each year from 2005-06 to 2007-08, broken down by type of fuel; [204558]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the effect on the cost of British military operations abroad of each US $1 increase in the price of oil. [210640]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We are currently collating the necessary information. I will write to the hon. Member once this process is complete.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Polish, (b) Ukrainian, (c) Pakistani and (d) Sri Lankan national military personnel are undertaking active service with UK armed forces in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan. [211187]
Des Browne: There are no formed units from the nations listed in the question. It is possible that a very small number of exchange officers could be operating with UK forces, but this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contacts there were between British forces and anti-coalition militia in Iraq in each month since February 2008. [211247]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The number of recorded attacks on Coalition forces in Multi-National Division (South East) per month since February 2008 is as follows:
| Number of contacts | |
It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, separately to identify attacks exclusively against British forces.
These figures are inevitably an estimate of attack levels and are subject to refinement as information is processed and verified.
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