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26 Jun 2008 : Column 449W—continued
AWE Burghfield: Planning Permission
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South of 5 January 2008, Official Report, column 1061W, on AWE Burghfield, what the timetable is for submission of all proposed planning applications at (a) AWE Burghfield and (b) AWE Aldermaston. [213572]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The following table represents the latest programme position for the submission of planning applications for AWE Aldermaston and Burghfield as included in the Site Development Context Plan 2005-15, updated in April 2008.
| Project | Site | Timing of planning application |
Defence Equipment
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of (a) weapons mounted installation kits, (b) Warrior vehicles, (c) Saxon vehicles, (d) Scimitar vehicles, (e) combat vehicle reconnaissance tracked vehicles and (f) 0.5 inch heavy machine guns have been fit for service in each year since 2003. [191444]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Officials are currently compiling information from a range of sources which will take some time to complete. I will therefore write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Nick Harvey:
I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 6 March 2008 (Official Report, column 2709W) about equipments fit for service and available for Army training.
The percentage of specific equipments fit for service in each year since 2005 are shown in the table below. Information is not available prior to 2005.
| Percentage | ||||
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| (1) CVRT figures include SCIMITAR (which is a CVR(T) variant) | ||||
The main SAXON variant—the General War Role (GWR) was drawn down and disposed of in 2007 leaving two much smaller fleets of specialist SAXON variants. Relatively minor fluctuations in availability in these small fleets have a marked effect on the overall percentage compared to their effect on the previously existing significantly larger fleet. Availability data is not collated centrally for 0.5 inch Heavy Machine Gun.
You also asked about specified equipment types available for Army training in each year since 1997.
In theory the whole fleet is available for training including the deployed assets since some training is undertaken in operational theatres, although, of course, at any one time a number of equipments will be under repair, maintenance, conversion etc.
This number will vary from day to day and we do not maintain statistics on average availability. We can however provide snapshots as I did in my reply of 20 February 2008 (Official Report, column 699W). I attach a copy of the relevant Hansard extract.
Departmental Buildings
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on (a) new capital investment and (b) refurbishment of property in each of the last 10 years, broken down by project. [212863]
Derek Twigg: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, in Financial Year 2006-07 the Department spent over £600 million on property and other infrastructure capital investment (not including equivalent PFI expenditure). The diverse nature of the estate means that this investment could relate to projects ranging from new housing and accommodation blocks to resurfacing of runways and specialist military infrastructure.
Refurbishment of property is not readily distinguishable from other maintenance expenditure except to the extent that costs are capitalised and included within other capital investment.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how frequently his Department restates the asset values of its building estate. [213418]
Derek Twigg: In accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 15, the Department is required to undertake a professional ‘existing use’ valuation of its estate at least every five years. The Ministry of Defence fulfils this obligation with a five year rolling valuation programme where 25 per cent. of the estate is valued in the first four years and the fifth year is used to capture any residual assets. The last five year programme ended in financial year 2007-08.
Between formal valuation, asset values are revised annually using indices provided by the Defence Analytical Services Agency. Where assets are held for disposal they are valued at open market value and are subject to annual revaluation.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) new builds and (b) major refurbishments were completed by his Department for a cost in excess of £0.5 million in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08 to which the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method or equivalent was applied; how many such buildings were assessed as (A) pass, (B) good, (C) very good and (D) excellent; and if he will make a statement. [213695]
Derek Twigg: In March 2006 the Department introduced the Defence Related Environmental Assessment Methodology (DREAM), which the Office of Government Commerce recognises as equivalent to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), for Ministry of Defence construction projects.
The value of each project completed to these standards is not separately identifiable and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The numbers of assessments completed to these standards for the years in which information is available is shown in the following tables. The smaller proportion of projects reaching the top standards in the first two years is due to the fact that project teams were still developing their understanding of environmental performance assessments and how best to meet these new requirements.
| Assessment method | Total new builds assessed | Number new builds reaching excellent standard | Number new builds reaching very good standard | |
| Assessment method | Total refurbishments assessed | Number refurbishments reaching excellent standard | Number refurbishments reaching very good standard | |
Departmental Conferences
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the conferences hosted by his Department in each of the last two years; and what the cost was of each conference. [211691]
Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many jobs his Department expects to relocate under the policy of civil service job dispersal. [213417]
Derek Twigg: Under the Lyons review, the MOD plans to relocate some 5,000 civil service and military posts out of London and the South East by March 2010. This is against the MOD’s Lyons relocation target of 3,900 that was agreed and published as part of the 2004 spending review.
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department and its agencies spent on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08. [212029]
Derek Twigg: Ministry of Defence accounts for the 2007-08 financial year are currently being audited, so final figures on marketing and branding expenditure are not yet available.
European Fighter Aircraft
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Eurofighter Typhoons are now in service with the RAF; when the remainder are scheduled to enter service; and if he will make a statement. [213038]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Forty-nine Tranche 1 aircraft are now in service with the RAF. Deliveries from Tranche 2 (91 aircraft) are planned to commence in September 2008 and to continue until 2013-14. Negotiations with Partner Nations and industry on Tranche 3 are under way and expected to continue throughout this year.
India: Defence
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on (a) joint military training and (b) co-production of defence equipment since the joint declaration with India on 20 September 2004. [212194]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There has been a significant increase in the breadth and depth of defence co-operation between UK and India since the Joint Declaration of 2004, and combined military training involving all three Services is an important dimension of our security relationship.
The UK also has a strong commitment to partnering with India in the field of defence equipment production. We are well placed to support India's efforts to develop a sustainable defence manufacturing sector that produces a positive contribution to the economies of both UK and India.
The growing relationship is underpinned by a regular dialogue between our respective Defence Ministries at the highest level that provides for the exchange of ideas, the sharing of experience as well as a forum for the resolution of any problems.
Military Aircraft: Repairs and Maintenance
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the percentage shortfall in availability of spare parts for each type of Royal Air Force (a) fast jet, (b) tanker and transport aircraft and (c) maritime reconnaissance aircraft. [212018]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The off the shelf satisfaction rate (OTSSR), defined as the percentage of demands for spares satisfied direct from MOD stock, is as follows.
| Aircraft | OTSSR( 1) (percentage) |
| (1) As at 30 April 2008. (2) Provided under an aircraft availability contract with industry; spares availability is not measured. | |
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