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17 July 2008 : Column 661W—continued
Departmental Computers
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 21 January 2008, Official Report, column 1225, on MOD (data loss), how many of the 347 laptops stolen or lost from the Ministry of Defence since 2004 have been recovered. [182359]
Des Browne: As a result of the theft of the Royal Navy laptop, the Ministry of Defence has initiated an investigation into the details of all computers lost or stolen since 2003. This investigation is under way and I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available and arrange for a copy of my letter to be placed in the Library of the House.
Substantive answer from Des Browne to Mark Pritchard:
I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 29 January 2008, (Official Report, column 184W) about the number of laptops stolen or lost from the Ministry of Defence since 2004 that had subsequently been recovered.
The figure of 347 laptops that you quote can be derived from information provided in answer to the hon Member for Rayleigh (Mr Francois) on 19 January 2007, (Official Report, column 1363-4W) and the hon Member for South West Hertfordshire (Mr Gauke) on 10 December 2007, (Official Report, column 58W) and relates only to stolen laptops.
Revised figures have been taken from the data collated in the course of the investigation into details of computers and other electronic media lost/stolen since 2003 and provided to Sir Edmund Burton as part of his review. For all years they show an increase in the number of stolen laptops from the numbers previously reported is because the Burton Review investigation revealed anomalies in the reporting process. Instructions have been issued to remedy these shortcomings.
Revised figures as at today are set out below.
| Previously reported stolen laptops | Updated stolen laptops | Updated lost laptops | Updated total stolen and lost laptops | Updated laptops recovered (stolen/lost) | |
| (1) A corresponding figure of 230 was given in Burton Report (Summary, Paragraph 38c, Page 9.) Subsequent reclassification and clarification of incidents has reduced the figure to 123. | |||||
Departmental Public Expenditure
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on urgent operational requirements in near cash terms in each financial year since 2001-02. [217254]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 May 2008, Official Report, column 594W.
Fish
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much fish was procured by his Department and at what cost in each of the last five years, broken down by species; and what amount and value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species. [217880]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The amount of fish procured since the start of the current MOD food supply contract on 1 October 2006 is approximately 1,300 metric tonnes. The cost, broken down by species, is as follows:
| Spend (£) | ||
| Species | October 2006 to September 2007 | October 2007 to June 2008 |
All fish purchased through the MOD food supply contract is subject to extensive and stringent quality standards. These are comparable to, or exceed, extant EC and legislative standards.
Further detailed information in respect of fish procured outside of the MOD food supply contract, such as contract catering/pay as you dine establishments and the spend prior to October 2006 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The value of fish procured that meets the Marine Stewardship Council Standard is not held.
Flag Office Sea Training: Plymouth
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many foreign naval vessels and auxiliaries visited HM Naval Base Devonport under the auspices of Flag Office Sea Training in each of the last five years. [219456]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The number of foreign naval vessels and auxiliaries that have undertaken training at Flag Office Sea Training (South) over the last five years is as follows:
| Financial year | Ships | Auxiliaries |
| (1 )To date. | ||
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Naval vessels have taken part in training exercises in Plymouth under the auspices of Flag Office Sea Training for each of the last five years. [219457]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The number of Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels that have undertaken training exercises at Flag Office Sea Training (South) over the last five years is as follows:
| Financial year | RN | RFA |
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Royal Naval personnel and (b) civilian staff are employed in Plymouth by Flag Office Sea Training. [219458]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Flag Office Sea Training (South) employs 373 Royal Navy personnel and 40 civil servants in Plymouth. These figures include staff supporting training and resettlement in HMS Drake. The civil service figure includes 14 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel.
Fuels: Expenditure
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on fuels in the financial year
2008-09; and what his Department's budget allocation for expenditure on fuel for 2008-09 was. [219236]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Initial, verified estimates for expenditure on fuel during the current financial year will be available later in the year. We keep the price of fuel under regular review and adjust our budget allocations accordingly.
Gazelle Helicopters
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans are in place to cover capability gaps left by the withdrawal from service of the Gazelle helicopter in 2012. [218393]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 July 2008, Official Report, columns 1174-75W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox).
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2008, Official Report, column 797W, on military aircraft: helicopters, by what means his Department plans to replace the (a) flying capacity and (b) skill base once the Gazelle helicopter has been taken out of service. [218400]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 July 2008, Official Report, column 1174W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox). With the planned decommissioning of the Gazelle Fleet, there will be no requirement to maintain experience of flying this type of helicopter beyond 2012.
HMS Vivid
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the trained strength of HMS Vivid is. [219459]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: As at 30 June 2008, the trained strength of HMS Vivid was 99 (30 officers and 69 ratings).
Iraq: Detainees
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the contents of the review of detention practices in Iraq and Afghanistan he disclosed in his letter to the hon. Member for Chichester of 7 July 2008. [219251]
Des Browne: 17 per cent. of the report on the review of detention practices was disclosed in my letter of 7 July. If the annexes are added, then about 4 per cent. of the overall review concerning detention practices was disclosed. As I explained in my letter, much of the information requested was exempt from release under the Freedom of Information Act.
Navy: Antiship Missiles
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when the Sea Skua system entered service with the Royal Navy; [218752]
(2) what improvements have been made to the Sea Skua system since it entered service with the Royal Navy; and what the cost of each has been; [218753]
(3) what the planned out-of-service date of the Sea Skua system is; [218754]
(4) whether his Department plans to make further improvements to the Sea Skua system. [218755]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Sea Skua Missile entered service with the Royal Navy in 1982.
In order to extend the operational life of the missiles, some component change and re-qualification programmes have been carried out. These included replacing the energetic material used in both rocket motors, at a cost of about £11 million; and refurbishment of the missile’s motor ignition delay unit, at a cost of £0.9 million. In addition, Sea Skua was subject to a life extension programme at a cost of £0.8 million. There are currently no plans to make further improvements to the Sea Skua system.
On present planning assumptions, which may change, Sea Skua will be withdrawn from service by approximately the middle of the next decade.
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