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12 May 2009 : Column 744W—continued
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the cost of the Defence Training Review contract over the next five financial years. [275050]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The most recent estimate of the cost of the Defence Training Review (DTR) contract over the next five financial years, after expected contract signature in 2010, is £1.8 billion. It should be noted that the vast majority of this figure represents the operating costs that we carry today within the existing training establishment.
Army: Manpower
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) required, (b) actual and (c) fit for duty strengths of each regiment of the (i) Royal Armoured Corps, (ii) Royal Corps of Signals, (iii) Royal Engineers and (iv) Royal Logistics Corps is. [275044]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Clyde Submarine Base
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Faslane primary effluent barge to return to service; and what plans he has for its replacement in the long-term. [273004]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The primary effluent barge was retired in February 2008 and will not be returned to service.
Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde is currently undertaking a future waste management options study to determine the long-term plans for radioactive waste management. Primary effluent tanks will continue to collect liquid waste in the interim.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for a new facility to handle radioactive waste at Faslane. [273005]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Work is currently being undertaken to determine the future waste management plans at Faslane, the results of which will inform the design and development of a new capability.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) procedures and (b) protocols will apply to the discharge of radioactive coolant from submarines at the new Astute jetty. [273006]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The procedures and protocols for the discharge of radioactive coolant from submarines at the new Astute jetty will be similar to those in place for current berths. Primary effluent tanks will be used for the discharge of radioactive liquid effluent, a process that is regulated and inspected by both the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator.
Defence: Employment
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in (a) Devon and (b) Cornwall are employed in the defence sector. [273590]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The latest available figures for the numbers of MOD civilian and service personnel who are directly employed at MOD establishments or bases located in Devon, Cornwall and the unitary authority of Plymouth are provided in the following table.
| All MOD service personnel | MOD civilian personnel | Total | |
The Ministry of Defence does not produce estimates at county or unitary authority level for the number of people employed in UK industry and commerce in companies that receive contracts directly from MOD or in the supply chain supporting such contracts.
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in the South West of England work in the defence sector. [273591]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The latest available estimate for those people employed directly in industry and commerce in the South West of England in those companies that receive contracts directly from MOD is approximately 37,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
It is not possible to prepare estimates for indirect employment due to the quality of the underlying administrative data, so this could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
In addition a further 17,600 civilian and 38,880 service personnel are directly employed at MOD establishments or bases located in the South West.
Defence: Information and Communications Technology
Dr. Fox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) target and (b) actual number of terminal
installations completed for the Defence Information Infrastructure programme is. [274968]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence intends to design, install and run 140,000 terminals on the Defence Information Infrastructure system, supporting some 300,000 users at more than 2,000 sites. As at 30 April 2009, some 70,000 terminals had been installed.
Defence: Procurement
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) original forecast in-service date at main gate and (b) actual in-service date of each post-main gate Category (i) A, (ii) B and (iii) C procurement project was in each of the last two years. [275022]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The following table gives the actual in-service date for category A, B and C post main gate projects in each of the last two financial years for which results have been published together with the originally forecast in-service date at main gate:
Departmental Buildings
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on building maintenance in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [274556]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The diverse defence estate includes office, technical and living accommodation. Building maintenance is covered by a number of contractual arrangements both in the UK and overseas, including a number of private finance initiatives (PFI). For these reasons, the cost of building maintenance as distinct from such things as the maintenance of runways and other elements of the estate, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The MOD's annual accounts include property management costs, which are mostly maintenance but exclude those falling under PFI arrangements.
These figures are provided in the following table.
| £ million | |
The final figures for 2008-09 are currently being prepared and are subject to audit by the National Audit Office.
Departmental Consultants
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on external consultants for services delivered in 2008-09. [274977]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: This information is not yet verified but is intended for future publication and will be placed in the Library of the House before the summer recess, as is our usual practice.
Departmental Correspondence
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedure his Department follows for dealing with complaints received (a) by e-mail, (b) by post, (c) by telephone and (d) via his Department's website. [274527]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The MOD's complaints handling policy is based on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's publication "Principles of Good Complaint Handling" and covers all complaints irrespective of how they are received. There are separate and published points of contact for complaints about specific activities, for example pensions or low flying, and our experience is that complaints are most effectively handled at the initial point of contact. Our policy sets out how complaints should be handled and, should it be necessary, explains how an internal review should be offered and conducted. Finally, we offer independent internal reviews and will explain to the complainant how they are able to take their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on (a) conference services and (b) banqueting services in each of the last five years. [274508]
Mr. Kevan Jones: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Expenditure on conference and banqueting services must be necessary, appropriate, cost effective and an admissible charge to public funds.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on entertainment and hospitality in the last two financial years. [275011]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The MOD spent £4.2 million on entertainment in 2007-08. The information for 2008-09 is intended for future publication in our annual report and accounts before the summer recess, as is our usual practice.
The aim of official entertainment is to support MOD objectives, facilitate wider public understanding of the armed forces, enhance professional contacts, further British security policy interests and meet defence diplomacy objectives. Official entertainment may be used to support management objectives or enhance esprit de corps.
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