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18 Jun 2009 : Column 463W—continued
Defence
Air Force: Military Aircraft
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF aircraft are in service; and what the (a) target and (b) actual number of each type of RAF aircraft fit for purpose is. [279949]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Information on the numbers of aircraft in service and fit for purpose (FFP) is given in the following table. Target figures are not used for all aircraft types and are included only where appropriate. The figures shown are a snapshot of the position on 31 May 2009.
| Aircraft type | In service fleet | Target FFP | Actual FFP |
‘In service’ has been taken to mean the effective fleet, which covers all aircraft barring those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal. Serviceable aircraft available to the front line commands for operational and training purposes are termed fit for purpose (FFP). Aircraft which are undergoing major servicing or routine maintenance are within the depth fleet and are therefore not relevant to this question.
Additionally, in the process of answering this question an error in the TriStar ‘in-service’ fleet number has been identified in the written answer I provided to you on 23 April 2009, Official Report, column 812W. The answer I provided stated that there were eight TriStars ‘in-service’ but the correct answer should have stated there were nine. This error occurred as one aircraft has been undergoing a major cockpit upgrade and was mistakenly not included in the ‘in-service’ fleet number.
Armed Forces: Housing
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of forces’ accommodation units are in each condition grade in each region in England. [279938]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The following table is the best available breakdown of service families accommodation by location based on the Department’s housing regions, and is correct as at 25 March 2009. This updates information given in my answer of 30 March 2009, Official Report, column 884W, and my written ministerial statement of 17 March 2009, Official Report, columns 43-44WS, and reflects further verification and analysis work including that carried out with the National Audit Office.
| S1fC | S2fC | S3fC | S4fC | |||||||
| Housing region | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | Not assessed | Total |
Data for the condition of service families accommodation will be updated on a quarterly basis beginning from July 2009, and the information will be placed in the Library of the House.
Atomic Weapons Establishment
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what quantities of (a) intermediate and (b) low level radioactive waste are held at the Atomic Weapons Establishment. [280423]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The quantity of intermediate level radioactive waste currently held at the Atomic Weapons Establishment is 4,095 cu m. The quantity of low level radioactive waste currently held there is 680 cu m.
Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated hourly flying time cost is of (a) the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft and (b) each air-to-air service provider. [280061]
Mr. Quentin Davies: After full system delivery of the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft the average hourly flying time cost for military usage is estimated to be £20,000. This rate includes all costs associated with provision of military capability (including Defensive Aids Suite), aircraft support, training and associated infrastructure. No equivalent cost is currently available from a commercial air-to-air service provider.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he expects the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft to enter service. [280063]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) introduction to service is planned to begin in 2011, with the full service being available by 2016.
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Joint Strike Fighter aircraft his Department plans to purchase in the next five years. [279936]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The procurement process for the Joint Strike Fighter remains at a very early stage. We have not taken the final investment decision and at this stage cannot, therefore, confirm overall numbers or the in-service date. The first investment decision was announced by the Secretary of State on 18 March 2009, Official Report, column 53WS. The decision enables the UK to conduct, alongside the US, a joint Initial Operational Test and Evaluation programme and entails the acquisition of three aircraft, provision of training equipment and support during the trials and a further two years contributions to the Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2006. Subject to successful testing, we plan to buy further production aircraft incrementally to build up to Initial and then Full Operating Capability.
Low Flying: Complaints
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints about low-flying military aircraft have been received by each military establishment in the UK in each of the last five years. [280418]
Mr. Kevan Jones: This information is not held in the format requested. The Air Staff, Low Flying Complaints and Enquiries Unit, (CEU) is the organisation responsible for recording complaints about aircraft operating in the UK Military Low Flying system. Complaints may be received direct from the public, or via military units, but records are not maintained of which unit has passed on a particular complaint to the Complaints and Enquiries Unit. Complaints about aircraft operating within the Military Air Traffic Zone surrounding an airbase are normally dealt with by the operating unit directly, and are not included in the centrally recorded figures.
The figures provided in the following table are the total of low flying complaints received at the CEU in each of the last five years.
| Date | Complaints recorded |
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