Previous Section Index Home Page

22 Feb 2010 : Column 26W—continued


The figures reflect: the award of the Sea King Integrated Operational Support contract in 2007, which replaced the Royal Navy Maintenance personnel with civilian contractors; and the reduction in the Military Guard Service/Ministry of Defence Police following the closure of the Greensite (accommodation and administrative site) which came under the jurisdiction of the Prestwick Airfield authority during 2008.


22 Feb 2010 : Column 27W

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the maintenance costs were of HMS Gannet, Royal Navy Unit Prestwick in each of the last five years. [317781]

Mr. Kevan Jones: Planned and reactive maintenance costs for HMS Gannet for each of the last five years are shown in the following table.

Financial year Maintenance cost (£)

2005-06

72,351

2006-07

72,082

2007-08

69,804

2008-09

61,634

2009-10

(1)43,724

(1 )To date.

Projects outside the scope of this response include changes to operational requirements, condition improvements, and lifecycle replacements.

The reduction in maintenance costs per year is due to the reactive maintenance element of the service provided. By its very nature reactive maintenance is unpredictable in its volume, scope and cost and is dependent on many operational usage factors.

Improvised Explosive Devices: Afghanistan

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of improvised explosive devices identified by the armed forces in Afghanistan in each quarter of each of the last three years. [317965]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether any (a) documents and (b) other items of information in electronic format sought from his Department by the Iraq Inquiry have not been disclosed owing to the Government's obligations to foreign governments or international bodies; and if he will make a statement; [310177]

(2) how many (a) documents and (b) other items of information held in electronic format at each level of security classification the Iraq Inquiry has requested from his Department; and if he will make a statement; [310178]

(3) how many and what proportion of (a) documents and (b) other items of information held in electronic format at each level of security classification requested by the Iraq Inquiry have been provided to it by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [310179]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Angela E. Smith) on 14 December 2009, Official Report, columns 840-41W.


22 Feb 2010 : Column 28W

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) documents and (b) other items of information in electronic format provided by his Department to the Iraq Inquiry that Inquiry has sought to publish under the procedure set out in the protocol on documents and other written and electronic information; and if he will make a statement. [314547]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 9 February 2010, Official Report, column 894W.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the e-mail from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 10 November 2009, on citation. [317249]

Mr. Kevan Jones: The hon. Member's e-mail was not sent to the correct address. It has now been resent and a response will be provided shortly.

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to answer question 312672, on the crash of Nimrod XV230, tabled on 19 January 2010. [317506]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I replied to the hon. Member on 11 February 2010.

Met Office

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the definition of the Met Office's Public Task has been amended to take account of the reference to it in the most recent edition of the Cabinet Office Asset Portfolio; and if he will make a statement. [317583]

Mr. Kevan Jones: The definition of the Met Office's Public Task has not been amended. The December 2009 Cabinet Office Operational Efficiency Programme: Asset Portfolio document reflects Met Office's public task.

Met Office: Standards

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the forecasts provided by the Met Office in the last 12 months. [316872]

Mr. Kevan Jones: Met Office's short-range forecasting accuracy is one of its four key performance targets which is regularly monitored by the Met Office Board on behalf of the Minister. The targets are agreed annually and are laid in Parliament. Met Office report against their performance in their annual report which is also laid before Parliament.

As a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) designated centre for seasonal/long-range forecasts, Met Office is required to carry out assessments of its forecasting accuracy using procedures laid down by WMO. The most recent assessment was carried out in September 2009.


22 Feb 2010 : Column 29W

Military Exercises

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's planned military training exercises were cancelled before they took place in each of the last five years. [314177]

Bill Rammell: Success in Afghanistan is our main effort, and will remain our principal commitment for as long as it takes. Our approach at this time must be and is Afghanistan first. All exercises that better prepare our forces for operations in Afghanistan will continue but those that are considered not to directly support our effort, have limited training value to support our effort, or where the planned objectives for that exercises can be achieved elsewhere have been cancelled.

The proportion of MOD exercises cancelled in the last five full financial years is in the following table

Scheduled training events Cancelled events Percentage Conducted

2008-09

542

80

14.7

462

2007-08

722

76

10.5

646

2006-07

680

64

9.4

616

2005-06

533

58

10.8

475

2004-05

379

79

20.8

300


Missile Defence Centre

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department has incurred on the Missile Defence Centre since it opened. [318010]

Mr. Quentin Davies: Since its launch in July 2003 until the end of financial year 2008-09, the Ministry of Defence has spent some £35.7 million on missile defence research managed by the UK Missile Defence Centre. A further £4.6 million is forecast for the current financial year.

Navy: Middle East

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what tasks (a) HMS Pembroke and (b) HMS Lancaster are currently deployed in the Middle East. [317326]

Bill Rammell: HMS Pembroke is assisting with ensuring free movement of ships to Iraq and the region as part of Operation Telic. At the invitation of other nations, she may also take part in multinational exercises with regional naval forces.

HMS Lancaster is tasked under Operation Calash to carry out counter-terrorism and counter-piracy operations in order to improve the stability of the region.

Nimrod Aircraft

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral statement of 16 December 2009, Official Report, columns 967-69, on the Nimrod review, whether he has taken steps to apportion (a) responsibility and (b) liability to (i) BAE Systems and (ii) QinetiQ in respect of the crash of Nimrod XV230 in September 2006. [312672]


22 Feb 2010 : Column 30W

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Yes. We set up the Nimrod Review in order, among other things, to assess where responsibility lay for the crash of Nimrod XV230. BAE Systems and QinetiQ were therefore put on notice in December 2007 that MOD might bring them into the compensation claims brought against MOD by the bereaved families. That position has been confirmed since the publication of Mr. Haddon-Cave's report and discussions with the companies' lawyers will commence shortly.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the Government's position at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in May 2010. [317451]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I have regular exchanges on nuclear matters with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and my other Cabinet colleagues.

We continue to work with partners from across the international community to seek a mandate for concrete, realistic and balanced action to strengthen the NPT's three mutually reinforcing pillars: non-proliferation, disarmament, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy, as well as addressing the threats to nuclear security.

Officers

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Major-Generals and (b) Brigadiers there are posted in the South of England. [316936]

Bill Rammell: As at 1 October 2009, a total of 120 Brigadiers and 30 Major-Generals were stationed in the South of England. These figures include those temporarily deployed on operations away from their home station.

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Major-Generals and (b) Brigadiers there are in the army; and what the establishment is for each such rank. [316903]

Bill Rammell: As at 1 December 2009, there were 41 Major-Generals against an establishment of 44, and 174 Brigadiers against an establishment of 174.

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Major-Generals and (b) Brigadiers in the army are on gardening leave. [316904]

Bill Rammell: There are currently no Major-Generals or Brigadiers in the Army on gardening leave.

Officers: Pay

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the salary is of a Major-General. [316902]

Bill Rammell: The base pay of a Major-General ranges between £101,537 and £114,729, depending on performance. This is augmented by an X-Factor of £2,336. The X-Factor is a percentage increase to basic pay which reflects the difference between the conditions
22 Feb 2010 : Column 31W
of service experienced by members of the armed forces and conditions in civilian life, which cannot directly be taken into account by the job evaluation process.

The salaries for Major-Generals and above, and their equivalents in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, are determined by the Senior Salaries Review Body.

Public Holidays

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the introduction of an additional public holiday; and if he will make a statement. [315121]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We have made no estimate of the cost of an additional public holiday. Salary costs are fixed and would be unchanged. Military pay already takes account of the need to work unsocial and additional on-call hours as required, and elements of our Armed Forces already undertake duties on certain public holidays. While it might be necessary for some civilians in key roles to work on the public holiday, we would seek to minimise the cost to the Department by encouraging them to take time off in lieu, as is the MOD's current working practice. Similarly, we plan activities in advance to minimise disruption.

There would be some compensating savings, for example from reduced consumption of utilities, such as electricity, at MOD premises.

RAF Croughton

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates US (a) military personnel, (b) civilians and (c) contractors moved from RAF Fairford to RAF Croughton. [317981]

Bill Rammell: No US personnel or contractors have moved from RAF Fairford to RAF Croughton.

RAF Lyneham

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the construction cost was of the (a) new HQ building, (b) C130J simulator building, (c) new HQ for (i) 24 and (ii) 30 Squadron, (d) new gymnasium, (e) new pitch roof on the barrack blocks, (f) new sergeant's mess annexe, (g) new HQ for 47 Air Despatch Regiment and (h) extension to the security fence on the south side of the main entrance; and what further infrastructure improvements are planned to take place at RAF Lyneham. [310129]

Bill Rammell: In line with guidance from the National Audit Office, financial records are not retained for longer than six years and the information requested is therefore not available prior to 2004. Most of the construction projects referred to in the question were completed before this date and are no longer considered as new. The fitness suite was completed in 2004 and cost £784,000. The extension of the security fence was completed in 2009 and cost £18,000. These have been minimal expenditure on infrastructure since collocation at RAF Brize Norton was announced in 2003.


Next Section Index Home Page