The
Committee consisted of the following
Members:
Chair:
Mr
David Amess
†
Blunkett,
Mr David (Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
(Lab)
†
Byles,
Dan (North Warwickshire)
(Con)
†
Cairns,
Alun (Vale of Glamorgan)
(Con)
Donaldson,
Mr Jeffrey M. (Lagan Valley)
(DUP)
†
Ellwood,
Mr Tobias (Bournemouth East)
(Con)
†
Francois,
Mr Mark (Vice-Chamberlain of Her Majesty's
Household)
†
Gilbert,
Stephen (St Austell and Newquay)
(LD)
†
Grant,
Mrs Helen (Maidstone and The Weald)
(Con)
†
Hart,
Simon (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
(Con)
†
Heaton-Harris,
Chris (Daventry)
(Con)
†
Hilling,
Julie (Bolton West)
(Lab)
†
Horwood,
Martin (Cheltenham)
(LD)
†
Jones,
Mr Kevan (North Durham)
(Lab)
†
Luff,
Peter (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Defence)
†
Mearns,
Ian (Gateshead)
(Lab)
Michael,
Alun (Cardiff South and Penarth)
(Lab/Co-op)
†
Winnick,
Mr David (Walsall North)
(Lab)
†
Wright,
David (Telford) (Lab)
Mark
Etherton, Committee Clerk
†
attended the Committee
Third
Delegated Legislation
Committee
Wednesday
4 May
2011
[Mr
David Amess
in the
Chair]
Draft
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Trading Fund Order
2011
2.30
pm
The
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Peter
Luff):
I beg to
move,
That
the Committee has considered the draft Defence Science and Technology
Laboratory Trading Fund Order
2011.
It
is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Amess.
The role of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory is to
maximise the impacts of science and technology for UK defence and
security. DSTL was established in 2001 after the previous
Administration decided that the majority of the science and technology
functions carried out by its predecessor organisation, the Defence
Evaluation and Research Agency, which was a trading fund at the
Ministry of Defence, could and should be carried out by the private
sector.
The
operation of DERA as a trading fund was governed by three separate
orders, dating from 1993, 1995 and 1996. The Defence Science and
Technology Laboratory Trading Fund Order 2001 amended those orders,
specifying which of the operating divisions of DERA should cease to be
funded activities and thereby become part of QinetiQ. The one remaining
division—the security division—was to continue as a
trading fund under the name of
DSTL.
The
requirement for a new order follows the review that was undertaken in
2009 of the formulation and delivery of science and technology in the
Ministry of Defence. As a result, DSTL assumed responsibility for the
formation of the MOD’s research programme on 1 April
2010, working with industry and academia. Although that has not led to
any expansion in DSTL’s funded activities, as described in the
2001 order, we decided that it would be helpful to take the opportunity
to rationalise the existing legislation in order to remove any doubt
and avoid future ambiguity. This order therefore repeals the existing
three orders and replaces the list of funded activities, based on a
division of DERA which has long ceased to exist, with a more generic
description of funded activities, similar to that used
previously.
Creating
the new order has, technically, widened the description of funded
activities. However, I must stress that our policy remains that DSTL
will continue to undertake only that work which is inappropriate for
the
private sector. That requirement and, in particular, the operational
requirement, will inevitably change somewhat over time, but a number of
mechanisms are in place to ensure that DSTL does not undertake work
that could be done by
industry.
2.32
pm
Mr
Kevan Jones (North Durham) (Lab):
It is a pleasure to
serve under your chairmanship, Mr Amess. I do not want to detain the
Committee unduly—Members will know of my brevity. The Opposition
will not be opposing the statutory instrument, but I should like the
Minister to answer four
questions.
First,
who decides the appropriateness of work to be done in the private
sector? Secondly, what criteria will be used to make that decision?
Thirdly, will the Government publish the review of the DSTL trading
fund and, if so, when? Fourthly, does this delegated legislation relate
to the long-awaited White Paper, which I understand the Minister will
introduce later this
year?
2.33
pm
Peter
Luff:
The content of the MOD research programme is driven
by MOD custom requirements and priorities, and is sourced in line with
a robust procurement strategy process. The clear expectation is that
any work will be outsourced to industry or academia unless there is a
compelling reason for it to be done in Government. We have put in place
a comprehensive Government regime in relation to those decisions, and I
assure the Opposition that Ministers are strongly committed to that
principle.
The
criteria for allocating work are in the process of being revised,
following the review that has taken place. I will happily share those
with the hon. Gentleman and, of course, the industry in due
course.
I
am afraid that I am not able to give the hon. Gentleman all the comfort
he would like on the publication of the review of DSTL status. It is
not usual to publish internal reports, although a summary of the
report’s findings will be provided to interested parties,
including industry representatives. I would be happy to share those
with the hon. Gentleman, too, if he would like to have
them.
Finally,
I am happy to add a categorical reassurance that nothing being debated
today changes anything that is in the forthcoming White Paper. I attach
great importance to science and technology. I assure the hon. Gentleman
that the issues that we are debating will have no impact on that, but I
think that the White Paper will have some important things to say about
the future of science and technology in
defence.
Question
put and agreed
to.
2.35
pm
Committee
rose.
