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Army Workshops
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Army workshops. [5547]
Mr. Soames: The Army base repair organisation-- ABRO--currently operates nine workshops. Two of these, at Old Dalby, Leicestershire and Ashford, Kent, are to close in 1996 in order to match capacity to lower levels of demand following the "Options for Change" review. The major workshop facility at Bovington, Dorset, operates under the terms of a five year service level agreement, following a successful in-house bid in the pilot ABRO market test. The future of the five workshops in the ABRO land command support group depends upon the outcome of the current market test of the service that the group delivers to Army land command throughout the United Kingdom except Northern Ireland.
The facility at Donnington, Shropshire, will be subject to scrutiny during 1996-97 to determine the most appropriate strategy to deliver the "Competing for Quality" objectives.
Burundi and Rwanda
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent consideration he has given to using British military aircraft to provide support for UN operations in (a) Rwanda and (b) Burundi; [5687]
(2) what recent consideration he has given to providing further British military equipment for UN operations in Rwanda; [5688]
(3) what recent consideration he has given to providing British logistical support for UN operations in (a) Rwanda and (b) Burundi; [5689]
(4) what recent consideration he has given to providing British military assistance to the OAU military observer mission in Burundi. [5690]
Mr. Soames: In 1994, the United Kingdom deployed a contingent of some 600 specialist troops to support the United Nations assistance mission for Rwanda-- UNAMIR--for three months until United Nations logistics contractors were installed. Seven staff officers were also provided for UNAMIR headquarters. A request from the United Nations centre for human rights for advice to Rwanda in the field of military law, discipline and human rights is under consideration. No other requests for military equipment, support or assistance in Rwanda or Burundi have been received from the United Nations or the Organisation for African Unity.
13 Dec 1995 : Column: 719
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 30 November, Official Report, column 809, if the construction of properties in Yeovil by his Department involve the private finance initiative. [5691]
Mr. Soames:
External consultants were employed to examine the interest in a private finance initiative approach for the construction of new family quarters at RNAS Yeovilton. Their opinion was that there was little or no commercial interest in a PFI approach.
However, separately, the MOD private finance unit has approached a number of banks, investment houses, property companies and housing partnerships. Their responses are awaited.
13 Dec 1995 : Column: 720
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many mobile telephones used by Ministers in his Department have been cloned during (a) the last six months, (b) the last 12 months and (c) the last 18 months; and if he will indicate which Ministers within his Department have had their mobile telephones cloned. [4275]
Mr. Arbuthnot
[holding answer 7 December 1995]: Between November 1994 and March 1995 the mobile telephones installed in the MOD official cars used by Ministers were cloned. Two hand-held mobile telephones, used by the personal staff of Minister (AF) and Minister (DP) were also cloned in this period. These mobile telephones were immediately changed to digital GSM models and no further incident of cloning has occurred.