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DEFENCE
Joint Fighter Project
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution the Government are making to the United States joint fighter project; and when the aircraft is expected to enter service. [13860]
Mr. Spellar:
The United Kingdom Government is contributing $200 million as a collaborative partner in the concept demonstration phase of the United States Joint Strike Fighter project. The aircraft is scheduled to enter service with the United States service in 2008. Procurement plans will, however, be considered as part of the Strategic Defence Review.
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 214
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many defence procurement jobs there are in (a) England and (b) Wales; and if he will make a statement. [20331]
Mr. Spellar:
I assume the hon. Member's question refers to jobs in the Procurement Executive (PE) of the Ministry of Defence. At 1 April 1997 there were 6,199 PE posts in England and one PE post in Wales. The single post in Wales was transferred to England at the end of August 1997.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the (a) first and (b) last of the Challenger 2 tanks are expected to enter service; what is the current yearly delivery schedule; and what is the life expectancy of a single tank of the class. [20075]
Mr. Spellar:
The first delivery of a production Challenger 2 main battle tank took place in August 1994. After reliability problems were confirmed in October 1995, no further tanks were accepted beyond the 36 already delivered. The successful completion of the Production Reliability Growth Trials in November 1997 means that deliveries of tanks are due to resume in January 1998 with the aim of completing deliveries to the first regiment in June 1998. Deliveries are planned to continue until February 2002. The current schedule of contract deliveries for the 386 tanks is as follows:
The current planned in-service life of a Challenger 2 tank is 30 years.
Mr. Alan Johnson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 December 1997, Official Report, column 171, concerning intelligence gathered by trawlers (a) how many trawlers were used and from which ports (b) when this practice eased and (c) what financial arrangements were made to recompense the officers and crew used in such activities. [20355]
Dr. Reid:
Three trawlers were used for specific intelligence gathering operations against the former Soviet Navy in the mid 1960s and early 1970s. These operations ceased in 1973. All of the vessels were owned by a Hull based company and almost certainly operated from that port. For those operations conducted in the 1960s, the owner was guaranteed compensation for loss of catch resulting from any diversion from the trawler's usual fishing grounds. Available records do not indicate whether similar arrangement existed for those carried out in the 1970s.
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 215
Mr Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made to date on entering the pre-1979 personal radiation dose records onto an electronic database for ex-employees, at the Chatham Dockyard; when this is expected to be completed; and when and in what format the data are to be published. [20465]
Mr. Spellar:
My Department has completed the process of scanning onto the Dosimetry Information Database all the available dosimetry documents from the former Dockyard at Chatham that are not part of an Approved Dosimetry Service. This includes all such records from before 1979. The database complements the approved Dosimetry Service records and will allow searches for all of the information relating to an individual to be carried out much more speedily than in the past.
The database contains personal data and it will not therefore be published.
Mr. Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the people who have registered for the national counselling scheme in respect of exposure to radiation were informed that their adaption dose records could not be found; and, of these, how many were designated as (a) classified persons and (b) approved scheme workers under the approved dosimetry scheme that operated at their respective places of employment at the time of their employment. [20463]
Mr. Spellar:
To date we have been unable to find radiation dose records for thirty four applicants to the national counselling scheme. Of these applicants none has been identified as a classified person and at least three were approved scheme workers.
Mr. Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the individuals who have registered for the counselling scheme announced on 4 June, for whom no dose records could be found, were designated (a) classified persons and (b) approved scheme workers under the approved dosimetry scheme which operated at the Chatham Dockyard at the time of their employment. [20464]
Mr. Spellar:
None of the individuals who have registered for the counselling scheme announced on 4 June and for whom no dose records can be found has been identified as a designated classified person. At least three were approved scheme workers.
Mr. Alan Johnson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 December 1997, Official Report, column 171, if he will make a statement on the scheme whereby Royal Navy officers gained sea-going experience in deep sea trawlers. [20354]
Dr. Reid:
It has been long standing practice to send junior RN officers to sea on Merchant ships. In the 1950s this was extended to include deep sea trawlers. The aim was to provide sea going experience and to foster good relationships between the fleets. While the Royal Navy/Merchant Navy Voyage Scheme continues to this day, available records indicate that the use of trawlers ceased in the mid-1970s.
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 216
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current allocated work loads from his Department for (a) Devonport, (b) Rosyth and (c) the Royal Navy's Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organisation. [20684]
Mr. Spellar:
The MOD allocated workloads for each of Devonport, Rosyth and the Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organisation (FMRO), for the current year, 1997-98, are shown below. These figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and are based on MOD planning assumptions only. The actual workloads will depend on the outcome of contract negotiations.
1994-95: 9
1995-96: 27
1996-97: 0
1997-98: 23
1998-99: 106
1999-00: 76
2000-01: 76
2001-02: 69.
| Manweeks | |
|---|---|
| Devonport | 76,000 |
| Rosyth | 77,000 |
| FMRO | 26,000 |
Service Personnel (Compensation)
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his comprehensive review of the arrangements for compensating service personnel or their dependants and for the payment of death and invalidity pension benefits will (a) commence and (b) report to Ministers; when he expects to publish the results and the consultation document; if the review will consider the arrangements applicable to (i) civilian Ministry of Defence employees and (ii) private sector contractors' staff where death or injury was attributable to service supporting the uniformed military in training or on operations; and if he will make a statement. [21122]
Dr. Reid: The review of the arrangements for compensating Service personnel who suffer death or injury as a result of their military service which was announced on 8 December will commence in January. The aim will be to complete the review in time for the publication of a consultative document next Summer. The review will be limited to consideration of the compensation arrangements for Service personnel and their dependants.
Nuclear Fuel
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average annual cost of storing spent nuclear submarine nuclear fuel rods at the British Nuclear Fuels plant at Sellafield. [21216]
Dr. Reid: The average annual running cost of storing spent fuel from nuclear submarines at BNFL Sellafield is £1.4 million.
Nuclear Submarines
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the average annual costs of storing decommissioned nuclear powered submarines at Rosyth and Devonport. [21218]
Mr. Spellar:
The average cost of storing the Royal Navy's fully decommissioned nuclear powered submarines at Rosyth and Devonport is £93,000 per vessel.
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 217
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the primary roles and functions of the Royal Navy establishment at Northwood. [21211]
Dr. Reid:
The primary role and function of HMS Warrior, the Royal Navy establishment at Northwood, is to provide the support and infrastructure to the other units resident at the Northwood HQ. These other units are: The Commander in Chief Fleet, The Flag Officer Submarines; Headquarters 11/18 Group RAF; The UK Permanent Joint Headquarters and a major NATO headquarters.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the annual running costs of the Royal Navy establishment at Northwood. [21212]
Dr. Reid:
The estimated running cost for HMS Warrior, the Royal Navy establishment at Northwood for 1997-98, including Service Pay, is some £17.5 million.
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