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You are here: Publications and Records > Commons Publications > Commons Hansard > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
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DEFENCE

Harrier GR7 Aircraft

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the average flying hours in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998 for Harrier GR7 aircraft in service with the RAF. [67693]

Mr. Doug Henderson: In both 1997 and 1998, Harrier GR7 aircraft have each flown an average of 23 hours per month.

Special Advisers

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the overseas trips on his behalf, and who met the costs, undertaken by each of his special advisers since May 1997. [74641]

Mr. George Robertson [holding answer 4 March 1999]: Overseas visits (on my behalf) undertaken by my two special advisers since 1 May 1997 are as listed. The costs of these visits were met as appropriate either from my travel budget or from that of the senior official or military officer whom the special adviser was accompanying. In most cases travel was by military flight.














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    10-11 June 1998 Brussels accompanying Secretary of State for Defence


    18 September 1998 France accompanying Secretary of State for Defence


    23-25 September 1998 Portugal--NATO Informals--accompanying Secretary of State


    21 October 1998 Munich--DASA Meeting--accompanying Chief of Defence Procurement


    17-20 November 1998 USA accompanying Secretary of State for Defence


    5-7 January 1999 Bosnia accompanying Chief of the Defence Staff


    31 January-2 February 1999 Macedonia accompanying Chief of the defence Staff


    4-5 March 1999 USA--Defence Industry Restructuring--accompanying Deputy Chief of Defence Procurement (Support).

British Deployment (Balkans)

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British personnel are currently deployed in the Balkans; and if he will make a statement. [78407]

Mr. George Robertson: On 30 March, there were some 9,680 personnel committed to operations in the Balkans region, excluding Defence Attache staff. This includes some 4,700 personnel in Greece and Macedonia in connection with operations relating to Kosovo, some 4,500 personnel serving with SFOR in Bosnia and Croatia, and some 480 Royal Navy personnel in the area aboard the frigates HMS Iron Duke and HMS Somerset and the submarine HMS Splended. In addition, there are some 450 RAF personnel in Italy supporting NATO air operations over the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and in support of SFOR.

Aircraft Carriers

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requirements his Department has given to tenderers concerning the construction of the Royal Navy's future aircraft carriers. [78780]

Mr. Spellar: The potential prime contractors have been informed that the future aircraft carriers will be built and outfitted in the UK in line with current Government policy and that the first ship should be in service with the Royal Navy by 2012 and the second by 2015.

Mine Counter-measures (Adriatic Sea)

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on maritime mine counter-measures in the Adriatic; and what assessment he has made of the dangers to shipping from an increase in tensions in Kosovo. [79423]

Mr. George Robertson: We assess that there is no substantial threat to shipping in the Adriatic as a result of the current Kosovo crisis. Should this situation change, NATO has Mine Counter-measures assets available to meet any threat which might arise.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the formation of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency; and what key targets have been set for 1999-2000. [79893]

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 676

Mr. Spellar: On 1 April 1999 the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) will be established as a Defence Agency. The DARA will be responsible for the provision of deep aviation repair and overhaul facilities to meet the UK's Defence needs. It will enable the MOD's requirements for third line aircraft servicing to be focused on one primary provider. The DARA's Chief Executive will be Mr. Steve Hill and its Head Office will be at RAF St. Athan, Vale of Glamorgan. The Agency will employ 1,726 military and 5,099 civilian staff at four locations in the UK--Almondbank, Fleetlands, RAF Sealand and RAF St. Athan.

The creation of the Agency will improve Defence aviation repair delivery by focusing on customer requirements. It will also offer scope for exploiting the synergy between helicopter and fixed wing repair facilities and provide a clear line of accountability for service delivery. The DARA's corporate aim will be


The Chief Executive has been set the following Key Targets for the first year of operation:



    To achieve 95 per cent. of the agreed programme of aircraft repair work.


    Cost


    To keep within the approved operating cost budget while delivering the agreed programme of work.


    Timeliness


    To meet 95 per cent. of the agreed turn round times for aircraft, helicopter engines and transmission systems.


    Quality Standard


    To achieve a high quality index rating to be specified in the DARA Business Plan based on the following quality elements:


    Acknowledgement of a customer concern.


    Investigation and response to customer concerns.


    Attributable quality failings.


    Attributable incident reports.


    Efficiency


    (i) To increase overall efficiency by 5 per cent.


    (ii) To achieve an increase in sales of repayment work (i.e. non-MOD) of at least 25 per cent. in FY 99-00 from a baseline of £9 million.

Defence Procurement Agency

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the formation of the Defence Procurement Agency; and what key targets have been set for 1999-2000. [79989]

Mr. George Robertson: As we announced following our Strategic Defence Review the Defence Procurement Agency, DPA, will be launched as a Vote funded agency on 1 April 1999. It will be an executive agency under the Chief of Defence Procurement, Sir Robert Walmsley. He will be the Chief Executive and will be directly accountable to Ministers. The aim of the DPA will be to procure new equipment for the Armed Forces in response to approved requirements and to provide other procurement related services to its customers in and beyond the Ministry of Defence.

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The Agency's main presence will be at its headquarters at Abbey Wood, Bristol, as well as at other locations in the UK and overseas.

The Agency will be organised in accordance with the principles underlying the Strategic Defence Review and specifically the Smart Procurement Initiative. The majority of its people will belong to Integrated Project Teams arranged in groups and accountable to the Agency's executive board. The executive board will be collectively accountable through the Chief Executive for the aggregate performance of the agency.

We have established five Key Targets to determine the effectiveness of the Agency during its first year of operation. We shall report results in the summer of next

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year. In addition to these in year targets the Agency remains committed to achieving savings of at least £2 billion by March 2008 by the application of Smart Procurement techniques.

The first three Targets apply to the range of projects covered by the Major Projects Report, which my Department submits annually to the House. Like the other Targets they are a starting point in what we intend to be a process of continuous improvement. Targets 2 and 3 are compatible with goals set in the 1999-2002 Public Service Agreement (PSA), adapted to enable cumulative performance to be measured. Target 5 also reflects one of the goals featured in the PSA.

The DPA's Key Targets for 1999-2000 are:

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Key Targets
1. Predicted achievement of customers' core requirements for projects(1)85%
2. Average cumulative slippage of in service dates(2) at 31 March 2000 not to exceed26 months
3. Average cumulative cost variation(3) at 31 March 2000 not to exceed4%
4. Obtain customers' assessments of standards of DPA performance(4), to set a baseline for targets in subsequent yearsMarch 2000
5. While continuing to meet the demands of the procurement programme, reduce the operating costs of the DPA in relation to the 1997-98 costs of the Procurement Executive by10%

(1) About ten core requirements per project will be agreed between the DPA and MOD headquarters, defining the essential characteristics of the equipment. This target has been pitched at a level consistent with achievement of a target of 97% by March 2002.

(2) Variation between in service date (ISD) approved at "Main Gate" (the major investment decision point) and currently predicted ISD.

(3) Variation between cost approved at Main Gate and current estimate.

(4) Assessments will be made in relation to agreed outputs specified in Customer Supplier Agreements relating to pre and post Main Gate project management, provision of technical, safety and other services and management of certain nuclear activities. The aggregated score will be used as the basis for progressively higher targets year by year.

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