PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS FROM PS2 THE LEADING U.K. GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMPANY
Contact:
DEFENCE
Aircraft
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list his Department’s spending on (a) new aircraft and (b) up-grades to aircraft since 1997; and how much of the money was spent in (i) Lancashire and (ii) the North West. [216231]
Mr. Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Aircraft Carriers
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to sign contracts placing orders for the two CVFs. [215766]
Mr. Ingram: Discussions continue on the contracting arrangements for the Demonstration and Manufacture of the Future Aircraft Carriers (CVF). These will be confirmed following the main investment decision, which we currently anticipate will take place mid-late 2005.
Autonomy plc
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts for which his Department is responsible have been awarded to Autonomy plc. [212202]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has no record of existing direct contracts with Autonomy plc. Although the company may be involved with the MOD at a sub-contract level, this is not visible to us centrally.
Battalion Costs
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) personnel costs and (b) equipment and maintenance costs were of (i) an armoured infantry (Warrior) battalion, (ii) an air-portable infantry battalion, (iii) a parachute regiment battalion and (iv) a Gurkha regiment battalion in the last year for which figures are available. [199587]
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) personnel and (b) equipment and maintenance costs of (i) an armoured infantry (warrior) battalion, (ii) an air-portable infantry battalion, (iii) a parachute regiment battalion and (iv) a Gurkha regiment battalion were in the last period for which figures are available. [201009]
Mr. Ingram: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Defence Airfield Review
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Defence Airfield Review has been completed; how the review differs from the Airfields Review Study; and if he will make a statement. [214270]
Mr. Ingram: The Defence Airfield Review is still in progress; there is no separate airfield review study. On the current status of the review, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 21 to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson).
Harrier Aircraft
Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to replace Harrier jets deployed in Afghanistan with Jaguars. [216318]
Mr. Ingram: There are no plans to replace the Harriers based at Kandahar with Jaguars.
Infantry Regiments
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2005, Official Report, column 730W, on infantry regiments, what other options were proposed as names for the new regiment; and for what reason the name does not include the word Royal. [216056]
Mr. Ingram: As has been made clear in previous responses, the process of restructuring the infantry has been worked through by the Army in consultation with the divisions and regiments concerned. As part of this process, infantry divisions were asked to suggest options for new regimental titles. ‘The Royal Lancashire Regiment’ was put forward by the King’s Division as an option for the new regimental title. However, of the options put forward by the Division, the proposed title of the ‘King’s, Lancashire and Border Regiment’ was judged by the Army Board to best reflect all the antecedent regiments from which it will be drawn. This was felt to be particularly important because of the fact that this reorganisation involved the merging of three previously distinct regiments, into a two-battal