PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS FROM PS2 THE LEADING U.K. GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMPANY
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DEFENCE

Efficiency Savings

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his oral statement of 21 July 2004, Official Report, columns 343-70, if he will list the principal areas where he expects to make the efficiency savings of £2,800 million; how much will be attributable to each area; and over what time scale these savings will be delivered. [186638]

Mr. Hoon: The Ministry of Defence is committed to achieving annual efficiency gains in excess of £2.8 billion by 2007-08. The principal areas where it is planned to make efficiency gains are set out in the 2004 Spending Review White Paper (Cm 6237), chapter 13; work is continuing to refine these figures. Further details of the Department’s efficiency plans, and bow performance against those plans will be measured, will be included in an Efficiency Technical Note, which will be published on the Department’s website by the end of October 2004.

Efficiency Savings (Army)

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the Government’s departmental efficiency savings are to be implemented in the British Army in the (a) current and (b) next two financial years. [187341]

Mr. Ingram: An additional £3.7 billion was allocated to Defence over the period of Spending Review 2004. In parallel the Ministry of Defence is committed to achieving annual efficiency gains in excess of £2.8 billion by 2007-08. The principal areas where it is planned to make efficiency gains are set out in the 2004 Spending Review White Paper (Cm 6237), Chapter 13; work is continuing to refine these figures. Further details of the Department’s efficiency plans, and how performance against those plans will be measured, will be included in an Efficiency Technical Note, which will be published on the Department’s website by the end of October 2004.

Mr. Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has commissioned on the offensive capabilities of enemy insurgents in Iraq. [186773]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has commissioned no external research on the

Nimrod MRA4 Aircraft

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to agree the production contract for the remaining Nimrod MRA4 aircraft. [184458]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 16 July 2004]: Under the restructured contract with BAE SYSTEMS, formally amended on 23 February this year, design and development and manufacture have been separated as far as possible to ensure that technology is adequately de-risked before making further commitment to production price and schedule. A decision on full production is dependent on design maturity and price negotiation and is planned for next year.

Armoured Battlegroup Support Vehicle Programme

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the decision to halt the Armoured Battlegroup Support Vehicle programme. [186639]

Mr. Ingram: There has been no decision to halt the Armoured Battlegroup Support Vehicle (ABSV) programme. The project remains in its concept phase with all options under consideration.

Civil Service Relocation

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what non-uniformed staff are employed by (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies, broken down by (i) region and (ii) country; what relocations are pending; and what contribution he plans to make to the implementation of the Lyons Review. [186847]

Mr. Caplin: The total number of full-time equivalent MOD civilian staff by region and country as at 1 July 2004, including staff employed by agencies and trading funds, is shown as follows:

Number
MOD total 108,990
England 71,370
London 6,420
South East 17,110
East 7,660
South West 23,920
West Midlands 6,430
East M