PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS
House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 27 Feb 2008
Aircraft Carriers: Procurement
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made any
changes to the planned in-service dates of the Future Aircraft Carriers.
[189279]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: No.
Astute Class Submarines: Procurement
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made any
changes to the number of Astute class submarines to be ordered. [189277]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: It remains our plan to order seven Astute submarines.
European Fighter Aircraft
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made any
changes to the number of aircraft to be ordered for the third tranche of
Typhoon.
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Negotiations with Partner Nations and industry are under way
on Tranche 3, and decisions will be taken once these are complete.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information
coalition forces have on the activity of Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and
security agents and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps occupying
accommodation in the Al-Mansur Hotel, Baghdad; and if he will make a statement.
Des Browne: The Government do not comment publicly on intelligence matters of
this nature.
Qinetiq
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much has been
received from QinetiQ following the sale of each former Government-owned site as
a result of the clawback agreement; and in relation to which sites the money has
been received;
(2) in relation to the sale of which sites he expects to receive monies from
QinetiQ as a result of the clawback agreement during 2008; how much he expects to receive in relation to each such site; and for which sites he does not expect to receive monies;
(3) what acreage of land has been transferred from his Department to QinetiQ;
how much of that land has subsequently been disposed of and at what price; and if he will make a statement.
Des Browne: The requested information is not held centrally or in a consistent
form. However, it should be possible to compile the requested information
without incurring disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member as soon
as the work has been completed and place a copy of my letter in the Library of
the House.
Substantive answer from Des Browne to Mike Hancock: I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 21 January 2008 ( Official Report, column 1604W) about monies received from QinetiQ following the sale of land as a result of the clawback agreement and what acreage of land has been transferred to QinetiQ and has subsequently been disposed of.
In respect to the value of the land transferred, I refer you to the answer by the then Under Secretary of State gave on 13 January 2003 to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin). In terms of the actual receipts, the attached table cross references the relevant passages of QinetiQ’s Annual Accounts. However, additional details are withheld on grounds of commercial confidentiality.
In 2003, when a stake in QinetiQ was being sold to the Carlyle Group, theAquilla and Chertsey sites had already been identified as surplus to QinetiQ’s business requirements. QinetiQ’s obligation to pay the proceeds to the Department were set out in the Aquilla and Chertsey loan note. As a result, £60m of the proceeds from the sale of these sites came directly to the MOD.
I am unable to comment on the likely future receipts from clawback as this very much depends on the future use of sites by QinetiQ, along with the company’s schedule for disposal, the timing and terms and conditions of any sale. MOD officials are aware of two prospective sales at Bincleaves in Weymouth and Eastney in your constituency. This information is in the public domain as a result of plannin