here - United Kingdom Parliament

817W
Written Answers
1 DECEMBER 2010
Written Answers
818W
maintain flexibility many of the vehicles are designed
and procured with the ability to be fitted with additional
protection in order to match specific threats.
The Wolfhound, Coyote and Husky tactical support
vehicles have been procured specifically for Afghanistan
and over 500 will enter service at an approved cost of
over £500 million.
The new Foxhound light protected patrol vehicle will
replace Snatch Vixen on operations and an initial tranche
of 200 vehicles has been approved at a cost of around
£180 million excluding VAT.
The cost of the Operational Utility Vehicle System
will be determined after the main investment decision
point.
Defence Exports Group
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence when the Defence Exports Group was established;
what its terms of reference are; who its members are;
how many times it will meet per year; and when it will
next meet. [22652]
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence when he expects to establish the Defence
Export Group; and whether a decision has been made
on its composition. [25615]
Dr Fox: The Defence Exports Support Group (DESG)
was established on 22 October. The core DESG membership
is the Secretary of State for Defence; the Minister for
Defence Equipment, Support and Technology; the Minister
for International Security Strategy; and Head, Defence
and Security Organisation, UK Trade and Investment.
Ministers and/or senior officials from the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills will also attend as appropriate.
The DESG will be a forum through which Ministers
will plan and focus their support to UK Defence exports.
The intention is to hold the first DESG meeting before
Christmas at which its terms of reference and frequency
of meetings will be discussed.
Nimrod Aircraft
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of
making alternative arrangements for (a) protection of
the carrier fleet and (b) provision of strategic deterrent
against submarines compared to the cost of retaining
the Nimrod MRA4; and if he will make a statement;
[26944]
(2) what assessment he has made of the
consequences for (a) intelligence, surveillance, target
acquisition and reconnaissance support, (b) maritime
protection and (c) search and rescue capability in
respect of (i) protection of merchant shipping and (ii)
protection of coastal waters following the decision to
cease the use of Nimrod MRA4 aircraft; what estimate
he has made of changes to the cost to the public purse
in the provision of such services as a result; and if he
will make a statement; [27016]
(3) what assessment he has made of the cost to his
Department of C130 and C130K aircraft as a
replacement for the Nimrod MRA4 for (a) intelligence
surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, (b)
maritime protection and (c) search and rescue; and if
he will make a statement. [27026]
Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I
gave on 28 October 2010, Official Report, columns
450-51W, to the right hon. Member for Coventry North
East (Mr Ainsworth) and the hon. Members for East
Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow (Mr McCann),
and North Durham (Mr Jones).
The UK’s requirement for Anti-Submarine Warfare
and Intelligence surveillance, target acquisition and
reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability was assessed during
the Strategic Defence and Security Review and will be
kept under regular review. I can confirm that we have
judged the implications of the decision not to bring the
Nimrod MRA4 into service to be acceptable. We are in
the process of developing a longer-term plan to mitigate
the impact of cancellation on our continuing military
tasks and capabilities. This will include an assessment
of costs.
Rescue Services
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence whether the concept of operations underpinning
the search and rescue (helicopter) requirement included
the assumption that a search and rescue helicopter fleet
would operate in conjunction with Nimrod maritime
patrol aircraft. [26669]
Dr Fox: The Search and Rescue Helicopter project
includes the requirement that the helicopters would be
able to interface with any other assets that might also be
involved in dealing with an incident.
Strategic Defence and Security Review
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for
Defence (1) to whom his Department’s document
entitled SDSR: Lessons Identified, 3 November 2010,
was submitted; [26297]
(2) who commissioned his Department’s document
entitled SDSR: Lessons Identified, 3 November 2010;
[26301]
(3) if he will publish his Department’s document
entitled SDSR: Lessons Identified. [26312]
Dr Fox [holding answer 25 November 2010]: The
document was proposed and a draft prepared by the
strategic defence and security review (SDSR) core
co-ordination team in charge of day-to-day management
of the Review, to draw together working-level views
from individuals involved in the SDSR process in the
Ministry of Defence. The draft was a working document
distributed to members of the SDSR programme board
for comment: The Government have no intention to
publish it.
Trident Submarines
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
how much his Department spent on long lead items for
Vanguard submarines prior to the final decision to
proceed with construction of the submarines. [26415]