Asked by: James Gray (Conservative - North Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has for a tender for a new contract for the UK Light Aircraft Flying 3 project TELUM; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The TELUM Prior Information Notice (PIN) seeking expressions of interest was issued to industry on 7 October 2020. Project TELUM is still in its early stages and it is still under development. It is, therefore, too early to state when the new contract will be awarded.
Asked by: James Gray (Conservative - North Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's contract with Babcock for light aircraft flying training was subject to oversight by the Single Source Regulations Office.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Light Aircraft Flying Training 2 contract was awarded to VT Aerospace Ltd, (subsequently taken over by Babcock Interantional) in 2009 following a competitive tender exercise. The Single Source Regulations did not apply at that time as they did not come into force until the Defence Reform Act 2014.
In December 2019, the contract was transitioned to a Qualifying Defence Contract and is now subject to Single Source Regulations and oversight by the Single Source Regulations Office.
Asked by: James Gray (Conservative - North Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the contract for UK Light Aircraft Flying Training 2 was first tendered.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The contract was awarded in 2009. Information relating to the first tendering of the contract is not held electronically and can be provided only, if at all, at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: James Gray (Conservative - North Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the value of the Light Aircraft Flying Training 2 contract is.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The whole life costs for the Light Aircraft Flying Training 2, through to March 2022, have been assessed as approximately £263 million.
Asked by: James Gray (Conservative - North Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of careers in aviation that will be created by Project TELUM.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The number of careers in aviation required to fulfil the Project TELUM requirements will be a matter for the successful bidder for the contract.
Asked by: James Gray (Conservative - North Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where the Project TELUM training sites will be located.
Answered by James Heappey
The training sites that will be utilised under Project TELUM have yet to be confirmed. However, given that the project is to replace and enhance an existing capability, it is likely that they will mirror current locations. These are:
Flying Station Aldergrove
RAF Benson
Boscombe Down Airfield
RAF Cosford
RAF Cranwell
Glasgow Airport
Leuchars Station
RAF Leeming
St Athan airfield
RAF Wittering
RAF Woodvale
AAC Middle Wallop
RNAS Yeovilton
Asked by: James Gray (Conservative - North Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is on providing live flight experiences to all members of the RAF Air Cadets.
Answered by James Heappey
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing live flying opportunities to Royal Air Force Air Cadets and Combined Cadet Force (Royal Air Force) cadets and aims to provide each cadet with one 20-minute flight per year, subject to them meeting the necessary medical requirements.
Asked by: James Gray (Conservative - North Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the RAF Air Cadets are trained through Air Experience Flights each year.
Answered by James Heappey
The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Data on the number of individuals undertaking flights is not held centrally, however, the number of flying hours flown by cadets is recorded and can be found in the table below:
Financial Year | Hours flown |
2014-15 | 10,144 |
2015-16 | 10,649 |
2016-17 | 10,268 |
2017-18 | 9,102 |
2018-19 | 9,360 |
Up to three cadets can complete a flight during one hour, depending on several factors that may include but are not limited to, an individual’s fitness to fly and weather conditions.
Asked by: James Gray (Conservative - North Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the gender ratio is of Air Cadets who receive an Air Experience Flight; and what that ratio was at the start of the current Air Experience Flight contract.
Answered by James Heappey
Royal Air Force Air Cadets does not collate information regarding the gender of cadets who participate in Air Experience Flights.