Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Luff Excerpts

Monday 4th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Jack Dromey (Birmingham, Erdington) (Lab)]

5. What steps the Government have taken to strengthen the defence industrial base; and if he will make a statement.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Peter Luff)]

We will publish a White Paper later this year, following up the recent public consultation on last December’s “Equipment, Support and Technology for UK Defence and Security” Green Paper. The Government are already taking effective steps to provide much greater support to UK defence exports and to make it easier for smaller enterprises to do business with the public sector, including with the MOD.

[Jack Dromey]

Britain’s defence industries lie at the heart of our economy. The Government are delaying vital defence orders for our armed forces, and the Secretary of State has said that he will buy off the shelf using open competition in the global marketplace. Does the Minister not recognise the anxiety and uncertainty that this is causing to tens of thousands of defence workers all over Britain who, like our armed forces, give outstanding service to this country?

[Peter Luff]

First, I am happy to say that the shelf is stacked high with British products, and that makes us extremely successful in the international market. Britain is the second greatest exporter of defence equipment—and long may that be the case. On the other comments of the hon. Gentleman, whom I hold in high regard—we have had discussions on British industry before—I would point out that our life would be so much easier had we not inherited a total mess of a defence budget, including a £38 billion black hole. The things he is complaining about were the fault of the previous Government.

[Richard Fuller (Bedford) (Con)]

The previous Labour Government sold the defence contractor QinetiQ to a City firm that, a couple of years later, sold it for eight times the value and closed its plant in Bedfordshire with a consequential loss of employment. Will my hon. Friend ensure that he does a better job of defending our defence industrial base than the previous Labour Government?

[Peter Luff]

Speaking as someone from Worcestershire, where QinetiQ also has a very large presence, I absolutely understand what my hon. Friend is saying. It certainly would not be difficult to do a better job than the last lot did.

[Michael Dugher (Barnsley East) (Lab)]

The Government promised a White Paper on defence procurement in the spring of this year, but it still has not appeared. They are continuing to take major decisions on procurement and the process of procurement in the MOD before they have set out any strategy on the industrial base. Will the Minister tell the House exactly why the White Paper has not yet been published? Is his definition of “spring” the time of year when the clocks go back and the leaves come off the trees?

[Peter Luff]

I am delighted to be able to tell the hon. Gentleman that I can give him an answer to that question. We have delayed publication because of the large number of defence-related reviews that the MOD is conducting at present, including the Levene review, the reserves review and the basing review. These will all lead naturally to the defence equipment and support White Paper, which will be published later this year. The Yellow Book review on non-competitive contracts will be released at the same time, not in July as originally intended, because the two documents will naturally sit together.

[Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East) (Con)]

6. What assessment he has made of the shape and size of the future surface fleet of the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement.

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[Mr Douglas Carswell (Clacton) (Con)]

18. What assessment he has made of the performance of Eurofighter Typhoon in Operation Ellamy.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Peter Luff)]

Typhoon aircraft and Apache attack helicopters have performed very well in Operation Ellamy, proving their military worth and fulfilling all the operational tasks asked of them. Typhoon, in its first multi-role mission in providing both air defence and ground attack, has demonstrated exceptional levels of survivability and, in its ground attack role, a targeting capability with minimal collateral damage, proving that it is a truly formidable aircraft.

[Mr Hollobone]

Given that both platforms are being deployed in theatre in roles beyond their original specification, will my hon. Friend please comment in more detail on the ground attack role of the Typhoon, and on the Apache being deployed for the first time at sea?

[Peter Luff]

The Apache has been on about 20 sorties with no known civilian casualties—an exceptional testimony to that aircraft. Typhoon is performing exceptionally well in Libya. My hon. Friend is right that it was originally conceived as an air defence aircraft; it is now in its first multi-role combat aircraft role, and it is performing superbly. As Wing Commander J Attridge, the operational Typhoon detachment commander said,

“the Typhoon has come of age”

over the skies of Libya and we are seeing the maturation of the RAF’s first multi-role combat fast jet aircraft since world war two. We are all delighted with its performance.

[Mr Carswell]

Given that historically we have invested many billions in cold war era Eurofighters, but perhaps a little less on the unmanned aerial vehicles we need, does the Minister have any plans to switch resources from the former to the latter?

[Peter Luff]

It is not an either/or situation. UAVs have their role to play, but Typhoon is not a cold war legacy; it has proved to be an exceptionally capable modern aircraft, taking on the world and proving its exceptional worth in Libya. I am very confident of success in the large number of ongoing export campaigns around the world. Typhoon is a remarkable modern aircraft with a very bright future ahead of it.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

9. How much his Department spent on accommodation in London for military officers and staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

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[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

17. What recent assessment he has made of the export prospects for Eurofighter Typhoon.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Peter Luff)]

Typhoon has already been exported to Saudi Arabia and Austria, where it is in operational service. It is also competing in a number of other important markets. Oman has announced its intention to buy Typhoon, and India has selected it for the final phase of its medium multi-role combat aircraft competition.

I expect an increase in interest in Typhoon following its highly successful air defence and ground attack roles in current operations, in which it has consistently demonstrated exceptional levels of reliability, performance, accuracy, and overall cost-effectiveness.

[Stephen Metcalfe]

SELEX Galileo in Basildon, along with many other businesses throughout the United Kingdom, will benefit hugely from increased exports of the Eurofighter Typhoon, and my constituents will also benefit from improved job opportunities. Will my hon. Friend update me and the House on the progress of the tender process with India?

[Peter Luff]

The Indians are sticking to their timetable, and we are very optimistic about the prospects for Typhoon. My hon. Friend is right to stress the importance of the contribution of companies such as SELEX Galileo. We already have a highly capable radar on Typhoon which matches, or exceeds, many electronically scanned radars operating elsewhere, but SELEX Galileo is on track with Europe’s first and only second-generation scanned radar, which will make Typhoon a truly outstanding, indeed unmatched, multi-role fast jet and a world-beater in the export markets as well. I hope that that includes India.

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[Thomas Docherty (Dunfermline and West Fife) (Lab)]

T8. Given the widespread opposition in west Fife to becoming a nuclear submarine graveyard, will the Secretary of State confirm that the Ministry of Defence will be using the same principles for identifying the long-term waste store as are used by the civil industry? Will he specifically confirm that the store has regulatory support, makes financial sense and has community buy-in?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Peter Luff)]

The hon. Gentleman will understand that two sites have been identified as potential candidates for submarine dismantling—Devonport royal dockyard and Rosyth royal dockyard. I can give him the assurance he seeks: we will be following a similar approach to that of the civil nuclear sector and we will take account of a wide range of factors. I do not have time to enumerate those in this answer, but I would be happy to talk to him in detail later, if that would be of help to him. I can particularly reassure him on the subject of consultation, because we recognise the keen local interest in this subject and are keen to ensure that local people have the opportunity to express their views. We will work with all the local authorities and the devolved Administration in Scotland before and during public consultation.

[Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con)]

T5. My constituency is home to a large number of reserve armed forces members, who welcome the review of their role. May I ask the Secretary of State whether that review will recognise their capacity, capabilities and willingness to integrate with the regular armed forces?

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[Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)]

On 28 April, I received an answer from the Minister to a request for a breakdown of outsourced transport costs from the Bicester logistics centre. The response was that £4 million had been saved and that the amount spent by Bicester on private couriers between 2008 and 2010 was zero. In my office, I have copies of literally thousands of transport documents that show that the answer is millions of pounds. The answer I was given therefore could not be further from the truth. Will the Minister provide urgent clarification on this very important matter?

[Peter Luff]

I share the right hon. Gentleman’s concern, based on what he has told me, and would be delighted to meet him to discuss the matter in more detail. He has brought a very serious matter to the attention of the House and I look forward to meeting him to discuss it further.

[Graham Evans (Weaver Vale) (Con)]

T7. Following recent debates about the restructuring of NATO, will my right hon. Friend confirm that the future of Northwood as a key NATO command headquarters is secure?

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[Jim McGovern (Dundee West) (Lab)]

May I thank the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, the hon. Member for Mid Worcestershire (Peter Luff), for agreeing to meet me yesterday to discuss the potential implications of the SDSR on organisations that depend almost entirely on Ministry of Defence contracts for their survival? I was perhaps a tad parochial at that meeting in stating the case for the Remploy factory in my constituency. Is the Minister in a position to give any assurances and an update to the people employed at Remploy in Dundee West and to me?

[Peter Luff]

I am afraid I cannot go beyond what I said at the meeting with the hon. Gentleman, which I greatly enjoyed. I look to him to carry on making the case for an important facility and factory that does excellent work for the people it serves and who work for it.

[Mark Pawsey (Rugby) (Con)]

T10. Like the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Toby Perkins), I had the honour of joining Armed Forces day celebrations and, in my case, they were at Bulkington in my constituency. Does my right hon. Friend agree that this annual event not only raises public awareness of the contribution made to our country by those who serve and have served in the armed forces but gives the opportunity for the entire country to show its support for all the men who make up that community? [Interruption.] And women.

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[Mr Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East) (Lab)]

What is the status of the Chinook helicopter order?

[Peter Luff]

Nothing has changed since the strategic defence and security review.