Bowman Radio Project (Hansard, 18 July 2000)

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, the Bowman radio will incorporate electronic protection 775 measures and will provide the Armed Forces with a secure communications system. It is one of our highest priority equipment projects. Archer Communications Systems Ltd, the prime contractor for Bowman, recently submitted its bid which we are considering, along with information that has been received following alternative fall-back studies that we commissioned. We are currently considering the way ahead on this very important project. We hope to make an announcement soon.

§ Earl Attlee
My Lords, I thank the Minister for her reply. Does the noble Baroness recall her delight in reminding the House of the previous government's efforts over seven years in this respect? However, does she agree that, in three years, she has achieved nothing herself, apart from a budget reduction in the Bowman project that must equate to reduced equipment, or reduced equipment capabilities? She has ordered the personal role radio, but does she agree that that is only a short-range radio with none of the Bowman complexities? When will the noble Baroness make a decision on this matter?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, if I may use the colloquial term, I must say to the noble Earl that that is "really going it a bit". I have to remind noble Lords that this project was under way for nine years under the previous administration and that, so far, I have not yet been the Minister for Defence Procurement for one year. However, I should point out to the noble Earl that it is really a matter for the previous administration to describe why they failed to meet the in-service date of 1995.
I have told the noble Earl that I expect to make an announcement on the project soon. By that, I mean very soon indeed. I hope that that might be by way of a Statement. I also hope that, on this occasion—unlike the last time when we offered the party opposite a Statement on the Type 45—the party opposite would like to hear that Statement.

§ Lord Burnham
My Lords, I thought that my noble friend made it clear that it was accepted that the former Conservative government had a slippage, which this Government inherited, of 75 months. Does the noble Baroness accept that there has been a further slippage of 24 months in the three years that this Government have been in power, for which I can find no explanation? Does the noble Baroness further accept that Archer Communications Systems Ltd produced a submission for £4 billion, which was double the amount of money available? The project has been brought back into budget; what has suffered as a result?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I certainly accept that when this Government came into office the declared slippage was some 75 months, which was found to have been something of an underestimate. Since that time, there has had to be an adjustment to that. If the noble Lord cares to read the National Audit Office report, he may find some 776 interesting judgments there about how Smart Procurement, which this Government have introduced, might have prevented the delays because the project would have been better assessed at the outset and some of the risks involved with it would have been better identified. The noble Lord will find that at paragraph 327 on page 47 of the National Audit Office report.
I hope to be able to make an announcement on this project soon. I hope that then we shall be able to discuss the detail of what has happened in the recent past. I shall be open about that. I hope that the party opposite will also be open about its period in office. However, what is important is that we shall discuss the way forward.

§ Lord Carver
My Lords, how does the noble Baroness intend to ensure that, with the fantastic technological developments in this field, when Bowman eventually comes into service it is not already out of date?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, of course that is one of the crucial issues and one of the reasons why the Smart Procurement initiatives have been designed to ensure that there is sufficient flexibility to build into the system—after all, this is not the only system where such technological advances are of such enormous importance—to enable us to adjust and have in the specification sufficient room to make those adjustments and to give ourselves sufficient headroom for possible future developments in this rapidly moving area of technology.

§ Earl Ferrers
My Lords, may I ask the noble Baroness the Leader of the House—

§ Lord Marlesford
My Lords—

§ Earl Ferrers
My Lords, does not the noble Baroness the Leader of the House think that if questions and answers were shorter, Question Time would be much more fun and many more questions could he asked by people who want to ask them but cannot do so?

§ The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Jay of Paddington)
My Lords, the simple answer to that is "Yes".

§ Lord Elton
My Lords, does the Minister—

Noble Lords
Lord Marlesford!