§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the additional work that may be required of the Hydrographer of the Royal Navy as a result of the proposals made in the United Nations Law of the Sea Conference.
§ Mr. Duffy:I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer my predecessor gave him when he asked a similar Question on 8th April 1976.—[Vol. 909, c. 283].
Mr. Hookyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings of the Hydrographic Strategic Review Body have been held in 1977; and what conclusions on the deployment of the hydrographic survey fleet in 1978 were reached.
§ Mr. Duffy:No meeting of the Hydrographic Strategic Review Body has been held so far this year.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have been held with the Hydrographer of the Royal Navy concerning the consequences for the hydrographic service of exploration for oil in the western approaches, following the determination of the median line between the United Kingdom and France.
§ Mr. Duffy:None.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what additional demands will be made upon the services
1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 £ £ £ Ships' Equipment … … 1,070,000 927,000 1,091,000 Charting Equipment … … 115,000 192,000 182,000
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions have been placed on the recruitment of staff by the Hydrographer of the Royal Navy in 1977–78; what categories of staff are affected; and how this limitation will 692W of the Hydrographer consequent upon the determination of median line between the United Kingdom and France in the Western Approaches.
§ Mr. Duffy:No specific additional demands have been identified so far.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what delays have occurred in 1976 and 1977 in the refitting of ships of the hydrographic survey fleet in naval dockyards; and what steps are being taken to minimise such delays.
§ Mr. Duffy:Of the 12 refits of hydrographic survey vessels undertaken in naval dockyards during 1976 and 1977, seven were extended by a few weeks beyond the planned completion date. In order to reduce such delays refit programmes are being subjected to careful scrutiny and control, and the possibility of fitting an alternative to those items of equipment which pose particular problems during refit is under investigation.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what new equipment will be acquired by the Hydrographer during 1977–78; what will be the approximate cost of this equipment; and how the expenditure compares in real terms with that incurred in the three previous financial years.
§ Mr. Duffy:During 1977–78 expenditure on new equipment for the Hydrographer is expected to amount to some £1.6 million for ships' equipment, which embraces specialist surveying instruments and navigational fixing aids, and to some £0.4 million for chart compilation and production equipment, which includes an automatic cartographic plotter and a four-colour printing press. At 1977–78 prices, the comparable figures for the three previous financial years are:
reduce the work of the Hydrographer in United Kingdom waters up to 200 miles offshore.
§ Mr. Duffy:The Hydrographer's bid for additional civilian staff needed for 693W his charting and allied work during 1977–78 was approved. No restrictions have been placed on his ability to recruit them.