§ Dr. ReidTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if there will be any additional expenditure(a) as a total and (b) per head on retraining and resettling service personnel staff who are made redundant as a consequence of "Options for Change";
(2) whether there will be any changes in the length or scope of pre-release training offered to his Department's staff in the light of "Options for Change";
(3) whether there will be any additional expenditure (a) as a total and (b) per head on retraining and resettling civilian support staff who are made redundant as a consequence of "Options for Change";
(4) whether there will be any increase in the number of personnel attached to the Tri-Service Resettlement Organisation in the light of "Options for Change."
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonWe are reviewing the arrangements for the resettlement of service personnel in the light of changing circumstances. As far as civilian staff are concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the replies I and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement gave to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill) on, respectively, 12 June 1990, at columns142–43 and 25 July 1990, at column 297.
§ Dr. ReidTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what redundancy payments service personnel and civilian support staff who are made redundant as a consequence of "Options for Change" will receive;
(2) what measures he intends to take to cope with reductions in service personnel and civilian support staff in the light of "Options for Change".
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonAs my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State informed the House on 19 March at column 149, final decisions on the size and shape of the armed forces have yet to be taken. These decisions will also affect the nature of reductions among civilian support staff.
The expected reductions in both service personnel and civilian staff will be achieved largely by natural wastage. The nature of any redundancy is still under consideration, as are the payments redundant personnel would receive.
Mr. O'NeillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information has been provided to the defence industry regarding the "Options for Change" study.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkMinisters and officials in the Department have regular contacts with representatives of the defence industry and have discussed a number of issues related to "Options for Change".