§ Sir Nicholas BonsorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the name and rank of Treasury officials on each of the defence costs study working groups on which the Treasury was represented; and what are the numbers of visits paid and formal meetings held by those teams.
§ Mr. AitkenThe Treasury has been represented on each of the 33 defence costs study teams. Treasury personnel involved, their rank and studies—as listed at pages 78 and 79 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates, 1994—with which they were associated are as follows: Mr. P. Brook, grade 7—security; Ms V. Carpenter, SEO—estate and property; Mr. M. Davis, SEO—non-operational information systems; Mr. R. Devereux, grade 5– Procurement Executive—projects and practices; Procurement Executive—organisation and function; naval infrastructure; training; Mr. M. Donnelly, grade 5—market testing/contracting out; training; Navy management structure and manning; Army management structure and manning; RAF management, structure and manning; defence intelligence and minor studies; Mr. L. Palmer, grade 7—MOD police; research and development; Miss A. Perkins, grade 3—MOD head office; HQs, service command and TLB structure; repair, spares, storage and distribution; Ms H. Tierney, grade 7—financial management; and Mr. P. White, grade 7—recruiting and manning; medical. There is no central record of all the visits paid and meetings held by the defence costs study teams and such information could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.
§ Ms Rachel SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the costings of options examined by the defence costs study prior to any recommendations being made.
§ Mr. AitkenThe proposals emerging from the work of the defence costs study, the broad outcome of which I hope to announce in July, will be subject to consultation in the normal manner. That consultation process will be supported by the publication of all relevant cost information.