§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many 4 tonne trucks his Department possesses; when he last purchased Leyland 4 tonne trucks; how many Leyland trucks were purchased at that date; what was the total cost of the order; how many of his Department's tonne trucks are due for a refit; what is the age of the trucks which are to be refitted; and who will carry out the refit of the trucks. [5546]
§ Mr. Arbuthnot[holding answer 13 December 1995]: The 4 tonne fleet size currently stands at about 11,300—Bedford MK, Bedford MJ and Leyland—vehicles. The Department last procured 4 tonne Leyland trucks in April 1995, and to date the Department has purchased some 4,200 vehicles at a cost of some £190 million. Following completion of the current pilot study of 60 vehicles to ascertain the scope and likely cost of refurbishment, it is planned to carry out a refurbishment programme on about 4,100 Bedford MJ vehicles during 1995–96 to 2002–03. There is no set age which determines when a vehicle will be refitted. Selection for refurbishment will be based on age, tempered by corrosion condition and mileage, targeting those vehicles that will offer the best value for money. The Department plans to carry out the work in-house through the Army Base Repair Organisation—ABRO—making use of its available capacity. All assembly repairs, other than minor repairs, required to support the programme will be supplied by commercial industry. The work-load forms part of the planned programme for the ABRO former district workshops, which is to be market tested, providing an opportunity to industry to bid for the work.