§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the RAF Signals Engineering Establishment; what was the figure at its inception; on what date the RAF Signals Engineering Establishment published its report for 1997–98; and what was the cost of production of the report. [76879]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonThis is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment Defence Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
809WLetter from G. Jones to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 18 March 1999:
I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence in which you asked: how many people are currently employed by the RAF Signals Engineering Establishment; what the figure was at its inception; on what date the RAF Signals Engineering Establishment published its report for 1997–98; and what was the cost of production of the report, as these matters fall within my responsibility as Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment Defence Agency.The Agency currently has an authorised establishment of 977 personnel and the strength, as at 1 March 1999, was 929 made up of 339 RAF, 561 Civil Servants and 29 contractors employed to fill established specialist posts, for which suitably-qualified Civil Servants cannot be recruited, and for short-term requirements. At the launch of the Agency in November 1994 the authorised establishment was 1,570 personnel. The majority of the reduction has resulted from the placing of a Multi-Activity Contract with SERCO Defence Limited for the delivery of provisioning, stockholding, transportation, computer and administration services.The Agency's Annual Report and Accounts was published on 12 August 1998 at a cost of £5,606 which covered the design and printing.