HC Deb 07 March 2000 vol 345 cc640-1W
Mr. Chaytor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reassess the decision to award the management contract for the Atomic Weapons Establishment to the British Nuclear Fuels-led consortium from 1 April. [112356]

Mr. Spellar

I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given by the Secretary of State for Defence on 21 February 2000,Official Report, columns 1223–24, to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, West (Mr. Salter) and the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Rendle).

Establishment Town Personnel complement
(a) County of Somerset
Army Careers Information Office Taunton 4
Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, Royal Ordnance Factory Bridgwater 42
Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton Yeovil 3,829
Hydrographic Department Taunton 855
Somerset South Avon Wing Air Training Corps Taunton 3
Light Infantry Office (Somerset) Taunton 3
40 Royal Marine Commando and Norton Manor Camp Taunton 610
Territorial Army Centre Taunton 9
Territorial Army Centre Bridgwater 8
Territorial Army Centre Yeovil 1
Defence Procurement Agency, Westland Helicopter Ltd. Team Yeovil 8
Defence Procurement Agency, Special Procurement Services Office Yeovil 23
Civilian Personnel Management Taunton 10
(b) Yeovil constituency:
Defence Procurement Agency, Westland Helicoptor Ltd. Team Yeovil 8
Defence Procurement Agency, Special Procurement Services Office Yeovil 23
Territorial Army Yeovil 1

(i) The Civilian Personnel Management Taunton is due to close on 31 March 2000 and the Territorial Army centre Bridgwater is due to close on 30 June 2000. (ii) Current plans to change the manning of establishments in Yeovil constituency and the County of Somerset are set out as follows: With effect from 2003, 513 military posts, 16 civilian posts and 60 contractors will transfer from RNAS Yeovilton to RAF Wittering and Cottesmore, as a result of the creation of Joint Force 2000; With effect from 30 June 2000, 30 civilian staff will transfer from DERA Bridgwater to DERA Porton Down as part of DERA's programme to integrate capabilities. With effect from April 2000 there will be a requirement for 16 military personnel at RNAS Yeovilton, due to a switch from Army to Navy maintenance regulations.