§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations served by appliances and firefighters of the Defence Fire Service in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) outside the United Kingdom. [159162]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 26 April 2001]The areas specifically served by Defence Fire Service (DFS) appliances and firefighters based in the United Kingdom and overseas are set out in the table.
413W
Defence Fire Service Locations County/Country UK based HMNB Clyde Faslane, Scotland RNAD Coulport Dunbartonshire, Scotland DSDC Bicester Oxfordshire DSDC Donnington Shropshire DM East Riggs Dumfrieshire, Scotland DM Kineton Warwickshire DM Longtown Cumbria Marchwood Mil Port Hampshire AAC Middle Wallop Hampshire AAC Netheravon Wiltshire RMCS Shrivenham Oxfordshire AAC Wattisham Suffolk RAF Aldergrove1 Northern Ireland RAF Boulmer Northumberland RAF Cosford West Midlands RAF Fylingdales North Yorkshire 202 Sqn Det Leconfield North Humberside RAF Leeming North Yorkshire RAF Leuchars Fife, Scotland RAF Linton on Ouse2 North Yorkshire RAF Lossiemouth Morayshire, Scotland RAF Lyneham Wiltshire RAF Northolt Middlesex RAF Neatishead Norfolk RAF Oakhanger Hampshire RAF Sealand Flintshire RAF Shawbury3 Shropshire RAF Spadeadam Cumbria RAF Stafford Staffordshire DM Welford Berkshire LATCC West Drayton Middlesex USAF RAF Menwith Hill4 North Yorkshire USAFE RAF Mildenhall4 Suffolk USAFE RAF Fairford4 Gloucestershire USAFE RAF Croughton4 Northamptonshire USAFE RAF Lakenheath4 Suffolk USAFE RAF Alconbury4 Cambridgeshire
Defence Fire Service Locations County/Country Based overseas RAF Akrotiri Cyprus Ayios Nikolaos Station Cyprus Dhekalia Garrison Cyprus BF Episkopi Cyprus Troodos Station Cyprus RAF Gibraltar Gibraltar DSDC Dulmen Germany Gutersloh Garrison Germany BF Fallingbostel Germany UKSC(G) Rheindahlen Germany BF Sennelager Germany BF Sipovo Bosnia BF Banja Luka Bosnia BF Pristina Kosovo BF Podujevo Kosovo 1 Includes Bessbrook 2 Includes Dishforth/Topcliffe/Church Fenton 3 Includes Tern Hill 4 USAF provides appliances
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation has been held with the representative body of fire-fighters serving in the Defence Fire Service about(a) the Fire Service Study 2000 and (b) the competitive tendering for the defence fire services; and if he will make a statement. [159163]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 26 April 2001]Fire Service Study 2000 has been developed with full Fire Service and Trade Union consultation and support. In addition, one of the two new working groups currently being formed to handle the final stages of the study will include full Trade Union representation.
The plan to seek bids for airfield support services, which includes the capability currently provided by the Defence Fire Service, is covered by the Airfield Support Services Project (ASSP). This project is looking at the viability of a PFI/PPP solution for the provision of airfield support services to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) world-wide. MOD Trades Unions were consulted in December 1996 on the proposals for a Feasibility Study and again in February 1998 following the outcome of the study. Further meetings were held between Project staff and the TGWU on 29 April 1999 and 17 November 1999. The most recent pan-Trades Unions meeting took place at RAF Brampton on 10 November 2000. Formal consultation on the proposals for the next stage of the process was initiated on 18 April 2001.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what circumstances have caused bids to be sought for the running of the service provided by the Defence Fire Service, (b) who authorised the soliciting of such bids and(c) if he will detail the conditions relating to such bids; and if he will make a statement. [159164]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 26 April 2001]The Government are committed to seeking value for money through Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) by involving private sector management expertise, innovation and capital investment in the delivery of services to the public sector. Against this background, a feasibility study, commissioned in 1995, reported in 1997 that there was significant private sector interest in providing airfield support services and that the private sector had the necessary expertise and ability to provide it.
414WFurther work has established a good case that PFI/PPP arrangements have the potential to provide the Ministry of Defence's requirement for airfield support services, which includes the service provided by the Defence Fire Services, at the greatest value for money. In the light of this, ministerial approval was given in early April 2001 to issue Invitations To Negotiate (ITN) seeking proposals from three consortiums for PFI/PPP solutions for airfield support services.
The ITN will seek bids for both a 15 and 25-year solution and the service provision will be specified in output terms. Bidders will be required to examine the feasibility of the employment of Sponsored Reserves within the project. Bids will be required to demonstrate value for money and provide the manpower and equipment to maintain the required operational capability.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions, and for what purposes, Defence Fire Service personnel have been deployed overseas in the last two years. [159161]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 26 April 2001]I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason he has not announced to the House his plans to seek tenders to run the Defence Fire Service; and if he will make a statement. [159170]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 26 April 2001]The Ministry of Defence plans to issue, in July, Invitations to Negotiate (ITN) seeking binding proposals from three consortiums for Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnering (PFI/PPP) solutions for airfield support services. The PFI/PPP process follows a well-established system and would not always involve announcements to the House, particularly at this early stage of the PFI process.