§ Mr. DawsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Lancaster and Wyre constituency, the effect on Lancaster and Wyre of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154686]
§ Dr. Moonie[holding answer 21 March 2001]: The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This 21W presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.
The Ministry of Defence has maintained a presence in the Lancaster and Wyre: within a 25- mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled some 1,250 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian).
Since 2 May 1997, around 20 contracts with a total value of some £1.5 million were placed with prime contractors in the Lancaster area1.
I draw attention to the Defence Analytical Services Agency report "UK Defence Statistics 2000", which contains a welfare of defence statistical information, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
1The decision as to where work under a particular contract will be undertaken rests with the contractor, therefore work on a contract placed with a prime contract in the Lancaster area may well he done elsewhere: similarly, contracts placed with contractors outside the Lancaster area could lead to sub-contracts on companies in Lancaster.