§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the North Devon constituency, the effects on North Devon of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [155905]
§ Dr. MoonieThe 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 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 North Devon constituency: within the constituency itself, MOD direct employees totalled around 930 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian).
Since 2 May 1997, around 215 contracts with a total value of nearly £38 million were placed with prime contractors in the North Devon and Bideford area1.
I draw attention to the Defence Analytical Services Agency report "UK Defence Statistics 2000" that contains a wealth 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 he undertaken rests with the contractor, therefore work on a contract placed with a prime contract in the North Devon and Bideford area may well be done elsewhere: similarly, contracts placed with contractors outside the North Devon and Bideford area could lead to sub-contracts on companies in North Devon and Bideford.