§ Mr. Peter Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Defence, what capital expenditure will be necessary at No. 14 Maintenance Unit, Carlisle, and No. 16 Maintenance Unit, Stafford, as a result of the decision to close No. 25 Maintenance Unit, Royal Air Force, Hartlebury.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThere will be sufficient capacity at No. 14 Maintenance 75W Unit, Carlisle, and No. 16 Maintenance Unit, Stafford, to accommodate stores transferred from No. 25 Maintenance Unit, Hartlebury, without additional building. Modernisation will, however, be undertaken at both Stafford and Carlisle to secure maximum efficiency of operation. The scope of this remains to be determined; but any capital costs will rapidly be covered by the large annual saving which will follow from the closure of No. 25 Maintenance Unit.
§ Mr. Peter Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of those people employed at No. 25 Maintenance Unit, Royal Air Force, Hartlebury is over 50 years of age.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesOf a total of 1,772 civilians currently employed by the Ministry of Defence at No. 25 Maintenance Unit, Hartlebury, 908 are over 50 years of age.
§ Mr. Peter Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he expects the new computer at No. 25 Maintenance Unit Royal Air Force Hartlebury to be in operation; and what was the total capital cost of the computer and of its installation.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe computer is expected to be handed over for operation in July, 1968. Its cost is £211,178 and the other capital costs incurred in its installation are expected to amount to about £58,000. The introduction of the computer will lead to economies which will quickly offset this expenditure, and on the closure of Hartlebury the computer will be available for transfer to meet requirements elsewhere.
§ Mr. Peter Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of Royal Air Force stores sent abroad is despatched from airfields within a 75 mile radius of Royal Air Force Hartlebury; and what proportion is sent from airfields within a 75 mile radius of Carlisle.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesAt present about 7 per cent, of R.A.F. stores sent abroad go by air. Nearly all of this 7 per cent, is despatched from airfields within 75 miles of Royal Air Force Hartlebury; none is sent from airfields within 75 miles of Royal Air Force Carlisle. By the date76W that R.A.F. Hartlebury will be closed, the volume of stores despatched overseas by air is likely to be very much less than it is at present, because of the reduction in overseas commitments.
§ Mr. Peter Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimate of transport costs involved in moving those stores currently at No. 25 Maintenance Unit Royal Air Force Hartlebury as a result of the decision to close that establishment.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesIt is not possible to forecast exactly how much of Hartlebury's current stores will remain to be moved to other depots when Hartlebury closes in 1971. In the period before closure the stocks at Hartlebury will be run down and replacements sent from suppliers direct to other Maintenance Units. It seems probable that the cost of transferring the residual stocks from Hartlebury will not exceed £100,000.
§ Mr. Peter Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the work done by No. 25 Maintenance Unit Royal Air Force Hartlebury will in future be done at Carlisle and what proportion at Stafford.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesDetailed planning for the reception of Hartlebury's task, and Quedgeley's technical stores, at Carlisle and Stafford will take many months and it is too early to say what proportion of Hartlebury's task will be done at Carlisle or at Stafford after 1971.
§ Mr. Peter Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the total sum involved in outstanding contracts for the further development of No. 25 Maintenance Unit Royal Air Force Hartlebury and his estimate of the compensation that will be given for the contracts that will not be fulfilled.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe total sum involved in outstanding contracts for new works at Hartlebury is approximately £130,000. These works are associated with the provision of a new high density storage area which will increase efficiency and produce an estimated net saving of £400,000 before the Maintenance Unit finally closes by the end of 1971. In these circumstances, the works services will still be required and the question of 77W compensation for unfulfilled contracts does not arise. Some parts of the high density storage installation will be available for transfer to meet requirements elsewhere when Hartlebury closes.