§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what arrangements exist to determine the operational requirements of major equipment to be procured for Her Majesty's forces; what person or committee is authorised to determine operational requirements at each stage (a) in concept formulation and in definition of staff target, (b) in feasibility study and in definition of staff requirement, (c) in project definition, if appropriate, and (d) in full development; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what arrangements existed to determine the operational requirements of major equipment to be procured for Her Majesty's forces at the times relevant to determining actions of the operational requirements for demountable rack off-loading pick-up systems; whether these arrangements have since been changed; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he will list the dates on which a staff target for demountable rack off-loading pick-up system equipment was either stated or updated; what person or committee was authorised to determine the operational requirements contained in each such staff target, and if he will make a statement;
(4) if he will list the dates on which a staff requirement for demountable rack off-loading pick-up systems equipment was either stated or updated; what person or committee was authorised to determine the operational requirements contained in each such staff requirement; and if he will make a statement;
(5) if he has received any guarantees regarding application of the United States of America Export Administration Act to off set orders in connection with the Boeing air warning aircraft system contract; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie Hamilton[pursuant to his reply, 12 January 1987]: An operational requirement for a substantial piece of equipment for the armed forces is expressed as a staff target and subsequently as a staff requirement. Responsibility for formulating operational requirements and sponsoring STs and SRs rests with the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Systems). STs and SRs involving expenditure above a certain level require endorsement by the equipment policy committee of the Ministry of Defence, whose chairman is the Chief Scientific Adviser. These arrangements have been in force since 2 January 1985 when the reorganisation of the Ministry of Defence took effect. Prior to that date formulation of STs and SRs was the responsibility of the service staffs concerned, and endorsement was required from the operational require 329W ments committee (ORC), whose chairman was the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operational Requirements), and subsequently the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff.
A ST for a demountable rack off-loading and pick-up system (DROPS) was endorsed by the ORC on 24 August 1982. A SR for DROPS was approved by the EPC on 4 July 1985. A first revise of the SR was approved by the EPC on 6 November 1986.