Civil Defence (Hansard, 25 May 1988)

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of installation of the new message switch system in local authority emergency centres.
168W

§ Mr. John Patten
A limited scale of equipment has been installed in one county in each of the home defence regions, except London, and additional installations have taken place in regions 4, 7 and 10.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement of the performance of Chernikeef Telecommunications in the provision of message switch equipment for local authority emergency centres.

§ Mr. John Patten
It is not the practice to comment on matters which are commercially confidential.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether his Department will meet grant-aid requirements incurred by the installation of the new message switch system in local authority emergency centres;
(2) why expenditure relating to the installation of the new message switch system in local authority emergency centres is eligible for 100 per cent. grant-aid at county level installations but only 75 per cent. grant-aid at district level installations.

§ Mr. John Patten
Subject to prior approval, adaption work necessary for the installation of civil defence communications equipment at local authority emergency centres is eligible for grant aid at the relevant rate. Differential rates of grant were determined at a time when shire district centres contained little or no Home Office communications equipment, and it was decided that available funds should be concentrated elsewhere. The policy is under review.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he expects any additional costs to be incurred as a result of problems encountered during the installation and commissioning of the new message switch system in local authority emergency centres; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. John Patten
No, although some additional costs may arise in connection with the provision of extra features in the equipment specification.