HC Deb 09 May 1994 vol 243 cc35-6W
Dr. Reid

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors account for the differences in the incremental grand totals listed in table 3 of the 1993 "Statement on the Defence Estimates" and the incremental grand total listed in table 4 of the 1994 "Statement on the Defence Estimates" for(a) engineer regiments (regular), (b) engineer regiments (TA), (c) infantry battalions (TA and Royal Irish Home Service), (d) transport, tanker and search and rescue aircraft, (e) Harrier, (f) Nimrod reconnaissance and maritime reconnaissance and (g) Tornado F3.

Mr. Hanley

[holding answer 3 May 1994]: The differences reflect, for the most part, changes in presentation following SDE 93. In detail, the changes arise from:

  1. (a) and (b) exclusion of MT 1.24 (Hydrographic and geographic services) from tables 1 to 4, leading to the deliberate omission of 1 Regular and 1 TA Engineer Squadron for survey work (no change in actual force levels);
  2. (c) change in arithmetic rounding conventions used in SDE94 (no change in actual force levels);
  3. (d) exclusion of Hercules, BAe 125 and Tristar In-Use Reserves (IUR) to reflect the conventions used for other RAF aircraft in SDE tables; revised assumptions for Puma Aircraft Establishment following withdrawal from Belize; revised Sea King Wessex mix as the latter is replaced in the search and rescue role; and revised aggregation of Chinook numbers (IUR remain included in the figures, however, as these are declared to NATO);
  4. (e) revised plans for declaration to NATO of new Harrier T10;
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  5. (f) exclusion of MT 1.11 (Intelligence Collection) from Tables 1 to 4 of SDE 94;
  6. (g) revised declaration of OCU aircraft to NATO Main Defence Forces.

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