HC Deb 23 May 1994 vol 244 cc71-2W
Mr. Jamieson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the invitation to tender for the sale of Devonport and Rosyth royal dockyards.

Mr. Aitken

The invitations to tender for the royal dockyards will contain commercially confidential material. It will not therefore be possible to place copies in the Library.

Mr. Jamieson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy that the contracts of employment of current employees at Devonport and Rosyth royal dockyards will not be changed after privatisation without the agreement and consent of the employees.

Mr. Aitken

The contracts of employment of current employees of Devonport Royal Dockyard plc and Rosyth Royal Dockyard plc are entirely a matter for the dockyard companies and their employees. The present terms and conditions will continue to apply after the proposed sale of the royal dockyards unless and until changes are agreed between the company then owning each dockyard and its employees or the contracts of employment are terminated.

Mr. Jamieson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total cost of the redundancy liability for the work force at each of Devonport and Rosyth royal dockyards.

Mr. Aitken

As the Government plan to continue with two royal dockyards, this is a hypothetical issue. The costs that would be incurred in meeting such a severance liability could be determined only in the full knowledge of all the relevant circumstances applying at the time. Estimates have, however, been made by the Government Actuary, on the basis of information provided by the dockyard contractors, which indicate that the total severance liability for the work forces at Devonport and Rosyth royal dockyards as at 31 March 1994 would have been some £147 million and £101 million respectively, based on the theoretical situation of all staff being made redundant on that date.

Mr. Jamieson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects his Department to apply for planning permission for the Trident refit facility at Devonport royal dockyard.

Mr. Aitken

This is currently scheduled for August 1994.