Armoured Vehicles (Hansard, 11 November 1996)

§ Mr. Soames

This is a matter for the chief executive of the Army Base Storage and Distribution Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from K. J. W. Goad to Mr. Paul Murphy, dated 11 November 1996: I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence, about what maintenance is currently being carried out to armoured vehicles at Ashchurch which was previously dealt with at the Army Vehicle Depot at Ludgershall, as this matters falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Army Base Storage and Distribution Agency.

Principal headings of the Defence budget
Current prices (£million)
	Outturn	Outturn	Estimate
	1975–76	1980–81	1985–86	1990–91	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97
Total expenditure	5,346	11,182	17,943	22,298	23,762	23,424	22,519	21,715	21,425
Expenditure on personnel	2,530	4,556	6,379	8,811	10,504	9,835	9,313	8,684	8,516
of the Armed Forces	1,305	2,460	3,510	4,811	5,634	6,907	6,490	6,175	6,191
of the retired Armed Forces	255	503	899	1,406	1,950	—	—	—	—
of civilian staff	970	1,593	1,970	2,594	2,920	2,928	2,823	2,509	2,325
Expenditure on equipment	1,792	4,885	8,193	8,838	8,711	9,200	8,819	9,019	8,460
Sea	440	1,513	2,499	2,955	2,891	2,589	2,441	2,203	1,999
Land	413	904	1,887	1,927	1,846	1,806	1,642	1,841	1,594
Air	752	2,059	3,296	3,197	3,152	3,245	3,184	3,357	3,444
Other	187	410	511	759	822	1,559	1,552	1,618	1,423
Other expenditure	1,024	1,741	3,371	4,649	4,547	4,389	4,387	4,012	4,449
Works, buildings and land	394	623	1,413	2,067	1,780	2,073	2,402	1,917	1,858
Miscellaneous stores and services	630	1,118	1,958	2,582	2,767	2,316	1,985	2,095	2,591
Total expenditure at 1994–95 prices	25,129	25,485	28,856	26,956	25,181	24,161	22,519	20,963	20,129

28W

The maintenance required by armoured vehicles stored at the Base Vehicle Depot (BVD) Ashchurch is being carried out by staff, to the same exacting standards demanded by the Army's Equipment Managers, as was the case when armoured vehicles were stored at BVD Ludgershall. I hope this fully answers your question.