§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the proposed itinerary and engagements to be undertaken by the royal yacht Britannia up to the date set for its decommissioning. [12390]
§ Mr. SoamesOn 20 January, HMY Britannia left Portsmouth for a seven-month deployment to the Arabian gulf, the Indian ocean and the far east. In the period up to July, it is hoped that HMY Britannia will conduct the following engagements:
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Date Location Duty 27 January Malta Formal visit for High Commission event 1 February Port Said Routine visit 6 February Hodeida Formal visit for Embassy event 7-9 February Aden Formal visit for Embassy event 14-15 February Dubai Commercial events 16-18 February Doha Commercial events 19-22 February Kuwait City Royal visit by HRH The Prince of Wales 24 February Bahrain Royal visit by HRH The Prince of Wales 25-27 February Doha Royal visit by HRH The Prince of Wales 2-7 March Karachi Commercial events 9-14 March Mumbai Commercial events 19-25 March Chennai Commercial events 29 March–3 April Phuket Informal visit/fuel 4-9 April Penang Informal visit/fuel 10-13 April Kiang Formal visit for High Commission event 14-18 April Singapore Formal visit for High Commission City event 18 April–6 May Sembawang Self Maintenance Period 9-14 May Bangkok Formal visit for Embassy event 19-20 May Manila Formal visit for Embassy event 26-31 May Tokyo Commercial events 1 June Nagoya Commercial event 2-6 June Kobe Commercial events 8-14 June Inchon Formal visit for Embassy event 16-20 June Okinawa Informal visit/fuel 23-30 June Hong Kong Royal visit by HRH The Prince of Wales, to attend the handover ceremonies The programme for Britannia between July and her decommissioning in December has not yet been finalised.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days the royal yacht Britannia was at sea in 1996; what functions were carried out; what was the total cost to his Department of the royal yacht in 1995–96; and what estimate he has made of the costs up to the date of decommissioning. [12391]
§ Mr. SoamesIn 1996, Britannia was at sea for 116 days during which she carried out the following duties:
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Date Location Duty 27-28 February Ponta Delgada Routine visit/fuel 6-9 March Bermuda Informal visit/fuel 12-17 March Palm Beach Royal visit by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh 18-20 March Savannah Commercial events 22-26 March Baltimore Commercial events 28 March-8 April Boston Commercial events and self maintenance period 15-22 April Toronto Commercial events 26-27 April Halifax Routine visit/fuel 3 May Ponta Delgada Routine visit/fuel 22 June Douglas Royal visit by HRH The Prince of Wales 25 June Belfast Royal visit by HRH The Prince of Wales 26-27 June Londonderry Royal visit by HRH The Prince of Wales
Date Location Duty 5 July Marchwood Royal visit by HM The Queen Mother 6-7 July Falmouth Royal visit by HM The Queen Mother 11-14 July Amsterdam Royal visit by HRH The Duke of Kent 31 July–7 August Cowes HRH The Duke of Edinburgh embarked 10 August Stranraer Royal visit by Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh 17 August Aberdeen Royal visit by Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh Britannia's running costs for 1995–96 were £7.3 million. Costs for the period up to the royal yacht's decommissioning at the end of this year will depend on her programme, which has not yet been finalised.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has for a replacement for the royal yacht Britannia; and what proportion of public finance they include. [12392]
§ Mr. SoamesI refer the hon. Member to the statement made yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.