HC Deb 28 January 1997 vol 289 cc200-3W
Mr. Salmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the total running costs for the royal yacht Britannia for each year since 1990. [13218]

Mr. Soames

The total operating costs of HMY Britannia are:

Year £ thousand1
1990–91 9,272
1991–92 12,458
1992–93 8,361
1993–94 8,397
1994–95 11,424
1995–96 8,423
1996–972 7,575
1 Figures are outturn unless otherwise stated.
2 Estimate.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the duties performed by the royal yacht Britannia during Cowes week in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement; [13228]

(2) what was the total cost to public funds of the royal yacht Britannia's presence at Cowes week in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [13227]

Mr. Soames

HMY Britannia's attendance at Cowes for the past five years has continued the traditional and popular royal patronage of this event. A list of individual duty engagements attended by and undertaken in Britannia is not held centrally, and information on the marginal costs of individual deployments could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) for the total annual running costs for Britannia since 1990.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total current annual cost for running the royal yacht Britannia; how many miles it has covered and at what average cost per nautical mile in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [13232]

Mr. Soames

In the calender years 1992 to 1996, HMY Britannia covered the following distances:

Year Distance (nautical miles)
1992 11,614
1993 36,062
1994 18,932
1995 25,071
1996 16,716

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) for the total annual running costs for Britannia since 1990.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total cost to public funds of the(a) alcohol, (b) tobacco and (c) live entertainment provided on the royal yacht Britannia in each of the last five years. [13221]

Mr. Soames

The information requested is not readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

However, as a matter of policy, while the sponsors of commercial events are not charged for the use of HMY Britannia when she is used to promote British exports and attract inward investment, all additional costs incurred, over and above normal running costs, are paid for by the Government Departments and organisations concerned.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many jobs will be created by the construction of the new royal yacht for citizens from(a) the United Kingdom, (b) the EU and (c) other countries broken down by type of employment; and if he will make a statement. [13225]

Mr. Arbuthnot

The Government's decision to build a new royal yacht is expected to sustain 400 to 500 jobs in a British shipyard. No breakdown by type of employment is available.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the total value of the royal yacht Britannia as(a) scrap, (b) sold with restrictions on its future use and (c) sold with no restrictions on its future use; and if he will make a statement. [13229]

Mr. Arbuthnot

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made clear in his statement on 22 January that the Government do not believe that it is appropriate to sell Britannia to a new owner for private use when she is decommissioned in December. We are seeking proposals for a suitably prestigious future use which is in the public interest, within the United Kingdom and would guarantee that her excellent condition be maintained. Should this not prove possible we will then consider the option of scrapping Britannia. We do not at present have an estimate of her scrap value.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost per annum of cleaning the(a) outside and (b) inside of the royal yacht Britannia in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [13231]

Mr. Soames

The information requested is not readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the(a) dates of, (b) costs of and (c) guests at the last 10 receptions held on the royal yacht Britannia while docked; and if he will make a statement. [13224]

Mr. Soames

The dates, location, and nature of the last 10 events were:

Date Location Type of function Number of guests Host/sponsor
12 July Amsterdam Reception 150 HM Ambassador to The Hague; HM The Queen's Award Winners for Export Achievement
Date Location Type of function Number of guests Host/sponsor
11 July Amsterdam Reception 150 HRH The Duke of Kent; British Invisibles
11 July Amsterdam Seminar and royal dinner 50 HRH The Duke of Kent; British Invisibles
6 July Falmouth Royal reception 40 HM The Queen Mother
4 July Portsmouth Royal dinner 43 HRH The Princess Alexandra and Sir
Royal Reception 150 Angus Ogilvy; the King Edward VIII hospital at Midhurst
26 June Lisahally, Londonderry Royal Reception 125 HRH The Prince of Wales; Northern Ireland
Royal dinner 48 Tourist Board
25 June Belfast Royal Reception 135 HRH The Prince of Wales; The Irish Development Board
25 June Belfast Royal dinner 50 HRH The Prince of Wales; Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The costing information requested is not readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

However, as a matter of policy, while the sponsors of commercial events are not charged for the use of HMY Britannia when she is used to promote British exports and attract inward investment, all additional costs incurred, over and above normal running costs, are paid for by the government departments and organisations concerned.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries visited by the royal yacht Britannia in each of the last five years. [13222]

Mr. Soames

The information requested is:

Year Countries visited
1992 Gibraltar, Italy, Malta, France, Scotland, Sweden.
1993 The Azores, Bermuda, USA, Mexico, Jamaica, Lesser Antilles, Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Yemen.
1994 The Azores, Bermuda, USA, Belize, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, The Bahamas, France, Finland, Russia, Denmark.
1995 Grand Canary, Ivory Coast, Namibia, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, Madeira, Germany, Greece, Balearic Islands, Portugal.
1996 The Azores, Bermuda, USA, Canada, The Netherlands.

Mr. Salmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nights members of the royal family spent aboard the royal yacht Brittannia in each year since 1990. [13217]

Mr. Soames

Members of the royal family have spent the following numbers of nights aboard Brittannia since 1990.

Year Number of nights
1990 30
1991 32
1992 24
1993 46
1994 24
1995 23
1996 23