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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list for each of the past three years the military units which have used the DERA Porton Down NBC training facility, indicating how much each unit was charged; [136073] (2) what the cost is to a customer of using the DERA Porton Down NBC training facility; and on what basis it is calculated. [136075] Mr. Spellar: During the past three financial years, the following military units have used the NBC Training facility known as the Battle Run at DERA, Porton Down. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Financial year Military units 1997 7 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (71 Aircraft Workshop) 1 Royal Anglian Regiment Joint Helicopter Support Unit 47 Regiment Royal Artillery 16 Regiment Royal Artillery 1998 Royal Wessex Yeomanry (Territorial Army) 243 Field Hospital Unit 10 Parachute Regiment 1999 Royal Wessex Yeomanry (Territorial Army) 16 Regiment Royal Artillery Royal Household Cavalry _________________________________________________________________________________________________. The charge to customers for the use of the NBC Training Facility at DERA Porton Down, known as the Battle Run, comprises range maintenance and manpower operational costs as well as an element of profit as agreed between DERA and MOD in their Terms of Business Agreement (TOBA). The actual amount of usage and the associated cost are agreed on a yearly basis within an agreed limit of liability which is specified in the contract for use. The basis for the calculation of charges for each of the three years and the current year is the same apart from adjustments for inflation, the amounts of which are also agreed between MOD and DERA. The charges to HQ Land Command, the Ministry of Defence budget holder for these units, for each of the three years were £48,928, £42,118 and £51,715 respectively. Costs are not attributed to individual Units. Costs include elements for facility maintenance and improvements to overall capability as well as the actual operational cost for the conduct of the Battle Run training.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

356 c453-4W; 136073;136075

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Armed forces Army Costs Training Defence Evaluation and Research Agency Porton Down (Wiltshire)

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk