As the 2013 spending round set out, the baseline year for the annual one per cent increase in equipment spending, which includes both procurement and support spending, is financial year 2015-16, with the increase continuing each year thereafter. This is because the baseline year needs to take account of the new efficiencies identified in the spending round 2013, which have been factored in to our plans before calculating the 1% increase.

As the 2013 spending round set out, the baseline year for the annual one per cent increase in equipment spending, which includes both procurement and support spending, is financial year 2015-16, with the increase continuing each year thereafter. This is because the baseline year needs to take account of the new efficiencies identified in the spending round 2013, which have been factored in to our plans before calculating the 1% increase.

No decision on the future of Defence Munitions Longtown will be made until after the spending review for 2015-16. Additional transport costs are estimated to be in the region of £0.4 million to £0.9 million per annum.

In the event that Defence Munitions Longtown is no longer required for defence use, remediation costs would be dependent on the future use of the site.

The review referred to in my letter of 25 March 2013 to Luis Eckersley at Defence Munitions Longtown has been completed and I shall be assessing its findings in the light of the spending review for 2015-16. I can confirm that the review was conducted by the same team from the Ministry of Defence that carried out the initial review.

As a result of the theft of Barmines from a train in Warrington on 25 October 2012 a detailed and wide-ranging review of the procedures for transporting munitions was initiated. This work is ongoing. Immediately after the theft and pending the outcome of the review, Defence Equipment and Support stopped all rail movement of munitions and imposed tighter central control and enhanced security requirements on all road movement of munitions.

Information on the cost of transporting munitions from Defence Munitions Longtown is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Ministry of Defence continues to transport munitions to meet all of its operational commitments and there has been no impact on our support to operations in Afghanistan.

As a result of the theft of Barmines from a train in Warrington on 25 October 2012 a detailed and wide-ranging review of the procedures for transporting munitions was initiated. This work is ongoing. Immediately after the theft and pending the outcome of the review, Defence Equipment and Support stopped all rail movement of munitions and imposed tighter central control and enhanced security requirements on all road movement of munitions.

Information on the cost of transporting munitions from Defence Munitions Longtown is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Ministry of Defence continues to transport munitions to meet all of its operational commitments and there has been no impact on our support to operations in Afghanistan.

Since May 2010, Defence Ministers have met representatives from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on seven occasions. On one occasion they attended the Defence Suppliers Forum chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence which I also attended. There were also six occasions when the FSB attended the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Forum which I chair.

No. It is normal practice for follow-up letters to parliamentary questions to be published in the Official Report. I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 February 2013, Official Report, columns 416-21W.

For financial year 2011-12, around 12% of all contracts by value were placed with small and medium-sized enterprises. This equates to around 40% by volume of all new Ministry of Defence (MOD) contracts placed during that year. No distinction is made between whether these companies are based in the UK or overseas.

The MOD recognises that smaller businesses are an important source of innovation and flexibility in meeting defence and security requirements. We are undertaking a range of measures to help SMEs secure more defence business, both directly through contracts with MOD and indirectly as members of the defence supply chain. These measures seek to ensure a level playing field and a fair chance for small and medium-sized enterprises—neither preferential treatment nor discriminatory barriers.

[holding answer 4 February 2013]: The military requirement for any acquisition is carefully scrutinised as part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) approvals process. This involves the submission of a business case together with supporting evidence as directed by the relevant technical scrutineers.

The scrutiny process is designed to test thoroughly and independently the validity of the assertions made against the available evidence. Any misrepresentation of the facts would, if identified during the approval process or thereafter, be brought to the attention of the approving authority and they would take a view on the appropriate action.

[holding answer 18 December 2012]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Moor View (Alison Seabeck) on 8 October 2012, Official Report, column 665W.

[holding answer 18 December 2012]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Worcestershire (Peter Luff), on 3 September 2012, Official Report, column 46W, to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson).

[holding answer 18 December 2012]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Worcestershire (Peter Luff), on 3 September 2012, Official Report, column 46W, to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson).

During the course of Planning Round 12 a small proportion of the overall contingency provision was allocated. I am withholding details of the amount and the projects concerned as their release would be prejudicial to the Department's commercial interests.

During the course of Annual Business Cycle 13, the Department is reviewing the level of contingency in the light of our current understanding of the risk position in our major procurement projects. This will inform a decision on the levels of contingency we will require in the future.

Since the previous Government withdrew the Maritime Patrol Aircraft a range of complementary assets have been used to conduct maritime patrol including T23 Frigates, Merlin helicopters, attack submarines, Hercules and Sentry aircraft. All of these assets are in the core programme. A decision on any future requirement will not be made until the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015.

The maritime patrol boat capabilities in the core equipment programme consist of the following current in-service capabilities:

Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels

Sandown Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels

River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels

Clyde Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (Helicopter)

P2000 Patrol Boats

Gibraltar Patrol Boat Squadron

Ocean Survey Vessel

Coastal Survey Vessels

Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) in the Core Equipment Programme consists of current in-service capabilities plus the following equipment programmes and their support costs for which funding is allocated:

Airseeker—Airborne signals intelligence

Crowsnest—Airborne maritime surveillance and control

Scavenger—Future armed operational unmanned air system (UAS)

Seaseeker—Maritime electronic surveillance

Seer—Tactical electronic surveillance deployed on land

Sentinel—Airborne wide area surveillance

Sentry—Air command and control and situational awareness

Solomon—A programme to improve the coordination and dissemination of ISTAR

Watchkeeper—Tactical UAS

The Single Integrated Priority List is a consolidated list of the Ministry of Defence's future priorities for investment in military capability. It is

separate from the core equipment programme, which consists of those equipment programmes to which we have already made a commitment to invest, their support costs, and the support costs for in-service equipment.

During the course of Annual Budgeting Cycle 13, the new discipline in our budgetary regime has allowed us to give the go ahead for a series of equipment projects, some of which were previously on the Single Integrated Priority List, which have now been brought into the core equipment programme. This includes targeting pods for fast jets, 76 additional Foxhound patrol vehicles, better protection systems for Tornado GR4, additional precision-guided Paveway IV bombs and enhancements to Merlin helicopters.

The cost of service personnel is not included as part of the Core Equipment Programme.

The submarine capabilities in the Core Equipment Programme consist of current in-service capabilities plus the following equipment programmes and their support and training costs for which funding is allocated:

Astute Class submarines

Successor programme to replace the Vanguard Class submarines. The main investment decision is due in 2016.

Maritime Underwater Future Capability