asked the Minister for Defence if he will give a breakdown of the figures given in reply to Parliamentary Question 5 of 19 June 1980; if he will make copies of the study on the setting up of a hydrographic survey service available; and if he will give the estimated present day costs for setting up and running such a service.
Written Answers . - Hydrographic Survey Service .
368.
: The breakdown of the figures is as follows:—
(a) The capital expenditure of £1.36 million was estimated in 1974 to be sufficient to cover the cost of purchasing a 90' survey vessel equipped with echo sounding machinery, wire sweep gear, sonar, survey equipment for triangulation ashore, modern radar, chart room etc (£1.3 million) and two survey launches equipped with echo sounders, sextants, theodolites, station pointers and supplementary stores (£60,000).
(b) The annual running costs of £76,000 were estimated to cover the outgoings on remuneration for 29 personnel required to operate the service.
It is not the practice to make copies of internal Departmental studies available. The National Board for Science and Technology is in the process of reviewing national requirements for hydrographic studies and at this point is unable to provide precise indications of the capital and current costs of establishing a hydrographic service. However, using the suggestions put forward in the 1974 study the board estimate as follows—90' survey vessel and two survey launches, fully equipped, £2,100,000; Running costs of the service in the first year, £460,000/£660,000.