§ 17. Mr. James Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in implementing the recommendations of the Nugent Committee on Defence Lands.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownGood progress has been made in carrying out the recommendations of the Nugent Committee, which were accepted by the Government in their White Paper of August 1974, Cmnd 5714. Over 12,000 acres of land at 75 different sites have been released by my Department for disposal, arrangements for access have been improved, notably at Lulworth, many conservation groups have been organised, and the liaison committee that Nugent recommended should be set up has in fact submitted its first report.
§ Mr. JohnsonI thank my hon. Friend for his answer. Does he agree that it indicates a general advance? Will he supply further details about the improvements, instead of giving merely a list of sites?
Mr. RodgersWork has been completed on eight of the 21 sites specifically recommended by the Nugent Committee for landscaping. Two sites have been handed over to the Property Services Agency for disposal and work on the others is in the planning stage. Clearance of some of the largest areas of eyesore 216 has been inhibited because of the country's financial problems since the issue of the White Paper. As the White Paper made clear, it has not been possible to make special additional funds available for this purpose, as the Nugent Committee had hoped. None the less, work has been completed at Fremington, Plymstock, Wenbury, Christchurch, Sennybridge, St. Davids and Templeton.