§ 40. Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish his assessment of the effect of the loss of military facilities in Libya on the training, movement and communications of Her Majesty's forces.
§ Mr. HealeyI would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Easington (Mr Shinwell) on 4th February. Any effect from the loss of training facilities in Libya can be assessed only when our examination of alternative possibilities of providing training capacity elsewhere has been completed. I have no reason to believe that we shall not be able to satisfy our requirements. The effect of the loss of our other facilities in Libya on our military capability is negligible.—[Vol. 795, c. 137.]
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonCan the Secretary of State say where is "elsewhere"? Does not the debacle in Libya reinforce the need for better relations in southern Africa and therefore a change of Government?
§ Mr. HealeyI think all sorts of conclusions can be drawn from what followed the change of Government in Libya, but, 412 as I made clear, we are examining the location of alternative facilities. When this examination is completed I shall be delighted to tell the hon. Member where is "elsewhere".
§ Mr. Robert HowarthCan my right hon. Friend say whether British military aircraft are not able to overfly Libya? If so, how we can get out transport aircraft down to the middle and southern regions of Africa?
§ Mr. HealeyThe question of over-flying Libya is quite a separate question from that of military facilities on Libyan soil, which we have agreed to give up as a result of the change of Government in Libya.