§ 11. Mr. Hoosonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest costing of the proposed move of Ministry of Defence staff from London to Cardiff.
§ Mr. WellbelovedThe provisional estimate of the gross cost to Her Majesty's Government of Ministry of Defence dispersal to Cardiff is between £70 million and £80 million at current prices over the period up to 1987–88.
§ Mr. HoosonHas the Minister any idea when the move to the Principality will take place, and has a liaison committee been set up with the local authorities to facilitate that move?
§ Mr. WellbelovedThe move to Cardiff is due to take place in 1983–84. I cannot give the hon. and learned Gentleman a precise answer on the other point that he raises, but I should be quite happy to write to him.
§ Mr. GoodhartIs the Minister aware that the prospective move of 5,000 defence civil servants to Glasgow will be even more costly and far more disruptive, and will gravely impair the efficiency of the Ministry? Why not scrap the whole expensive scheme?
§ Mr. WellbelovedI am aware of the disruption that the dispersal will cause to the hon. Gentleman's constituents and, to a degree, to my own constituents, but the Government believe that it is right to continue the policy of dispersal, and I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made by the Lord Privy Seal on 29th July this year, when he went into great detail on the cost and timing of the whole dispersal programme.