§ 12. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on defence lands in view of his new proposals for defence expenditure; and if he envisages any further selling up of land proposed for release by the Nugent Committee on Defence Lands.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownIt remains our policy to retain only land needed for defence purposes and to dispose of surplus property.
About 17,000 acres of the 22,500 acres that the Government agreed should be disposed of, following the report of the Defence Lands Committee, have been passed to the Property Services Agency and are in the course of disposal.
§ Mr. BennettI thank the Minister for that reply, but does he appreciate that many environmental groups are still disappointed at the rate of progress in the disposal of surplus Service lands?
§ Mr. BrownIt is fair to say that environmental groups will always be disappointed at the rate at which we dispose of our land. Nevertheless, since 1st April 1972, Ministry of Defence land holdings have been reduced by about 31,000 acres. A further 20,000 acres are with the Property Services Agency for disposal.