§ 21. Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the airport at Mount Pleasant has now been completed; at what final cost; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungThe main runway and essential support facilities at Mount Pleasant were completed on time by April 1985 and brought into use. Work on the remaining facilities is proceeding well and they are being progressively completed and handed over to a programme agreed with the RAF. Given the size and complexity of this project, the final account will not be settled until some time after contract completion. The latest estimated cost is £303 million, plus £10 million for navigational aids, supplied by the Ministry of Defence.
§ Mr. DalyellWhat happens if one Skyhawk with spare parts supplied by the Americans gets through with French made Durandelle Matra anti-runway bombs and blows a little hole 5m deep and 2m in circumference in the concrete, which eventuality his Department has not properly assessed? What will happen then to the £310 million?
§ Sir George YoungThe Property Services Agency, loyally and to the best of its ability, constructs runways to the specifications of the Ministry of Defence. I shall bring to the attention of my right hon. Friend the pertinent comment which the hon. Member has just made.