§ 11. Mr. HoltTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many man hours have so far been spent by Ministry of Defence officials in evaluating relocation projects within his Department; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleSince 1979 my Department has evaluated, or is evaluating, 25 separate relocation projects involving nearly 25,000 posts. Those studies have involved many areas of the Department, although most of the detailed work is done at local level. No central record is kept of the man hours involved in this work.
§ Mr. HoltI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply and especially for the details of the number of relocation exercises that have been considered in the past 10 years. Apart from being considered, how many of those projects have reached fruition and how many people have been relocated?
§ Mr. CarlisleAbout 2,500 people have already moved and we are looking at a number of other projects. A further 6,500 people are expected to move by 1995 and nearly 2,000 are under review for movement thereafter.
§ Mr. Frank CookHow long will it take to give the constituents of Stockton a clear idea about the relocation of the directorate general of the defence quality assurance unit from Woolwich to Stockton?
§ Mr. CarlisleI am delighted to see the hon. Gentleman in his place again in good health. I am fully aware of his interest in Stockton, as well as that of my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin), both of whom brought an all-party delegation to see me. I am aware of the claims of the north-east to be the new home of the quality assurance organisation, but I shall not make any decision until our studies are complete, which I expect to be soon. We have a public duty to ensure that every relocation is truly cost effective.