§ 10. Mr. Robert BanksTo ask the Secretary of Slate for Defence how many civilian and military jobs have been transferred from Yorkshire and the north of England to other locations, resulting from the review of defence establishments.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonTo date, no posts have yet been transferred out of Yorkshire and the north of England as a result of "Britain's Defence for the 90s". A number of proposals have been made to date, however, that will enable my Department to make savings by rationalising posts and closing establishments.
§ Mr. BanksI thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. I recognise the need for rationalisation, but will he place serious emphasis on the retention of jobs in Yorkshire and the north? Does he recognise the concern of my constituents, whose civilian jobs in the RAF Support Management Group are to be transferred to Cambridgeshire under his review? Will he reconsider that decision, in the light of the decision not to locate the Junior Leaders Regiment at the Army apprentices college—an excellent set of buildings which would be ideal to house the support group?
§ Mr. HamiltonA substantial number of defence jobs is being maintained in Yorkshire, because Catterick remains a major garrison for our troops. As for my hon. Friend's proposal that the RAF support group should be moved to the site of the Army apprentices college, we are currently considering that and I shall contact him about it; but I remind him that the period of consultation on the proposal to close the college is still in operation.