§ 13. Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) farms and (b) occupied houses owned by his Department in Northumberland are not connected to a mains electricity supply.
§ Mr. SoamesMy Department owns a number of farms in Northumberland, all of which lie in the operational training area. Fifteen of those farms, comprising 18 occupied houses and cottages, are not connected to the mains electricity supply.
§ Mr. BeithDoes the Minister agree that hard-working farmers and shepherds in the Cheviot hills deserve to have mains electricity supplied? Does he not think that the time is opportune, after a decade of discussions, for the Ministry of Defence to put forward a scheme since European finance may be available under objective 5b? Furthermore, the Army may wish to emphasise that it has a long-term role in that region and that it wants to be a good landlord.
§ Mr. SoamesAs the right hon. Gentleman knows, the Army is not only a very good landlord but an extremely good employer, providing by far the greatest employment in that area. The right hon. Gentleman is right to draw attention to the time that these matters have taken. The options for electrification are being studied and assessed. Until the report is ready it is too early to say whether electrification is feasible but, in parallel, the Ministry of Defence and one of its farm tenants will jointly be conducting a trial of the feasibility of a stand-alone farm power system. If it proves successful, we shall consider extending its use to other farms. I note the right hon. Gentleman's point and can assure him that I shall keep a careful eye on this matter.