HL Deb 06 April 1954 vol 186 cc973-4

2.35 p.m.

LORD HAMPTON

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their attention has been called to a statement in the Army Appropriation Account 1952–53 regarding the expenditure of £93,000 upon the construction of a Territorial Army training camp at Penrhos, and the eventual abandonment of that camp after it became known to the Ministry of Agriculture and other local objectors that a further 11,000 acres would be required for training purposes; whether there had been any consultation between the War Office and the Ministry of Agriculture previous to the construction of this camp; if not, whether, when any future construction of this nature is being considered, every effort will be made by way of pre-consultation with all interests concerned to avoid a like waste of material, effort and money.]

EARL FORTESCUE

My Lords, this statement has already been noted. The establishment of a Territorial Army training camp at Penrhos was agreed in its early stages with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and previous experience of post-war training in this area did not indicate that difficulties were likely to be encountered over the War Department's training requirements outside the camp. Every effort is made to ensure that any necessary agreement is reached with all interests concerned before expenditure on training camps is authorised.

LORD HAMPTON

I am grateful to the noble Earl for his reply.