§ VISCOUNT MONCKTON OF BRENCHLEYMy Lords, I beg leave 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 they will now allow the South-East Territorial Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve Association to retain the Drill Hall, Sittingbourne, Kent.]
§ LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTONMy Lords, the drill hall at Sittingbourne was transferred in 1968 from the Ministry of Defence to the then Ministry of Public Building and Works, for use as a reception and re-establishment centre for the Department of Health and Social Security. The need still remains. No other suitable building or site is available and I therefore regret that I am unable to agree that the premises should be returned to their former use.
§ VISCOUNT MONCKTON OF BRENCHLEYMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Is he aware that nothing has been done since 1968; that the drill hall was purpose-built for the Territorials; that recruiting in Kent is going extremely well; that the Cadet Force, the Sea Cadets and the Girl Venture Corps use the same site and that the people of Sittingbourne do not think it right that men of an unsettled way of life should be in the same area with their children?
§ LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTONMy Lords, I am not quite clear how many of the words of the noble Viscount are statements and how many are questions, but I cannot accept the statement that nothing has been done since 1968. There has been planning, which takes time, to get the conversion plans right, and planning permission has now been obtained. A start is to be made later this year, and we hope that in about 18 months' time the place will be in use. I was very glad to hear what the noble Lord told your Lordships about recruiting and the Sea Cadets. I am quite sure that my noble friend the Secretary of State for Defence will, if he sees fit, come to the rescue of the Sea Cadets and the Territorials in the future.
§ VISCOUNT MONCKTON OF BRENCHLEYMy Lords, I am sorry to go on with this point, but is the noble Lord aware that the people of the area will not allow their children to go to the premises when they have gone into the new use? That is the trouble.
§ LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTONMy Lords, we have to think of those gentlemen with an unsettled way of living who need somewhere to go. The Supplementary Benefits Commission have found this to be the only suitable building; they had been looking around for ten years before this building became available.