§ Sir G. de Freitasasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is aware that the last review of the use of land for defence purposes was published in 1947; and whether he will undertake a new review.
§ Mr. MulleyThe principles set out in the 1947 White Paper "Needs of the Armed Forces for Land for Training and Other Purposes" (Cmd. 7278) are still valid and I do not think that a review of them is required. The amount of land required for defence purposes is and will remain under continual review, with due regard for the interests of amenity and agriculture, as changes occur in the size and the equipment of the Forces. Thus while the 1947 White Paper forecast a total requirement in the United Kingdom of over one million acres, present holdings amount to only three-quarters of a million acres.