§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
With reference to proposals to use land near Luddesdown, Kent, for military training, whether it is thought by the Ministry of Defence to be a merit of this land that it resembles certain land in Northern Germany; and if so whether they will state precisely which part of Northern Germany the Ministry has in mind and what the similarities are thought to be.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Lord Trefgarne)The value of Court and Brookers Farms, Luddesdown, for military training is that practice minelaying can be conducted in the realistic tactical setting of a working arable farm similar to the more difficult conditions which could be found in areas of North Germany where the British Army might expect to operate. The similarities include the general topographical features, the agricultural pattern and the natural and man-made obstacles which will be found on the battlefield. Because the aim is to train officers and NCOs to respond to a variety of different situations, the similarities are representative but not related to any specific site.