§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on recent680W developments in respect of his Department's plans to enlarge the Otterburn training range. [20805]
§ Mr. SoamesMy Department's proposals are not to enlarge Otterburn training area, which lies largely within the Northumberland national park, but to provide additional infrastructure to accommodate essential AS90 and multiple-launch rocket system training. My officials have been in discussion with the Northumberland national park authority for over two years about these proposals, with the aim of achieving an acceptable balance between my Department's training requirements and environmental concerns. While much progress has been made in this direction, I was very disappointed to learn that, at its meeting on 11 March, the national park authority resolved to object to my Department's proposals unless further scheme changes and environmental balancing measures were forthcoming. This is the first occasion that the national park authority has made its position expressly clear about each individual element of the scheme and accompanying balancing package.
It is difficult to see how these further measures could be accommodated, given that my Department's proposals represent the minimum infrastructure requirements for AS90-MLRS training.
My officials are, nevertheless, now considering whether it will be possible to meet the further concerns which have now been expressed by the national park authority, and it is my intention that a statement of my Department's position should be prepared for submission to the policy and resources committee of Northumberland county council when it meets on 25 April, prior to final determination by the full county council on 15 May 1996.