§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those(a) Army, (b) Navy and (c) Airforce bases (i) whose closure has been announced since 1997 and (ii) where significant amounts of land or buildings have been sold since 1997. [24019]
§ Dr. MoonieI will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has with other Government Departments when considering the(a) closure, (b) partial sale and (c) move of a military base. [24018]
175W
§ Dr. MoonieWhile there are normally no formal discussions, as part of the decision making process for the closure, partial sale or move of a military base officials consider, where appropriate, the views of other Government Departments. However, as such decisions are primarily determined by operational requirements, the final decision rests with the Ministry of Defence.
Officials are fully aware of the impact of such changes on local communities and it is the MOD's policy to initiate an early and close dialogue with the local authorities and the regional government offices concerned. While it is for local authorities to deal with local concerns, officials seek to take local aspirations into account as far as possible in identifying alternative uses.