§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the original expected date was for announcing a decision on the Airfield Support Services Project; what the current expected date is; and what the reasons are for the delay. [160771]
§ Mr. IngramThe Main Gate approval decision for the Airfield Support Services Project was originally envisaged for the first quarter of 2003. Although we are now moving towards this major decision stage, no decision has been made and I am not yet in a position to say exactly when this will be. The evaluation of this complex project has taken longer than anticipated. The time taken reflects the need to ensure that a fully informed decision is made.