§ Lieut.-Colonel Bolesasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that the bulk of the Charlton Horethorne airfield which is good agricultural land worth not less than £2 per acre per annum, is still held under requisition by his department merely for the dumping of bombs and other explosive stores, and, as 60 dairy cows could make use of this airfield for grazing whether steps can be taken to release this ground for agricultural purposes at the earliest opportunity and to transfer the bombs to waste land or moorland.
§ Mr. StracheyI am afraid we should only take up additional transport labour and land by moving these explosives from Charlton Horethorne to another place before they are finally disposed of. The explosives stored at Charlton Horethorne form only a part of the total for disposal, and the Ministry of Supply and Aircraft Production, who are the Department concerned with disposal, are aware of our desire to have Air Force explosives moved from airfields and from other land.