§ Mr. Brockwayasked the Minister of Defence if he is yet able to announce what reductions of their bases in the United Kingdom are proposed by the United States authorities.
§ Mr. WatkinsonYes. Following full consultation reductions will be made at four R.A.F. stations at present used by the U.S.A.F. Activities at Alconbury, Chelveston and Sculthorpe will gradually be reduced to small detachments performing weather, communications and support services; reduction, at Chelveston and Sculthorpe will begin in 1962, and at Alconbury are planned to begin in 1964. The Americans will have withdrawn completely by the middle of 1962 from the R.A.F. station at Bruntingthorpe and it will be returned to the R.A.F. who will then on present plans have no further use for it.
About 600 United Kingdom civilians employed by the Air Ministry will become redundant as a result of these changes.