§ 79. Dame Irene Wardasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the proposed closure of the Royal Air Force Station at Acklington, giving details of expenditure on the station since 1964 to date and the expenditure agreed on contracts at present being fulfilled.
§ Mr. ReynoldsOur plans to develop Acklington at a foreseen total cost of about £2¼ million for use as the fourth Basic Flying Training School were abandoned when the requirement for pilots fell as a result of the reduction in the number of front line squadrons forecast in the July 1967 Supplementary Statement on Defence.
The construction programme was already well advanced, but we at once limited the programme to work in hand and work that would be necessary if the station were to remain in being for the long term.
Subsequent deployment studies have shown that there is no R.A.F. task for the station. The possible use for other defence purposes is still under consideration. Expenditure on new station works services since 1964 is about £1.1 million, and a further £110,000 is outstanding. Expenditure on works maintenance has been running at rather less than £100,000 a year. In addition, some £450,000 was spent on married quarters for the station in 1965.