§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether a decision has been made regarding the disposal of 575 acres on the South Site at Bedford, following the recommendation of the Nugent Committee on Defence Lands.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by the then Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy on 4th282W February 1976.—[Vol. 904, c. 610]. This is still the situation.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in disposing of defence land at Edlesborough, Buckinghamshire as a result of the Nugent Committee Report on Defence Lands.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownThe recommendation of the Nugent Committee was that Edlesborough should be retained unless the review then being undertaken showed that the facilities there could be transferred to Chelveston. In practice the conduct of the review was overtaken by the considerable changes in United Kingdom defence communication requirements brought about by the 1975 defence review. A study is now in progress to consider the feasibility of reducing the number of Service communication sites, but no decision has yet been reached in respect of Edlesborough.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the recommendations of the Nugent Committee Report on Defence Lands regarding the site at Chivenor, Devon, have now been fully carried out.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownThe bulk of the airfield, including a number of married quarters, has been handed over to the Property Services Agency of the Department of the Environment for disposal. A small enclave and some married quarters are being retained by the RAF as was explained by my hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy on 4th February 1976.—[Vol. 904, c.608.]
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the sites at Lulworth, Dorset, have been released, following the recommendations of the Nugent Committee Report on Defence Lands.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownNo. In the statement on the Report of the Defence Lands Committee (Cmnd. 5714) in August 1974 the Government announced that it had been decided that the RAC Gunnery School would remain at Lulworth but that improved public access would be arranged. That is the position today.