Land (Hansard, 17 May 1976)

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence which of the Nugent Committee's recommendations concerning Nancekuke, Cornwall, have not yet been fully carried out.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
Demolition of derelict buildings remains to be completed. The relocation of the security fence has been suspended pending decisions on the future use of the site now that it has been decided to close the Nancekuke establishment.

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any decision has been reached with regard to his department's depot at Eastriggs, Dumfriesshire following the recommendation of the Nugent Report that the site should be disposed of as soon as the stores there can be accommodated elsewhere.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
The position remains as set out in my reply to my hon. Friend on 9th February 1976—[Vol. 905, c. 55].
352W

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether land outside the danger area let for agriculture, at the site at Yoxter, Somerset, has been disposed of, following the recommendations of the Nugent Committee.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
It is not yet practicable to dispose of this land.

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, following the recommendations of the Nugent Committee Report, an alternative range has been found in order that land at Rugeley, Staffordshire, can be released.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
No. The position has not changed since the answer given by the then Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy to a similar Question from my hon. Friend on 4th February last—[Vol. 904, c. 609].

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Wrekin site of 78 acres has been given up, as recommended in the Nugent Committee Report on Defence Lands.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
No. Owing to the pressures on defence expenditure it has not proved possible to proceed with the construction of the new range at Nescliffe. The total requirement for range facilities in the West Midlands is currently being examined in the light of the military redeployment following the 1975 defence review.

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the release of land at Netley, Hampshire, following the recommendations of the Nugent Committee Report on Defence Lands.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
As the closure of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, is now expected to be brought forward to 1978 it was considered more advantageous to dispose of the Netley hospital site as a whole then. I understand that the Hampshire County Council is happy with this arrangement.

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the 353W recommendation of the Nugent Report in regard to the site at Alexandria, Dunbartonshire, has been carried out.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
Yes. The site was released on termination of the lease in 1973.

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what decision has been reached regarding the future of the site at Driffield, Yorkshire, following the recommendation of the Nugent Report.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 6th May 1976—[Vol. 910, c. 432–433.].

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the 31 acres of Ministry of Defence freehold land at Gwm Gwdi, Breconshire, has been disposed of following the recommendation of the Nugent Committee Report on defence lands.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
The land has not been dipsosed of. The Nugent Committee recommended that the 31 acres of MOD freehold land at Cwm Gwdi Army range should be retained.

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what decision has been reached regarding the disposal of the site at St. David's, Pembrokeshire, following the recommendation of the Nugent Committee Report.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
It has been decided that the site must be retained, as civil flying use of the airfield would severely interfere with the RAF's training task at Brawdy. The land is currently used for grazing.

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made following the recommendation of the Nugent Committtee on Defence Lands that the site at Irvine, Ayrshire, should be released when alternative facalities have been provided.

§ Mr. Robert C. Brown
The site at Irvine should be released in the very near future.
354W