§ Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many defence research establishments and bases there are in Wales; and what is the purpose of each and the number of people employed in each.
§ Mr. PattieThere are two defence research establishments situated in Wales, at Aberporth and470W Llanbedr. Both are outstations of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. They provide the facilities required for the proving of the flight and performance of missiles, both guided and unguided; and carry out trials for airborne equipment evaluation. RAE Aberporth employs about 550 staff including about 400 industrial staff. RAE Llanbedr employs 10 MOD staff including industrial staff and serving officers; however, the operation at Llanbedr is conducted on the Department's behalf by Airwork Ltd. under the supervision of staff from RAE, and the bulk of the work force is formed by employees of the company.