HC Deb 21 May 1984 vol 60 cc371-2W
Mr. Farr

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the reasons Ash and Pirbright ranges are not available for club use at present; and when he expects the restrictions to be lifted.

Mr. Lee

There is at present no spare capacity on the Ash and Pirbright range complexes to offer to civilian clubs, because the closure of, or the imposition of restrictions on, other ranges in the same complexes for safety reasons has resulted in greater military use of those which remain available. This situation is unlikely to change until extensive safety reviews have been completed; I cannot at this stage predict how long these will take.