§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Defence what costs were incurred in the erection of the 7½ mile barbed wire fence around the RAF Molesworth cruise missile base.
§ Mr. LeeI refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 26 February last at column 156.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil contractors were involved in the erection of the barbed wire fences at the RAF Molesworth base and in the provision of the observation platforms and perimeter lighting for the purpose of assisting Ministry of Defence guards.
§ Mr. LeeThe temporary fence, observation platforms and perimeter lighting were erected by the Royal Engineers. The permanent weldmesh fence was erected by contractors and involved a labour force of some 160.
§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current rate of expenditure per week on the security operations at RAF Molesworth.
§ Mr. Stanley[pursuant to his reply, 27 February 1985, c. 208]: This information is not kept in the form requested, but I shall write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance he has requested from civilian police forces to assist in security operations at RAF Molesworth.
§ Mr. Stanley[pursuant to his reply, 27 February 1985, c. 208]: Policing operations on the Ministry of Defence land at RAF Molesworth are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence Police. No assistance has been sought to date from other police forces in carrying out these duties, although the chief constable of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary was fully briefed in advance on the operations at RAF Molesworth to enable him to discharge his responsibilities outside the base and on public roads, up to the perimeter of the Ministry of Defence land. There has since been close consultation and co-operation on policing matters of joint concern.
§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many of his Department's police are currently involved in security operations at RAF Molesworth;
(2) how many Army and Royal Air Force personnel are currently assigned to the security operation at RAF Molesworth.
§ Mr. Stanley[pursuant to his reply, 27 February 1985, c. 208]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend 548W the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) on 26 February 1985 at column 163. It is not our practice, for security reasons, to give the actual number of Ministry of Defence police or service personnel engaged on security duties at specific locations.