§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Defence how much defence land has been sold, or returned to former owners since 1979; how much land has been 246W acquired; how defence land holdings compare today with holdings 10 and 20 years ago; and what proposals there are for extra acquisition of land for the Department.
§ Mr. FreemanRecords are not held in a form which would allow sales and acquisitions to be readily identified in the form requested without disproportionate cost. However, on 1 April 1979 defence estate holdings stood at 621,118 acres. By 1 April 1987 this had fallen to 591,376 acres. Comparative figures for 1 April 1967 were 654,274 acres and for 1 April 1977 625,583 acres. The Department's main acquisition proposals concern the purchase of land for training purposes. There are also a number of other proposals designed to meet specific requirements.