§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army exercises in West Germany have been (i) prohibited and (ii) limited by central or local government in 1987 and 1988 and what has been the effect on the training programme of the British Army of the Rhine and the Berlin Brigade.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonI am not aware of any Army exercise in West Germany that was prohibited by central or local government in 1987 or 1988. All Army exercises in the Federal Republic and Berlin are planned and developed in close consultation with the appropriate central and local government agencies. Wherever possible, and taking due account of the need to maintain operational readiness, the Army has been more than willing to take their views into account when planning exercises, so as to minimise the impact of Army training on local communities and the environment. This has resulted—both in the Federal Republic and elsewhere—in increasing constraints which affect the realism and hence training value of some exercises. However, with careful and sensible planning it has been possible to work within these limitations.