US Forces (Hansard, 24 February 1989)

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the royal aircraft establishment Oakhanger was first made available for use by United States forces.

§ Mr. Neubert
The telemetry and command station at Oakhanger, which is controlled and managed by the Royal aircraft establishment at Farnborough, has been part of the continuing co-operation between the United Kingdom and the United States in the field of satellite communications since operations there began in 1969. I also refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my predecessor on 28 June 1984 at column488 and on 9 December 1985 at column 544.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the microwave communications relay at Leafield was first made available for use by United States forces.

§ Mr. Neubert
June 1987.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the microwave communications relay at RAF Uxbridge was first made available for use by United States forces.

§ Mr. Neubert
In 1962.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date warehousing at Dunstable was made available for use by the United States Navy exchange.

§ Mr. Neubert
April 1980.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date planning permission for the proposed second842W echelon medical storage facility for United States forces to be constructed at Ridgewell was refused; and what information he has about the reasons for refusal.

§ Mr. Neubert
The Ministry of Defence was notified that planning clearance for the proposed second echelon medical facility at Ridgewell had not been given in June 1986. I understand that clearance was given on the grounds that the proposed development was contrary to the Essex structure plan, was an inappropriate development in a special landscape area and that road access was inadequate.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date (i) the Royal Aircraft Establishment airfield at Bedford, (ii) RAE Brawdy, (iii) RAF Cottesmore and (iv) RAF Scampton were allocated for use as collocated operating bases in support of United States forces.

§ Mr. Neubert
Formal agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States for the designation of RAF Bedford as a collocated operating base was reached in February 1982 and for the designation of RAF Brawdy, RAF Cottesmore and RAF Scampton in May 1987.