HC Deb 05 April 1990 vol 170 cc834-5W
Mr. Viggers

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide an inventory of items in the royal naval armaments museum, Gosport.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to my hon. Friend.

Mr. Viggers

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the ownership of items in the royal naval armaments museum, Gosport.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The majority of items held in the naval ordnance collection are owned by the Ministry of Defence, but the collection does contain some exhibits which have been loaned by museums or private individuals.

Mr. Viggers

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the royal naval armaments musuem, Gosport.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

A number of options for the future of the naval ordnance museum, Gosport, are under consideration in the wider context of our disposal of the ex-royal naval armament depot at Priddy's Hard.

Mr. Viggers

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what talks he held with locally elected representatives prior to the issue of a letter by Ms. Jan Wildy, head of central disposal unit at the Ministry of Defence stating that further discussions with the borough of Gosport over the future of the royal naval armaments museum at Gosport are to be abandoned.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Talks on the disposal of the ex-royal naval armament depot, Priddy's Hard, Gosport, including the future of the naval ordnance museum, were held with locally elected representatives by my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr. Freeman) on 16 December 1987 in Portsmouth, and on 25 May 1988 in London; and by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement on 5 July 1989 in London.

Mr. Viggers

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the royal naval armaments museum, Gosport in each of the last five years.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Annual maintenance costs of the naval ordnance collection were:

£K
1985–86 52.41
1986–87 53.95
1987–88 55.98
1988–89 54.83
11989–90 55.95
1 Estimated.