§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force stations have been closed in the last five years; how many he expects will be closed during the next five years; and what proportion of the number of stations open in 1989 will open in 1999.
§ Mr. SoamesTwenty Royal Air Force stations, both in the United Kingdom and overseas, have been closed since the beginning of 1989. As a result of recent announcements, including the "Defence Costs Study", it is proposed that a further 14 stations should close in the next five years. Estate requirements are continually reviewed, however, and it is therefore not possible to forecast accurately what proportion of stations which were open in 1989 will remain open in 1999. These figures do not include USAF bases, or small parented or administered sites.