§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the same consideration and help will be given to(a) the staff and (b) the local community of Royal Air Force Finningley when it is closed as is available to the staff and local communities of the Royal Air Force stations to be closed in Lincolnshire; and if he will make a statement. [28277]
§ Mr. SoamesIn accordance with normal departmental practice, careful and sympathetic consideration is being given to the individual preferences of staff at RAF Finningley, and every effort is being made to find them alternative employment elsewhere in MOD or in other Government Departments. Any staff who are made redundant will be compensated under the appropriate regulations, and the MOD redundancy, counselling and outplacement service will be available to help those concerned to identify new work opportunities.
No final decision has yet been made on alternative military uses for RAF Finningley. However, my officials have recently held their second meeting with Doncaster metropolitan borough council at which local aspirations for the site were discussed, and a joint planning brief will be prepared which takes these into account.