§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the training programmes which will be affected by the decision of Northumberland county council to delay infrastructure upgrading at Otterburn ranges; and if he will make a statement; [29159]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect on Salisbury plain training area of not proceeding with the proposed infrastructure upgrading at Otterburn ranges; and if he will make a statement. [29160]
§ Mr. SoamesOnce developed, Otterburn will be the sole training area in the United Kingdom where multi-launch rocket system regiments can conduct live firing over land as fully integrated units. AS90 can also be fired on Salisbury plain, which is, however, the only training area that can sustain tracked vehicle manoeuvre training and exercises of armoured-mechanised battle groups, and has already reached its training and environmental capacity. Any delay to the development of the Otterburn training area would therefore have a severe impact on the Army's overall training programme, and on the operational efficiency of artillery units equipped with AS90 and MLRS.