§ Lord Lyellasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the current requirement for Army training land in the United Kingdom and what arrangements there are for the sterwardship of such land.
Earl HoweWe have today published a documentStriking a Balance '97, the second report on the management of the major Army training areas, following the original Striking a Balance, published in October 1995. The new document describes the work going on in a number of areas to ensure that the land on which the Army trains is managed with as much sensitivity as possible to the requirements of local people. The document also reports on the work we have done to analyse the Army's requirement for training land in the United Kingdom. This work shows that, following the return to this country of many units from Germany, and the introduction of new systems, the Army has a significant shortfall in training land in the UK. The report also shows a number of ways in which this shortfall can be reduced including by development of existing facilities and, in particular, the proposed development of Otterburn.
A copy of Striking a Balance '97 has been placed in the Library of the House.