HC Deb 02 February 1998 vol 305 cc466-7W
Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the value of the site and buildings of UK Land Command headquarters at Wilton. [26253]

Dr. Reid

My Department does not hold any figures for the current market value of the site and buildings at Headquarters Land Command in Wilton. The value of estate on the open market is calculated only when a disposal is under consideration, and there have been no recent, nor are there any current, proposals for the Army to vacate Erskine Barracks.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops were under the command of UK Land Command(a) 1989 and (b) 1997. [26252]

Dr. Reid

Land Command was formed in 1995 in place of United Kingdom Land Forces, and to assume responsibility for Army units based in Germany.

The Commander in Chief United Kingdom Land Forces in 1989 was responsible for the majority of the 41,000 Regular Army personnel based in the United Kingdom, other than personnel providing and undertaking individual training, and of 73,000 Territorial Army personnel.

The Commander in Chief Land Command presently has command of some 50,000 Regular Army and 58,000 Territorial Army personnel in the United Kingdom and of a further 23,000 Regular Army personnel in Germany.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many(a) service and (b) civilian personnel were employed at United Kingdom Land Command headquarters in Wilton in (i) 1989, (ii) 1992, (iii) 1995 and (iv) at the latest available date; [26141]

(2) what is the annual cost of maintaining United Kingdom Land Command headquarters at Wilton currently; and what it was in 1989 at 1998 prices. [26142]

Dr. Reid

Headquarters Land Command at Wilton was formed in 1995, to assume most of the responsibilities previously undertaken by the former Headquarters United Kingdom Land Forces and also responsibility for the Army in Germany upon the disestablishment of Headquarters British Army of the Rhine in that year. There were at that time a number of other significant organisational changes which affected the composition of the Headquarters at Wilton. The size of the headquarters prior to and after 1995 are not, therefore, comparable.

The information requested is not available for 1989, so figures for 1990 have been provided instead.

The authorised establishment of Headquarters United Kingdom Land Forces was as follows:

Civilian personnel Service personnel
1990 418 275
1992 407 290

The authorised establishment of Headquarters Land Command was as follows:

Civilian personnel Service personnel
1995 507 358
1997 521 370