§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new units of(a) single soldiers' accommodation, (b) married quarters and (c) other new buildings will be required at (i) Tidworth and (ii) Larkhill to meet the needs of the new third mechanised brigades. [75272]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonIn my announcement on 2 March of the Army's basing proposals within the United Kingdom, I indicated that it was provisionally planned to deploy an AS-90 artillery regiment of around 700 personnel to Larkhill, a tank regiment of around 600 to Tidworth, an engineer regiment of around 550 men to Perham Down, and to increase the numbers of the existing REME regiment at Tidworth by some 100 men. Initial estimates are that this will lead to a requirement for 450 more single-soldier bed spaces at Larkhill, 350 single-soldier bed spaces at Tidworth and 350 new family quarters in the Tidworth, Bulford and Larkhill area. In addition, there will be a requirement to build garaging and stores for the extra vehicles and additional recreational and support facilities for the increased number of troops. These proposals are subject to planning agreement, and the detailed accommodation requirements for those units to be based at Tidworth and Larkhill will not be finalised until a strategic environmental assessment has been carried out and discussions with local planning authorities have been concluded.