§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual cost of inspections of the Donna Nook range conducted by Explosives Ordnance Disposal personnel from RAF Coningsby has been in the last five years; and what his estimate is of the one-off cost of permanently disposing of munitions contained in this dump. [48661]
§ Dr. MoonieInformation on costs over the last five years is not available but, in the last financial year, the cost of RAF Coningsby-based personnel clearing RAF Donna Nook air weapons range was estimated to be £97,000. This figure does not include the cost of training, incidental expenses or the cost of replacing specialist bomb disposal equipment. Those personnel who undertake the clearance of the air weapons range also inspect the munitions dump weekly. No estimate has been made of the one-off cost of disposal of the munitions contained in this dump.