§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of RAF Uxbridge. [119504]
§ Mr. CaplinMy predecessor made a Press Statement on 29 October 2002 and wrote to a number of local MPs notifying them of the Department's intention to offer the United States Navy the opportunity to occupy for military use the majority of the land and the buildings at RAF Uxbridge. This relocation forms part of project MOD Estate London (MoDEL) to rationalize the Department's estate in London.
The proposal would allow the United States Navy to consolidate at RAF Uxbridge their offices currently situated on seven London sites. It is expected that many of the Service Family Houses would be retained for Ministry of Defence use, and options are being investigated for the preservation of the RAF Bunker as a site of historic interest.
320WThe estate offered to the United States Navy would remain the property of Her Majesty's Government, and the establishment would keep a RAF designation. The proposal is subject to separate approval procedures to serve the interests of the MOD and the United States Visiting Forces. Should the United States Navy choose not to relocate, then RAF Uxbridge would be considered for alternative use or declared surplus and available for disposal.