§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin)I am very pleased to announce to the House that the Ministry of Defence has reached agreement with RMPA Services plc to redevelop and operate Colchester garrison. This PEI contract will provide effective services to the army for 35 years and is worth approximately £2 billion through the life of the project.
This is an arrangement which is beneficial to both parties and we shall shortly see work on the new barracks starting on the ground. The result will be a fully serviced and modern garrison for a modern army with living and working accommodation that is amongst the best, demonstrating our commitment to providing our armed forces with facilities that are up to date and appropriate for the 21st century. I expect approximately 190 civil service posts to transfer to the contractor and these will be handled in accordance with existing legislation. We do not envisage any redundancies arising out of this transfer.