Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative). It was answered on Monday, 17 October 2005 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

RAF Leeming

Question: I seem to hear more about the future of RAF Leeming at the local hairdresser than on the Floor of the House. When I asked the same question in March 2005, I was told that we were waiting for the results of the defence airfield review. When might we have those results, and what is the future of RAF Leeming? Are we going to get the joint combat aircraft or not?

Answer: I would have expected the hon. Lady to understand that it is better to get something right than to do it quickly. The review is a very comprehensive analysis of over 50 airfields, and it is not easy to reach a conclusion on what is the best balance. The hon. Lady knows that RAF Leeming has a future. A number of strands of work beyond the airfield review could benefit RAF Leeming. We are also considering where to base the joint combat aircraft: that involves five airfields. Those matters will be reported on soon. We hope to have completed the process by the end of the year, but we are talking about a complex process which involves moving many thousands of people around, and which may affect thousands of jobs and also local communities. We must ensure that the airfields that are retained are the best placed and best resourced to meet the demands of the RAF in the decades ahead.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 437 c626
Session: 2005-06
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: RAF Bases
Monday, 28 November 2005
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Deployment Air force Military bases Military aircraft RAF Leeming
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk