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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) the number of landowners making their land available for training on private land and (b) the number of hectares they make available, adjacent to (i) Salisbury Plain training area, (ii) Otterburn training area and (iii) Sennybridge training area; and by what percentage training land is extended by the availability of training on private land in each of the three areas. [4750] Mr. Spellar: The type of training undertaken on private land will usually differ from that conducted on MoD training areas: for example, training on Salisbury Plain training area is primarily armoured training whereas that on adjacent private land will not involve armoured vehicles. Training on private land cannot therefore be regarded as a simple extension of training on adjacent MoD land. The quantity and locations of training on private land will also vary from year to year. Subject to these qualifications, in the past 12 months, the figures requested have been as follows: a. Number of landowners making their land available: (i) Areas adjacent to Salisbury Plain training area (SPTA): 77 (ii) Areas adjacent to Otterburn training area (OTA): 21 (iii) Areas adjacent to Sennybridge training area (SENTA): 2 b. Numbers of hectares made available: (i) Areas adjacent to Salisbury Plain training areas (SPTA): 10,000ha approximately (ii) Areas adjacent to Otterburn training areas (OTA): 675ha approximately (iii) Areas adjacent to Sennybridge training area (SENTA): 3ha approximately c. Private land made available as a percentage of adjacent MoD training land: (i) Areas adjacent to Salisbury Plain training areas (SPTA): 25 per cent. of SPTA (ii) Areas adjacent to Otterburn training area (OTA): 2.9 per cent. of OTA (iii) Areas adjacent to Sennybridge training area (SENTA): less than 0.1 per cent. of SENTA Note: Private land adjacent to SENTA has been used for access only rather than manoeuvres.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

4750; 296 c355W;296 c357W

Session

1997-98

Subjects

Armed forces Private sector Training Otterburn Training Area Salisbury Plain Sennybridge