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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Riddick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current requirement for Army training land in the United Kingdom; and what arrangements there are for the stewardship of such land. [21457] Mr. Soames: I have today published a document, "Striking a Balance '97", the second report on the management of the major Army training areas, following the original "Striking a Balance", published in October 1995. The new document describes the work going on in a number of areas to ensure that the land on which the Army trains is managed with as much sensitivity as possible to the requirements of local people. The document also reports on the work we have done to analyse the Army's requirement for training land in the United Kingdom. This work shows that, following the return to this country of many units from Germany, and the introduction of new systems, the Army has a significant shortfall in training land in the UK. The report also shows a number of ways in which this shortfall can be reduced including by development of existing facilities and, in particular, the proposed development of Otterburn. A copy of "Striking a Balance '97" has been placed in the Library of the House.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

21457; 292 c670-1W

Session

1996-97

Subjects

Armed forces Army Land Ministry of Defence Training Otterburn Training Area