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Departmental Assets

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the disposals of his Department's land, buildings and property (a) agreed, (b) contracted for and (c) planned (i) in the Surrey Heath parliamentary constituency, of any value and (ii) within the UK as a whole, where the net value exceeds £1 million. [132914]

Dr. Moonie: The information requested is not held centrally in the format requested. I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Staff College

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the use of the staff college site at Camberley; and if he will make a statement. [132917]

Dr. Moonie: Future use of the former Army Staff College site has been under review for some time. Pending further work on a longer-term option, an alternative short-term use has been found.

The Army Medical Services Headquarters and the Army Medical and Legal Branch will be relocated at the Camberley site later this year.

Once a final decision has been made I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Apache Helicopters

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Apache helicopters have been delivered to the UK; how many are (i) fully serviceable, (ii) unserviceable and (iii) cleared for public flying; and if he will make a statement. [132851]

Dr. Moonie: Three Apache helicopters have been delivered to the UK MOD to date. The first WAH-64 Apache was delivered to DERA Boscombe Down for trials; two further aircraft have been delivered to the Army Air Corps in Middle Wallop, and training sorties are in

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progress. Regarding the point on clearance for public flying, and assuming this meant flying at public displays, such clearance is customarily done on an "as required" basis; any of the three delivered aircraft could be so cleared if required.

RAF Chilmark

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when (a) explosive ordnance disposal and (b) contamination clearance will be completed at the RAF Chilmark site. [132174]

Dr. Moonie: The explosive ordnance disposal on the Headquarters site at RAF Chilmark is programmed for completion by mid-October 2000. On the Ladydown site it is expected to take 2 to 3 years.

The extent of contamination which requires clearance cannot be assessed until the explosive ordnance has been completed. A further statement will be made when the timescale is known.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the HQ North and HQ South parts of the RAF Chilmark site must be re-checked for explosive ordnance; and when this will be (a) started and (b) completed. [132173]

Dr. Moonie: The HQ North and HQ South parts of the RAF Chilmark site, together with the Proof Yard, are being re-checked for explosive ordnance following the discovery of projectiles in the Proof Yard in May 2000.

The re-checking started in May 2000 and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Crichel Down rules apply to the site of former RAF Chilmark; and if he will list (a) the former owners and (b) those who are in negotiation with his Department. [132172]

Dr. Moonie: The Crichel Down rules apply to the former RAF Chilmark as they do to all surplus Government land acquired by or under the threat of compulsion. My Department has concluded that the obligation to offer land back to the former owners applies to parts of the site.

My Department is trying to trace the former owners or successors to establish whether they are interested in repurchasing the land. It is not possible to identify the former owners until this process has been completed. However, my Department is in discussion with Salisbury District Council, Wiltshire County Council, English Nature and the Wiltshire Trust, who are seeking to establish the Chilmark Trust in order to acquire the site. My Department will not be able to conclude discussions until the former owner position is clarified.

Defence Estates

Mr. Livsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has had from (a) farming unions and (b) the Country Landowners Association in Wales, with regard to transfer of responsibility of the Defence Estates management to the private sector. [132733]

Dr. Moonie: None.

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Mr. Livsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if agreements reached between his Department and owners of land adjoining land owned by his Department will be fully honoured following transfer of the Defence Estates management to the private sector. [132734]

Dr. Moonie: As the hon. Member is aware, the Army are seeking a Strategic Partner to assist with the management of their estate and the provision of training services in Great Britain. In this context, such agreements will be fully honoured.

Mr. Livsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff will be made redundant as a result of his Department's Defence Estates being transferred to the private sector in Wales, indicating the numbers involved in each defence location in Wales. [132737]

Dr. Moonie: The Department's Defence Estate in Wales is not being transferred to the private sector. The Ministry of Defence seeks to identify a commercial partner to support the work of the Army in the management of their estate and the provision of training services in Great Britain. The chosen partner will provide all the non-core functions considered appropriate. The strategic partnering project is in a very early stage and it is not possible to say with any certainty what the impact of introducing a strategic partner will be on the existing operation and on the consequent employment opportunities for local staff.

Mr. Livsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what statutory mechanism will be put in place to settle disputes between adjoining landowners and occupiers of land and the company managing the Defence Estates, following transfer to the private sector. [132736]

Dr. Moonie: As the hon. Member is aware, the Army are seeking a Strategic Partner to assist with the management of their estate and the provision of training services in Great Britain.

In this context, there are no plans to put in place such a statutory mechanism. Disputes will be settled as they arise, as they are now.

Mr. Livsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is in respect of privatisation of his Department's Training Land Estate. [132738]

Dr. Moonie: The Department's Training Land Estate is not being transferred to the private sector, although, as the hon. Member is aware, the Army are seeking a Strategic partner to assist with the management of their Estate and the provision of training services in Great Britain.

Mr. Livsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that the current nominal level of rental charges for sheep grazing on his Department's grazings will be secured after privatisation and continued at current levels. [132735]

Dr. Moonie: There are no plans to transfer the Defence Estate to the private sector, although as the hon. Member is aware, the Army are seeking a Strategic Partner to assist with the management of their estate and the provision of training services in Great Britain. Irrespective of any partnering arrangements that may be entered into, grazing

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charges will continue to be set in the same way as they are now, against a number of factors including annual income trends, stock prices and farm rental comparisons.

Army Deployment (Northern Ireland)

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the additional Army deployment in Northern Ireland was in July by way of assistance given to the RUC in the Portadown area. [131391]

Mr. Spellar: An additional 1,483 soldiers were deployed in the Portadown area in July to support the RUC.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers were assigned to duties under the control of the RUC in Portadown in July. [131392]

Mr. Spellar: Soldiers assisted the RUC at Portadown in a variety of roles, but they remained under military command.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers were issued RUC riot equipment and uniforms in Portadown in July. [131393]

Mr. Spellar: No soldiers were issued with RUC riot equipment in July. However, six soldiers from the Royal Military Police who were supporting the RUC in evidence gathering teams were issued with police coveralls. The soldiers wore helmets and armbands which clearly indicated that they were military police.

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