RAF Marham Debate
11th November 2010
During a debate on the future of RAF Marham, Keith Simpson asks the Minister if either of the Tornado bases were to close as a RAF base, whether it would continue as a base for other military formations.
Mr Keith Simpson (Broadland) (Con): I congratulate my hon. Friend on her hard work in support of RAF Marham, which affects a number of our hon. Friends. If RAF Marham were to close completely, only one Ministry of Defence base would remain in Norfolk-at Swanton Morley, a former RAF base that is now the base of the Light Dragoons. There is a lot of concern in Norfolk. RAF Coltishall, part of which is in my constituency, closed six years ago, but 80% of the base-now owned by the Ministry of Justice-has still not been taken over. The fear has always been that RAF Marham would be left on its own. Perhaps the Minister will tell us whether, if either RAF Lossiemouth or RAF Marham lost the RAF operational element, any of the military units from the United Kingdom support division would go into whichever base was closed.
Elizabeth Truss: I entirely agree with my hon. Friend about the detrimental effect of the closures that we have already seen in Norfolk and East Anglia. I should like the Minister to consider the future of RAF Marham when the Tornado is retired. My understanding of the 2005 report on the joint strike fighter is that RAF Marham was considered a suitable option for the JSF. As the equipment is modified and-I am given to understand-the noise levels would be lower, it might be a potential future location, so we could continue building on our excellent engineering and maintenance facilities.
