No Army base 'would create outrage'

Feb 9 2012

The Ministry of Defence failing to move the Army into a Scottish airbase following the RAF's departure, as promised, would provoke "outrage" across Scotland, the First Minister has warned.

The MoD announced last year that Leuchars would close as an RAF base and be replaced by a new Army headquarters, as part of the UK Government's defence review.

It said it expects the new HQ to move there no later than 2014, while two major units would follow in the period 2015-17.

However, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond appeared to raise doubts about the plans in a letter to MP Sir Menzies Campbell, in which he said there was a dependency on the future structure of the Army.

During First Minister's Questions in Holyrood, Alex Salmond said the impact of the UK Government's base-review decisions remains a "key concern" and that the Scottish Government had written to Mr Hammond seeking assurances that the commitments made last year still stand.

Roderick Campbell, MSP for North East Fife, said the "fear-mongering" created by the doubts is unsettling his constituents.

Mr Salmond said: "We had a policy announced, after significant representations were made on a cross-party basis by this Parliament and others, which had some benefits for Scotland in the overall balance. It would be disgraceful if there was any attempt by the new secretary to unpick that arrangement.

"Of course, he has not said that as a policy; he has hinted it in a letter to a member of Parliament.

"In terms of policy, the MoD said there is no change."

He added: "The outrage that there would be in Scotland if there was any reneging on the commitments last year would encompass every part of the community and every party in Scotland."