North East Fife MP Sir Menzies Campbell has written to the Chair of the House of Commons Defence Committee to ask if the committee will investigate the recent RAF basing review. The review concluded RAF Leuchars in Sir Menzies’ constituency should close and become an Army base.
Commenting, Sir Menzies said:
“I have asked the chairman if the Defence Committee will carry out an investigation into the decisions in relation to basing in Scotland and particularly RAF Leuchars so as to obtain a full public explanation from officials and ministers and also to provide an objective analysis of the correctness of these decisions from a strategic point of view.â€
Sir Menzies’ letter is as follows:
“The Rt Hon James Arbuthnot MP
Chairman
Defence Committee
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Further to our recent conversation I am writing to ask if your committee would conduct an investigation into the recent decisions of the Ministry of Defence in relation to bases in Scotland and particularly as they affect the Royal Air Force.
As you may be aware it is intended that the Typhoon squadrons originally scheduled for RAF Leuchars in my constituency are to be transferred to RAF Lossiemouth. Leuchars it is proposed thereafter would become an army base, but there is no clear programme for this nor a firm indication of what units would be based there.
These decisions have proved controversial to say the least and I have consistently argued that strategic considerations of the positioning of air defence assets have not been given the weight they deserve. It seems to me that your committee would be best placed to examine the thinking of the Ministry of Defence in relation to these matters, not least because I believe that the advice from the Royal Air Force to ministers was that Leuchars should remain as an RAF base providing an appropriate location for the Quick Reaction Alert North (QRA) which is an essential component of United Kingdom air defence.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Menzies Campbellâ€
ENDS
