Ivor caplin MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Ministry of Defence
Old War Building
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2EU

Ministry of Defence Police - Dstl Porton Down

I was grateful for the opportunity of a constructive exchange at Defence Questions on 29lh March, about the policing of married quarters in Salisbury constituency. As ever, with Parliamentary Questions and Answers, the time available cannot do justice to the issues raised. I therefore reiterate my concern (gleaned from Wiltshire Constabulary) that cuts in the MDP presence and patrols in the garrison towns of South Wiltshire do impact on the policing required from Home Office forces. The point made to me by Wiltshire Constabulary is that in the military environment around Amesbury there are three hundred or so crimes a year committed. To date, most of these have been dealt with by the MDP or the RMP. As the MDP contracts, more of these three hundred crimes will have to be dealt with initially by Wiltshire Constabulary.

Army Security Patrols, operated by the Military Provost Guard Service are now a familiar sight in Salisbury. Are they used to patrol married quarters estates? The army website is not entirely clear on this point. Under the entry for the MPGS it says they are "responsible for security of military installations in many locations".

I would like to raise with you the particular issue of the Compliment Review currently taking place at Dstl Porton Down.

The current compliment at Dstl was arrived at back in 1999 alter a long and in-depth review -and was a compromise on what was originally recommended. It was agreed then that the current MDP compliment represented the minimum requirement to undertake the role at Porton Down.

Given that the Ministry of Defence Police Fire Amis Tactical Survey of March 1999 recommended that the MDP Compliment at Porton Down be organised in the way which is now in place, what has changed since the events of 9/11 to justify cuts in the defence at Porton Down?

After all the conclusion of the Fire Arms Tactical Survey was that the establishment is of prime importance to the defence infrastructure of this country that the policing plan in force in 1999 was not providing an adequate level of protection or a good enough response capability and that the recommendations made would address those shortcomings and provide a practical, cost effective solution for the security of the site.

I would be very grateful for your responses to the questions I have raised.