Lyneham service personnel keep jobs

RAF Lyneham is known as home of the Hercules

No service personnel will be made redundant in the closure of RAF Lyneham, the government has pledged.

The base is set to close by 2012 as part of a strategic review of military airbases.

Defence minister Ivor Caplin said: "The early announcement will allow our recruitment planners to take account of the reduced manpower requirements and personnel will be redeployed as necessary.

"No service personnel will be made redundant as a result of this decision."

Something like 10,000 people owe their livelihoods to Lyneham James Gray, MP

The government also anticipated some of the civilian staff would be found alternative MoD employment, he said.

"As the closure draws nearer we will also reduce staff numbers through natural wastage."

But he conceded: "I cannot rule out the possibility that some civilian staff may have to be made redundant, but if that is the case they will be appropriately compensated and looked after.

"The net job losses relating to the closure of RAF Lyneham amount to around 580, of which 180 are MoD civilian posts," he added.

'Absolutely catastrophic'

Mr Caplin was responding to James Gray MP, who feared 750 civilian and 2,500 RAF jobs could go, with knock-on effects for support industries.

"If you add together the jobs, plus their spouses and families, we are talking about something like 10,000 people who owe their livelihoods to Lyneham," he told the House.

If not handled properly the closure could be "absolutely catastrophic" for both the base and surrounding area, he warned.

Mr Gray asked the MoD to co-operate with the Lyneham Task Force in mitigating the worst effects of the closure, to which it agreed.