Defence labs consolidated

Porton Down will take on 850 staff

The government is closing two of its defence research laboratories in England.

As a result, three others will become core locations for Ministry of Defence (MoD) research.

These are Porton Down in Wiltshire, which is to take on 850 new staff, Fort Halstead in Kent and Portsdown West near Portsmouth.

Laboratories in Farnborough, Malvern, and Winfrith in Dorset, are to close by 2007.

The benefits of the move, according to Defence Science and Technology Labs (Dstl), the MoD department which runs the laboratories, are technical and operational.

The move represents the best option available for the MoD and offers Dstl a bright future Lord Bach Minister for defence procurement

It will also save money and give staff better career prospects, according to Dstl.

Lord Bach, minister for defence procurement said: "I fully support Dstl's decision to move to three core sites.

'Prospects'

"It offers good prospects for Portsmouth with a significant number of staff moving to the area at a time when a number of defence-related organisations have moved away.

"Porton Down has long been a centre of excellence so it makes sense to develop and enhance the capabilities on this site.

"The move represents the best option available for the MoD and offers Dstl a bright future."

The move will take the total number of scientists and engineers at the Wiltshire site to more than 1,850.

Around 1400 staff currently at Farnborough, and Winfrith will locate to the three core sites over the next four years.