Relocation Of Mod Quality Assurance Unit

EDM number 1049 in 1990-91, proposed by Frank Cook on 01/07/1991.

That this House regrets the continued delay in deciding the future site of the Ministry of Defence Quality Assurance Unit; recalls how a decison had been made by the Ministry of Defence in March 1989 to transfer Quality Assurance activities to Preston Farm, Stockton; remembers the hope this decision gave to younger residents in Teesside, especially at such a practical confirmation of the Government's policy to relocate Civil Service posts in such areas of high unemployment; further remembers how other Government Departments subsequently planning to relocate have bypassed Cleveland so as not to compete with the Quality Assurance Unit for the same labour pool; remains angered at the decision in August 1990 for re-examination of the Quality Assurance Unit move to Preston Farm by the Ministry of Defence, despite the expenditure of millions of pounds already on the project; notes how redeployment of the Quality Assurance Unit to Teesside could yield a net benefit to the national economy of an estimated ú193 million, far more than any projected cost of the move; and finally hopes that a decision will still shortly be forthcoming both to honour existing Government policies for the relocation of Civil Service jobs away from the South East to areas of high unemployment and also to avoid wasting considerable sums already invested in the projected move to Teesside.

This motion has been signed by a total of 20 MPs.