To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the military port function of the Sea Mounting Centre at Marchwood will continue to be operated in that location after the awarding of a lease to a commercial organisation for the development of part of that site; and if he will make a statement.

The Ministry of Defence will continue to use Marchwood for sea-mounting after the planned award of the concession. The concession will be structured to ensure that military outputs can still be met from Marchwood, while enabling greater economic and commercial benefit to be realised from the site.