asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest estimate of the total public expenditure required to transfer 4,000 Ministry of Defence civil servants from London to Cardiff, including the cost of land, homes, offices, schools and roads.
Planning and detailed costing of the Cardiff dispersal programme is still at an early stage and any estimates must necessarily be of a very broad brush nature, subject to fluctuation as building design work proceeds. However, the latest provisional estimate of gross costs is betwen £70 million and £80 million over the period to 1987–88. Local authorities are responsible for providing education and other related services with any expenditure necessary being supported by the rate support grant in the normal way.