Closure of MOD Storage and Distribution Depot (Dülmen)

Thursday 5th June 2014 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Philip Dunne)]

As part of the strategic defence and security review in 2010 we announced that we would withdraw half of the UK armed forces currently based in Germany by 2015 and the remainder by 2020.

Consistent with that announcement, we are now in a position to clarify when we will close the Ministry of Defence (MOD) main storage and distribution depot in Dülmen, Germany. The depot will cease non-core activities by October 2015 with a view to closing the site by September 2016 and releasing it to the German federal authorities.

Regrettably, this will result in redundancies of 242 locally employed civilians, in two tranches in autumn 2015 and 2016. MOD officials will work closely with the German employment agency to support the transition of the employees into new jobs, including paid time off to attend training and resettlement courses. The small number of UK civil servants will be given access to normal departmental procedures to secure alternative employment and the UK military staff will be redeployed to other posts as their roles cease.

Detailed plans for the drawdown from the Wulfen depot are still to be formulated, and are not specifically linked to the decision regarding Dülmen. I can also provide assurance that all relevant German authorities will continue to be involved by us as we work to finalise plans for our withdrawal from Germany.