By Julian Whittle

Last updated at 12:43, Thursday, 20 September 2012

The new Defence Minister Philip Dunne has agreed to meet a delegation from Longtown munitions depot before he decides its future.

The Ministry of Defence is proposing to close the site in 2014, with the loss of 300 jobs, transferring its explosives storage function to Kineton in Warwickshire.

The previous Defence Minister, Peter Luff, visited DM Longtown last month.

Local politicians and trades unions were hopeful he would grant a reprieve but those hopes were dashed when he lost his job in the recent ministerial reshuffle.

Now Mr Dunne has agreed to meet unions and Cumbria County Council within the next two weeks.

He made the pledge when he was lobbied by Penrith and the Border MP Rory Stewart and Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell on Tuesday.

Mr Stewart said: “I think we were very close to convincing Peter Luff and I’m worried we might drop back to square one with a new minister.

“Civil servants have been making the same arguments since 2008 that they can save money and run things more efficiently by having one site [at Kineton].

“We argued that there is a real shortage of skilled jobs and it would be a tragedy to lose these jobs.

“Secondly, if Scotland were to go independent, the Ministry of Defence would be in a dangerous situation. They would be relying on depots in Scotland to supply firing ranges in the north of England.”

Mr Luff had promised to announce his decision by the end of the year.

But Mr Dunne told the two Conservative MPs that he may make up his mind by the end of October.

Mr Stewart said: “We only want to know quickly if it’s the right answer.

“The unions have done a very good job in setting out the case and making the arguments.

“They have been patient and constructive. I think it is still very much to play for.”

Union representatives welcomed Mr Dunne’s promise to meet them.

Bill Allison, branch secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said: “We had written to him setting out new information and inviting him to meet us.

“We think we’ve got a good case and hope the minister will look at the evidence presented to him.”

First published at 11:27, Thursday, 20 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk