Today, Fay Jones MP raised her ongoing campaign to save Brecon Barracks during an Urgent Question to the Ministry of Defence.
Brecon Barracks is the Army's headquarters in Wales and home of 160th Brigade. Many local businesses are supported by the presence of the Barracks, and UK defence spending now supports over 7,700 jobs in Wales in the public and private sectors, an increase from 6,300 just a year ago. The barracks are due to be closed in 2027.
Miss Jones has been campaigning to keep Brecon Barracks open since her election. In February 2020, she hosted a Westminster Hall Debate on UK Armed Forces: Wales’s Contribution, when she highlighted the tragic loss a closure would be to the local community and pledged to "do all I can to prevent the closure of the barracks". Shortly after hosting the Westminster Hall Debate, Miss Jones met with Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quinn MP to discuss the closure and secured a commitment from him to visit Brecon Barracks. Miss Jones also raised the issue during the first ever virtual Prime Minister's Questions in April.
Commenting on the exchange, Miss Jones said:
"The proposed closure of the barracks in Brecon would be a tragic loss to our community, and would close the door on a momentous part of Welsh history. The history of Brecon is one of shared pride and intertwined heritage with the military. Many local businesses are supported by the presence of the barracks which support local jobs and growth in the rural economy.
"I am committed to campaigning against the closure of the Barracks. I look forward to welcoming the Minister for Defence Procurement my constituency when he visits Brecon Barracks, as soon as lockdown restrictions allow."
Miss Jones' full question can be watched here.
