Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department plans to ensure that any consultation run by the government of the Republic of Cyprus with regard to development of the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area will include consultation with civil society.

The Sovereign Base Areas Administration (SBAA) and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus are holding a joint consultation process for the designation of planning zones and preparation of planning policy for the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (SBAs). Public meetings with representatives of the relevant local communities were held on 16 July 2014, when the formal joint consultation process commenced. The draft proposals for the designation of planning zones and planning policy in the SBAs have been provided to all SBA communities and to various interested Non Government Organisations. The relevant documents can be accessed on the SBAA website, together with accompanying maps providing guidance on current land use and constraints, including existing and proposed special areas of protection and conservation.