by Mike LaycockMINISTERS will consider expanding - instead of closing - a regional army HQ at York's Imphal Barracks.

And a trade union representative claimed today that a study had just been completed into the possibility of closing the entire barracks, and concluded that such a move would be financially "untenable."

Ian McLaren, a civilian staff trade union representative, said he understood that the conclusions had just been sent from Imphal to the headquarters of Land Command.

York MP, Hugh Bayley, said today the barracks' future was in the melting pot.

As the Evening Press reported last month, a defence review has been considering merging the 2nd division, based at Imphal, with the Scottish division, based at Edinburgh, with the new merged division to be located north of the border. That change would cost York more than 200 jobs.

Mr Bayley said this afternoon he had seen an internal army document revealing that a second option was now under consideration - to merge the two divisions but with the HQ to be based in York, which would mean extra jobs in the city.

However, he feared "they are going through the motions," and he said he would press ministers to examine the option properly.The MP said he had received assurances that any decision on a merger would be taken by Ministers rather than Generals, which meant it would be "politically accountable."

He said there was a strong argument for York to be the HQ for a combined division. He had discovered that 39 per cent of army recruits came from the north of England, the area where army affairs are handled by the 2nd Division HQ. Only 12 per cent of recruits came from Scotland, where Edinburgh handled army affairs.

Mr Bayley, who has been leading the fight to keep the HQ in York, said he would shortly be leading a delegation to London to press York's case to an Armed Forces Minister.

An army spokesman, who said last month that speculation about the outcome would be fruitless at this stage, today declined to comment further.

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