Foreign Secretary William Hague has given an interview to army station Garrison Radio at its headquarters which is in his parliamentary constituency.
The former Conservative party leader chatted to the station's Rafe Parker about everything from the uprisings in the Middle East to spending cuts in Defence.
Mr Hague said it was too early to say what effect the budget reductions would have on the future of the Garrison in Catterick – the biggest town in his constituency. He said: "More people live here than in Richmond or Northallerton. Twenty years ago there were almost no facilities at all. It must have almost felt like being sent to Siberia for some of the people posted here!" There's now a leisure centre, shops and plans to improve the centre.
Asked if he felt that Catterick was fully equipped to handle an increase in numbers with forces returning from Germany, the Foreign Secretary agreed that it would be stretched, but speaking as the constituency MP he was sure this could be addressed in the same manner that resources and services in and around the base had been improved constantly over recent years.