A GROUP of MPs is expected to come out in favour of keeping open Royal Hospital Haslar in Gosport.

The House of Commons defence committee is set to argue the case for a core military hospital when it publishes a report on the government's proposals to restructure the defence medical services.

Several members of the committee were given a tour of Haslar on April 14 last year as they began their inquiry.

A number of MPs were initially sceptical about the trend towards establishing military units at National Health Service hospitals, but several are understood to have warmed to the idea.

Committee members visited an MoD Hospital Unit (MDHU) at Frimley Park, Surrey last month.

Proposals to axe Haslar, which were announced on December 14 last year, included adding an MDHU at Queen Alexandra hospital, Cosham to replace military facilities at Haslar.

But several MPs are also understood to be in favour of a core military hospital, partly as a result of fierce arguments in Haslar's favour from two Hampshire members of the committee, Michael Colvin and Mike Hancock.

Haslar, which was formerly a RN hospital, became the sole remaining tri-service hospital after a previous round of defence cuts.

The committee chairman, Labour MP Bruce George, has written a draft report but a meeting to discuss it this week was cancelled because to few MPs turned up.

It will now be considered when members return from a visit next week to the US.

As a committee of Parliament it has no impact on government policy but ministers must reply formally to each recommendation.

The campaign to save Haslar will also be raised in Parliament next week by Peter Viggers.

He plans to introduce an adjournment debate on the issue next Wednesday.

Meanwhile Peter Edgar, spokesman for the Save Haslar Taskforce, called on the new ministers in charge of the health and defence ministries after this week's Cabinet reshuffle to honour guarantees given when the closure of Haslar was announced.

Mr Edgar said Alan Milburn, the new health secretary, should keep to the commitment of his predecessor Frank Dobson to visit Haslar once a consultation exercise about the plans is over.

And he said Geoff Hoon, who succeeded Lord Robertson of Port Ellen as defence secretary, must stick to his pledge that Haslar would not close until new local facilities were available that were at least as good.

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