Twelve military sites set to be sold off in an attempt to generate £500 million and allow 15,000 homes to be built have been announced.

Defence minister Mark Lancaster told MPs the sales are the first part of a plan to free up enough Ministry of Defence (MoD) land for 55,000 homes.

Outside the Commons, the MoD said the sites are Kneller Hall in Twickenham; Claro and Deverell barracks in Ripon; RAF sites Molesworth and Alconbury in Cambridgeshire, and Mildenhall in Suffolk; Lodge Hill in Kent; Craigiehall in Edinburgh; HMS Nelson Wardroom in Portsmouth; Hullavington Airfield in Wiltshire; RAF Barnham in Suffolk; and MoD Felton in London.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Lancaster said: "As part of the Government's prosperity agenda, the MoD is committed to releasing land for 55,000 housing units in this parliament.

"I'm delighted to announce the first 12 sites, which will contribute some £500 million of land receipts - which will be reinvested into defence and provide more than 15,000 potential housing units."

Mr Lancaster was replying to a question from Conservative Lucy Frazer (South East Cambridgeshire).

She asked: "Could you explain what steps the MoD is taking to release surplus land for housing and could you also explain what progress the MoD has made in selling or renting the fire control centre in Waterbeach?"

In his reply, Mr Lancaster said: "With regard to your own constituency, I can confirm the whole of the Waterbeach site has now been transferred to our civilian delivery partner."