HC Deb 13 May 1959 vol 605 cc1224-6
12. Mr. Stonehouse

asked the Secretary of State for Air which missile bases were officially visited by Senator Symington of the United States of America during his recent tour of Great Britain.

The Secretary of State for Air (Mr. George Ward)

The Senator visited a missile site near Feltwell.

Mr. Stonehouse

In what capacity did the Senator make the visit, and will facilities be open to Members of the House?

Mr. Ward

The Senator made the visit as a distinguished American politician. I should welcome visits from hon. Members of the House.

13. Mr. Stonehouse

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many missile bases are up to operational standards.

Mr. Ward

A number of sites have been completed, but it would not be in the public interest to give figures. As regards the missiles themselves, the position remains as described by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State on 22nd April.

Mr. Stonehouse

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the statement made by Senator Symington when he returned to the United States to the effect that none of the missile bases in Britain was up to operational standards? What has he done to check the accuracy of this statement?

Mr. Ward

The House has been told many times that Thor missiles at present in this country are used for training and will not become operational until after the successful completion of all the trials going on at Cape Canaveral.

Mr. Shinwell

Are we to understand from the right hon. Gentleman's reply that Senator Symington has received information about missile bases which is not available to hon. Members?

Mr. Ward

No, Sir. I have just said that if hon. Members would like to visit one of these missile bases I shall be delighted to show it to them.

Mr. Shinwell

The right hon. Gentleman just said that, in the public interest, he could not disclose the information. It now transpires that Senator Symington has the information. Why should Americans be given information denied to us?

Mr. Ward

All I said was that it would not be in the public interest to disclose how many bases had been completed. That is quite a different matter.

Mr. de Freitas

Will the Secretary of Stale make it quite clear that any hon. Member of the House who visits one of these stations—they are R.A.F. stations, not United States stations—will be given all the information which was given to Senator Symington when he recently visited this one?

Mr. Ward

I am not sure exactly what information was given to him, but I can assure hon. Members that I shall not deny them any information which I think would be in the national interest; but, obviously, there must be some security.

14. Mr. Stonehouse

asked the Secretary of State for Air what representations have been received by Her Majesty's Government from the United States Government about the inadequacy of missile bases established in Great Britain.

Mr. Ward

None, Sir. The United States Secretary of the Air Force has, in fact, expressed his satisfaction with what the two Air Forces have accomplished.

Mr. Stonehouse

Will the Secretary of State check on what information was made available to Senator Symington and make it available in the Library of the House, and will he say to what extent the United States authorities are responsible for these establishments? In view of the present international situation, would it not be advisable to postpone their development?

Mr. Ward

The United States authorities are responsible for the provision of the missiles themselves and for the training of our personnel. We are responsible for the building of the sites.

Mr. de Freitas

Do not these Questions and Answers and the contradictory statements coming out of Washington by civilians and Service men emphasise once again how undesirable it was for the Government to make an agreement with the United States about these missiles, which brought the Royal Air Force into the party political battles in the United States? Is it not a most regrettable result of this Government agreement that the efficiency of R.A.F. officers and men has been called in question in the United States and that they have been put in a very embarrassing position?

Mr. Ward

I do not think that the conflict of opinion in the United States is any worse than the conflict of opinion which takes place between the hon. Gentleman and myself across the Floor of this House, and if he is worried about the Air Force view of this matter perhaps he would think about that himself.