HC Deb 11 March 1986 vol 93 cc792-3
4. Mr. Meadowcroft

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has instituted into the safety and effectiveness of North American air defence command and control systems.

Mr. Stanley

NORAD's safety and effectiveness is a matter for the United States and Canadian Governments. The British Government's involvement is limited to the component of NORAD at RAF Fylingdales.

Mr. Meadowcroft

What evaluation has the Minister made of the work of Mr. Daniel Ford, who made a detailed investigation of the subject, which was published in the New Yorker and later in a book, and which drew attention to the highly dangerous aspect of relying on apparently sophisticated machinery?

Mr. Stanley

I have not made a study of that publication, but I shall certainly inquire about it. As the hon. Gentleman well knows, NORAD is an early warning system which has been in existence over the lifetime of successive Governments. I am sure that if the hon. Gentleman had any anxiety about safety he would have pursued that with the leader of his party during the currency of the Lib-Lab pact.

Mr. Wilkinson

In the course of Ministry of Defence research into the effectiveness of North American air defence command, will my right hon. Friend study the key role played by the National Guard and the United States Air Force reserve squadrons which constitute well over half of the front line and operate highly effectively?

Mr. Stanley

I am aware of the point that my hon. Friend makes. Undoubtedly, in the North American and United States context a very important role is played by the National Guard in the air defence of North America. As the hon. Gentleman knows, in the context of the RAF Reserve, we have been trying to make increased use of our own reservists and volunteers for air defence purposes.

Mr. Corbyn

In the context of the safety of American air defence, will the Minister tell us whether he is satisfied with the safety of the 16 cruise missiles which are currently circulating on Salisbury plain and the 45 support vehicles which are associated with them? Will he tell us if all those 60 missiles are live and what would be the number of people killed as a result of an attack on those missiles by anybody else?

Mr. Stanley

We are satisfied with their safety. As we have said to the House on many occasions, no live missiles are used during training exercises.