§ 6. Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence why he has refused permission for a group of Labour hon. Members from Yorkshire to visit Menwith Hill station in North Yorkshire.
§ Mr. HanleyFor operational and security reasons, such visits are not in general allowed.
§ Mr. MaddenIs not it extraordinary that British Ministers should refuse elected Members of the British Parliament the opportunity to visit bases on British soil? Were British Ministers afraid of the information that American personnel might give us or did they feel that we could not be trusted with the mess silver?
§ Mr. HanleyI have nothing to add to my previous answer.
§ Mr. RiddickIs my hon. Friend aware that a few years ago, when I was a little younger and when I was chairman of the North Yorkshire Freedom Association, I organised a rather successful anti-CND demonstration at Menwith Hill? Is he further aware that, at that time, the station authorities refused access to the CND squatters camping outside? Does not it make perfect sense for the authorities now to refuse access to mischief-making Labour Members of Parliament with CND sympathies?
§ Mr. HanleyMy hon. Friend is absolutely right but I can tell him one thing: were a group of Conservative Members of Parliament to apply to visit Menwith Hill, it would receive the same response as the group of Labour Members.
§ Mr. CryerIs not one of the outrageous truths about Menwith Hill that it has never received any authority from Parliament and that it is operated by a foreign power, whether or not that foreign power is sympathetic? Therefore, it should be accountable to the House. Is not the Minister denying democratic accountability through the House by refusing to allow Members of Parliament to go to what is a secret eavesdropper on telecommunications from the United Kingdom, which operates without any implied or expressed authority from the House of Commons?
§ Mr. HanleyIt is a Ministry of Defence-owned property and it is Ministry of Defence controlled. Therefore—
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursHave you been there?
§ Mr. HanleyI spent a day there on 27 January. There is no lack of democratic accountability. There have been 40 questions in two years on that subject—four tabled by the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Cryer). If he were to request something such as an Adjournment debate, the matter may be discussed further. Opposition Members have not taken the democratic opportunities available to them.
§ Mr. Robert BanksDoes my hon. Friend agree that the Menwith Hill base is an extremely important communications centre for the North Atlantic alliance and that we should be grateful for the security that we obtain from the presence of the United States service men and our own RAF service men at that base? Is he aware of the number of jobs that emanate from the workings of the base and that excellent relationships exist between United States servicemen and the people of Harrogate?
§ Mr. HanleyI could not agree more with my hon. Friend. He is absolutely right. Menwith Hill is vital to the security of the United Kingdom and to the United States and nothing is done there that is not consistent with the security of the United Kingdom. I also agree with my hon. Friend about the jobs because there are 600 United Kingdom nationals and 1,200 United States nationals and therefore there is a considerable community. Relations in the area are absolutely excellent.