§ 4. Mr. Norman Baker (Lewes)If he will make a statement about the purpose of RAF Fylingdales. [122642]
§ The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon)RAF Fylingdales provides the United Kingdom with early warning of potential ballistic missile attack against the United Kingdom and western Europe, and the United States with early warning for north America. It has performed that function since 1963.
§ Mr. BakerDoes the Minister agree that many people believe it to be foolish and dangerous to allow RAF Fylingdales to be used to make the UK a sitting target by basing a national missile defence system there that will protect US but not UK airspace? Why does he say that the anti-ballistic missile treaty is solely a matter for the parties who have signed it? If UK land is to be used to break that treaty, surely it is a matter for him. Will he confirm that the decision to allow the deployment of the national missile defence system at Fylingdales is a matter for him, and not for the US Government? Will he rule out that deployment today? If not, will he give us a date when the decision will be taken?
§ Mr. HoonThe hon. Gentleman makes a considerable number of points, some of which, I regret to have to tell him, are quite wrong. I will not go through them in detail, save to say that, clearly, if two parties are signatories to a treaty, it is for them, and not any other nation, to interpret it. He is right to this extent: it is for the United Kingdom to decide what should happen at RAF Fylingdales. As yet, there has been no specific request for 6 the use of those facilities from the US, not least because it has made no decision about whether to deploy national missile defence.
§ Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York)Will the Secretary of State confirm that, if such a request is made, RAF Fylingdales will have to be upgraded to perform that role?
§ Mr. HoonIf such a decision were made by the President of the United States and if, as a result of that decision, a request were made to the United Kingdom for the use of RAF Fylingdales, yes, the facilities would have to be upgraded.