§ Lord SELSDONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what alternatives to RAF Greenham Common are being considered as the site for the proposed new United States air base in the United Kingdom.
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, in late January this year the United States authorities requested permission to reactivate RAF Greenham Common, which is currently a United States Air Force standby base, for peacetime use by up to 15 KC-135 tanker aircraft. This request is now being carefully considered and all the relevant factors will be taken into account including the examination of possible alternative locations to Greenham Common. This examination will be com- 2 prehensive and it would lead to unnecessary speculation to mention particular alternatives at this stage.
§ Lord SELSDONMy Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Lord for hat fairly unhelpful reply. But may I ask him whether he will take into account the considerations of local residents, and whether it is true that those who live in the area of Greenham Common are totally opposed to this base while those in some of the alternative areas are very much in favour of it?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, I cannot be more helpful than I have already been. I said that the examination will be comprehensive and at this moment speculation is premature.