§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What, now the Cold War is over, are their plans for the future of military facilities on Ascension Island, how frequently these facilities are visited by British officials, and what ground or other rent they are receiving from the United States in respect of those facilities; and whether there are any conditions, attached to the uses the US authorities may make of 147WA the facilities, as regards observance of international law and UN Security Council Resolutions.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonThere are no current plans to change the role of RAF Ascension Island, which is primarily to provide a staging post for the airbridge from the United Kingdom to the Falkland Islands. Apart from Ministry of Defence personnel undertaking duty visits, and various officials in transit to the Falkland Islands and St. Helena, no British officials have visited these military facilities in the past 12 months.
United States forces use the facilities on Ascension Island free from ground or other rent under the Extension of the Bahamas Long Range Proving Ground by the Establishment of Additional Sites in Ascension Island Agreement of 1956, and the provisions of the Leased Basing Arrangement of 1941.
Conditions for the use by the US authorities of Ascension Island are governed by the aforementioned agreements. Both Britain and the United States are bound to observe international law and mandatory resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.