§ Mr. Brittanasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the intergovernmental agreement for the use of the Fylingdales ballistic missile early warning system in the period from January 1974 has yet been signed; if so, when it was signed, and for how long a period it runs.
§ Mr. JohnThe intergovernmental agreemeent for the use of the Fylingdales ballistic missile early warning system is contained in a memorandum covered by an exchange of letters dated 15th February 1960, which were subsequently published as a Command Paper (Cmd. 946). The agreement remains in force for the duration of the North Atlantic Treaty unless revised or terminated by agreement between the United States and United Kingdom Governments.
§ Mr. Brittanasked the Secretary of State for Defence why the contract for the provision of services at the Fyling 30W dales ballistic missile early warning system has been put out to competitive tender for the first time in its history.
§ Mr. JohnIt is our policy to invite tenders on a competitive basis wherever practicable in order to ensure that we receive the best possible value for money. The contract for the provision of services at Fylingdales has been subject to regular review with a view to inviting competitive tenders as soon as the Department was satisfied that competition for the provision of the specialised services involved was feasible.