HC Deb 02 July 1980 vol 987 cc579-80W
Mr. Stephen Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, following the announcement naming the sites where cruise missiles will be stationed, the status of these United States Air Force bases has been changed.

Mr. Pym

No. RAF Greenham Common and RAF Molesworth continue to be RAF stations made available for use by the United States Air Force.

Mr. Stephen Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations took place with locally elected representatives before the sites chosen for the cruise missiles were announced.

Mr. Pym

None. The choice of sites was determined largely by operational considerations. Discussions with the local authorities concerned have now begun on a number of enviromental matters connected with the basing. Such discussions could not, of course, have started before I made my statement to the House on 17 June.