§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which a cruise convoy support vehicle overturned on the A339 on the morning of Tuesday 22 July; and on how many previous occasions such accidents have happened involving similar vehicles.
§ Mr. FreemanI understand that the driver of a vehicle belonging to the United States Air Force was forced to swerve suddenly to avoid several demonstrators who deliberately stepped into the road in front of the vehicle on the A339 near Kingsclere. The vehicle did not overturn but a trailer it was towing, and which contained miscellaneous field and personal equipment, did. There were no casualties. I am not aware of any similar incidents which have been caused in this way but such activity by demonstrators is clearly both irresponsible and dangerous.
§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost to his Department of policing the cruise missile convoys on their exercises.
§ Mr. FreemanIt is not the practice, for both operational and security reasons, to give details of matters relating to exercises conducted by nuclear missile units.