RAF Menwith Hill

HC Deb 26 January 1998 vol 305 cc32-3W

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 31 July 1997,Official Report, column 472, on RAF Menwith Hill, if a copy of the report resulting from the internal US review was sent to his Department; and which Department within the United States Government carried out this review. [24542]

Dr. Reid

The review was conducted by the National Security Agency and looked into US security practices at the site. As such, there was no requirement for the report to be made available to Her Majesty's Government. However, my Department was made aware of the broad recommendations of the report at the time.

Ann Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the European Commission report Assessing the Technologies of Political Control, and its application to RAF Menwith Hill. [24579]

Dr. Reid

I am aware of the report referred to by my hon. Friend, which is not a European Commission report but one that has been prepared for, although not endorsed in any way by, the European Parliament. I have no comments to make on the contents of the report, other than to say that no activity considered inimical to British interests is, or would be, permitted at RAF Menwith Hill, which operates with the full knowledge and consent of Her Majesty's Government.