§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the implications for non-proliferation of United States' plans to establish a National Missile Defence Shield Programme, involving forward bases in the United Kingdom [117675]
§ Mr. VazThe United States has not yet decided to deploy any such system. Its implications for non-proliferation would depend on the circumstances in which it were deployed.
The United States Administration has said that the implications for the overall strategic environment and for arms control will be one of the key criteria against which any deployment decision is taken.