§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of(a) the cost and 568W (b) the length of time required to upgrade RAF Fylingdales in the event of a request from the United States for United Kingdom assistance in the deployment of the proposed National Missile Defence System. [125077]
§ Mr. HoonWe have not received a request from the US regarding the use of any facilities in the UK as part of the proposed US National Missile Defence system. Nor would we expect one until after a US decision to proceed with deployment of the proposed system. We would consider such a request carefully, taking into account a wide range of factors, including a detailed assessment of the proposed nature and duration of any works requested. The question of financial costs associated with proceeding with deployment of the proposed US National Missile Defence system is first and foremost a matter for the US.