§ Mr. Quentin DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence further to his answer of 3 April 2001,Official Report, columns 110–11W, on missile defence systems, if he will publish a report on the progress of the Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment Programme. [158075]
§ Mr. HoonI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Mr. Taylor) on 6 April 2001,Official Report, column 293W.
§ Mr. Quentin DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence further to his answer of 3 April 2001,Official Report, column 111W, on national missile defence, for what reason it is premature to decide to acquire a ballistic missile defence for UK territory or forces deployed overseas. [158076]
§ Mr. HoonOur current judgment that it would be premature to decide on acquiring a ballistic missile defence capability for either UK territory or forces deployed overseas is based on our assessment of the threat, the rapidity with which relevant defensive technologies are changing, and the need to evaluate further the potential role of missile defences as one element of a broad-ranging defence response to missile proliferation.