§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment his Department has made of the risks posed by long-range missile attacks. [2296]
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library what risk assessment of ballistic missile attack on the UK from(a) North Korea, (b) Iran, (c) Iraq, (d) Libya and (e) Syria has been made; and what assessment has been made of the potential of these countries to develop inventories of (i) global medium-range, (ii) intermediate range and (iii) inter-continental range ballistic missile. [329]
§ Mr. HoonWe assess that there is currently no significant ballistic missile threat to the mainland of the United Kingdom. We do, however, continue to monitor developments closely, particularly as they might affect deployed forces.
North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria all have ballistic missiles development and/or production programmes and have the potential to develop, or to obtain inventories of, longer-range ballistic missiles. North Korea and Iran already possess medium-range ballistic missiles and North Korea has the technology needed to develop ballistic missiles of intercontinental range.