§ Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domerasked Her Majesty's Government:
How, if as stated by the Lord Bach the new construction works at Menwith Hill may not be debated in Parliament (H.L. Deb., 5th July, column 873), they can test the opinion of the British people through Parliament as to whether or not they wish to be part of the new developments required by the United States National Missile Defence system. [HL305]
§ The parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)The construction works referred to relate to the European Relay Ground Station of the Space Based Infra-Red System (SBIRS). Permission to site this at RAF Menwith Hill was given in March 1997. SBIRS is designed to detect the launch of ballistic missiles. It will replace an existing infra-red detection system that helped, for example, to warn of Scud launches during the Gulf War. The system is necessary irrespective of any decisions by the US on missile defence, and is being handled as a separate project. We have received no request from the US for the use of facilities in the UK for missile defence purposes.