HC Deb 02 November 2001 vol 373 cc877-8W
Mr. Swayne

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 24 October 2001,Official Report, column 242W, on the US Domestic Preparedness Programme, what aspects of US homeland security he plans to implement in the United Kingdom. [10964]

Mr. Hoon

Following the events of 11 September, the Government embarked on a wide ranging review of all their established contingency plans to counter terrorism and manage the circumstances in the UK and the threat to UK security. While elements of the US response to terrorism could be relevant to the UK, our domestic security posture reflects the geography of the UK and the threat of terrorism here which are different from those of the US.

We are conducting work, as I informed the House on 4 October, to ensure that we have the right concepts, force structures and capabilities in place to deal with asymmetric threats. This work will look both at the defence of the UK and our ability to counter and deter terrorism abroad. It is too early to say what measures we will implement as a result of this work, though consultation with the US and other Allies will make an important contribution.