§ 34. Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that there is parliamentary approval prior to a deployment by the US of national missile defence facilities in the UK. [31927]
§ Mr. HoonPresident Bush has made clear that he has not yet decided what sort of missile defence system he will ultimately seek to deploy. We have received no request from the US for the use of sites in the UK for missile defence purposes, and it remains premature to indicate how we would respond to any specific request.
§ 35. Mr. LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Russia about missile defence. [31928]
§ Mr. HoonI discussed a range of issues, including missile defence, with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Ivanov, during his visit to London on 20 December.