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Proliferation in ParliamentBack to Proliferation in Parliament, December 2007 - February 2008 Westminster ParliamentKey to Column Numbering
Missile Defence
Missile Defence, Written Answers, December 2007 - February, 2008
Ballistic Missile Defence: RAF Menwith Hill, 18 Feb 2008, Column 89WMr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Government received the formal request from the United States administration for Menwith Hill to be used in the US Missile Defence System. Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 7 January
2008, Official Report, column 30W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman
Baker). RAF Menwith Hill, Written Answers, 22 Jan 2008, Column 1840WNorman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2007, Official Report, column 400W, on RAF Menwith Hill, for what reason the exchange of letters between the US Defense Secretary, dated 29 June 2007 and the UK Secretary of State for Defence, dated 17 July 2007, is classified. Des Browne: As I stated in my reply of 7 January 2008, Official
Report, column 30W, it is not the practice of the Government to make public
the details of correspondence with foreign governments as this would,
or would be likely to, prejudice international relations. Topical Questions, Defence Oral Questions, 21 Jan 2008, Column 1204Nick Harvey (North Devon) (LD): What assessment have the Government made of the new Polish Government’s attitude to ballistic missile defence, particularly since the Russians sent a visitor to Warsaw warning of the implications of such a scheme? Also, what assessment have the Government made of changing opinion in the Czech Republic? In the light of those developments, is it not time that we had a debate on the subject in the House? Des Browne: As I understand it, the Polish Government’s position
on ballistic missile defence is that they are discussing the possibility
of basing some missiles on their soil, under an agreement with the United
States of America. I am not, and would not be expected to be, in a position
to report the detail of those discussions to the House. The hon. Gentleman
will have to wait, along with the rest of us, to see how those discussions
take place and what their outcome is. As for holding a debate in the House
on ballistic missile defence, we have regular debates on defence issues.
I had some research done and, to my knowledge, since I have been Secretary
of State for Defence, on only one occasion has someone made a contribution
on the subject of ballistic missile defence in one of those debates. That
is how much demand there is for such a debate, despite the posturing of
members of his party outside the House. Ballistic Missile Defence, Written Answers, 7 Jan 2008, Column 30WNorman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests he has received from the United States administration to use RAF Menwith Hill as part of the US Missile Defense System since 1st January 2001; and if he will place copies of those requests in the Library. Des Browne: The US administration's request for missile warning data being routed through RAF Menwith Hill for use in the US missile defense system was received in a classified letter dated 29 June 2007. It is not the practice of the Government to make public the details of correspondence with foreign governments as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice international relations. Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter he received on 29 June 2007 from the United States requesting the use of RAF Menwith Hill as part of the US Ballistic Missile Defence programme. Des Browne: It is not the practice of the Government to make public
the details of classified correspondence with foreign governments as this
would, or would be likely to, prejudice international relations. RAF Fylingdales, Written Answers, 12 Dec 2007, Column 611WMr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) UK and (b) US personnel were employed at RAF Flyingdales in each year since 2002, broken down by employer. 12 Dec 2007 : Column 612W Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 11 March 2003, Official Report, column 181W, and 14 June 2006, Official Report, column 1235W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker). As of 3 December 2007 the figures for RAF Fylingdales were: one US military personnel; 13 US contractors; 79 RAF personnel; 162 UK contractors; 105 Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency personnel and 37 UK civilian personnel work at the base. The number of personnel who worked at RAF Fylingdales in 2002, 2004 and
2005 is not available in the format requested. RAF Menwith Hill, Written Answers, 12 Dec 2007, Column 611WMr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) UK and (b) US personnel were employed at RAF Menwith Hill in each year since 2002, broken down by employer. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 30 June 2005, Official Report, column 1693W, and 14 June 2006, Official Report, column 1235W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) and on 27 November 2007, Official Report, column 313W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett). The number of personnel employed at RAF Menwith Hill in 2002, 2003 and
2004 is not available in the format requested. RAF Menwith Hill, Written Answers, 11 Dec 2007, Column 400WNorman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the decision was taken to give permission to the US Administration to use Menwith Hill in the Missile Defense system; who took the decision; and what (a) formal agreement and (b) memorandum of understanding was produced. Des Browne: The Government’s agreement to missile warning data
being routed through RAF Menwith Hill for use in the US missile defence
system was given in an exchange of classified letters between the US Defense
Secretary (dated 29 June 2007) and the UK Secretary of State for Defence
(dated 17 July 2007). Ballistic Missile Defence, Written Answers, 10 Dec 2007, Column 55WNick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place on notification and consultation between the US administration and 10 Dec 2007 : Column 56W the Government before RAF Fylingdales and RAF Menwith Hill could be used to engage hostile missile attacks on the US. Des Browne: The early warning information that is provided by
RAF Fylingdales, and is routed through RAF Menwith Hill, is shared by
the US and UK. Appropriate procedures are in place for notification and
consultation between the US administration and the Government. Defence: RAF Menwith Hill, Written Answers, 4 Dec 2007, Column WA175Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 22 November (Official Report, cols. 924-6), whether the proposed United States missile defence bases in Poland and the Czech Republic as currently planned could function without RAF Menwith Hill. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness
Taylor of Bolton): The overall effectiveness of the US ballistic missile
defence system is dependent on the co-ordinated interoperability of all
the elements in the proposed architecture. The proposed ballistic missile
defence assets in Poland and the Czech Republic could function, albeit
at a lower level of effectiveness, without the ballistic missile early
warning data routed through RAF Menwith Hill. Ballistic Missile Defence, Written Answers, 4 Dec 2007, Column 1130WMr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government were contacted by the United States to request use of Menwith Hill as part of its missile defence system; and if he will make a statement. David Miliband: The request from the US to use RAF Menwith Hill
as part of the US missile defence system was made in a letter to my right
hon. Friend the Defence Secretary on 29 June 2007. RAF Fylingdales and Menwith Hill, Written Answers, 3 Dec 2007, Column 818WMr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future role of RAF Fylingdales and Menwith Hill in ballistic missile defence systems. Des Browne: The early warning radar at RAF Fylingdales will process
and pass on tracking data into both the UK's own US ballistic missile
warning system, the US ballistic missile defence (BMD) system. RAF Menwith
Hill will continue automatically to route information from US satellites
but will now also pass this data into the US communications network for
BMD. This data will also alert our own missile warning radar at RAF Fylingdales
as part of its long-standing UK mission to provide missile attack warning. Ballistic Missile Defence, Written Answers, 3 Dec 2007, Column 828WNick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what public consultation was conducted before 25 July 2007 on the use of Menwith Hill as part of the US ballistic missile defence system. Des Browne: The Ministry of Defence published a discussion document on missile defence in November 2002, ahead of a full debate in the House in 2003. The principles underlying ballistic missile defence, as they affect the UK, have not changed since then. Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his Czech and Polish counterparts on the US Ballistic Missile Defence programme; and if he will make a statement. Des Browne: It is not the practice of the Government to make public
details of all discussions with foreign Governments as this would, or
would be likely to, prejudice international relations. However, the issue
of missile defence is routinely discussed with our allies in a number
of NATO forums. Back to Proliferation in Parliament, December 2007 - February 2008 © 2007 The Acronym Institute. |