June 2003
Missile Defence

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 12 June 2003, Official Report, column 57WS, on missile defence, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the Government's support for the US missile defence system with the UK's commitments under Article VI of the Non Proliferation Treaty. [120323]

Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom involvement in cooperative work with the United States on missile defence, including the use of RAF Fylingdales for missile defence purposes, is entirely compatible with the UK's commitments under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The US missile defence system is not a nuclear weapon system.

The UK is wholly committed to its obligations under the NPT, including Article VI. I set out the progress the UK has made in fulfilling its NPT obligations on nuclear disarmament in my answer of 12 June 2003, Official Report, columns 1018-19W to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Alan Simpson).

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 12 June 2003, Official Report, column 57WS, on missile defence, whether missiles will be sited in the UK as part of the US missile defence system; and if he will make a statement. [120324]

Mr. Ingram: The Government have taken no decision about the acquisition or deployment of a missile defence system. The United States has not made any request to site interceptor missiles in the United Kingdom as part of its missile defence system.