NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENCE

Early day motion 936, tabled 5 July 2000 by Jeremy Corbyn (Labour). Signed by 50 members.

That this House welcomes the Secretary of State for Defence's answer to a parliamentary question on 3rd July in which he stated that 'Our current assessment is that there is no significant threat to the UK from weapons of mass destruction'; also welcomes the recent statement by the US State Department which acknowledged that North Korea, Iran and Libya, who were the rationale behind the National Missile Defence project 'are no longer rogue states'; further welcomes the compelling arguments which have been advanced by a number of honourable Members in support of their opposition to the NMD; notes the widely reported public criticisms by France, Germany and Italy of the NMD; also notes that Mr Pedersen, the Foreign Minister of Denmark, has said that it would not be Denmark's policy to use Thule radar station, which is an essential component of the NMD; deeply regrets the failure by the present Labour Government to take an unequivocal position on the NMD; is concerned that the US is determined to go ahead with the system, despite its profound implications for the future of the nuclear disarmament process; urges Her Majesty's Government to recognise the increasing swell of cross party and public anxiety about the NMD and its implications for international peace and security; and calls for an early debate before any decision is made about the use by US of the ground radar station at Fylingdales in Yorkshire, which is integral to the NMD.

Signatures by party: Labour 40, Labour/Co-operative 4, Liberal Democrat 4, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1.