Greenpeace cyberactivist Ray Duff wrote to his local MP, Tory leader Michael Howard, for his views on the issues of renewing the UK's nuclear arsenal. We print the full text of Mr Howard's letter below.
Dear Mr Duff,
Thank you for your letter of 12 September.
For almost forty years the British and United States of America Governments have been transporting copious amounts of techinical information, materials and componants for use in each other's nuclear weapons programmes. Without the agreement, Britain would not have its Trident nuclear weapons, or be a nuclear power at all. Britain has test-fired 24 hydrogen bombs in Nevada and, in retur, supplied the US at times with plutonium.
So far as the furture is concerned, I quite agree that if Parliament is to fulfil its constitutional role of scrutiny and its responsibility for ensuring the security of our citizens, then the issues such as the proposed expansion at Aldermaston and allowing British bases such as Fylingdales and lakenheath to support US 'missile defence', should be debated on the floor of the House.
In the context of such debate such studies as can properly be made available without a risk to national security should of course be made available.
Thank you for taking the time to write to me.
With best wishes,
Michael Howard
Mr Howard's carefully worded answer neglects to answer any of the questions posed in the original letter, namely;
- Whether Trident replacement will help Britain meet existing and future threats
- The effects replacement would have on the on the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
- The implications it would have on British foreign policy in general and US-UK relations in particular
- The financial costs of replacement
So no change there, then. An excellent sidestep by a seasoned politician - hey , if you don't like the question, just ignore it!
A final word from Ray on Mr Howard's comments; "his usual avoiding the issue cobblers."
