DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT ON MENWITH HILL AND MISSILE DEFENCE URGENTLY NEEDED - MULHOLLAND

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 3rd Apr 2008

Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, has co-singed a letter in today's The Guardian Newspaper calling for an urgent parliamentary debate on Menwith Hill and the involvement of UK military bases in the United States' missile defence programme.

Despite key NATO negotiations on missile defence this week, and promises by former Prime Minister Tony Blair made last February, the Government has still yet to devote any time in the UK Parliament to discuss this issue.

Commenting Greg said:

"The use of bases like Menwith Hill in the United States' missile defence programme is massively controversial and with huge consequence, and yet the Government is still not prepared to allow time in Parliament to debate this key issue.

"Instead, the Government continues to try to sweep announcements like the decision to allow Menwith Hill to be used as part of this system under the rug, cynically manipulating parliamentary procedure to avoid any real debate.

"It is time for the Government to stop ducking their responsibility and finally allow a full and frank discussion on this key issue in Parliament."