Minister of State for The Armed Forces Ministry of Defence Main Building Whitehall LONDON SW1A 2HB Mrs Anne Campbell MP House of Commons LONDON SW1A 0AA 16th April 1999 Dear Anne, Thank you for your letter dated 19 February to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Home Office. You enclosed an e-mail from Mr Cooper, soon to be a constituent of yours, regarding his concerns about the operations of RAF Menwith Hill. I am replying as the Minister responsible for the United States Visiting Forces in the United Kingdom. Perhaps it would help to say first that RAF Menwith Hill is a communications facility, part of a world wide defence communications network, run by the US Department of Defense and serving US, UK and NATO interests. It operates with the full knowledge and consent of HMG and we consider it to be of the highest importance to this country's defence stategy. The allegation that RAF Menwith Hill intercepts telephone calls of British citizens is unfounded. The activites undertaken by the facility at RAF Menwith Hill are not exempt from UK law in any respect, and both UK and US staff at the base must conduct their duties in accordance with UK law. In particular, the Interception of Communications Act 1985, which applies to RAF Menwith Hill as it does to any other facility. When it comes into force next year, the Human Rights Act 1988 will incorporate the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights in UK law. These provisions will apply to the activies undertaken by the facility at RAF Menwith Hill. No unlawful activity and nothing considered damaging to British interests is, or would be permitted to take place at RAF Menwith Hill and we are in a position to be entirely confident of this as UK personnel are integrated at every level. I hope this explains the position and that you will convey this to Mr Cooper. Doug Henderson MP